Great Britain: To be continued….

Jings, crivens, help ma boab. Incredible times. Within hours of the No vote nicking it, Big Eck slung his hook. If Nicola Sturgeon takes over, three of the four main political parties in Scotland will be lead by women. What’s next? We asked a series of thinkers – James Meek, Phillip Blond and John Lanchester amongst them – to map out how Britain needs to progress from here. Some fascinating thoughts.

Amongst the rest inside…

John Bird, in fine reflective form, explains why he was for Yes and salutes the social justice reform that could have come.

Toby Jones is our crackerjack of a Letter To My Younger Self subject. Mournful, he feels he has let his 16-year-old self down, rather than impressing him as one of the great actors of his generation.

Landmark director and audience scarer David Cronenberg provides his guide to being a success in the movies. And he also reveals which huge star director was terrified about meeting him.

Samira Ahmed channels John Steinbeck as she visits Monterey and the Salinas Valley. A very good read.

Also, we have persuasion scientist (yes, it’s real job) Steve Martin explaining how you can successfully get your own way, Jane Graham toasts the talents of Amelia Bullmore, and don’t fear – we have the winner of the World Black Pudding Throwing championship.

Our featured vendor telling their story in My Pitch is Kalin Boyadzhiev, who works, ironically in this week of ructions, in Westminster. An electrician to trade, he’s not found it easy to find regular work. Selling The Big Issue has helped him, he says, maintain his dignity.

We also bring details this week of our first ever vendor with a regular permanent pitch inside a railway station (Euston).