Vindaloo

78 Vinyl Nostalgia

It's a vivid, haunting sound that you can even smell. The 78 Project's hommage to a golden era that gave everthing an unreal glow. Listen to my piece on Radio 4's Today, and read it online at the BBC site.

Khaki Suicide Epidemic

Every 80 minutes, if you average it out, a veteran of America's long wars kills himself. It's invariably a he. The VA is often held up as a model of healthcare provision. But as a senate committee heard last week, center managers have been putting their own bonuses, ahead of suicidal patients' welfare. The BBC ran this piece of mine over the weekend.

Download Suicide vets story S Seq

  

Without a Hitch. The great man remembered

It's so quiet now, his widow Carol told me. Hitchens made it along to Cooper Union one last time for an event that brought together his old mates, and most of the greatest living writers and editors that New York and London have to offer. Fittingly, I had a stonking hangover. The BBC Today programme ran my sketch this morning: 

Download Hitch memorial story

New Balls Please: Wall Street's Hormone Rush

Testosterone's all the rage in boardrooms around NYC these days. It helps the ageing exec stave off competition from the younger guy, and apparently, all that stuff about five-times-a- night? It's all true....I did this for the ballsy PM programme on Radio 4: 

Download Testosterone NY

The World's Oldest barber snips on

Anthony started cutting hair in 1924, and he's barely stopped since. His only sadness is being forced to go part-time. Listen up to this piece, which ran on BBC's Outlook programme and also PM. In fact, On Demand nicked it for last weekend and it got great traffic: 

Download World's oldest barber story

I wanted to take 18-month-old Jasper along for his first ever cut, but that idea got nixed. So I took a turn in the chair instead.

Taxi Medallion economics: more interesting that you think

Yellow cabs have the exclusive right to pick up fares in the Five Boroughs. This right now costs more than $1m, and comes in the form of a $15 piece of tin. Now there's fear, panic and lawsuits. Have a listen. This ran on Radio 4 this week...

Download NY medallion economics

Springing back

OWS is back on the streets of Manhattan, and there's an interesting photo exhibition to accompany it. I caught up with lensman Giles Clarke and some other activists on opening night. This ran on the BBC World Service: 

Download Occupy photo expo NY WELLS donut

Let Them Eat Tilapia

After backyard beekeeping and rooftop vegetable-growing - welcome to trashcan Tilapia. Urban farming goes aquatic in NYC. A fishy but irresistible tale. This for the Today programme on BBC Radio 4: 

Download Bronx eco fish story

From boyband to Talking Head

A musical two-fer today. My From Our Own Correspondent piece about being backstage with One Direction....

And, this quirky interview with David Byrne about his latest multimedia piece inspired by hanging out in a boat on top of the South Bank. A tasty Today Programme commission. 

Download South Bank David Byrne Wells pack

So long Sue

Sue Simmons' exit from News 4 At 11, should be mourned along with the end of smoking in parks, dancing in bars, playing music in Central Park, and all the other tedious curbs on behaviour in New York that have made this a duller place to be. A small tribute to her from me, which ran on Radio 4 today: 

Download Sue Simmons story