Despite rumours to the contrary, eBay is not going to allow the sales of Live8 tickets on its website. According to its statement,

We are allowing the sale of tickets because we believe that people can make up their own minds about what they buy and sell. The reselling of charity concert tickets is not illegal under English law and eBay believes it is a fundamental right for someone to be able to sell something that is theirs whether they paid for it or won it in a competition.

Update
Under pressure from their customers and “Sir” Bob Geldof, eBay have u-turned. Here’s their new statement:

Today you have made it very clear to us that our previous decision to allow the sale of LIVE 8 tickets on eBay.co.uk was not one that the vast majority of you agreed with. As a result of this clear signal from the Community we have decided to prohibit the resale of LIVE 8 tickets on the site.

Although the resale of tickets is not illegal, we think that this is absolutely the right thing to do. We have listened to the views you expressed on the discussion boards and in the many emails you have sent to us. We shall be working over the next few hours to remove all LIVE 8 ticket listings from the site.

According to the Guardian:

Geldof, Midge Ure and Harvey Goldsmith yesterday called for a worldwide boycott of the internet auction site and consulted lawyers over possible high court action to ban ticket sales on the web. Trading standards officials also warned that some tickets could be fakes.

Update the second
See Chris Applegate and Mathaba (sorry, there are popups).

Highlights of last weekend include watching a trio of female singers performing a lounge jazz version (if that’s a real genre) of The Smiths’ Panic and a musical based on Morrissey songs starring puppets which had, at one point, more than a little in common with Team America: World Police.

A couple of MP3’s online:

• Jonny‘s campaign to save his post office (via)
• A Green Day/Oasis/Travis/Aerosmith mix (via)

Monday

Stayed up into the early hours watching music videos. We sat through a mid-eighties compilation of Bucks Fizz promos – interspersed by “Miss Jay Aston” comments – before remembering that Brian Grant, director of The Long Game, had directed music videos. A Google search turned up loads of videos, many of which were on various videos and DVDs around the room. And so we sat up watching videos from artists ranging from Haircut 100 and Queen to Peter Gabriel and Spandau Ballet.

Up early to go into Westminster to run some errands at LibDem HQ. On my way back past the Houses of Parliament, I spotted a grey-haired man standing alone near the public entrance. It was Trevor Kavanagh, political editor of The Sun. One of my friends always seems to run into people like that. I would normally pass on by but she’s very good at striking up conversation. With this in mind, I decided to be more assertive and started a conversation.

We had a brief, pleasant conversation. He asked if I was a Sun reader and I admitted that I’m not. “Oh, you should read it. It’s very good.” We discussed some of the paper’s election coverage and I bit the bullet and mentioned that I’m a LibDem. “Ah,” he said, “I think we could have done more there actually.” I suggested that by “more” he meant “be even more negative about”. He nodded.

I glanced away and was surprised to recognise Channel 4 News‘s outgoing political editor Elinor Goodman walking towards us. I suppose in retrospect that right outside Parliament is as good a place as any to find political journalists, although she was meeting Trevor. She introduced herself and I went on my way.

Popped into Holborn to look up some probate records for my family history research before heading back to south London. We watched some excellent Victoria Wood episodes in the evening. More music videos later and the realisation that I can name the band members of very few of my favourite bands.

Tuesday

Train Eavesdropping III
On the way in to London in the morning, two yoofs (probably wearing hoodies) were sitting behind me on the train. They were the only people in the carriage talking and despite their street patois (if that’s the term) it was pretty clear they were discussing which guns they wanted (“a sniper’s gun would be cool”). I like to think this was nothing more than a laddish chat about weaponry, like middle-aged men talking idly down the pub. But it was still uneasy to overhear.

Back to the probate office and then round the corner and to a cafe with Dan. Then, following his directions, I headed off on foot to Kings Cross. A few moments later, I walked past the ITV News Channel’s Andrew Harvey.

Got home in time to watch a pretty unpleasant documentary about Agentha Fältskog on Channel 4.