Dr Thackray

It doesn’t happen very often, every three or four years at most, but occasionally I find myself wishing there was a football match on telly I could watch. Does anyone know of anything suitable?

Did you notice how poor the quality of headlines announcing Matt Hancock's departure were? Like "Matt's all, folks!" For fuck's sake. It was almost like the redtops couldn't be bothered.

R.I.P. Alan Lewis (11) R.I.P. you legend. I had the pleasure of overseeing one of your sons (Luke)'s internship at MM (same weeks as Ben Myers). He was a top bloke, too.

R.I.P. Alan Lewis (10) , and spoke extremely fast for 15 minutes, upon which Alan Lewis said, "I think we've all had enough, don't you?" while Andy McDuff nodded mute agreement, and we rejoined to the Stamford. They'd been at the same party.

R.I.P. Alan Lewis (9) I can still recall my emotions as I realised I had to get straight back on a train to London in an hour's time. I arrived at Kings Reach Tower a gibbering wreck, slapped my 100-page SWOT analysis of the music press down on the table between us...

R.I.P. Alan Lewis (8) ...but paid the fare upfront and didn't think to get a refund. It took me three hours to walk the 20 minutes back to my house, election night 1997. I tried to sleep but fell six feet to the floor out of my Victorian cast iron bed and near brained myself.

R.I.P. Alan Lewis (7) Mark Sutherland refused to refund my £150 bill in an act of brazen betrayal. My previous editor wouldn't have batted an eyelid. No, wait. I caught the last train back at 01.00, having noticed the time as we passed Victoria Station...

R.I.P. Alan Lewis (6) ADDENDA On the day of the actual interview for the job, I was so hungover I could barely move. I hadn't slept, having been at the launch party for Uncut magazine the night before, missed the last train back to Brighton and caught a taxi the entire way.

R.I.P. Alan Lewis (4) "So Everett. What is up with these questions?" What do you mean, I ask He starts reading: "What is your favourite colour? What is your favourite shape?" I fix him a drunken glare. "Alan. These questions were taken from last week's issue of Smash Hits."

R.I.P. Alan Lewis (3) He lined up a few pints for each of us: it transpired he was concerned my writing might be too pretentious for VOX, and picking up a copy of that week's Melody Maker and turning to the two-page feature on Come I had written, he began.

R.I.P. Alan Lewis (2) First, he needed to check I was OK. He invited me down to the Stamford Arms for a lunchtime drink. I was more than a little intimidated: he seemed lovely, but he was a publishing legend (Melody Maker, Sounds, Kerrang!, Number One, NME, Loaded and so forth)

R.I.P. Alan Lewis (1) In 1997, it became apparent that IPC Magazines were going to make Mark Sutherland the editor of Melody Maker. I had no fucking idea what I was going to do. Alan Lewis had the bright idea of sounding me out for the editorship of VOX.

There are two types of musicians: First, the ones who appreciate how inspirational, experimental, talented and smart Yoko Ono is - and these went on and flourished. The others? They became Oasis.