Tonight on Fawkem Hall, I’m joined by Patrick, Anorak, Paul English, and later Monica, for a lively, meandering open-mic that starts with rocky intros and marmalade-glazed pork ribs and veers into our theme: are fads a form of human imprisonment? From Teddy Boys, Mods and Rockers, Beatniks and punks to today’s leggings, vaping and electric scooters, we explore how trends shape behaviour, manners, dress, music, and even architecture—often by design. We swap memories of Pet Rocks, brothel creepers and winkle pickers, debate dignity versus “comfort” culture, and reflect on social engineering, from uglified fashion to degraded public decorum, video-game violence, and the algorithmic nudge of modern tech. Monica shares poignant stories of her frugal father, the slippery slope of classroom “fashion,” and her time in a German prison for thought crime, while we contrast old-world self-respect with today’s shabby chic and tattoos-as-identity. We roam through cars, kilts, bagpipes, dog breeding, food prices, chemtrails, chips versus French fries, and electric bikes, then land on weightier ground: usury, conscription, propaganda, and how war and media manipulate the young. It’s a freewheeling, funny, and sometimes fierce conversation about culture, beauty, and autonomy—peppered with British–American slang lessons and the eternal reminder to keep your manners, your dignity, and your sense of humour.