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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