Page 25 of 30

Re: Phoenix's Future Plans

Posted: 23 Feb 2019, 23:03
by Tammyfan
Phoenix wrote:In an attempt to determine which serials in SPELLBOUND will actually make the final cut where my next book is concerned, I was working my way steadily and methodically through my complete collection this morning when Rach rang and asked me if I could take Lois to her ballet class in Lelant at 11.15 (she would pick her up), and then take Alex and his friend Alexander, who had a sleepover there last night, swimming in the heated pool in the Tregenna Castle Hotel in St. Ives. Curiously we didn't have to pay today. I wondered whether the guy on the desk had thought we were residents. I mentioned this to him while the boys were getting showered and dressed ready to go home. He didn't seem all that bothered, and we had a pleasant chat until the boys emerged from the changing room complaining that they were hungry. They settled on a Mars bar each from a machine there. I should get a lot more time for the task from next Monday as the children will be back in school. My car and I have facilitated FOUR sleepovers this week, Lois at Faye's, Faye at Lois's, Alex at Alexander's, and Alexander at Alex's. Last night Russ and I took the four of them out to The Bluff, a pub high up on the moors above Hayle. They had a lot of fun, inside due to its being dark, but it is obviously a lot more pleasant outside in the summer.
Have you now decided which Spellbound stories will make the final cut? Or have you made some decisions and trying to figure out the rest?

Re: Phoenix's Future Plans

Posted: 24 Feb 2019, 00:36
by Phoenix
Tammyfan wrote:Have you now decided which Spellbound stories will make the final cut? Or have you made some decisions and trying to figure out the rest?
The simple answer to your first question, Briony, is "No, not yet.", and that is partly because my answer to your second question is "Yes". Deciding which serials in SPELLBOUND are persuading me to include them is requiring me to read them because I don't know those serials as well as I know the ones in MANDY, JUDY, BUNTY and DIANA etcetera, and because of the nature of the serials in SPELLBOUND, it isn't easy to compare them with those in the other story papers. I've covered just under half the run, and there are several already that are shoe-ins. Some examples of these are The Haunting Of Laura Lee, The Dark Secret Of Grimstone Grange, The Shop At Shudder Corner, Poison Penny, Dangerous Days For The Tiny Taylors, and, although I haven't reached it yet, The Face Of Romany Fortune, which was seriously influenced by The Goal Maker, from THE WIZARD in 1949/50, absolutely my favourite DCT serial story.

One interesting revelation. Yesterday I was looking after Lois and Alex because Russ and Rach were both at work, and I was reading some serials from SPELLBOUND when I found something interesting in the Damian Darke complete in issue 20. It was about a young girl called Melanie who found herself in a garden where she finds a huge chess board and the relevant black and white pieces, all equally huge and created out of hedges, but in their correct positions on the board. I passed the SPELLBOUND to Lois, open at the first page of the serial, and said, "What do you make of that, Lo?" She said, "It's just like Harry Potter. Do you think that's where Joanne Rowling got the idea?" I admitted that I didn't know, but that it was persuasive. Very perceptive for a 12 year old, don't you think? And she's not 13 until August 4th.

Re: Phoenix's Future Plans

Posted: 01 Mar 2019, 00:43
by Phoenix
Well Alex has dumped me in it today because at St. Erth Primary School they have started studying the Second World War, and he told his teacher, Mr Hammond, that I would go in tomorrow to talk to the whole class about it. Needless to say, he didn't think that asking me if I would be happy doing it actually mattered. When Lois's class was doing it at St. Ives Secondary last term, I lent her quite a lot of appropriate items, but I didn't go in and speak to her class, I just gave her the items and a letter to her teacher, Mr Lockyer, making it clear that he could use them as he saw fit but that I did want them back. Lois did bring them back for me. Now not only do I have to remember where I put them, I have to prepare a presentation to deliver tomorrow morning. Furthermore, I have to be at his house by 10 past 8 to take Lois to school before I come back to take him. It won't be a long day but I think it will feel like one. I've found a ration book, a book of clothing coupons, an Ostermilk tin, a money box which looks like an official post box, a calendar from the period, which requires the user to turn a knob on one side to move the date forward, a heavy metal helmet for an ARP (Air Raid Precaution) warden, a couple of gas masks, bound volumes of ADVENTURE for 1943, 1944 and 1945, modern reprints of RUPERT BOOKs for 1941, 1942, 1943, and 1944, THE HOTSPUR BOOK FOR BOYS for 1941 and 1945, and one sample copy of each of ADVENTURE, THE ROVER, THE HOTSPUR, THE SKIPPER and THE WIZARD from late 1939. Hopefully that will be enough. In my address I will be mentioning Air Raids, Warning Sirens, Blackout Curtains, Air Raid Shelters on most streets, no butter, no eggs, bread only if you placed an order, milk but not enough of it, and junket, which replaced blancmange. No it didn't taste like it.

Re: Phoenix's Future Plans

Posted: 01 Mar 2019, 10:10
by stevezodiac
Don't forget evacuees. My mum didn't like the people she was sent to live with and they stopped her letters home saying so. My grandad went and picked up my mum and her sister and took them back to London. Subsequently she was bombed out of two homes. On the plus side we had a large bombsite as our playground up to the mid seventies.

Enjoy your presentation.

PS I almost forgot. Tomorrow night channel 5 is showing the second instalment of Edwardian Britain in Colour. Among the footage is a football match in Burnley. It doesn't say if it is actually Burnley FC though.

Re: Phoenix's Future Plans

Posted: 01 Mar 2019, 12:12
by Phoenix
stevezodiac wrote:Enjoy your presentation.
Where do I start? Well I got back to Russ and Rach's house after dropping Lois off at school, assuming that I would then take Alex to his school. Rach said that she would take him so I asked her to check with Mr Hammond what time he wanted me to come in to give my talk to Alex's class. Rach said, "What talk?" I explained the whole matter to her, and she then asked Alex why he hadn't even mentioned it to her. It then transpired that she wasn't the only one not to know. I'd mentioned it to Lois in the car, and she knew nothing about it, and under questioning from Rach, Alex had to admit that Mr Hammond didn't know anything about it either. After I spent a couple of hours last night and this morning getting everything ready!

While I've been writing this post, Rach has texted me saying "Hi Derek, No need to call back. Have spoken to teacher. Will be in a few weeks before Easter. He said he will let me know." So, as Mr Hammond does seem to know about the matter, although he may only have found out about it from Rach this morning, it looks as though Alex is out from under. I suspect that he will get a bit of a grilling from my ex-wife, Lynne, when I take the children to hers in St Ives after school next Tuesday, even though she thinks the sun shines out of his rear end. As do I to be fair. The whole thing will probably have blown over by the time Russ and I take the pair of them to the Copperhouse tonight, where I'll give them their pocket money. What a day this has been so far, and it's only 10 past 11!! It's a good job I don't bear grudges.

Re: Phoenix's Future Plans

Posted: 01 Mar 2019, 12:49
by Phoenix
Phoenix wrote:Tomorrow night channel 5 is showing the second instalment of Edwardian Britain in Colour. Among the footage is a football match in Burnley. It doesn't say if it is actually Burnley FC though.
Thank you for that information, Steve. I wouldn't have known because it isn't mentioned in tomorrow's programme listings in the Radio Times. What they do say is "Featuring footage of Winston Churchill's response to the siege at Sidney Street in 1911, and suffragette Emily Wilding Davison colliding with the King's horse at the Epsom Derby in 1913." She was trampled to death, but I suppose that was close to inevitable. I assume that if she were alive today, and able to appreciate women's suffrage, she would still consider her death then worth her sacrifice.

More pertinent to me at the moment is March 20th because that day Bolton Wanderers have to answer a High Court summons for a winding-up order. Our multi-millionaire owner is reported in The Guardian to have said he will be selling all his shares. So far it hasn't been explained whether the money he gets will be donated to the club, or will disappear abroad with him when the Trotters go tits up. I'll hang on to my fridge magnets though, one of which is of the Lowry painting 'Going To The Match', but to be honest I'm just so angry about the whole business.

Re: Phoenix's Future Plans

Posted: 02 Mar 2019, 11:06
by stevezodiac
Sorry I thought Burnley was your team. All those northern teams beginning with B gets confusing. Don't forget that Coventry can be kicked out of the league if they can't find a ground for next season.

At Kempton Park antiques fair recently I've picked up dozens of late sixties early seventies football magazines, mostly Shoots. Great reading.

When I retired in May 2016 I decided to economise so dropped the Radio Times and now get TV Choice which is 62p compared with £3 for RT.

Re: Phoenix's Future Plans

Posted: 02 Mar 2019, 15:55
by Phoenix
stevezodiac wrote:Sorry I thought Burnley was your team. All those northern teams beginning with B gets confusing.
In Lancashire we used to say, "You know what thought did? Followed a muck cart, thought it was a wedding." However, Steve, to cut to the chase, there are only four Lancashire teams beginning with B, Blackburn Rovers, Blackpool, Bolton Wanderers and Burnley. If we are being charitable we could include Bury, but their time in the sun was extinguished in 1903, a reasonable enough last hurrah though, beating Derby County 6-0, having beaten Southampton 4-0 in 1900, both matches at Crystal Palace, and without having a goal scored against them. That achievement is one they share with Bolton Wanderers, all four of whose F.A. Cup victories came at Wembley. They beat West Ham United 2-0 in 1923, Manchester City 1-0 in 1926, Portsmouth 2-0 in 1929, and Manchester United 2-0 in 1958. If we survive the winding-up order, which I optimistically think we will, hopefully we will go on to get enough points to keep us in the Championship for another season at least. The relief will be almost palpable, and should be encouragement enough.

Re: Phoenix's Future Plans

Posted: 02 Mar 2019, 16:45
by Phoenix
stevezodiac wrote:At Kempton Park antiques fair recently I've picked up dozens of late sixties early seventies football magazines, mostly Shoots. Great reading.
I have several boxes of SHOOT, Steve, from when I used to get it every week. I'm not sure where they are though. I suppose I might have stuck them out of the way in the summerhouse. Wherever they are they are in near-mint condition because I always bought them intending to read them, but rarely got round to doing so, despite having to go into W.H. Smith's in Ormskirk to collect them, as I had so many other jobs on the go. Plus I was still working at the time. Where I live now is a wasteland as far as antique shops are concerned. The nearest town where there are a fair few is Lostwithiel, which is significantly nearer to Plymouth than to Hayle. Roughly a two-hour train journey stopping at every station on the way. I do normally enjoy rooting through antique shops, but I just can't seem to summon up enough enthusism any longer. There are two reasons. First I am writing two books, secondly I've already got everything I need, so it is easier for me see what a waste of time and money it would probably be, and also to think of others. I bought a book about Harry Potter for Lois in Asda this lunchtime. Its title is Hogwarts - A Movie Scrapbook, and it was reduced from £14.99 to £8, and in order to appear fair, tonight, when we all go out to the Copperhouse, I will give Alex £8 to do what he wants with. He can read, of course, but he just doesn't. He watches stuff on his mobile instead. When Lois is on hers, she is almost always talking face to face to one of her friends. Faye rang Lois last night while I was helping Lo with her French homework for Monday, so she checked her own work. If their teacher gives me a detention, I won't turn up!!!

Re: Phoenix's Future Plans

Posted: 02 Mar 2019, 20:56
by Phoenix
Phoenix wrote:I bought a book about Harry Potter for Lois in Asda this lunchtime. Its title is Hogwarts - A Movie Scrapbook, and it was reduced from £14.99 to £8, and in order to appear fair, tonight, when we all go out to the Copperhouse, I will give Alex £8 to do what he wants with.
Russ came to pick me up at 6, but as he didn't have the children with him, we obviously went to the Copperhouse without them, and had a couple of jars. I'll have to deal with the fair shares issue tomorrow.

Re: Phoenix's Future Plans

Posted: 03 Mar 2019, 21:07
by Phoenix
Phoenix wrote:I bought a book about Harry Potter for Lois in Asda this lunchtime. Its title is Hogwarts - A Movie Scrapbook, and it was reduced from £14.99 to £8, and in order to appear fair, tonight, when we all go out to the Copperhouse, I will give Alex £8 to do what he wants with.
The children didn't come with me and Russ to the Copperhouse last night so when Lois rang me this lunchtime to ask me to pick her up from Paradise Park, I took the book with me. It transpires that I had already bought her a copy some months ago but I simply don't remember doing so. I asked her if she knew of anyone who might like it, given that as I bought it at a sale price I wouldn't be able to return it. Faye doesn't have a copy so Lois will give this one to her tomorrow.

Re: Phoenix's Future Plans

Posted: 04 Mar 2019, 10:06
by stevezodiac
Bolton "entertain" Millwall this Saturday both desperately needing three points. Funnily enough on the bus to Deptford on Saturday it went past Cold Blow Lane and I noticed the street sign was missing. No doubt taken by a nostalgic fan.

Re: Phoenix's Future Plans

Posted: 04 Mar 2019, 13:37
by Phoenix
stevezodiac wrote:No doubt taken by a nostalgic fan.
If Millwall beat Bolton, perhaps some wag will replace the COLD BLOW LANE sign, however temporarily, with one reading WARM GLOW LANE.

Re: Phoenix's Future Plans

Posted: 04 Mar 2019, 14:03
by Phoenix
A brief addendum to this 'road' theme. Russ rang me this morning to tell me that he needed to take one of his campers to a specialist garage in Perranporth, and as he would have to leave it there for them to do the required job, he needed me to follow him up there in my car so I could drive him home. I will have to take him back later. It all needs to be done and dusted in good time for me to get back to pick Lois up at 3.15. Fingers crossed, as otherwise she will either have to go to Tescos to wait for me or, worst case scenario, back into school. Rach is working all day so can't collect her, and although Russ will be at work now, he would certainly have to go straight back there in the repaired camper when I get him back to Perranporth. Life down here in Cornwall is pretty varied and does have its charm!!!!!

Re: Phoenix's Future Plans

Posted: 04 Mar 2019, 20:02
by Phoenix
Phoenix wrote:I will have to take him back later. It all needs to be done and dusted in good time for me to get back to pick Lois up at 3.15.
I picked Lois up, and when I told her that I had to take her dad back to Perranporth, she said, "Well I'm not going!" I was tempted to ask her why we would want her company if she was going to throw a moody, but thought better of it. After dropping her off at home, where she got strict instructions from Russ not to open the door to anybody, Russ and I drove off. The camper was ready so he drove that back, and I obviously came back in my car. Rach was back home from her first induction day at the hospital, and as it was obvious they wanted to talk, I said I would take the children to McDonalds for their tea. They were as good as gold. Lo got a bit excited when it started to hail, and started to consult her phone as to the possibility of snow overnight. It was 12% at that time, but by the time we left it has risen to 18%. I even had to give her my opinion about the nature of the clouds over Hayle, and to be frank, I'm not really an expert on clouds. Just got a text from Rach asking me to collect Lois from school tomorrow, and then wait at hers till she gets back, which should be by 5. It's all go, but I'm not grumbling.