Six of the Best 786

"The new Southern and Thameslink trains ... look as if they have been designed to be hosed down after use." However you organise the railways the Treasury always wins, argues David Boyle.

Elizabeth Ammon explains how scoring cricket games during the miners' strike made her political: "I saw a portly offspinner break down in tears when asked for his match subscription. He didn't have it. He couldn't scrape together the five pounds he was being asked for. It made me angry."

Donald Trump's wall would do great damage to life and landscape along the Rio Grande, says Nick Paumgarten.

A famous scene in Blow-Up features David Hemmings and a Yardbirds line up with both Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck. It also features Janet Street Porter, who remembers how it was filmed,

"Plenty has been written about the greatness of Odessey and Oracle’s individual songs, but I want to focus on what seems to be an under-appreciated facet of the album: Its implicit suggestion that DIY music can be just as refined as high-budget, professionally produced music." Alasdair P. Mackenzie celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Zombies' superb album.

Corse Present explores Alan Garner's Elidor.