Book #60 The Starlings & Other Stories

The Starlings & Other Stories by Ann Cleeves
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Twelve photographs taken by David Wilson in Pembrokeshire are used by twelve authors to inspire short stories; interpret what they see and invest their own narrative into the photograph. An unusual concept that has worked reasonably well. But for all that I was left somewhat disappointed. Some of the endings were weak and needed more. One contained two continuity howlers, which I am surprised were not spotted by an editor or proof reader. See if you spot them.

My favourites were The Starlings by Ann Cleeves in which she reprises Vera Stanhope; The Man Who Didn't Breathe by Jim Kelly; Mountains Out Of Molehills by Valerie Laws - full of menace, and Sorted by Toby Forward that reminded me so much of Gone Girl.

So, some entertaining stories, some not so good. Overall 3.5 stars from me with my 60th and last book for 2015.

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Book #59 Hebrides by Peter May

Hebrides by Peter May
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a stunning photographic book celebrating the landscape of the Outer Hebrides as depicted in the popular trilogy of books, known as The Lewis Trilogy. I had previously read these three books: Blackhouse, The Lewis Man and The Chessmen by Peter May and had been captivated by the author's fictional hero, Detective Inspector Fin Macleod. Hebrides allows readers to see the landscape through the eyes of Fin. This work is an odyssey for Peter May, revisiting the islands that were to become the locations of his superb trilogy. Travelling as if alongside protagonist Det Insp Macleod, May describes the island life - as bewitching as it is treacherous with its stark cliffs, ghostly mists and lonely beaches. He also describes his encounter with the bird-hunters of Sula Sgeir, the savage seas of Ness and the churches of Eriskay. But the book's main attraction is the specially commissioned, spectacular photographs taken by former BBC photographer David Wilson, who was so inspired with Lewis during his prolonged visit that he now lives on the West Coast of the Isle of Lewis.

This is a beautiful book that places May's writing and characters within the land that gave them form. And this is the end. May says: "And so my Hebridean adventure, which had lasted more than twenty years, came to an end. I had made a commitment to writing only three books, and the writing of them was done". If you have read The Lewis Trilogy you should buy a copy of this wonderful book and complete the journey alongside Peter May. And, like me, you will experience a tinge of sadness that there will be no more Fin Macleod.



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Book #58 The Monogram Murders

The Monogram Murders by Sophie Hannah
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The little grey cells are back in this resurrection of Hercule Poirot by Sophie Hannah. Not so sure that I like the rather irascible Poirot that she depicts here, often sarcastic in his rôle of mentor to Detective Edward Catchpool from Scotland Yard. Poirot leads and Catchpool follows - how on earth did he (Catchpool) become a detective I wonder. Nevertheless this has a wonderful, intricate plot, something of a locked-room mystery, set in 1929 at the Bloxham Hotel in London. Poirot’s powers of deduction have not diminished at all in the hands of Hannah.

Agatha Christie would probably have endorsed this new mystery but I am not so sure that David Suchet could be persuaded to reprise his portrayal of the Belgian detective in a TV dramatisation.

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Book #57 The Silkworm

The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I liked The Cuckoo’s Calling (Cormoran Strike #1) a lot. I was immediately drawn to this character, the one-legged army veteran-turned-private-eye. Shades of Raymond Chandler here and his “mean streets”. The Silkworm is J K Rowling’s second outing as Robert Galbraith and I loved it. Set in the literary world where Galbraith must feel at home, the book continues the developing relationship between Strike and his erstwhile assistant Robin. The outlook for Robin’s relationship with future husband Matthew appears rocky at times and I do wonder where this is going; Strike doesn’t like him and this factious relationship amongst the three characters is pivotal to the story. Strike is almost an anachronism in today’s world of police high-tech crime units and yet it is a world in which he flourishes, his disciplined approach owing much to his former career in the Military SIB, a career curtailed by a close encounter with an IED.

Other reviewers have covered the plot detail so I won’t add to this. Galbraith has pulled off another thoroughly enjoyable read, an addictive whodunit, 580 pages to gulp down. I cannot wait to read the next offering in this series.

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Book #56 Raw Spirit: In Search of the Perfect Dram

Raw Spirit by Iain Banks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My brother picked this up in a charity shop and thought I would enjoy it, knowing my love of single malt Scotch whiskies. It was originally published in 2003 and remarkably the content remains fairly contemporary. A poignant read in many respects; Iain Banks died in 2013 aged just 59. So, to talk about having enough single malt after this trip around the distilleries of Scotland, to last him into his 70s lent a subliminal tone to the content of this book.

I did enjoy it. I love single malt, I love Scotland. I would love to embark on the same journey that Banks took, sometimes alone, sometimes with his wife, often with close friends. He drives around in a number of vehicles he owns (or should I say owned), including a BMW M5, a Landrover Defender and a classic Jaguar MK ll. His quest is for the perfect dram and his conclusion(s) include some of my favourites, 12 years later. So not a great deal has changed in the world of single malt. He journeys to remote shores and hidden glens, discovering the breathtaking and often inaccessible distilleries where tiny quantities of malt whisky are produced.

Banks was a left-wing fanatic, a hell-raiser, an atheist, a confessed petrol-head - and a great writer. At times his irreverence echoes loudly through these pages. He does it to 'Dubya' and Blair (this was written at the time of the Iraq war and the search for those WMDs), pours scorn on Faslane and the nuclear deterrent, admits to being 'stoned' and inebriated on many occasions and buys shed-loads of whisky as he continues his journey through Scotland and the Isles. The book is not just a drinking guide but a travelogue and a social commentary on the early 21st century. In places it is highly amusing, at times it made me laugh out loud, but moreover it provided me with an education about the creating of the greatest spirit on earth.

That's it. I love single malt whiskies and I enjoyed sharing Banks' journey. It made me want to get on a train or a plane and head for the Highlands. And, perhaps, never come back....

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Book #55 Holy Island (DCI Ryan #1)

Holy Island: A DCI Ryan Mystery by L.J. Ross
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had no idea that there is a thriving community living on the holy island of Lindisfarne. L.J. Ross certainly made me aware of this and an internet search revealed a mass of information on this island located off the coast of Northumberland. So, a murder mystery located on an island that is twice a day cut off from the mainland as the causeway between the two becomes flooded. This adds to an eerie atmosphere, the idea of being shut off and secluded for hours every day.

Straight off we are launched into a murder scene, no time for preamble, Lucy Mathieson is murdered and her body is soon discovered in the ruins of Lindisfarne Priory. And there is something diabolical lurking beneath the surface. DCI Ryan has been recuperating on Holy Island following an horrific case, about which we hear more of later in the book. He decides he is ready to take up active duty again to investigate Lucy's murder and his senior officer brings in Anna Taylor, an expert in the field of paganism, as this murder has ritualistic overtones. Anna grew up on Holy Island.

And more, much more happens in this page turner. How many suspects can their be amongst this small community? I found myself coming up with my own theories and I was certainly correct about one of them. The plot is perhaps somewhat preposterous; if you read it I think you will see what I mean. But overall I thoroughly enjoyed Holy Island and look forward to reading the next in the series.

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Book #54 Offshore

Offshore by Ann Cleeves
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A collection of short stories, all set on islands off the coast of the UK. This set of mysteries features new cases for DI Jimmy Perez on Shetland and DI Willow Reeves on Uist in the Outer Hebrides. In 'Hector's Other Woman' set on Holy Island, we meet a young Vera, before she became DI Vera Stanhope, and the story of how she decided to enter the police force. One of the stories, 'Postcard from Skokholm', is written by Lynne Chitty, winner of Pan Macmillan's Bello imprint's short story competition. But overall this new collection of mysteries left me rather disappointed. Maybe they are too short, too few words to develop convincing plots and characters. Anyway, at just 73 pages it won't take you long to read and make up your own mind...

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Early Christmas Spirit

Well, there is only a month to go so I have started to stock up with a few choice single malts.

The Inchmurrin 12 YO is aged predominantly in bourbon casks and is light, grassy, and floral. It was a big hit at The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show 2015. The enchanting isle of Inchmurrin is the largest of Loch Lomond's islands and was once home to a chapel built by Christian monks in the 7th century. Known as the 'grassy isle' this single malt scotch whisky is soft, rounded and wonderfully wooded. It is aged in three types of cask selected by hand - bourbon, refill and re-charred. These whiskies are then brought together delivering a perfectly balanced single malt.

Scapa Skiren is a 2015 release from the Orkney distillery. Aged in first-fill American oak casks, this is creamy and sweet with notes of tropical fruit and heather. Within reach of the Arctic Circle, Scapa is part of the Orkney Isles. The Scapa distillery is perched on the tranquil shores of Scapa Flow. Inspired by summer's bright, glittering skies, described in Old Norse as skiren, this expression is exclusively matured in first-fill American oak casks, which produces a smooth creamy sweetness with that hint of tropical fruit, citrus and coastal heather.

Whether or not these bottles remain unopened for a further 30 days is however another matter....

Book #53 Splinter The Silence

Splinter the Silence by Val McDermid
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another stunning read from Val McDermid. She really is unrivalled when it comes to crime fiction. The two unforgettable characters of Tony Hill and Carol Jordan are reunited in this brilliant page turner. The relief of reconciliation instilled with the whiff of police corruption and an ending that demands another instalment in this series. The psychological profiler Tony Hill, immortalised on TV by Robson Greene, comes across a series of suicides among women tormented by vicious online predators. A level of immediacy that makes him wonder if there is more to these tragedies than meets the eye. His erstwhile colleague and former DCI Carol Jordan has her own demons to confront and needs redemption from the scourge of drink. The mood between these two former close colleagues is electrifying, is their close bond to be reignited, will former colleagues rally round, will Carol regain her self esteem? Will Tony and Carol set aside their fractured relationship, begin to build bridges and begin the hunt for the most dangerous and terrifying kind of killer?

Splinter The Silence is an adrenalin rush that I could not wait to finish but did not want to end. Grab a copy and be prepared to stay up late. Brilliant!

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Book #52 A Good Year For Blossom

A Good Year for Blossom: A Century of the "Guardian's" Women Country Diarists by Martin Wainwright
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a rare treat for all lovers of the countryside - for me an evocation of many happy times spent in my birth county of Kent and my love of wildlife and flora in all their guises.

Country gentlemen, bird-watching vicars and farmers have traditionally been the chroniclers of the British countryside. This wonderful book introduces a very different point of view. We see the changing seasons - and the 20th century revolution in the long-settled ways of rural life - through the sharp eyes of ten exceptional women including a leading suffragette, a classical scholar, an artist with her own large farm and a climber's daughter who turned to writing when her children grew up and left home. The suffragette leader Helena Swanwick, Gwen McBryde, whose husband died tragically within the first year of their marriage - and ran the lovely old farm of Dippersmoor Manor, Janet Case who taught Greek to Virginia Woolf and Katherine Arnold Foster, the toast of pre-first world war Cambridge undergraduates and lover of Rupert Brooke are amongst ten female diarists who lovingly record their surroundings with entries published in The Guardian over a period spanning from 1916 through 2007.

I loved it.

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Book #51 Harbour Street

Harbour Street by Ann Cleeves
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It appears that I am destined to read the Vera Stanhope series in reverse order. I started with #7 The Moth Catcher (see my earlier review) and have just completed #6 Harbour Street. I came to this series in the wake of reading all of Ann Cleeves’ Shetland series.

This is, like Shetland, a classy and classic whodunit series, centred around the middle-aged, overweight DI Vera Stanhope, made famous by Brenda Blethyn in ITV’s Vera.

Vera is married to the job and still clings to memories of her long deceased father Hector, still driving around in his battered Landrover, enjoys sharing a drink with her hippy neighbours and still mentors her protégé DS - Joe Ashworth. And it is with him that this terrific read starts as Joe and his daughter Jessie are returning home on the Newcastle Metro after a carol service and are swept along with the jostling crowd. But when bad weather halts the train and the other passengers fade into the swirling snow, Jessie notices that an old lady in the corner hasn’t moved. Seventy-year-old Margaret Krukowski is dead, fatally stabbed as she sat on the crowded train. Nobody saw the stabbing take place and her killing appears to be motiveless so why would anyone want to harm a reserved and elegant old lady?....

No more of the plot save to say that Vera is relieved to have an excuse to escape the holiday festivities, which will take the team to the Northumberland town of Mardle to begin their enquiries - in Harbour Street.

Cleeves is an excellent crime writer. Harbour Street is full of good, old-fashioned detective work and the result is a perfectly crafted murder mystery.

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Book #50 Slade House

Slade House by David Mitchell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Dark and disturbing, unsettling - a haunted house to die for. Literally. Slade House got into my head. Riveting, pulsating - watch out for those “atemporals” who pursue eternal life through the theft of innocent souls, and the “horologists” who treat it as a curse. A classic English tale of a haunted house - quite unlike anything I have read before in this genre.

There are instances when one, not sufficiently knowledgeable about the paranormal, requires a dictionary to hand: “The Operandi works provided we recharge the Lacuna every nine years by luring a gullible Engifted into a suitable orison…” Yeah, of course!

Slade House has a real Gothic feel about it, a boundless madness, passages of grotesque horror with inevitable consequences and the message that the defeat of ageing and mortality leads not to heaven but to hell.

Would you want to live forever? Not like this! So - don’t venture behind that black iron door...

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The Moth Catcher

The Moth Catcher by Ann Cleeves
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I consider myself an enthusiastic fan of Ann Cleeves and have read all books in her Shetland series, all excellent books. The Moth Catcher is number 7 in the DI Vera Stanhope series; perhaps an odd place to start as I have read none of the others but enjoyed the series on television and am therefore familiar with her team of DS Joe Ashworth and DC Holly Lawson (for some reason ITV promoted Vera to a DCI).

As I should have expected, The Moth Catcher is a fine read. Vera and her team have to be on top form to figure out what is behind the murders of two apparently unconnected men in a secluded Northumbrian valley. This is a slow burner with meticulous attention to plot detail and characterisation. The details of the victims, the lives they led and their character are painstakingly built up by information gathering and questioning by Vera and her team. It is brilliantly done. The only link appears to be a shared interest in entomology and, in particular, the study of moths. The investigation really holds your imagination as the team close in and yet, for all the information it is not clear who is in the frame. Well, it certainly wasn’t to me!

Vera is a real character, a single-minded DI, who finds herself only really alive and motivated by a murder case. Vera is rather large, she is unfit, and she is middle aged and ought to be spending time behind a desk and thinking of retirement. But, instead she prefers to get results by being out in the field and still gets a buzz from the detail of investigation. Joe the DS, is a family man with young children trying to juggle family with the commitment required of him by his boss and Holly the DC, is a bright young woman wondering if the police force is really what she wants from life.

The Moth Catcher is a masterclass in how to write a police procedural and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have picked this book up in bookshops more times than I can remember over the last 40 years or so. It was the publication of the much vaunted sequel, Go Set A Watchman, that persuaded me to buy a copy of To Kill A Mockingbird. I vaguely remember seeing the film (movie) many years ago, starring Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch, a lawyer in a small town in Alabama, but remembered little of the plot. So, I was coming to the book some 55 years after its publication.

I won't forget this book in a hurry. Its theme of racial bigotry in the 1930s is handled with a level of unexpected humour as told mainly through the eyes of Finch's young daughter. Humour mixed with tragedy and a faint note of hope for human nature. It is a touching novel full of the raw innocence of youth and the quiet humility of a good and gentle man. It has stood the test of time and I enjoyed it.

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The Loney

The Loney by Andrew Michael Hurley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

So much hype surrounds this book, the first novel by Andrew Michael Hurley. Waterstones wax lyrical about it; the Sunday Telegraph said: “Modern classics in this genre are rare and instant ones even rarer; The Loney, however, looks as though it may be both”. A rather effusive statement - gilding a lily that doesn’t cut it for me.

As for genre - where would you place it? Much of the story revolves around an Easter retreat of profound religious importance to those involved. A place known to the participants as The Loney, a strangely isolated area where neap tides can cut a person off in seconds. A hardened religious fervour exists amongst the participants. The narrator is one of two brothers. His sibling Andrew, known as Hanny, has never spoken. The family hope to bring about the miracle of speech for Hanny through prayers at a local shrine, but all does not go according to plan.

Religion is the fundamental core of the plot. There are tense, unsettling moments and unanswered questions. Most of the characters left me cold, particularly Mummer, the boys mother.

The Loney is well written - it’s just not my cup of tea.

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After The Crash

After the Crash by Michel Bussi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After The Crash is a quite remarkable thriller, indeed one of the best I have ever read. The plot is very cleverly constructed and very different from most in this genre. It is a compulsive page-turner.

On the night of 22nd/23rd December 1980 an Airbus 5403 flying from Istanbul to Paris crashes on the Franco-Swiss border. All the passengers and crew are killed instantly, apart from one miraculous survivor - a three-month-old baby girl. But who is she? Two families step forward to claim her - the mega-rich de Carvilles and the impoverished Vitrals. Is the baby girl Lyse-Rose or Emilie? The conundrum runs for eighteen years until the detective investigating the case makes a discovery that could change everything....

As you read this you will question everything. The shocks come fast and furious in this relentless page-turner. It is a psychological masterpiece that I really could not put down. The concluding sting in the tail is so unexpected it left me completely bemused.

Total, compelling enjoyment and I thoroughly recommend it.

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The Dying of The Light

Having contact on FB with someone I had lost touch with for 25 years and given my advancing years, prompted me to post a few lines from this, one of my favourite poems by Dylan Thomas. Brilliant and emotional:

Do not go gentle into that good night,

Old age should burn and rave at close of day;

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,

Because their words had forked no lightning they

Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright

Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,

And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,

Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight

Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,

Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.

Do not go gentle into that good night.

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

The House On Cold Hill

The House on Cold Hill by Peter James
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wonderful stuff! This new book by Peter James is a reminder that his long absence from the supernatural genre has not dulled his edge. Far from it. I am a long time fan of James and particularly enjoyed his earlier writing in this vein. Since the success of his enormously popular Roy Grace detective novels I had wondered if he would ever return to ‘things that go bump in the night’.

The House on Cold Hill is every inch the equal of his earlier efforts with more complex attention to character detail. Once started you won’t put it down. Perhaps best not to read in bed at night, though!

Ollie Harcourt and his wife Caro (along with their 12-year-old daughter Jade) abandon the suburban comfort of Brighton (my own stomping ground) to move to a dilapidated countryside Georgian mansion—the eponymous Cold Hill House. As you wait on tenterhooks for things to go wrong, it doesn't take long before the family realise that they are not alone in the house. Oh dear me, no! Sinister events threaten to envelop the family....

If you have enjoyed James’ novels such as ‘Sweetheart’, ‘Possession’ and ‘Denial’ then don’t hesitate to grab a copy of ‘The House on Cold Hill’. A relentless page-turner that is completely mesmerising!

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The Children Act

The Children Act by Ian McEwan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“One of the best and most perfect novels I’ve ever read’ said Michael Frayn. I agree. The Children Act by Ian McEwan is one of the best and most perfect novels I have ever read. A quite beautiful work of fiction. Not a word out of place in prose that is quintessentially English in its restraint. In one word he can hint at depths of emotion. Lyrical, spellbinding and in some ways unaccountably romantic, devastating, gripping and heartbreaking. This is the work of a great writer.

Fiona Maye is a leading High Court judge, intelligent and sensitive. She is called on to try an urgent case. For religious reasons a seventeen year old boy is refusing the medical treatment that could save his life. Time is running out... Her judgement will have momentous consequences...

In little more than 200 pages McEwan will hold you in awe as only a master storyteller can.

I urge you to read this.

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Camille

Camille: The Commandant Camille Verhoeven Trilogy by Pierre Lemaitre
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In September 2013 I read the book “Alex” by Pierre Lemaitre without realising this was the second installment of the Commandant Camille Verhoeven trilogy. “Camille” is the third and final part. I missed the first: “Irène” but this has not spoilt the enjoyment of reading this brilliant crime thriller.

Commandant Camille Verhoeven of the Brigade Criminelle has to deal with the most brutal crimes against women. “Camille” includes carefully calibrated scenes of horrific violence. But the crimes we witness are never quite what they seem. This is the kind of book that will keep you up late; it did, me.

Camille begins on Day 1 at 10am with a brief meditation on how an event such as the one that is about to unfold, might destabilise your life. The book is full of shocks but the rewards are great. An armed robbery is carried out in a jewellery store in the upmarket Galerie Monier in Paris. A woman who witnessed the robbery is brutally attacked and left for dead. She happens to be Camille’s lover....

If you have not read the first two books in this trilogy it is of no matter as the threads can be picked up. It is superbly constructed and executed and fully deserves its CWA International Dagger Award for Best Crime Novel.

I have to decide now whether or not to read book 1....


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Liar Liar

Liar Liar by M.J. Arlidge
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

'Liar, liar, pants on fire. Hangin' on a telephone wire!' Liar Liar - great title and yes - it's a scorcher from M J Arlidge. Starts at 100mph and maintains a relentless pace. His typical short chapters maintain a breathless page turner as DI Helen Grace faces another fearsome adversary. Southampton is alight, a firestarter has the city in fear in this gripping thriller, the fourth in the Grace series. It's scary, it's dark and twisted and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. DI Helen Grace is one tough heroine although she hides a damaged past that has resulted in a penchant for S&M. The one part of her character that I am not too fond of but it does add to the tension. If you haven't yet read "Eeny Meeny", "Pop Goes The Weasel" and "The Doll's House" - the first three in this series - then you should. Then enjoy this chilling read. I did....

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Bertie - Always In My Heart

SADNESS IN PARTING - JOY IN REMEMBRANCE

Today. With leaden hearts Ros and I visited our veterinarian practice to collect Bertie's ashes. His remains rest in a beautiful rosewood casket. I tried hard not to cry but the tears came when the nurse put the box into my hands. She held my arm for a few moments. A tear ran down her cheek too. She had known Bertie for many years.

I came across these words today:

The tide recedes but leaves behind bright seashells on the sand.

The sun goes down, but gentle warmth still lingers on the land.

The music stops and yet it echoes on in sweet refrains...

For every joy that passes, something beautiful remains

Bertie, you brought great joy to our lives and we will always miss you - our beautiful, fearless, vocal, lovable lad. Rest in peace now. We will think of you every day.... 

The Grief of a Cat

How long does a cat grieve over the loss of a soulmate? A week? A month? Longer? Oliver and Bertie were constant companions for more than fourteen years. Oliver is now 14½ years old. His soulmate Bertie died 11 days ago. Oliver seems - lost. He still wanders the house and garden - alone. He looks for Bertie. His mood has changed. His demeanour is sorrowful. His eyes are sad. Mood changes - listless. How do you mend the broken heart of a beloved cat? It breaks my heart to see Oliver like this.

I miss Bertie so much, Oliver, as you do. I wish I could bring him back. But I can't. I know you are sad. So am I. I will comfort you as much as I can because I love you too.

And Riley is trying to be your new soulmate. I know he doesn't understand bereavement. But I think - deep down - he misses Bertie too. 

It's time to move on Oli....

A Tiger In The Sand

A Tiger in the Sand: Selected Writings on Nature by Mark Cocker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another wonderful collection of distilled articles by Mark Cocker, one of my favourite writers on nature and wilderness. The book contains over 100 articles originally published in The Guardian and Guardian Weekly during the nineties and noughties. This is a hugely varied and most enjoyable selection, the writing evincing qualities more usually associated with poetry than with prose. He covers the vast skies and wildlife riches of his home county of Norfolk along with stories of his encounters with penguins, whales, lions and elephants; blackbirds, thrushes, mountain gorillas and the one-horned rhinoceros. His attention to detail and the precise use of language is a joy. Highly recommended for lovers of nature and conservation.

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The Girl In The Spider's Web

The Girl in the Spider's Web by David Lagercrantz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

First off, as a huge fan of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy, I thoroughly enjoyed this fourth installment written by Swedish journalist David Lagercrantz. I have read a number of reviews that have been less than complimentary. Well, I disagree. The return of Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist is handled carefully. The plot is complex involving artificial super-intelligence, a web of intrigue that stretches to the Swedish secret police, international gangsters, hackers and even the US National Security Agency. It is a complex mystery and you might want to bone up on prime-number factoring, singularities and events horizon to add to the enjoyment. It is a slow burn, punctuated by bursts of action before a page-turning finale.

So, don’t be put off by negative reviews. If you enjoyed the Millennium trilogy (and you should read this first if you haven’t) then I am sure you will enjoy The Girl In The Spider’s Web. Certainly gets my 5 Star recommendation.

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You

You by Caroline Kepnes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I don't recall reading anything quite like this. How Caroline Kepnes gets into the mind of the obsessive Joe is extraordinary, frightening, chilling. Not for the feint-hearted this, full of 'ripe' language and very, very creepy. The pace is relentless, found myself at times gasping for breath. You really won't want to put this down. Be ready to be shocked to the core...

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Messages of Condolence

Thank you FB friends for all your messages of condolence. They really do help. You are all special people to me. You are the best reason to be on Facebook. Over 40 years of sharing our lives with cats Ros and I have said goodbye to many. Jemima, Jennie, Squidgy, Budda, Merry, Whisky...

Bertie, though, was very special. He suffered a RTA seven years ago when we thought we would lose him. 72 hours in intensive care, jaw broken in two places, a severe bang to the head, tail broken - had to be amputated. But he pulled through.

He had no fear. Shortly after this major incident he was seen atop roofs chasing seagulls. He was always so vocal. He had such a presence. He captured the hearts of everyone who knew him.

We found him in a pet-shop window, looking lost and forlorn. 10 weeks old, we took him away from that place. As a kitten he had very large ears, that he eventually 'grew into'. More than any cat I have known, he 'told' you what was going on. More than any he became my number one lap cat. Loved a cuddle, purred his head off, and let you know who was boss.

I retired 2½ years ago and Bertie became my constant companion during that time. I knew his every mood. Can a cat become a best friend? Bertie did. He would wake me in the morning with a dab on the nose. Every morning. Weekends included. No nonsense. 'Time to get up, Dad'. Oliver was his constant companion. Oliver is now - lost. He wanders around the house and garden, looking for Bertie. Have you ever seen tears in the eyes of a cat? I have. And they mirror my own. I have not experienced such profound grief before over the loss of a beloved pet. Bertie fills my waking hours. I loved you so much and I miss you. I will always miss you....

Bertie

Bertie
25/3/2000 - 28/8/2015
Our beloved Bertie was gently put to sleep yesterday morning. He was suffering with chronic renal failure and was very weak come the end. Duncan and Alec of Coastway Vets came to our home to avoid a stressful journey to the practice. Ros and I are heartbroken over the loss of our wonderful boy who gave us so much joy over the last 15 years. Forever in our hearts...

Disclaimer

Disclaimer by Renée Knight
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Seriously, I could not put this down and finished 'Disclaimer' in a day, most unusual for me. A plot with a real twist, never saw that coming, relentless, breathless pace, the tension crackles from page to page. I'm saying nothing about the plot - don't want to give anything away. For me this is better than 'The Girl On The Train'. If you like a good thriller then this is it. I am sure you will love it as much as I did.

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Scorper by Rob Magnuson Smith

Scorper by Rob Magnuson Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Scorper, noun, a tool used to scoop out broad areas when engraving wood or metal.

I didn’t know that either until I read this strange book. I was attracted to it in Waterstones bookshop by the dust jacket, which contains an etching of a village I know well: Ditchling, located to the north of Brighton and the South Downs. And the first line of the book: “You are on your way to Ditchling”. What’s not to like I thought.

Scorper is an uncanny and sinister tale of an eccentric American visitor to this small Sussex village, searching for stories about his grandfather. A tale of twitching curtains, severed hands and peculiar sexual practices. A book about Eric Gill's artistic legacy, his despicable behaviour and enduring influence. Strangely comic, often sinister, often incomprehensible, but nevertheless compelling reading.

Is it a ghost story, is it Gothic? It is certainly dark and uncomfortable. I am edging towards awarding four stars....

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N or M?

N or M? by Agatha Christie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this quickly in anticipation of the next episodes of Partners In Crime airing on BBC TV starting on Sunday. Mind you, the first three episodes covered The Secret Adversary, which bore little resemblance to the book, save perhaps the names of the characters. N or M is another delightful romp through the thrills of espionage during the 2nd World War. Tommy and Tuppence Beresford are appointed by the Intelligence Service as two unlikely spies to seek out a man and a woman among the guests at a seaside hotel, suspected of being Fifth Columnists. It's fun, it's fast paced and full of quaint language as one would expect being first published in 1941. And it has a nice surprise finish. A gem from the pen of Agatha Christie.

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When Giants Walked The Earth

When Giants Walked the Earth: A Biography of Led Zeppelin by Mick Wall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Written by Mick Wall, "When Giants Walked The Earth: A Biography Of Led Zeppelin" is the culmination of several years of research, and is written by someone who has known guitarist Jimmy Page for over two decades. Its material is based on interviews the journalist has conducted with every member of the band over the years, as well as those who knew and worked alongside them. I have been a fan of Led Zeppelin for 45 years and I thoroughly enjoyed this momentous opus, running to 534 pages. It is therefore beyond my comprehension how anyone on Goodreads could rate this with One Star having read just 30 pages and giving up on the book. Rather like rating a movie after watching just the opening credits. I would qualify my Five Star rating by stating that this is for fans of Led Zeppelin. I doubt that you would enjoy it so much if you weren’t.

Mick Wall said in 2009 that he just felt there had never been a really serious book written about Zeppelin. Hammer Of The Gods is great but its 25 years old and not really built on any genuine research or interviews with the band. He thought it was time for something seriously heavyweight. And heavyweight it is, requiring considerable stamina to complete. It has taken me a couple of weeks to read, giving myself time to reflect on the content of each comprehensive chapter.

From 1969 to 1975, Led Zeppelin were arguably at the peak of their powers. The book covers all that in detail. But Zep 'II' (1969) and 'IV' (1971) would be the peak of their success. Many, like me, still love 'Houses of the Holy' (1973), and many parts of the others. Following the release of 1975's critically acclaimed 'Physical Graffiti', Led Zeppelin arguably went into a creative decline, attributed to drugs, alcohol abuse and self-immolation. And without drummer John ‘Bonzo’ Bonham, who was the best rock drummer ever, who died at a shocking young age, choked on his own vomit, Led Zeppelin were no more. Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones developed solo careers - Plant the most successful.

There is much more to this book that my brief resumé covers. Wall said: "My book came about because Jimmy simply refused to do a book of his own." I for one am glad that it did. Highly recommended for fans.

The song remains the same....


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The Secret Adversary

The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A thrilling romp takes place against the backdrop of World War 1 with our intrepid duo Tommy Beresford and Prudence Cowley, better known as Tuppence, "stony broke". Delightful, quaint language abounds: "Tuppence, old bean!" as Tommy greets Tuppence at the Lyons Corner House (aah, I remember those) and they discuss ways to make some money. The result is the formation of The Young Adventurers Ltd. A conversation overheard, a clandestine approach from Mr Whittington with an offer of employment and our two chums soon find themselves involved in a world of espionage that rattles along at a breathtaking pace and draws them into a diabolical political conspiracy. It's all great fun and a most enjoyable read and soon to appear on BBC TV as "Partners in Crime" with David Walliams and Jessica Raine in the starring roles. Anyway, if you haven't read this I highly recommend that you do!

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Robert Plant: A Life

Robert Plant: A Life: The Biography by Paul Rees
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Robert Plant: A Life

I have been a lifelong fan of the rock band Led Zeppelin and in particular the lead singer, Robert Plant. The Viking rock god as he liked to be known and a magnet to thousands of groupies and wayward women.

The 67 year old Robert Plant is surrounded by mystique and Paul Rees attempts to find a balance between the man, the myth, the music, and the darkness in this unauthorised biography. Perhaps one day Plant will write his own definitive version, although I doubt it.

Rees is the one-time editor of Kerrang! and Q magazines and has in my opinion conducted his research in exemplary fashion from other books and articles, as well as his own previous conversations with Plant and many of Plant's former classmates, band mates, and tour mates, some of whom were not afraid to speak candidly and critically. Nonetheless, for me this is a comprehensive record of Plant’s life from his early school years, through his early bands before being recruited by Jimmy Page to form Led Zeppelin with John Bonham and John Paul Jones. The band’s meteoric rise to stardom and idolization by so many music fans resulted in studio albums that I play to this day. Their seminal studio work: Led Zeppelin IV sold 25 million copies within months of being released in 1971. It contains their finest rock aria, Stairway to Heaven.

Groupies, drugs, and tragedy followed as Zeppelin's legend grew and the band dissolved after drummer John Bonham's death in 1980, choked on his own vomit after another mammoth drinking session. Plant reemerged as an ever-evolving solo artist who kept his distance from Zeppelin, rarely reuniting with his former band mates.

I have enjoyed most of Plant’s solo efforts, in particular his album Raising Sand with Alison Krauss. As Rees reports in detail, Led Zeppelin did finally reunite for one last concert in December 2007 at the O2 Arena. 20,000 fans were overawed with the performance, Plant and Page showing none of their on/off friction. Oh to have been there (I was one of millions of fans chasing down just 20,000 tickets without success).

This book is as good if not better than anything else I have read about Robert Plant. It provides insight into Plant as a man and a musician. I recommend it to any Led Zeppelin fan.

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A Man Called Ove

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ove’s heroic decency in the face of death and disaster is one of the most uplifting novels I have read this year. (His name rhymes with mover, but you probably know that). His misanthropy is initially very funny. His glass is half empty, people are disappointing, he fights a futile one-man war against traffic offences and he rails against bureaucrats, the "men in white shirts". Ove is fed up. So fed up that he intends to end it all. And how his efforts to exit this mortal coil are scuppered time and again are funny, tragic, heartwarming and related in short chapters, each of which stands alone as a beautifully crafted short story. Ove is a cantankerous, low-key, misunderstood man. I see much of him in me. Stitch these chapters together and you have the most uplifting, life-affirming and often comic tale of how kindness, love and happiness can be found in the most unlikely places.
Highly recommended.


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You Are Dead

You Are Dead by Peter James
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Peter James does it again, just gets better and better. The chase for the unsub (sorry, I watch too much 'Criminal Minds') is as relentless as ever. The 'will they get there in time, won't they' chase is afoot. Is this getting just a little bit formulaic? Perhaps. I don't care. Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is in usual 24/7 mode aided by sidekick Detective Inspector Glenn Branson - and the race is on! Around the streets and locations of my city, Brighton and Hove. Hang on a minute, characters living in Elm Grove? That's only a few streets away from me! It's the locality that gets me completely hooked - it's like travelling through the pages with my neural sat-nav switched on! Well, Peter James does it for me. And that ongoing event from Roy's past? Well, it's still an ongoing event from Roy's past. And that unsub? Probably the most diabolical that James has yet created. Is a serial killer at loose in Brighton? Do events get confusing? Are there plenty of red herrings? Are Cleo and Noah in danger? Did something happen in Hove Lagoon many years ago? Is English's Fish Restaurant mentioned? (Love that place!).
Buy it, settle down with a glass, or better still a bottle, of your favourite tipple and a bag of twiglets and embark on another helter-skelter ride with Roy Grace - and find out!

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The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy...

The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories by Tim Burton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Like Tim Burton? This collection of nonsense poems is not Batman, or Edward Scissorhands, or even Sleepy Hollow. These creepy stories are unique. Twisted, bizarre, fantastic, even demented. But some are just so funny. Here's one:

SUE
To avoid a lawsuit,
we'll just call her Sue
(or "that girl who likes
to sniff lots of glue")
The reason I know
that this is the case
is when she blows her nose,
kleenex sticks to her face

Daft, and laugh out loud funny. Well, for me anyway!

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An Evening with JD

It's been a while. When was the last time I sat with a glass of JD Old No.7 over ice. I don't recall. I'm enjoying one now. Gentle aromas of caramel, vanilla, and butterscotch and that smooth smoky sweetness with a hint of licorice. A sippin' whisky. And as I enjoy this glass of Tennessee sour mash the memories come flooding back.... A magical night to remember...

A night in late April, back in the late 90s. A road trip from San Francisco to LA. A Pontiac Firebird, resplendent in red. Pacific Coast highway. Nights in SF, Carmel, St. Morro Bay, Santa Monica and Malibu. Malibu, a main street town on the beach. Malibu pier. The drive down was like living a dream.  Driving over the bridge at Big Sur...

Missing San José - always regret that. But my wife, my best mate Graeme, and I had a thrill ride down Highway 1. And in Malibu I realised a life-long ambition. To dine at Alice's Restaurant, the haunt of such legends as Arlo Guthrie and Bob Dylan. A pitcher of Margaritas,  some fine steak and a bottle of California's finest red. And the night was still young....

We had booked into a small, luxury hotel on Malibu seafront. Rooms with decks that reached over the beach. The tide came in below the decks. The hotel also had a seating area within the beautiful landscaped patio with a similar deck reaching over the beach. My wife went to bed. Graeme and I settled down on the deck with a bottle of JD and a large bucket of ice provided by the friendly proprietor. And we sipped whisky. We watched darkness come under a bright moon. We watched a flock of Sanderlings race backwards and forwards in front of the tide. We spoke little. And we sipped whisky over ice. And it was magical. An evening and night I will never forget.

Malibu, California, a hotel deck, Alice's Restaurant, Bob Dylan, Sanderlings, a racing tide and a bottle of JD Old No.7... Priceless...

The Crooked House

The Crooked House by Christobel Kent
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had heard so much about this book by Christobel Kent that I had to jump it up my 'to read' queue. It has taken me much longer to read this than the usual time it takes me to finish a book, mainly because I have been occupied with other things. Reading this in a disjointed fashion has detracted from what is a pretty good, psychological thriller. The denouement come the end was somewhat unexpected but I found the last 40 pages or so rather tiresome. It would probably read much better over a couple of days rather than the amount of time it has taken me to complete. I won't comment on the plot or characters as so many others have done that and I would still recommend this as worth reading.

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The Taxidermist's Daughter

The Taxidermist's Daughter by Kate Mosse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The year is 1912. I wonder why Kate chose that year. It's of no consequence however apart from setting the scene for a Gothic style chiller. 50 pages in, I stifled a yawn. Where is this going? What do birds have to do with this, apart from the theme of taxidermy. 100 pages in my curiosity was aroused. By page 200 I was hooked. Well and truly hooked. The pace quickened. The atmosphere darkened. The characters took on different guises. The location was wild and dark and chilling. A mesmerising plot line full of evil deeds. A Sussex location steeped in folklore and mystery. A horrid event comes back from the past to haunt the present. I raced through the last 200 pages, breathless, intrigued, spellbound. Well done Kate Mosse. The Taxidermist's Daughter is another classic that deserves my recommendation.

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Snookered

I am rather short on blog-posts this week. I am totally absorbed in watching the World Snooker Championship on BBC TV. Today saw the start of the semi-finals, 33 frames in each of two matches. Each semi is split into up to four sessions, all played on just one table at the Crucible Centre in Sheffield. (I would love to be there, maybe next year).

The first session of the first semi-final saw Sean Murphy head Barry Hawkins by 6 frames to 2. In the second my favourite, Stuart Bingham, heads odds-on favourite Judd Trump, by 5 frames to 3. It's all compelling viewing and coverage will begin again tomorrow at 1:00pm.

Time to get some more beers in....

The Doll's House

The Doll's House by M.J. Arlidge
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

M.J. Arlidge pulls it off again. Fast paced and exciting, The Doll’s House is book three in the Detective Inspector Helen Grace series. Eeny Meeny and Pop Goes The Weasel are the first two and you should read these first as there are threads that start in book one and continue through The Doll’s House. Short chapters add to the relentless pace - 434 pages contain no less than 142 of them and Arlidge uses this pacy rhythm to rack up the tension. The office politics and backstabbing continues and there is one very satisfactory conclusion that got a ‘hooray’ from me (no spoiler though). Helen Grace is a determined, tough but damaged character - events that hark back to her childhood. For all that it makes her plausible and human. Her antagonist is really scary, but then they all have been. As soon as the first body is found, fasten your seatbelt and be ready for a roller-coaster ride. I loved it.

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The story of the Wee Lowden

I am interested in acquiring a travel size guitar. The smaller body would I believe suit me better as my Yamaha is rather large - full size in fact. George Lowden manufactures guitars in Northern Ireland and is now producing the Wee Lowden. Well, I can dream I suppose; this is well beyond my budget!



Take a look:



The story of the Wee Lowden

Sleep Tight

Sleep Tight by Rachel Abbott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow! Hold tight to your hat as you ride the helter-skelter of Sleep Tight into Olivia's world, full of menace and heart-stopping moments that often left me breathless and unable to turn pages quickly enough. More twists and turns than Hampton Court maze - think you've figured it out - wrong again! No plot spoilers here, just buy a copy and look forward to restless nights of nail-biting tension. Rachel Abbott certainly knows how to master plot and characterisation. This is an absolute corker!

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My Favourite Eatery

You probably already know of my love for Bellota's Bar y Tapas in Brighton. Well, I was there again yesterday with my brother Dave and friends Graeme and Lesley. We kicked of the day with a couple of beers at The Evening Star pub in Surrey Street before making our way to Bellota's.

Me (on the right) and brother Dave enjoying a pint of Estrella beer at Bellota's

Three tapas from the lunchtime menu is seriously as much as one can eat and a snip at just £9.95. And the house red at £17.25 a bottle is good value for an excellent tempranillo. 

All in all this was another very enjoyable day with great company.

The Yamaha FG700MS Acoustic Guitar

This is my new acoustic guitar, and it's a peach! The FG700MS combines premium specification including solid Sitka spruce top, Nato back and sides, 90 degree non-scalloped bracing, inspired by the flagship L-series, and Yamaha's trademark set-up with an ultra-thin natural satin finish to create an instrument with a rich, natural sound. Damn, it's good and all the more so after the set-up conducted by the engineers at Sheehan's Music perfect action and a beautiful tone.

Now, it's up to me. My fingers aren't as supple as they used to be and I haven't played guitar for around 30 years! But now I'm retired I have plenty of time to practice, witness the indents on the fingers of my left hand, already. (At least I can manage the D, A and E chords without too much delay in switching between chords!). The challenge now is to practice every day for at least 15 minutes, following the online tuition of Justin Sandercoe I am determined to improve beyond where I was 30 years ago.

My ultimate goal is to be able to play the acoustic passages from 'Stairway to Heaven' by the ultimate rock-band, Led Zeppelin. 

Yeah, right. I might get back to you on this in 6 months or so......

Guitar: Ax to Grind

Guitar: Ax To Grind; Beginners Guitar Lessons, Learn Guitar Faster Guaranteed! by Thomas Reed
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I wasn't sure what to expect with a 25 page book that calls itself 'Beginners Guitar Lessons'. Maybe I was expecting too much in such a short publication. But this is more about mathematics than music and more about notation than actual guitar playing. Rather disappointing.

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Yamaha FG700MS

And this is the beautiful Yamaha FG700MS. Look forward to get my fingers picking on this...

My Personal Target

My Yamaha guitar will be delivered on Monday. Sheehan's Guitars have completed the set up process so the 'action' should be just fine. I am coming back to the guitar after more than 30 years and I have set myself a personal target. To learn to play at least the first sixteen bars of 'Stairway to Heaven' on acoustic guitar. This includes the chords and finger picking. This will take weeks, even months, of dedicated practice. I have watched more videos of this on YouTube than you can shake a stick at. It looks, no, it is difficult - but then I am much the same age as Jimmy Page...

Mind you, he has something of a head start on me....

Retired to the Guitar

I haven't touched a guitar for more than 30 years. When I lived in the Netherlands I took lessons from Peter van Dorst, who still features in the top echelon of guitarists in that country. Circumstances dictated that my lessons were interrupted; I had to move back to the UK. For many reasons I gave up trying to play the guitar, something that I regret a great deal. I am retired now. I have tried to get to grips with playing the harmonica and find it really difficult to 'bend' a note, which doesn't help if you want to play "The Blues"!

And so, at this tender age of 69, I have decided to take up the guitar again. That's right. After more than 30 years, with fingers considerably less supple than they were, I want to play the guitar. Nothing fancy. Start with the chords I remember (I think!) And for no other reason than personal pleasure. Something to practice in a fixed routine. Daily. That's the plan. So, I have invested in a Yamaha FG700MS Acoustic supplied by Sheehans Music. These guys are experts in guitars.  And this is the guitar I have ordered.

http://www.sheehans.com/product/yamaha-fg700ms-acoustic-guitar/fg700ms?TRE00003

Sheehan's experienced technicians will complete a free set up before shipping the guitar. This is particularly important to get the perfect 'action' (something I remember all too well) so that the strings are situated at the optimum distance above the fret board. (ie. minimum finger pressure required in front of a fret to achieve the required sound).

In the meantime I have started to do finger exercises to improve (hopefully!) dexterity. Helped with doses of Glucosamine and Celadrin! When the guitar arrives I am determined to set aside one hour a day to practice and perhaps 20 minutes for 'noodling' (look it up!)

Time to dream...

To sleep, perchance to dream... Do cats dream? It is said that when their paws twitch during sleep cats are "chasing rabbits". How do we know though? Riley does it. He is asleep now in what we call the Banana rest. It is made from dried banana leaves apparently.

Riley has lived with us now for almost six months. He is adorable, a wonderful, gentle natured animal. Rescued from a lonely existence to a home full of love. He is so worth it...

Sailing The Swale Estuary

The love of sailing has never left me. Memories of wonderful days in the 80s when my friend Graeme and I were members of the Newhaven and Seaford Sailing Club. At the time I owned a Merlin Rocket, which was a beast to handle with a rating of 106 on the Portsmouth yardstick. It sailed like a - well - like a rocket!

Our friends Roger and Kathy had a beautifully restored yacht moored at Harty Ferry on the Swale. It was a joy to sail; very responsive. Here are some scanned photos of such a day, with me at the helm.

I keep promising myself to get another boat, particularly as Graeme has bought his cruiser, moored at Twyford Bridge Marina. Persuading my wife that this is a good idea however, is another matter....

Not Quite Nice

Not Quite Nice by Celia Imrie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Not Quite Nice? What’s not to like about this charming romp along the Côte d’Azur as the author Celia Imrie navigates a fine line between farce and drama. The intricacies of plot are spot on as Theresa, sick of her spoilt daughter and equally spoilt grandchildren, is in dire need of a change of scenery. When she loses her job she heads off to the south of France to contemplate her future. Throw in a melee of ex-pats, financial worries, men who are not quite what they seem, plenty of laughter and mystery and you have a fine debut novel. Fans of Katie Fforde and Peter Mayle will love this, as I did. Rather made me want to beetle off to the sunny South of France and chill out in Bellevue-Sur-Mer....

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Messing About In Boats

Twyford Bridge Marina in Kent is located on the River Medway and is the perfect spot for messing about in boats. My good friend Graeme has purchased a 22' cruiser moored here. So, we did a bloke thing and went yesterday to mess about on it. Having been laid up for the winter would the batteries have any life left, would the engine start? Happily enough it was Yes to both.

Bit of a squeeze getting it out of here!

The location is wonderful, located as it is on the River Medway, which boasts a footpath that runs from Yalding (where the marina is located) to Tonbridge. A beautiful walk.

This beautiful converted Oast house is located along the river heading towards Tonbridge.

The marina is perfect for those of a particular inclination.....

The scenery is spectacular. Here is a view along the river looking back towards Yalding.

The marina is well served by the Teapot Café, which boasts the largest collection of teapots in the world (don't know if that has been verified!). We enjoyed lunch here.

That's it. Just two blokes enjoying each other's company, messing about in boats, messing about on the river, not a care in the world.

And not a mention of the forthcoming General Election.....