Take Note: The spirit of punk is now dead

It seems like only yesterday that we were at Buck House, sipping Pimms and nibbling on cucumber sandwiches, celebrating the 50th birthday of Her Madge.

According to the red tops, opening hours in public houses around the country are to be extended to mark the Queen’s 90th, so anyone who can’t afford £150 for ‘not just any hamper’ can still feel like we’re all in it together.

What better way of marking this special day than getting hammered on cheap cider and fighting in the streets of dear old Blighty?

You see, punk rock has been given national heritage status – supported by the National Trust as well as Liz W herself, no less.

It’s maybe less of a surprise that Joseph Corré, the son of Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood, has decided to take anarchy to its logical conclusion and burn all his memorabilia. The reason? Punk. London, a corporate and state-sponsored series of gigs, exhibitions, talks and film screenings. Set up thanks to a £100K Lottery grant and the support of Boris Johnston, it seems to be the exact opposite of everything punk stood for.

Corré has said the bonfire he’s setting is worth £5M, though that’d suggest either he has all the rare EMI copies of ‘Anarchy in the UK’ or that a flair for overstatement runs in the family.