Oh, and Six-a-bag-of-nuts, there's a Kinks night on BBC4 on Friday 15 July, including a Julien Temple documentary about Dave Davies. I'm sure I remember reading in one of Andrew Loog Oldham's autobiographies that Ray Davies once sold (!) his brother to a wealthy homosexual!
Thanks for that mate, I'll be tuning in.
BTW Both brothers confirm that story in their autobiogs, the man concerned being none other than the eponymous David Watts
In Defence of Dogs by John Bradshaw. Fascinating summary of the origins of the domestic dog, and study of dog psychology. I recommend it highly to all dog-owners/lovers.
The Rise & Rise of Charlton Athletic by Mick Collins. Not sure why I missed it first time around (2002) but someone gave it to me for a recent birthday.
I don't know whether to laugh or cry at the (somewhat self congratulatory tbh) tone in it but one things for sure, there's far too much of that bloke Ben Hayes quoted in it...whatever happened to him?
The Rise & Rise of Charlton Athletic by Mick Collins. Not sure why I missed it first time around (2002) but someone gave it to me for a recent birthday.
I don't know whether to laugh or cry at the (somewhat self congratulatory tbh) tone in it but one things for sure, there's far too much of that bloke Ben Hayes quoted in it...whatever happened to him?
I read this a little while ago, and there certainly is a feel that everything's rosy in the garden and that Charlton could only go in one direction. Sadly, now the bubble's burst we know that's not the case.
go the F%ck to sleep, wicked little book highly reconmended for those with young kiddies, really sums up how it feels at times to be a parent really really funny, and defo not for the kids.
The Rise & Rise of Charlton Athletic by Mick Collins. Not sure why I missed it first time around (2002) but someone gave it to me for a recent birthday.
I don't know whether to laugh or cry at the (somewhat self congratulatory tbh) tone in it but one things for sure, there's far too much of that bloke Ben Hayes quoted in it...whatever happened to him?
Last time I heard he gone into the rag trade selling retro football shirts
I am now half way through "1000 years of annoying the French" and I can't recommend it highly enough. I have found out more about history in the last couple of weeks than I have since I left school. Easy to read and fascinating.
The Rise & Rise of Charlton Athletic by Mick Collins. Not sure why I missed it first time around (2002) but someone gave it to me for a recent birthday.
I don't know whether to laugh or cry at the (somewhat self congratulatory tbh) tone in it but one things for sure, there's far too much of that bloke Ben Hayes quoted in it...whatever happened to him?
I read this a little while ago, and there certainly is a feel that everything's rosy in the garden and that Charlton could only go in one direction. Sadly, now the bubble's burst we know that's not the case.
Oh, that's it now! You've gone and spoilt the ending...
Bill Bryson - At Home. Fantastic read. Highly recommended to anyone with a passing interest in social history, design, architecture or anyone who likes some good old-fashioned trivia. Every page is crammed with interesting information. Some facts I learned from this book:
The reason why many English churches look as if they are sinking into the ground, is because the level of the ground around them has risen with all the bodies buried there; about 20,000 for a typical church.
A sperm whale's head contains up to 3 tons of spermaceti, a substance named after its resemblance to baby gravy. What the whales use this substance for is uncertain, but for humans it produced the best light of any oil.
One of the signatories of the Declaration of Independence, Gouverneur Morris, died after, "forcing a whalebone up his penis to try and clear a urinary blockage".
Stairs are the second most common cause of accidental death.
The term "weekend" did not exist in English before 1879 as there was no need for it.
Bill Bryson - At Home. Fantastic read. Highly recommended to anyone with a passing interest in social history, design, architecture or anyone who likes some good old-fashioned trivia. Every page is crammed with interesting information. Some facts I learned from this book:
The reason why many English churches look as if they are sinking into the ground, is because the level of the ground around them has risen with all the bodies buried there; about 20,000 for a typical church.
A sperm whale's head contains up to 3 tons of spermaceti, a substance named after its resemblance to baby gravy. What the whales use this substance for is uncertain, but for humans it produced the best light of any oil.
One of the signatories of the Declaration of Independence, Gouverneur Morris, died after, "forcing a whalebone up his penis to try and clear a urinary blockage".
Stairs are the second most common cause of accidental death.
The term "weekend" did not exist in English before 1879 as there was no need for it.
agreed, I am 1/2 way through 'at home'. It's typical Bryson, both amusing and informative
Too many mothers by Roberta Taylor. The story of her East End family background. Surprisingly compelling, particularly if you are from working class London stock.
'There was a low mist. You could see the glare of headlamps reflected on the high-voltage cables beside the road. It hadn't rained, but the ground was still wet with dew; the traffic lights cast blurred red spots on the asphalt. You could sense the breath of the camp from miles away. Roads, railway tracks and cables all gradually coverged on it. This was a world of straight lines: a grid of rectangles and parallelograms imposed on the autumn sky, on the mist and on the earth itself.'
Thus begins the book Life And Fate written by Vasily Grossman who became a correspondent for the Red Army newspaper, the Red Star. He reported on the defence of Stalingrad, the fall of Berlin and the consequences of the Holocaust. He was unnusual in that he was trusted by the soldiers with whom he lived. This book is regarded as his masterpiece and, indeed, the heresy of saying that it is better than War And Peace has been heard on quite a few occasions.
The KGB was fearful of arresting Grossman so it arrested this book instead until a microfilm copy was smuggled into the West in 1980 with the help of Andrey Sakharov. It's a hefty read but I can't wait to get tucked into it. I wondered if others have already read it and what their opinions are?
I'm enjoying it, it's part autobiography and partly a run-through of some of the cases and causes that he's been involved in, for example the Stephen Lawrence trial where for once he was on the prosecution (mostly he defended or brought appeal cases), plus the Birmingham Six, Barry George and others, some he won, some he lost and he doesn't edit out those lost cases or blame them away on biased juries or judges leading the jury with a skewed summing up. You certainly don't have to be a legal expert to appreciate the book, it uses very few legal terms and where it does these are explained, so perhaps any legal expert wanting something in-depth would be disappointed. Neither does he go into an indepth analysis of the cases, more of a skim through picking up the main points.
Note of warning - given his political views it wouldn't make good reading for anyone seeking the immediate restoration of the death sentence.
Comments
Just finished Angel's Game ... excellent
Very good story of someone's life told through their programme collection
Still reading Brown at 10. John Major, Caravaggio, Quiet Places in Rome and Photoshop Elements 8 have joined the book queue.
A History of The World Since 9/11 - Dominic Streatfeild
Fascinating and thought-provoking ... particularly Chapter 4 on the justification for subsequent events
Recommended
Ronnie Thompson - Screwed: The Truth About Life as a Prison Officer.
The Rise & Rise of Charlton Athletic by Mick Collins. Not sure why I missed it first time around (2002) but someone gave it to me for a recent birthday.
I don't know whether to laugh or cry at the (somewhat self congratulatory tbh) tone in it but one things for sure, there's far too much of that bloke Ben Hayes quoted in it...whatever happened to him?
'There was a low mist. You could see the glare of headlamps reflected on the high-voltage cables beside the road. It hadn't rained, but the ground was still wet with dew; the traffic lights cast blurred red spots on the asphalt. You could sense the breath of the camp from miles away. Roads, railway tracks and cables all gradually coverged on it. This was a world of straight lines: a grid of rectangles and parallelograms imposed on the autumn sky, on the mist and on the earth itself.'
Thus begins the book Life And Fate written by Vasily Grossman who became a correspondent for the Red Army newspaper, the Red Star. He reported on the defence of Stalingrad, the fall of Berlin and the consequences of the Holocaust. He was unnusual in that he was trusted by the soldiers with whom he lived. This book is regarded as his masterpiece and, indeed, the heresy of saying that it is better than War And Peace has been heard on quite a few occasions.
The KGB was fearful of arresting Grossman so it arrested this book instead until a microfilm copy was smuggled into the West in 1980 with the help of Andrey Sakharov. It's a hefty read but I can't wait to get tucked into it. I wondered if others have already read it and what their opinions are?
I'm enjoying it, it's part autobiography and partly a run-through of some of the cases and causes that he's been involved in, for example the Stephen Lawrence trial where for once he was on the prosecution (mostly he defended or brought appeal cases), plus the Birmingham Six, Barry George and others, some he won, some he lost and he doesn't edit out those lost cases or blame them away on biased juries or judges leading the jury with a skewed summing up. You certainly don't have to be a legal expert to appreciate the book, it uses very few legal terms and where it does these are explained, so perhaps any legal expert wanting something in-depth would be disappointed. Neither does he go into an indepth analysis of the cases, more of a skim through picking up the main points.
Note of warning - given his political views it wouldn't make good reading for anyone seeking the immediate restoration of the death sentence.