- Journalism
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The Guardian
A Cruel Cut?
Beloved by the Victorians, crucial to two of the world’s great religions, arguably a health boon – circumcision can be a cause of great anguish. Richard Johnson meets men finding ways to reverse a cut they wish they’d never had.
Motherfunkers
The hip world of dance music is being turned on its head. In Brighton. By a bunch of middle-aged women who need to be home by 11pm.
Don’t shoot the Messenger
Pigeons have had a tough time of late, ever since London Mayor Ken Livingstone banished them from Trafalgar Square. They have been called “flying rats”, yet these reputedly poisonous creatures have rare and noble qualities, says Richard Johnson. They even helped us win two world wars.
Bespoken For
Getting married is supposed to be the happiest day of your life. You want to look your best. But what if the off-the-peg suits make you feel like a stuffed shirt? For Richard Johnson, the only answer was the get his rig-out handmade, by one of the world’s finest tailors. Only then could he be comfortable on the big day. Or could he?
A Genius Explains
Daniel Tammet is an autistic savant. He can perform mind-boggling mathematical calculations at breakneck speeds. But unlike other savants, who can perform similar feats, Tammet can describe how he does it. And now he’s devising his own language. Scientists are asking whether his exceptional abilities are the key to unlocking the secrets of autism. Interview by Richard Johnson
Pass the Salt
They’re slimy, ubiquitous and wreak havoc across our gardens. But how do you get rid of slugs without killing them? Richard Johnson has tried all manner of remedies – human hair, coffee, even beer – yet he still yearns for the day of salt and pellets.
Doing the Business
They all come from the same mining village and, as top rock acts go, the Stereophonics are a workmanlike bunch: they tour, they write songs, they have a gameplan. This is not Spinal Tap. Richard Johnson joins them on the road.
Blood, Guns and Splatter
Tim Roth has had enough of the rough stuff. It's time to get serious, and that means directing. But pain is still there: his first film is about incest. Richard Johnson meets him.
Soul Survivors
In the mid-seventies, obscure black American dance music struck a chord in the north of England and became a craze. Now the beat is on again. Richard Johnson on the new Northern Soul boys and girls.
A Wing and a Prayer
Richard Johnson looks back at the life, career and bizarre death of Rod Hull, the entertainer who owed it all to an obnoxious bird with a big yellow beak.
