It’s a cold night and I’m on a crowded District Line train to East Ham. The passenger crammed in next to me is wearing a beanie emblazoned with that well-known brand, Wankiscarf.

I wrote a 700 word elegiac/valedictory piece. I’d been reading about using AI as a writing aid over the weekend, so pasted my draft into Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat with a prompt requesting a light edit. To my surprise, the piece broke Copilot Chat.

Political parties and political comms are run by degree-educated professionals from “elite” institutions. Why is it that the right espouses antivax? Because it helps identify followers: ignorant, selfish people without compassion and solidarity, and heedless of the consequences of their own actions.

Black and white photograph of a person walking past a municipal litter bin by a parade of shops - this is Freemasons Road, Newham, London
Black and white photo of the skyscrapers of Wood Wharf (Canary Wharf) from the Uber Boat terminal at Trinity Buoy Wharf. Two boat workers and a launch are visible in the middle ground.
Side profile at night against an illuminated background of Rokhsana Fiaz OBE, directly elected mayor of the London Borough of Newham, checking her phone
Black and white photograph of a teardrop sculpture at Canary Wharf with iconic high-rise buildings reflected.

Crucial Track for 19 October 2025

"Ashes" by Embrace

Listen on Apple Music

Embrace always sounded like a Celtic band to me. Who knew they were from West Yorkshire? Anyway, I have a soft spot for "Ashes".

View Miles Metcalfe's Crucial Tracks profile

New Met for London 2.0 video is looking at 3 to 5 years for crimes against typography

Bought some Fiio SnowSky Wind on-ear headphones from Advanced MP3 Players. They sound a lot better than you’d expect for the price, and they look great.