The Lead Digest: Flags, books and road to nowhere

Our round-up by The Lead’s team of what we’ve been reading, listening to, scrolling and watching each week.

Here at The Lead, we like to consume just as much as we create, which is why we spend a little time each week rounding up our favourite stories, books, podcasts and films to offer our readers a sample of the work that informs our world.

Natalie has been inspired by this suggestion from Naomi Alderman to make November the month of reading. “I have been feeling a growing desperation to properly curb my phone addiction, and this could be the answer,” says Natalie. “I have deleted Instagram from my phone and don’t plan to return this year (saying this here for accountability), which should give me lots more time to finally attack my to-be-read pile.”

Pic: Luisa Brimble on Unsplash

Ella really enjoyed this entertaining read on Poundbury – “the UK’s weirdest town,” built by King Charles – by Normal London Bloke. She also recommends this piece by the team at Mill Media, who is actually putting up national flags around the country (if you want more context on this, we untangled “Operation Raise the Colours” in September).

On that note, Ella also went down to Kent to go on the ground with Faversham’s so-called ninjas, who are sneaking out at night and ridding their town of flags, and wrote about it for The New Statesman.

Padraig recommends this fascinating and infuriating read from Martin Robbins, on the building of a bridge for a non-existent road for HS2, as well as the incredibly bizarre story of DJ Carey, one of Ireland’s greatest ever sportsmen, who’s been jailed for five-and-a-half years for conning friends and acquaintances out of hundreds of thousands of Euros he claimed he needed for cancer treatment.

Ed is currently reading a Stuart Maconie book, Long Road from Jarrow. He’s one of his favourite writers, owing to his mix of nostalgia, politics, social history and more all weaved into one.

Zoe really enjoyed this episode of The Bunker podcast about whether we could see a MAGA(Make America Great Again)-style movement take root in the UK with Professor Roger Griffin.

Watched, read or listened to something you think we’d like to feature? Drop ella@thelead.uk a line and we will consider for inclusion. And feel free to share this post to a friend or family member who you think needs some reading or listening inspiration!