Mark Pollard Mark is an intelligent and versatile writer who's contributions to thisisUll.com include fiction, opinions and articles. Marks contributions are listed below..

Opinions - Response To Steven Greendale's Article By Mark Pollard
	To Steven Greendale: You're a bright lad, aren't you? Firstly, you accuse Anthony Newlyne of taking a poke at Ian Newton's book The Night Shift, when Newlyne's enjoyment of and respect for Newton's work is made quite clear despite the article being somewhat ironic in parts. How could you not have understood this, Mr Greendale? Can't you read properly? Secondly, you have a Read more...

Opinions - Steve Regan 'The King of Hull' Column By Mark Pollard

	I'm just wondering why Steve Regan is being given exposure by thisisull.com. It's something I've been pondering for a while, but his recent piece on the way our brave boys... in Iraq have been so badly treated by the white feather press (i.e. The Guardian), and which included disparaging references to hand-wringing liberals finally confirmed my concerns at Read more...

Opinions - Mark Pollard's Response to a Couple of Hull's Blinkered Critics

	Well, Channel 4's rubbish programme the other week (I can't even be arsed to mention it's name any more) certainly resulted in the odd fucknut blowing the cobwebs from their PC keyboard and jumping onto that bitter little bandwagon, didn't it? You want to know what's the worst thing about Hull? It's that, like any other city, it has it's fair share of these types - the sort of Read more...

Opinions - Regarding Tom Hawcroft's Retort to Lee Cassanell's Hull By Mark Pollard

	I'm not absolutely certain about this, but I think Tom might have been hoodwinked by a piece of ever-so-clever, post-industrial, post-modern, post-comedy, post-post-whatever, irony schmirony by Master Cassanell. Sorry - I'm being ironic myself now. Or am I? Lee - I think you need to come clean about your motivations here; something that may require a Read more...

Articles - Endless Guitar Solos and the Real Reasons for Opposing Fox Hunting. By Mark Pollard

	I love progressive rock. Always have done. There; I've said it. You can stick your three-and-a-half minute blasts of pop music where the sun don't shine. If it sounds great, let it drag on for half an hour is what I say. Why play one note when Read more...

Opinions - Channel 4's Best and Worst By Mark Pollard

	Last night's (Tuesday 9th August 2005) Channel 4 aired a programme which listed the ten best and ten worst places to live in the UK. It was one of the most ill-researched, unbalanced and downright irresponsible pieces of television that I have seen for many years. I used to regard Channel 4 as being a bit like BBC2 with adverts; unfortunately, they seem to be moving Read more...

Articles - The Golden Age of Education By Mark Pollard

	Anyone who regularly reads the letters pages of The Hull Daily Mail is probably aware of a serial contributor by the name of Lionel F. Cerny. I think he's probably a retired teacher, because one of his major, recurring letter-writing themes is Read more...

Opinions - Musings By Mark Pollard
	A couple of things that have perplexed me over the years: Firstly, why the link between heel bars and key cutting? They always seem to be combined under the same roof. I don't geddit. Potential for major calamities, too - imagine going in for a new heel on your brogues and ending up Read more...

Fiction - Firm but Fair By Mark Pollard
	Cry-Baby Jim Breaks. He pioneered it, they say. And the hushed, almost ecclesiastical tones of Ken Walton had heralded it's entry into Saturday afternoon folklore: the bright lights of Blackpool and Great Yarmouth, down to the lesser reputes of Ilfracombe and Skegness had all borne witness Read more...

Fiction - Scrawls Of The Unexpected By Mark Pollard
	Professor Colin Pillinger, lead scientist on the Beagle II programme, was calm but well pissed off inside. He had been clinging to the idea that his £35 million Mars Probe was stuck in a crater, waiting for some narrow rays of sunlight to banish the shade for a few precious hours each day in order that Read more...

Community Media - Start getting the job interviews you really want! By WriteMark
	Do you see adverts for jobs and think "I could do that!" But ... do you struggle to produce a clearly-written and compelling application form? For just £15 you can take advantage of my expertise and experience to help you write an impressive supporting statement which could secure you an all-important job interview! Also, professionally-written bespoke CVs that will stand out from the Read more...

People - An Interview With Peter May By Steve Rudd
	I'd like to introduce you to Peter May, a writer of thriller novels that are genuinely exhilarating affairs from start to finish. Peter is famous for writing his series of China Thrillers - a series that includes his Firemaker novel, along with the racy Snakehead story that is set in Texas. Peter always carries out intensive research into the places in which he sets his stories; he also Read more...

People - An Interview With Peter Gadol By Steve Rudd
	Peter Gadol is the exciting author of a number of uniquely exhilarating novels including the deliciously dark, drama-driven thriller The Long Rain. His latest novel is Light at Dusk, and here he spares some time to chat to Steve Rudd exclusively about his life and times, and trials and tribulations as a highly respected and hugely talented writer of the type of stories that Read more...

People - An Interview With Meg Gardiner By Steve Rudd
	Meg Gardiner is an incredible Thriller writer, brought up in the US but currently residing in the UK. Her debut novel called China Lake provided the perfect showcase for her amazing talents, and since its publication there has been no stopping her when it comes to writing novels, with Mission Canyon, Jericho Point and Crosscut being other well-known books of hers that been Read more...

People - DJ Chris Plant Heads for the States
	DJ Chris Plant is heading to America in an effort to make his dream come true. Chris, 23, a former resident DJ at Fuel and various other nightclubs, has a quite breathtaking CV. He worked for Sunshine Radio in Ibiza, has commentated on live football matches in Chicago and was Agent X on Foxy & Tom's Viking FM breakfast show. However, after trying to crack Read more...

People - An Interview With Edwina Hayes By Steve Rudd
	Edwina Hayes is an acoustic singer-songwriter currently enjoying success opening Jools Holland's Rhythm and Blues band tour. Dublin born and raised in Lancashire, Edwina now resides in Yorkshire. Here she talks to Steve Rudd about her music. Hi Edwina, how are things? Hi Steve, really well thank you! What have you been up to lately, and how has 2005 been in general? Read more...

People - Interview with Bob Sinclar by Toni Tambourine
	Bob Sinclar is the French DJ currently making his mark with the Defected label. Toni Tambourine took some time out to interview the man known as 'music's premier playboy superstar..' What were your initial ambitions and dreams for Yellow Production? Do they remain the same, or if not, how and why have they changed? It's amazing having people asking me to do promotion! Read more...

People, Interviews - Interview With The Paddingtons By Joe Hakim. Photos By Ray Ribeiro and Darren Rogers
	I've had to bite the bullet and start working again. It has to be done, and there are two reasons for this. Firstly, starting any new job means starting at the bottom again, which is a good method for keeping the ego in check. Secondly, it brings cash back into your life, which after nearly two months of bumming off people is a welcome relief. You can only live on luck alone for so long; take the piss and you burn it all up. Read more...

Opinions - Fickle Voters By Mark Pollard

	I watched a TV programme the other night about the seemingly endless, unaccounted and under-investigated murder of scores of young women by street gangs in Guatemala. As a father of three girls myself it was heart-breaking stuff that made me thankful to live in the UK; the 'scandal' of John Prescott shagging his secretary hardly seems to matter by comparison. Read more...

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