Scrapbook – Rob Hinchcliffe

September, 2025
Lots of good stuff to start autumn off with. Some live Lynchian music, a mini Redford retrospective, a trip to Brighton, some glamping in the countryside... and three books. Three!

The Way We Were (1973)

I (re)watched two Robert Redford films this month, for obvious reasons. First up, The Way We Were from 1973 with Babs. So much to love about this film. The clothes, the score obviously, the locations... But also, the fact that people from either side of the political spectrum used to have well-reasoned and sensible arguments while drinking martinis. Those were the days.

Sneakers (1992)

And second was Sneakers from 1992. It's a solid 7/10 film this. Nothing amazing, but a great reminder of the kind of smart, funny, dramatic and original stories that used to get made with incredible casts that included River Phoenix, Dan Ackroyd, Ben Kingsley and Sidney Bloody Poitier as well as Redford!

In Dreams - David Lynch Revisited

Talking of films. I went to the South Bank to see In Dreams - David Lynch Revisited. A tribute to the music of Lynch's work, with musicians and guest singers, including Anna Calvi, Mick Harvey and Conor O'Brien. Calvi was amazing, but the whole show was pretty great.

Buster makes a friend

Went glamping for a long weekend with the dog. Buster made a Great Dane friend.

Buster Best

The local pub had this on tap. Of course I had a pint.

Next to Heaven by James Frey

Had to read James Frey's new one, just because I've read all of his others and I was curious. It's not great. He can't really do the soapy page-turner with a sprawling cast very well and nobody in the whole book is remotely likeable. A lot of style, but not a lot of substance.

Flesh by David Szalay

Saw this recommended in Celine Nguyen's newsletter where she called it one of her books of the year. It just got on to the Booker shortlist as well. His style is brilliant, sparse but emotional and with its own momentum. But, again, it was hard to know what to take away from it. It's a study in life 'happening' to a person and the person letting it happen - and it's difficult to read a story like that and not feel like you should want more. I'm still thinking about it though.

The Imagined Life by Andrew Porter

I have no idea where I saw this or why I bought it - but I saw it on my Kindle backlog and dove in after Flesh. It's a very different book and very emotive and very much about a specific time and place (and I think very autobiographical). I really enjoyed it, not just for all the Fleetwood Mac references.

Always watching

Just Buster watching me while I try and work.

Cycling to Brighton

Cycled from Lewes or thereabouts down to Brighton with Dan and Andrew. One of the last gloriously sunny Fridays of the year, with a pint and pub lunch at the end. It was great.

Book shopping in Peckham

Worked out of a co-working place in Dulwich one day so tipped out at lunchtime to visit one of my favourite shops in London: BOOKS Peckham. Picked this up along with a collected works of Rimbaud. Didn't even get to the zines section so need to go back soon. Also went to Perfect Lives in New Cross in the same week. Loved it.