John Simpson - Back to Basics in 2024 part Two

Please pop along and pay me a visit, i will hopefully talk about books read, bought and copious pots of tea. If this sounds interesting, come and have a look.

Hello everyone, this is my Thirteenth year being part of this wonderful group. I am John, 61 years old and married to Karen for 40 years and counting. We have two lovely children, Rob and Amy. Rob lives with his Fiancee Louise, daughter Hannah who will be 14 in February. Amy married Andy in 2015 and they now have a cat called Combie and Elliott who was born on Star Wars Day. We also have a mad Cat called Felix and we love him, he is Five.

Please come along and leave a message and let's see what fun we have.

I love books and currently have 3,254 books on my shelves, and this doesn't include my Cricket collection which stands at about 500 books. While reading I do enjoy the odd pot or two of tea.

CURRENTLY READING

I just love Big Books, these are my 1000+page reads so far with more to add.

1.Shogun by James Clavell, 1243 pgs
2.Gai-Jin by James Clavell, 1578 pgs
3.Noble House by James Clavell, 1435 pgs
4.War & Remembrance by Herman Wouk, 1171 pgs
5.Whirlwind by James Clavell, 1343 pgs
6.Centennial by James A. Michener 1100 pgs
7.The Covenant by James A. Michener, 1080 pgs
8.Sarum by Edward Rutherfurd, 1344 pgs
9.Homeland by John Jakes, 1138 pgs
10.Russka by Edward Rutherfurd, 1007 pgs
11.A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth, 1474 pgs
12.Love and War by John Jakes, 1019 pgs
13.Texas by James A. Michener, 1508 pgs
14.My Life by Bill Clinton, 1000 pgs
15.Child of the Phoenix by Barbara Erskine, 1086 pgs
16.Voyager by Diana Gabaldon, 1059 pgs
17.The Journeyer by Gary Jennings, 1219 pgs
18.Pandora's Star by Peter F. Hamilton, 1144 pgs
19.Judas Unchained by Peter F. Hamilton, 1235 pgs
20.Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon, 1185 pgs
21.Wicked by Jilly Cooper, 1007 pgs
22.The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon, 1412 pgs
23.London by Edward Rutherfurd, 1299 pgs
24.The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, 1076 pgs
25.A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon, 1391 pgs
26.World Without End by Ken Follett, 1111 pgs
27.Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey, 1,015 pgs
28.The Executioner's Song by Norman Mailer, 1,056 pgs
29.An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon, 1,065 pgs
30.New York by Edward Rutherfurd, 1017 pgs
31.Hawaii by James A.Michener, 1130 pgs
32.The Company by Robert Littell, 1281 pgs
33.The Reality Dysfunction by Peter F.Hamilton, 1225 pgs
34.Spangle by Gary Jennings, 1276 pgs
35.Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell, 1024 pgs
36.Alaska by James A. Michener, 1073 pgs.
37.Memories of Ice by Steven Erikson, 1180 pgs.
38.Chesapeake by James A. Michener, 1132 pgs
39. 4 3 2 1 by Paul Auster, 1070 pgs.
40. The Wheel of Fortune by Susan Howatch, 1156 pgs.
41. The Neutronium Alchemist by Peter F. Hamilton, 1259 pgs.
42. The Naked God by Peter F. Hamilton, 1244 pgs.
43. The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy, 1104 pgs.
44. The Source by James A. Michener, 1032 pgs.
45. Against The Day by Thomas Pynchon, 1220 pgs.
46. The Stand by Stephen King, 1325 pgs.
47. Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke, 1006 pgs.
48. Harlot's Ghost by Norman Mailer, 1401 pgs.
49. Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith, 1073 pgs.
50. The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith, 1221 pgs.

BOOKS READ IN JANUARY BY JOHN
1. A Column of Fire by Ken Follett, PB - 885 pages.
2. Last Day of School by Jack Sheffield, PB - 335 pages.

BOOKS READ IN FEBRUARY BY JOHN
3. The Bookshop Murder by Merryn Allingham, PB - 245 Pages.
4. The Noise by James Patterson, PB - 421 Pages.
5. Before the Coffee gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, PB - 213 pages.
6. Date with Evil by Julia Chapman, PB - 451 pages.
7. All The Broken Places by John Boyne, PB - 367 pages.
8. The Inn by James Patterson, PB - 363 pages.

BOOKS READ IN MARCH BY JOHN
9. The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel, PB - 587 pages.
10. Murder Before Evensong by The Reverend Richard Coles, PB - 358 pages.
11. Private Delhi by James Patterson, PB - 383 pages.

BOOKS READ IN JANUARY BY KAREN
1. Murder at the Castle by Chris McGeorge, PB - 376 pages.
2. Seeds of Murder by Rosie Sandler, PB - 259 pages.
3. Murder Most Royal by S.J. Bennett, PB - 356 pages.
4. Theft of the Iron Dogs by E.R.C. Lorac, PB - 292 pages.
5. The Three Dahlias by Katy Watson, PB - 366 pages.
6. Hope of Innocence by Caroline Dunford, PB - 233 Pages.
7. Last Day of School by Jack Sheffield, PB - 335 Pages.

BOOKS READ BY KAREN IN FEBRUARY
8. Murder at the House on the Hill by Victoria Walters, PB - 345 Pages.
9. Fell Murder by E.C.R. Lorac, PB - 237 pages.
10. The Thirty-One Doors by Kate Hulme, PB -
11. Making It by Jay Blades, PB - 288 pages.

BOOKS READ IN MARCH BY KAREN
12. The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods, PB - 434 pages.
13. The Key to Deceit by Ashley Weaver, PB - 292 pages.
14. The Cherrywood Murderers by Penny Blackwood, PB - 437 pages.
15. Three Card Murder by J.L. Blackhurst, PB - 345 pages.
16. The Perfect Passion Company by Alexander McCall Smith, HB - 385 pages.
17. Suddenly at his Residence by Christianna Brand, PB - 240 pages.

BOOKS READ BY JOHN IN APRIL
12. Creature Comforts by Trisha Ashley, PB - 400 pages.
13. The Joy and Light Bus Company by Alexander McCall Smith, PB - 230 pages.
14. Close to the Bone by Stuart MacBride, PB - 542 pages.
15. Hidden in Plain Sight by Jeffrey Archer, PB - 318 pages.
16. A Wanted Man by Lee Child, PB - 524 pages.

BOOKS READ BY JOHN IN MAY
17. The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett, PB - 897 pages.
18. The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman, PB - 408 pages.
19. The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods, PB - 431 pages.

BOOKS READ BY JOHN IN JUNE
20. Cause of Death by Patricia Cornwell, PB - 370 pages.
21. Fifty Fifty by James Patterson, PB - 382 pages.
22. A Terrible Village Poisoning by Hannah Hendy, PB - 290 pages.
23. Family Album by Danielle Steel, PB - 400 pages.

BOOKS READ BY JOHN IN JULY
24. The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith, PB - 1221 pages.

BOOKS READ BY JOHN IN AUGUST
25. Date with Justice by Julia Chapman, PB - 392 pages.
26. First of the Summer Wine by Harry Pearson, PB - 327 pages.
27. The Kashmir Shawl by Rosie Thomas, PB - 500 pages.

BOOKS READ BY JOHN IN SEPTEMBER
28. 22 Seconds by James Patterson, PB - 355 pages.
29. Full Blast by Janet Evanovich, PB - 340 pages.
30. The Vintage Shop by Libby Page, PB - 348 pages.
31. Private Gold by James Patterson, PB - 135 pages.

BOOKS READ BY KAREN IN APRIL
18. Once Upon a Tome by Oliver Darkshire, HB - 242 pages.
19. The Dog Sitter Detective by Antony Johnston, PB - 288 pages.
20. The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp by Leonie Swann, PB - 412 pages.

BOOKS READ BY KAREN IN MAY
21. The Grey Mask by Patricia Wentworth, PB - 297 pages.
22. Murder on the Ballarat Tram by Kerry Greenwood, PB - 175 pages.
23. The Man who Got Away by Lynne Truss, PB - 287 pages.
24. Murder at Church Lodge by Greg Mosse, PB - 363 pages.
25. A Murder Inside by Frances Brody, PB - 305 pages.

BOOKS READ BY KAREN IN JUNE
26. The Joy and Light Bus Company by Alexander McCall Smith, PB - 238 pages.
27. A Year in the Chateau by Sarah Levy, PB - 430 pages.
28. A Song of Comfortable Chairs by Alexander McCall Smith, PB - 230 pages.
29. Blotto and Twinks and the Death of a Dowagers Duchess by Simon Brett, PB - 202 pages.
30. A Cast of Falcons by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett, PB - 273 pages.
31. The Sound of Laughter by Peter Kay, HB - 250 pages.
32. The Vintage Shop by Libby Page, PB - 350 pages.

BOOKS READ BY KAREN IN JULY
33. Death in Print by G.M. Malliet, PB - 299 pages.
34. The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore, PB - 345 pages.
35. Death at the Dress Rehearsal by Stuart Douglas, PB - 397 pages.
36. A Frightfully Fatal Murder by Hannah Hendy, PB - 282 pages.
37. A Death in Marlow by Robert Thorogood, PB - 384 pages.
38. Mimi Lee Geta a Clue by Jennifer J. Chow, PB - 321 pages.

BOOKS READ BY KAREN IN AUGUST
39. Fatal Crossing by Tom Hindle, PB - 450 pages.
40. The Washing Away of Wrongs by G.M. Malliet, PB - 278 pages.
41. A Very Lovely Murder by Katy Watson, PB -
42. The Case of The Screaming Beauty by Alison Golden, PB - 127 pages.
43. The Village Detectives and the Art of Murder by Fiona Walker, PB -350 pages.
44. The Clock Stopped Dead by J.M. Hall, PB - 327 pages.

BOOKS READ BY KAREN IN SEPTEMBER
45. A Gravely Troubled Discovery by Hannah Hendy, PB - 283 pages.
46. A Murder in Tuscany by T.A. Williams, PB - 260 pages.
47. The Bingo Hall Detectives by Jonathan Whitelaw, PB - 273 pages.
48. A Wedding at the Beach Hut by Veronica Henry, PB - 370 pages.
49. Summer of Love by Katie Fforde, PB - 376 pages.

BOOKS BOUGHT IN JANUARY
1. Making It by Jay Blades, PB.
2. Gifts by Laura Barnett, PB.
3. The Three Dahlia's by Katy Watson, PB.
4. The Piranhas by Harold Robbins, PB.
5. Cross Down by James Patterson, PB.
6. Out of Sight by James Patterson, PB.
7. Postcards from the Beach by Phil Tufnell, PB.
8. Cricketers of My Times by A.A. Thomson, HB.
9. University Tales by Jack Sheffield, HB.
10. Forty-Five Years of Ranji Trophy Vol II (1960-1979) Ed by P.N. Sundaresan, HB.
11. South African Cricket 1947 - 1960 Vol IV by Brian Bassano, PB.
12. The Wisden Book of Test Cricket Volume 1, 1877-1977 Ed by Bill Frindall, HB.
13. The Wisden Book of Test Cricket Volume II, 1977-1994 Ed by Bill Frindall, HB.
14. Hope for Tomorrow by Caroline Dunford, PB.
15. Cry Baby by Mark Billingham, PB.

BOOKS BOUGHT IN FEBRUARY
16. Rapture in Death by J.D. Robb, PB.
17. The Cherrywood Murders by Penny Blackwell, PB.
18. Steve Smith's Men by Geoff Lemon, PB.
19. The Girl from Cotton Lane by Harry Bowling, PB.
20. A Merry Mistletoe Wedding by Judy Astley, PB.
21. The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods, PB.
22. The Zig-Zag Girl by Elly Griffiths, PB.
23. The Locked Room by Elly Griffiths, PB.
24. A Rising Man by Abir Mukherjee, PB.
25. The Late Train to Gipsy Hill by Alan Johnson, PB.
26. An English Murder by Cyril Hare, PB.
27. Death on the Trans-Siberian Express by C.J. Farrington, PB.
28. The Winter Guest by W.C. Ryan, PB.
29. The Wyndham Case by Jill Paton Walsh, PB.
30. The Widow of Bath by Margot Bennett, PB.
31. The Maid by Nita Prose, PB.
32. The Thirty-One Doors by Kate Hulme, PB.
33. The Hidden Years by Rachel Hore, PB.
34. Homecoming by Kate Morton, PB.
35. Countdown by James Patterson, PB.
36. Fire Sale by Sara Paretsky, PB.
37. Hard Time by Sara Paretsky, PB.
38. The Ice Child by Camilla Lackberg, PB.
39. The Broken Souls by Jack Kerley, PB.
40. The Death Collectors by Jack Kerley, PB.
41. Blood Brother by Jack Kerley, PB.
42. A Plague of Heretics by Bernard Knight, PB.
43. Behold, Here's Poison by Georgette Heyer, PB.
44. Thinking of You by Jill Mansell, PB.
45. The Traitor Queen by Trudi Canavan, PB.
46. The Love Child by Rachel Hore, PB.
47. Suddenly at his Residence by Christianna Brand, PB.
48. Three-Card Murder by J.L. Blackhurst, PB.
49. The Man Without Qualities by Robert Musil, PB.
50. The Novel by James A. Michener, PB.
51. Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas, PB.
52. A Death in the Parish by The Reverend Richard Coles, PB.
53. The Perfect Passion Company by Alexander McCall Smith, HB.

BOOKS BOUGHT IN MARCH
54. The Little Bookshop of Lonely Hearts by Annie Darling, PB.
55. We'll Meet Again by Anton Du Beke, PB.
56. Killer Instinct by James Patterson, PB.
57. Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas, PB.
58. The Murder Game by Tom Hindle, PB.
59. A Very Lively Murder by Katy Watson, PB.
60. The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp by Leonie Swann, PB.
61. One Summer in Tuscany by Domenica De Rosa, PB.
62. The Dog Sitter Detective by Antony Johnston, PB.
63. Once Upon a Tome by Oliver Darkshire, HB.
64. The Story Collector by Iris Costello, PB.
65. Death at the Chateau by Ian Moore, PB.
66. The Secret by Lee Child, PB.
67. Private Rome by James Patterson, PB.
68. The Tastemaker by Tony King, PB.
69. The Wedding Dress Repair Shop by Trisha Ashley, PB.
70. A Clock Stopped Dead by J.M. Hall, PB.
71. The Bookbinder of Jericho by Pip Williams, PB.
72. The Square of Sevens by Laura Shepherd-Robinson, PB.

BOOKS BOUGHT IN APRIL
73. Lord Roworth's Reward by Carola Dunn, PB.
74. Rock with Wings by Anne Hillerman, PB.
75. One of our Minister's is Missing by Alan Johnston, PB.
76. Murder at St. Savior's by Merryn Allingham, PB.
77. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas, PB.
78. A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas, PB.
79. The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai, PB.
80. Date with Justice by Julia Chapman, PB.
81. The Winter of our Lives by Sara Barnes, PB.

MARCH'S READING STATS

Books Read....................... 3

No of Authors.................... 3

New Authors...................... 2

Male Authors..................... 2

Female Authors.................. 1

Pages Read....................... 1328

Daily Avg........................... 42.84

Book Length avg................. 442.67

POTS OF TEA...................... 281

Books on shelves at 1-3-24 - 3135
Books added in March - 19
Books read in March - 3

Revised book total - 3151

Pages to read at 1-3-24 - 1,275,448
Pages added in March - 7,423
Pages read in March - 1,328

Revised total pages to read - 1,281,543

Thread is now Open.

Happy new thread John!

>15 Owltherian:, Hi Lily my dear, thanks for visiting my humble thread, first visitor, yay.

>16 johnsimpson: You're very welcome John. I hope you have a good day or are already having one!

Happy new thread John!

>17 Owltherian:, Hi Lily my dear, not too bad a day, i have finished a book and put this new thread up and cleaned two fountain pens that had shimmer ink in. These needed cleaning as the feed was blocked as is the case with shimmer inks.

I hope that you are having a good start to the day my dear and enjoy the rest of the day.

>18 quondame:, Hi Susan my dear, thanks for stopping by dear friend.

>19 johnsimpson: I am having a great day, almost done with school, so that's a plus.

Finished book 12 of 2024 just after lunch today, Creature Comforts by Trisha Ashley, PB - 400 pages.

IS THERE SUCH A THING AS 'HAPPY-EVER-AFTER'?

After causing a terrible accident, Izzy Dane's life has lurched from one disaster to another. The final straw is when she realises that she and her fiance Kieran want completely different things in life.

Swearing off men, she returns home to the cosy village of Halfhidden, to stay with her eccentric Aunt Debo and her motley bunch of canine friends.

But it turns out that Halfhidden is full of surprises - and one very dishy newcomer who makes Izzy's quest for answers rather more complicated than she could ever have anticipated....

>21 Owltherian:, Hi Lily, always good when School's done for the day although it is a long time since my Schooldays.

>23 johnsimpson: Yeah, although i do have to stay until 4:30pm for a book club i am in.

>24 Owltherian:, Hi Lily, staying until 4.30pm for a book club is better than having to stay for a subject that you don't like.

>25 johnsimpson: Thats very true, and we are reading the whole Scythe series.

Happy new thread, John!

Karen O

>27 klobrien2:, Hi Karen my dear, thanks for stopping by.

Happy new thread, John!

Happy new thread!

Hiya John, i think my day has just gotten worse.

Happy new thread, John!

Happy new thread, John.

Happy new thread, John. Hope to see you and Karen later in the year.

Happy new thread, John.

Happy New Thread, John!

>29 FAMeulstee:, Thanks Anita my dear.

>30 thornton37814:, Thanks Lori my dear.

>31 Owltherian:, Thanks Lily my dear.

>32 drneutron:, Thanks Jim Mate.

>33 jessibud2:, Thanks Shelley my dear.

>34 PaulCranswick:, Thanks Paul, looking forward to seeing you and Hani, mate.

>35 figsfromthistle:, Thanks Anita my dear.

>36 vancouverdeb:, Thanks Deb my dear.

Not a bad start to April, my reading is getting better and i seem to be finding more time to come on here at the moment.

As it is Wednesday, we have Elliott for his usual overnight stay but the weather hasn't been good so he hasn't been able to play and run around the garden.

Happy new thread, John! I hope you have a great time with Elliott despite the weather.

>37 johnsimpson: Heh, I found a book that isn't on LT yet! It's Lily and Ted by Lucinda Jacob

>40 alcottacre:, Hi Stasia my dear, it was a better day today and we got out to play football. I am not sure he has got the grasp of it yet as he gave me a red card for kicking the ball, he tended to throw the ball around and when i kicked it back at him, he told me to stop. He was more bothered about running around which suited me as he needed to get rid of some energy.

I will have to teach him about football and of course, Cricket.

Happy new thread, John! Glad to hear your reading has been good lately.

>43 bell7:, Hi Mary my dear, thanks for stopping by, another book nearly finished so April is looking good at the moment.

Hello John,

I am currently reading a BIG book and every time I pick it up I think of you. The one I am reading is just into the BIG book category at 542 pages, but it has taken me a long time to get close to the end. It is good to see you are getting back to the books while doing all those other things, including doctor visits. I have been cooking. I have had something to cook for everyday this week - starting with Easter. Somehow I thought I would have more time once I was retired.

Ditto, John. Whenever I pick up a BFB your name comes to mind. Reading 732 pager right now A Covenant of Water. I'm 20% in and it's just average, so far.

I might as well add my name to the list of people that think of John with "big books." I'm also reading one right now--1008 pages worth!

I started another BIG book today. This one is 558 pages. Again I thought of you when I started it.

John - Still hoping to read Good MRI news and updated treatment.

Yesterday, in Daedalus Book Catalogue, I read that there was a Female French spy (Good Guys side)
during WWII
with the code name "Hedgehog."

Happy new one dear John!!

>49 m.belljackson: I am reading The Wolves at the Door which is about an American Spy in France in WW2. It's good!

>45 benitastrnad:, Hi Benita my dear, i hope you enjoyed your BFB coming in at 542 pages and lots of cooking being done, Karen would love this.

>46 Tess_W:, Hi Tess my dear, i am glad to i evoke a memory when you pick up a chunkster, i have seen many people talk about The Covenant of Water that i think i must pick up a copy and i hope that it improves for you dear friend.

>47 thornton37814:, Hi Lori my dear, my love of chunksters seems to have left an indelible mark on fellow readers that you think of me when you pick one up. By the way, what book are you reading that is 1,008 pages long.

>48 benitastrnad:, Hi Benita my dear, by heck my dear, you have got the Big Book bug now, lol. Enjoy it dear friend.

>49 m.belljackson:, Hi Marianne my dear, not heard from the doctors yet although they did say it could take up to 3 and a half weeks for the results to get to them, i am going to give them a call on Monday as that is 3 weeks from having the MRI scan.

What a great code name for a spy.

>50 Berly:, Hi Kim my dear, thank you. The book The Wolves at the Door sounds really interesting, i look forward to reading what you thought about it.

Earlier today i had a thought about how long it will take me to read my TBR pile. IF i read 100 pages a day from today, and IF i do not buy or borrow another book (like that is going to happen, lol) then i would finish the last book on day 131 of 2059 and 56 days later i would be celebrating my 96th birthday, lol.

I wonder if this will happen?

Finished book 13 of 2024 last Saturday, The Joy and Light Bus Company by Alexander McCall Smith, PB - 230 pages.

Precious Ramotswe and Grace Makutsi, Gaborone's No. 1 Lady Detectives, do not always agree on important issues - one being the complex male psyche. Mma Ramotswe is reminded of this when her husband, J. L. B. Matekoni, is offered a daunting business opportunity; one which, if it fails, threatens their existing livelihood, including the detective agency. Somehow, Precious must guide her husband to the right decision, while being mindful of how much he wants The Joy and Light Bus Company to succeed.

Meanwhile, there are other problems to solve. A wealthy client's elderly father has changed his will, making his devoted live-in nurse a significant beneficiary, and the ladies are tasked with uncovering the woman as a fraud. And then there is the disturbing rumoured maltreatment of children living and working on a local farm, which Mma Ramotswe is determined to investigate.

Tomorrow morning i will be taking the car to Kwik-Fit in Wakefield as i need two new tyres as they are barely legal and they will check the other two tyres although one is definitely OK as it was only put on last September.

Because of the mileage i am doing at the moment, the car is saying that i am 4,000 miles over the next service point, it was only serviced in October and is not really due until September. I will need to call into the dealership to see what happens in this situation as it is a Motability car and therefore i do not pay for a service but this is a different situation to what i have dealt with since having a Motability vehicle.

>50 Berly: >53 johnsimpson: Hedgehog's actual name was Marie-Madeline Fourcade. In French, it was Herisson.

Amazing story on WIKI!

Happy newish thread, John. I hope you hear the results of your MRI soon!

Great to see Brook start the season like an express train, John. I hope we get some good weather and that the boys can get some game time. Coad and Fisher is a good opening pair.

Wishing you both a great weekend.

>53 johnsimpson: Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth

>60 m.belljackson:, Hi Marianne my dear, very interesting.

>61 Familyhistorian:, Hi Meg my dear, no news yet about the MRI, i will ring on Monday to see if they have received them.

>62 PaulCranswick:, Hi Paul, it was lovely to listen to commentary of Brook taking the bowling apart for his century and then another good knock at Bristol. I hope the weather improves and let's see what they do to the Dukes ball. Apart from some decent bowling from spinners with the Kookabura ball, Thomson from Derbyshire with a career best of 12 fro 201 against Glamorgan, it was the bat that dominated with six 200+ scores in the first two rounds and eight 500+ team scores. In 2023 there were only six 200+ individual scores and that has been matched already.

Now that we have the Dukes ball in hand, i expect slightly lower team scores and better bowling from the pace men. If i was honest, i would have waited to use the Kookabura ball as the weather was always going to be a problem after all the rain we have had.

On the weather front, it is so sad what has happened to New Road over the last six months and it is looking more likely that Worcestershire will have to find a new home, they cannot continue with all the flooding and the associated costs which could be better spent within the club. A lot of history at New Road but as King Cnut found out, water will always be a winner.

>63 thornton37814:, Hi Lori my dear, a very good book, my paperback copy was 1,076 pages.

>64 johnsimpson: And here's a book about your "beautiful spy" "Hedgehog" =

MADAME FOURCADE'S SECRET WAR!

Paul might like to add this one to his listing, with 4.2 Stars.

>68 m.belljackson: Feel free to add it to the list, Marianne.

.

Finished book 14 on the 15th April Close to the Bone by Stuart MacBride, PB - 542 pages.

STICKS AND STONES MAY BREAK YOUR BONES...

The first body is chained to a stake: strangled and stabbed, with a burning tyre around its neck. Is this a gangland execution or something much darker?

Someone's leaving little knots of bones on DI Logan McRae's doorstep, but he's got bigger concerns. Rival drug gangs are fighting over product and territory; two teenage lovers are missing; someone's crippling Asian immigrants; and Logan's been lumbered with an ambitious new Detective Sergeant and gained the unwelcome attention of the local crime boss.

When another body turns up, similarities between these murders and the plot of a bestselling novel seem like more than a coincidence. And perhaps those little knots of bones are more important than they look...

Finished book 15 on 19th April, Hidden in Plain Sight by Jeffrey Archer, PB - 318 pages.

Newly promoted Detective Sergeant William Warwick has been reassigned to the drugs squad. His first case: to investigate a notorious south London drug lord known as the Viper.

But as William and his team close the net around a criminal network unlike any they have ever encountered, he is also faced with an old enemy, Miles Faulkner. It will take all of William's cunning to devise a means to bring both men to justice: a trap neither will expect, one that is hidden in plain sight...

>65 johnsimpson: How frustrating to wait so long for the results.

Hope you have a great Friday

Always enjoyed Archer. I need to do some rereading!

Just checking out what you've been reading. Looks like it is thrillers.

Hi! John asked me to let all of you know he will be offline for a while . His laptop died and he is looking for a new one . He let me know via Facebook Messenger. As soon as he can find a new laptop at a reasonable price , he’ll be back .

>75 vancouverdeb: Thank you for informing us, Deborah.
I was wondering what was going on, and if John had the results of his MRI.

>75 vancouverdeb: Thanks Deb.

Wanted to share my enthusiasm for Yorkshire's batting this season as all the top order are in the runs. If we can start to bowl teams out then promotion is on the cards.

Our best team:
Lyth, Bean, Masood, Root, Brook, Malan, Bairstow, Thompson, Bess, Fisher, Coad, Moriarty.

Hoping you are online again here soon, John!!

Hi John, hope you are able to get up and running sooner rather than later and that you have the results of your MRI by now!

Missing seeing you around on the threads! Hoping you find a good laptop soon! We miss you!

Hi everyone, the new laptop arrived a short while ago and now i am setup, i am back in action. Deborah was so good to pass the message on that my previous laptop had gone to electric heaven and then i was a case of finding a new one.

During my offline period, our holiday was due to be paid, Elliott celebrated his 3rd birthday (where has the time gone) and then Saturday just gone was Karen's birthday and i got the results of my MRI scan.

Elliott had a lovely birthday, mummy and daddy took him up to Brimham Rocks and they had a birthday picnic, he had a lovely time. The following day they all came over and we had another celebration with one present from us saved so that he could open it.

I contacted the Doctors about my scan results and was told by the receptionist that he would contact me on the following Thursday, this was on May 6th. The following morning while taking Karen to work, i got a call from the Doctors, apparently he was not happy with the long wat and could he ring me on the 9th in the afternoon, i said yes.

I was taking Elliott home when the call came, Elliott was asleep and i could take the call as i was on a minor road. The Doctor confirmed my suspicions that the nerves were being crushed more than they were in 2017, he also asked me how i was and i told him about the increased pain in my hips and thighs. He said he would be contacting the Spinal surgery unit asap and in the meantime IF i have problems with my bowel, i must go to the Accident & Emergency department straight away. Although he asked me if i had any questions, i said no and it was only an hour or so later that i thought, what sort of problem with my bowels. So far everything is ok in that department. The following day around 5.30pm, i got a message from Leeds Teaching Hospitals to say that they had received notification from my Doctor and i was on a waiting list for an appointment and they would ring me to arrange an appointment in due course.

Karen had a lovely birthday on Saturday, we drove to Monk Fryston to meet Amy and Elliott to let them take Andy home. Elliott wanted to give Grandma a birthday kiss and hug and once this was done we got back into our respective cars and we set off to Stokesley in North Yorkshire. This is a small market town and is lovely. Once parked up we wandered along the High St and found Chapters Deli and went in for breakfast before we had a good look around. I had a Full English which was delicious and Karen had Poached Eggs and a Sausage. The food was all local and very nice indeed. We had a good wander around Stokesley before we moved on to Northallerton, we had a nice time here before we set off for home.

I will end for now as we are going to Leeds Grand Theatre to see Pretty Woman tonight, Linda and Geoff went last Friday and said it was really good. It is going to be a late night as when we come out of the theatre we then have to drive over to Selby to pick up Andy and then make our way home, it will be probably be sometime after midnight when we get home. I will be back on here tomorrow evening when Karen is bathing Elliott and then putting him to bed. I will try and catch up with everything i have missed around the threads.

John - everyone's different, as we all know!!!

Yet, you might want to go to Linda (Whisper) who has had extensive experience with spine surgery -
she might have new ideas to consider...

Sending More Hope for Healing!!!

And letting you know that I finally finished MADAME FOURCADE'S SECRET WAR.

I avoid war, violence & thriller books, but was drawn to this one because of her Code Name "HEDGEHOG"
and your lovely pets.

Thank you All for the inspiration - this is an exciting and memorable take on Mr. Churchill's War
from the unique perspective of the French Resistance.
I got my copy from Abe.com - not sure if that works in England.

It's good to see you back on your thread! Especially that your pain is being given some attention.

>81 johnsimpson: Happy birthday to Karen!

Glad you finally have the results from the scan. Sorry to hear that your condition has gotten worse.

Have fun at the theatre!

Welcome back, John. I'm glad you're finally getting some answers about your spine. Your visit to Stokesley sounds very nice. I enjoy hearing about the places you and Karen visit.

I'm glad you are getting some answers and that it appears they are taking it seriously.

>81 johnsimpson: Glad to see a message from you, John.
I hope the appointment at spinal surgery wil be soon.
Belated happy birthday to Karen!

>82 m.belljackson:, Hi Marianne my dear, finally something is being done regarding my spine and associated pain issues, i have followed Linda's thread and all the trauma's that she has suffered. I am glad that you have finished your large book and that you enjoyed it.

>83 quondame:, Hi Susan my dear, i am so glad to be back on here and that my pain issues are getting the attention required.

>84 figsfromthistle:, Hi Anita my dear, Karen says thank you, she had a lovely day. Unfortunately the pains have got worse but hopefully things will improve a bit when i get seen. We had a really good night at the theatre last night, Ore Oduba, who won Strictly with Joanne Clifton played a number of parts, narrator, Hotel manager, orchestra leader among others and the two actors playing the parts of Vivienne and Edward were really good. I nearly didn't go but i am so glad that i did.

>85 lauralkeet:, Hi Laura my dear, i am so glad to be back on here and that i will be seeing specialists about my back and associated conditions. We have been to Stokesley before and it is always nice to pop back every so oft, i am glad that you like the descriptions of the places that Karen and I visit. It is always nice to explore parts of Yorkshire that we have never been to and to re-visit places.

>86 thornton37814:, Hi Lori my dear, yes finally i am getting things looked at and some answers.

>87 FAMeulstee:, Hi Anita my dear, i am glad to be back and posting and i hope that i am not waiting too long for an appointment with the Spinal Surgery team. Karen says thank you, she had a really lovely day on Saturday.

Great to have you back posting, John. I'm glad you found a lap top that suits you. Sorry to hear about the spinal pain and problems and I hope they can do something for the pain soon.

>92 vancouverdeb:, Hi Deb my dear, i feel so better now that i am back on here and posting. Just waiting now for the Spinal surgical unit to send me an appointment.

John, I took a deep breath before sending this message. I am so very sad that you are in such pain, and that nerves are compromised.

Please feel free to send me a personal message. I can share some thoughts. I really hope that surgery isn't needed. It is not unusual in these cases were one surgery leads to another to another.

As Marianne said, everyone is different. And, I will keep that in mind when chatting with you.
Much Love to you.

>81 johnsimpson: my previous laptop had gone to electric heaven
Oh dear, how sad. I have a huge problem with digitality....when I have to get a new phone, I just deplore having to organise the set up, the accounts, the everything. I am also in need of a new laptop soon and fear my ability to cope haha.

Meanwhile, your pain is not good news. I guess it's good to have the experts on the case, but living with it is another matter. I feel for you!

Keep your chin up dear fellow. You are a lucky guy having Karen with you and all your friends here think the world of you.

I hope to see you soon when I get back to the UK.

>94 Whisper1:, Hi Linda my dear, thank you for messaging, sadly we both suffer from constant pain, at the moment while waiting for an appointment with the Surgical Spinal Unit i am being careful. If i do very, very little, the pain is not too bad BUT if there is something that i have to do, then the pain increases. On the Bowel issue i got an insight last Friday when i had to go to the Orthotics dept for an appointment. I thought it was for a check on the footwear being made for me but it turned out that my impressions had been dropped and needed to be done again. The young lady was apologetic but i just said, these things happen. She asked how i was and i mentioned my MRI results but said i for got to ask at what point do i go to accident and emergency. She said in normal circumstances you end up with constant diarhorrea but i said in my case it is more constipation but when i try to push it is not really there. Karen has me on Dulcoease and Dulcolax to help and the Orthotist said to use my own judgement as to when to come to the hospital, at the moment things are not too bad but i am constantly monitoring my bowel movements or lack of. What a conversation.

Once i know more about the situation, i will get in touch dear friend.

Sending love and hugs to you my very dear friend from both of us.

>95 LovingLit:, Hi Megan my dear, i have to admit i don't like having to get a new phone or laptop with all the setting up and making sure that i have got everything sorted out but in this case it was quite simple, i was very impressed. I was more worried about the setup as i had no warning that the old laptop was going to just die on me.

The pain is a nuisance but having had it for so many years it is something i have got used to. The last eight months have been the worst i have known, the painkillers i am on are not really touching the pain and what with my neck pain and the constant clicking, it is like Tinnitus, the joints are constantly clicking like a baby playing with wooden blocks. Add to this the pain in my thighs and hips which has gradually got worse, all this led me to demand a new MRI scan and now it is just a matter of waiting for an appointment to be seen by the Surgical Spinal Unit and with nearly Eight Million people waiting for appointments in the NHS, it could be a while, add to this that i read that the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust is in the Red to the tune of £110 million, not good.

Sending love and hugs to you and the family from both of us my dear friend.

>96 PaulCranswick:. Hi Paul, mate, while i have got Karen and the kids and all my friends on here on my side, i am happy and the pain eases in my mind. All i can do is wait for an appointment and then take things from there but in the meantime i have our Madeira holiday to think about and celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary.

I look forward to seeing you when you are in the UK mate and send condolences for the Championship final result. It seems that Leeds have had a Wembley curse since winning the 1972 FA Cup Final, hopefully you will go up as Champions at the end of the 24/25 season mate.

Sending love and hugs to you and the family from both of us dear friend.

Hi John--Glad you are digitally back among us -- you were missed! I am so sorry that the pain has gotten so much worse, but I am glad you have the results back and hopefully something can be done soon to make things better. Hang in there. And Happy Belated Birthday to Karen!!

My own offline life got away from me and I see you have been away as well. Glad you got your new laptop.

I am so sorry about the pain and always amazed with how you cope.

Belated birthday greetings to Karen!

Good to see you back posting, John. I hate new tech too and I'm putting off getting a new phone because of that, but needs must. I glad you finally got your MRI results and hope you get in for an appointment soon. Is your big anniversary trip very soon?

>100 Berly:, Hi Kim my dear, thanks for stopping by and it says so much that my friends missed me on here. Just having to deal with the pain until i get an appointment to see them, Karen says thank you for the birthday wishes.

Sending love and hugs from both of us dear friend.

>101 witchyrichy:, Hi Karen my dear, it is nice to be back posting and thanks for stopping by, the pain is a nuisance but there is not much i can do about it, sadly there are till little jobs i need to do so i just take my time and hope the pain is not exacerbated by doing something. Karen says thank you for the birthday wishes.

Sending love and hugs from both of us dear friend.

>102 Familyhistorian:, Hi Meg my dear, thanks for stopping by and it is so nice to be back posting albeit a bit haphazardly, new tech is always a bind as things change so much between having to get new tech. I am hoping that my wait for an appointment is not a long one. Our anniversary trip is 49 days away, not that i am counting but this is being done for me by the media as we fly out the same day as the Paris Olympics start.

Sending love and hugs from both of us dear friend.

APRIL'S READING STATS

Books Read....................... 5

No of Authors.................... 5

New Authors...................... 0

Male Authors..................... 4

Female Authors.................. 1

Pages Read....................... 2,014

Daily Avg........................... 67.13

Book Length avg................. 402.8

POTS OF TEA...................... 289

Books on shelves at 1-4-24 - 3151
Books added in April - 9
Books read in April - 5

Revised book total - 3155

Pages to read at 1-4-24 - 1,281,543
Pages added in April - 3,517
Pages read in April - 2,014

Revised total pages to read - 1,283,046

BOOKS BOUGHT IN MAY.
82. A House for Mr Biswas by V.S. Naipaul, PB.
83. The Time of the Transference by Alan Dean Foster, PB.
84. The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese, PB.
85. Agatha Raisin, Dead on Target by M.C. Beaton, PB.
86. The Book Share by Phaedra Patrick, PB.
87. MCC in India 1976/77 by Christopher Martin-Jenkins, HB.
88. Murder at Church Lodge by Greg Mosse, PB.
89. Murder at Bunting Manor by Greg Mosse, PB.
90. The Coming Darkness by Greg Mosse, PB.
91. The Coming Storm by Greg Mosse, PB.
92. The Dubrovnik Book Club by Eva Glyn, PB.
93. Death at Victoria Dock by Kerry Greenwood, PB.
94. The Green Mill Murder by Kerry Greenwood, PB.
95. Blood and Circuses by Kerry Greenwood, PB.
96. Tackle by Jilly Cooper, PB.
97. The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman, PB.
98. Murder at Maybridge Castle by Ada Moncrieff, PB.
99. Dagger of Death at Honeychurch Hall by Hannah Dennison, PB.
100. The Enigma of Garlic by Alexander McCall Smith, PB.
101. Three Women Disappear by James Patterson, PB.
102. Traitor's Gate by Jeffrey Archer, PB.
103. Alex Cross Must Die by James Patterson, PB.

BOOKS BOUGHT IN JUNE
104. Sharpe's Command by Bernard Cornwell, PB.
105. Yesterday's Houses by Mavis Cheek, PB.
106. Sahara by Clive Cussler, PB.
107. Dark Winter by Andy McNab, PB.
108. Deep Black by Andy McNab, PB.
109. Ultimate Weapon by Chris Ryan, PB.
110. Land of Fire by Chris Ryan, PB.
111. Strike Back by Chris Ryan, PB.
112. Blackout by Chris Ryan, PB.
113. Who Dares Wins by Chris Ryan, PB.
114. Firefight by Chris Ryan, HB.
115. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown, HB.
116. A Walk in the Park by Jill Mansell, HB.
117. Rumour Has It by Jill Mansell, HB .
118. Straight Talking by Jane Green, PB.
119. Mr Maybe by Jane Green, PB.
120. Jemima J by Jane Green, PB.
121. Desire by Louise Bagshawe, PB.
122. The Pale Horseman by Bernard Cornwell, PB.
123. Things I Want my Daughter to Know by Elizabeth Noble, PB.
124. Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella, PB.
125. The Girl Next Door by Elizabeth Noble, PB.
126. All you Need is Love by Carole Natthews, PB.
127. Last Known Address by Elizabeth Wrenn, PB.
128. Valley of the Templars by Paul Christopher, PB.
129. I'll be There for You by Louise Candlish, PB.
130. Mother of Pearl by Maureen Lee, PB.
131. Eloise by Judy Finnegan, PB.
132. Any Way you Want Me by Lucy Diamon, PB.
133. Bad Heir Day by Wendy Holden, PB.
134. Azur like it by Wendy Holden, PB.
135. Pandora's Diamond by Julia Stephenson, PB.
136. Two for Joy by Patricia Scanlan, PB.
137. The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult, PB.
138. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picouly, PB.
139. Do not Disturb by Tilly Bagshawe, PB.
140. Beautiful People by Wendy Holden, PB.
141. Sun at Midnight by Rosie Thomas, PB.
142. The Model Wife by Julia Llewellyn, PB.
143. The Point of Rescue by Sophie Hannah, PB.
144. Loyalty by Martina Cole, PB.
145. The Year of the Locust by Terry Hayes, PB.
146. Dear Neighbour by Jane Claire Bradley, PB.
147. Invitation to a Killer by G.M. Malliet, PB.
148. Death in Print by G.M. Malliet, PB.
149. The Ghost Ship by Kate Mosse, PB.
150. What You Are Looking For is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama, PB.
151. 12 Months to Live by James Patterson, PB.
152. The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith, PB.
153. Playing it Safe by Ashley Weaver, PB.

BOOKS BOUGHT IN JULY
154. The Village Detectives & the Art of Murder by Fiona Walker, PB.
155. Six Motives for Murder by Frances Brody, PB.
156. Confessions of the Dead by James Patterson, PB.
157. Death at the Dress Rehearsal by Stuart Douglas, PB.
158. Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum, PB.
159. Murder on Lake Garda by Tom Hindle, PB.
160. The Exchange by John Grisham, PB.
161. Mimi Lee Gets a Clue by Jennifer J. Chow, PB.
162. Murder on the Pier by Merryn Allingham, PB.
163. The Queen of Poisons by Robert Thorogood, PB.
164. Alley Urchin by Josephine Cox.
165. Below Zero by C.J. Box, PB.
166. A God in Ruins by Leon Uris, PB.
167. Holy Island by L.J. Ross, PB.

BOOKS BOUGHT IN AUGUST
168. Murder at the Summer Fete by Victoria Walters, PB.
169. Murder at the Village Church by Victoria Walters, PB.
170. The Trial by Rob Rinder, PB.
171. A Gravely Troubling Discovery by Hannah Hendy, PB.
172. The Concert Hall Killer by Jonathan Whitelaw, PB.
173. The Case of the Screaming Beauty by Alison Golden, PB.
174. Holmes, Margaret and Poe by James Patterson, PB.
175. The Armour of Light by Ken Follett, PB.
176. Murder on the Menu by Alex Coombs, PB.
177. Long Range by C.J. Box, PB.
178. The Last Dance by Mark Billingham, PB.
179. Holmes and Sutcliffe, The Run Stealers by Leslie Duckworth, HB.
180. The Railway Children by E. Nesbit, PB.
181. Settling Scores Ed by Martin Edwards, PB.
182. Seven Dead by J. Jefferson Farjeon, PB.
183. Dark Sky by C.J. Box, PB.
184. The First 48 Hours by Simon Kernick, PB.
185. Crosshairs by James Patterson, PB.

BOOKS BOUGHT IN SEPTEMBER
186. 1923, The Mystery of Lot 212 and a Tour de France Obsession by Ned Boulting, PB.
187. Tales from the Cafe by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, PB.
188. The Last List of Mabel Beaumont by Laura Pearson, PB.
189. Death of a Traitor by M.C. Beaton with R.W. Green, PB.
190. Murder at Maple Grange by Jane Bettany, PB.
191. Murder in Tuscany by T.A. Williams, PB.
192. Farewell to the Little Coffee Shop of Kabul by Deborah Rodriguez, PB.
193. A Discovery in the Cotswolds by Rebecca Tope, PB.
194. A Swarm of Butterflies by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett, PB.
195. A Trace of Hares by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett, PB.
196. A Generation of Vipers by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett, PB.
197. Gin Palace by Tracy Whitwell, PB.
198. Blind to the Bones by Stephen Booth, PB.
199. Murder in Chianti by T.A. Williams, PB.
200. Murder in Florence by T.A. Williams, PB.
201. Murder in Merrywell by Jane Bettany, PB.
202. Murder at the Book Festival by Jane Bettany, PB.
203. Murder at Primrose Cottage by Merryn Allingham, PB.
204. Murder at the Priory Hotel by Merryn Allingham, PB.
205. The Illustrated Wisden Anthology 1864 - 1988 Ed by Benny Green, HB.
206. My A-Z of Cricket by Henry Blofeld, HB.

MAY'S READING STATS

Books Read....................... 3

No of Authors.................... 3

New Authors...................... 1

Male Authors..................... 2

Female Authors.................. 1

Pages Read....................... 1,736

Daily Avg........................... 56

Book Length avg................. 578.67

POTS OF TEA...................... 303

Books on shelves at 1-5-24 - 3155
Books added in May - 22
Books read in May - 3

Revised book total - 3174

Pages to read at 1-5-24 - 1,283,046
Pages added in May - 7,579
Pages read in May - 1,736

Revised total pages to read - 1,288,889

Finished book 16 on the 27th of April, A Wanted Man by Lee Child, PB - 524 pages.

When you're as big and rough as Jack Reacher - and you have a badly set. freshly busted nose - it isn't easy to hitch a ride. At last, he's picked up by three strangers - two men and a woman.

Within minutes it becomes clear they're all lying about everything - and there's a police roadblock ahead. There has been an incident, and the cops are looking for the bad guys...

Will they get through because the three are innocent? Or because they are now four? Is Reacher just a decoy?

Finished book 17 on 13th May, The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett, pb - 897 pages.

A TIME OF CONFLICT
It is 997 CE, the end of the Dark Ages. The King's grip on the country is fragile and chaos reigns. A young boatbuilder dreams of a better future after a devastating Viking raid shatters the life he hoped for.

THREE LIVES INTERTWINED
A Norman noblewoman follows her husband to a new land only to find her life there shockingly different; and a capable monk at Shiring Abbey has a vision of transforming his humble home into a centre of learning admired throughout Europe.

THE DAWN OF A NEW AGE
Now, with England at the dawn of the Middle Ages, these three people will each come into dangerous conflict with a ruthless bishop, who will do anything to increase his wealth and power, in an epic tale of ambition, rivalry, love and hate.

>112 johnsimpson: This sounds interesting - I it may start a bit before King Hereafter but the setting and cultures are very close.

I absolutely hope that there is something major that the Dr.s can do for you. And soon.

Finished book 18 on 22nd May, The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman, PB - 408 pages.

IT IS AN ORDINARY THURSDAY AND THINGS SHOULD FINALLY BE RETURNING TO NORMAL.

Except trouble is never far away where the Thursday Murder Club is concerned. A decade-old cold case leads them to a local news legend and a murder with no body and no answers.

Then a new foe pays Elizabeth a visit. Her mission? Kill.... or be killed.

Can the gang solve the mystery and save Elizabeth before the murderer strikes again?

Finished book 19 on 30th May, The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods, PB - 431 pages.

ON A QUIET STREET IN DUBLIN, A LOST BOOKSHOP IS WAITING TO BE FOUND...

For too long, Opaline, Martha and Henry have been the side characters in their own lives.

But when a vanishing bookshop casts its spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their beloved books. By unlocking the secrets of the shelves, they find themselves transported to a world of wonder... where nothing is as it seems.

Finished book 20 this morning, Cause of Death by Patricia Cornwell, PB - 370 pages.

AN INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER IS FOUND DEAD IN VIRGINIA'S ICY WATERS....

New Year's Eve and the final murder scene of Virginia's bloodiest year takes Scarpetta thirty feet below the Elizabeth River's icy surface. A diver, Ted Eddings, is dead, an investigative reporter who was a favourite at the Medical Examiner's Office. Was Eddings probing the frigid depths of the Inactive Shipyard for a story, or simply diving for sunken trinkets? And why did Scarpetta receive a phone call from someone reporting the death before the police were notified?

The case envelops Scarpetta, her niece Lucy, and police captain Pete Marino in a world where both cutting-edge technology and old-fashioned detective work are critical offensive weapons. Together they follow the trail of death to a well of violence as dark and forbidding as the water that swirled over Ted Eddings.

Wow! Lots of new books purchased , John. I really enjoyed The Lost Bookshop earlier this year, and I'm glad you did too. I have read the first in the Thursday Murder series, but Dave read all 4 earlier this year.

John, I am thinking of you and am so sad that you are dealing with pain. I'm glad you have Karen to walk this journey with you!

Please keep me posted regarding the outcome of your tests.

Much Love

>117 vancouverdeb:, Hi Deb my dear, most of the June books were given to me, a friend posted on Facebook if anyone wanted four boxes of books before they went to the recycling centre, i messaged him and picked them up. I went through the boxes, one was old cookbooks and the rest were a mixed bag. I pulled out 39 and then Karen and Amy had a look at what i had left on Sunday.

The Lost Bookshop was really good and i thoroughly enjoyed it. We have the 4th Thursday Murder Club book but that is being saved for our holiday.

Sending love and hugs dear friend.

>118 Whisper1:, Hi Linda my dear, Thank you for your lovely message, i don't think i could carry on as i am without Karen by my side, she knows my limits and helps as much as she can, bless her. Thank you for reaching out to me, it is much appreciated as you know so much about being in pain long term.

Once i have my appointment and have seen the specialists i will let you know what the outcome(s) are dear friend.

Sending love and hugs dear friend.

Last Wednesday we took Elliott to Blackpool, we were staying overnight at a nice little B&B Hotel not far from the South Pier and a short distance from the promenade. Elliott was so excited when we told him last Sunday, he asked if Blackpool had a tower and i showed him photos on my phone.

We took Andy home and picked Elliott up from their house, we had a slight delay getting to the motorway but once we got going, everything was fine. We stopped off at Birch services for a pit stop, we all had a bite to eat and we had a coffee and Elliott had a soft drink. Not long after leaving the services, Elliott fell asleep and so missed out on trying to spot the tower from the M55. As we got into Blackpool, Elliott woke up and a short time later we arrived at the Marsden Hotel.

Leon, the owner helped me get to the carpark behind the Hotel and then helped with our bit of luggage, his wife Christine introduced herself and gave us our room key and told us the relevant bits of information we needed. We got into our room and after we had got a few things out, we set off out to start and find the Elmer Sculptures.

We had purposely come to do the Elmer trail, 71 Elmer Sculptures had been made and were scattered along the promenade and town centre. I had downloaded the app so that we could record each one that we found, it also recorded how far we had walked and the number of steps we took. One of the Sculptures was sponsored by the firm Amy works for, SSCL and so we needed to find this one.

We found a couple quite quickly as we wandered towards the tower, Elliott was in awe when we pointed it out to him and we had promised him that we would go up the tower. We stopped off for a coffee and a cake before continuing our walk. He loved the new Flexity trams that were trundling up and down the promenade, the tramway has been in existence since 29th September 1885 and extends to Eleven miles from Starr Gate to Fleetwood Ferry. We got up to the Central Pier and he wanted to have a go on the Trampolines before going on the large bouncy castle. After he had been on both we crossed over the road to a cafe for a coffee to warm up, although the sun was out, there was a bitter wind coming off the Irish Sea and the tide was in so we couldn't go on the beach.

After our coffee break we wandered up to the Coral Island amusement centre and he played the 2p slot machines with some of the 2p's Amy had given me. After a while we set off to the tower, we got there and found out that due to work on the lift and the wind, we couldn't go up, Elliott was heartbroken and cried and cried, it was as if his world had fallen apart. Grandma assured him that Grandad would bring him and that we would go up the tower, a bit of a cop out for Grandma as she is not keen on heights but would have gone up for Elliott. I told him that we would come back one of these Thursdays and go up and he was pacified.

We left the tower building and went into Waterstones bookshop, Karen let him pick up a couple of books and he wanted a cuddly Elmer and i selected a couple of books, afdter this we saw another Elmer Sculpture before going into the shopping centre where we found two more. After i had logged them on the app and taken photos, we went into Costa Coffee for a coffee. After we had finished we made our way back onto the promenade and went to the tram stop to get a tram back to the South Pier, Elliott loved his ride on the tram. I bought a day rider ticket for us so that later on we could come back out and get the tram back up so he could go into the Coral Island complex to spend some more 2p's.

Elmer Sculptures

Elmer

Elmer

Elmer

Elmer

Elmer and Elliott

Elliott trying to push the Elmer Rock together.

Elliott going to stroke Elmer's trunk.

Elliott, Grandma and Grandad with Elmer on the bench.

Elliott sitting on the 1st one he found.

Lovely pictures John!

>132 SandDune:, Thank you Rhian my dear.

We got the tram back to the South Pier and then made our way back to the hotel. Once back in our room, we unpacked a few more things and i made us a pot of tea while Elliott played with Elmer and some of his cars that we had brought with us. We had another pot of tea and then got freshened up and left the hotel to go and have something to eat.

Luckily for us, there was a Wetherspoons pub at the end of the road and so we went in to have food, i opted for Sausage, Chips and Beans, Karen had Fish and Chips with Mushy Peas and Elliott wanted Tomato Pasta. I went and ordered and paid for our food which came with a drink and a short time later we had our food. Elliott tucked into his food with gusto and we both enjoyed our food. Elliott finished his and then looked at me and asked for some Sausage, i cut a couple of pieces off for him, he looked at me with disdain, he wanted the the remainder of my Sausage, i passed this over and it soon disappeared.

Once we had finished our food and drink, we left the pub and made our way across to the South Pier and the tram stop nearby. The tram arrived and we got on, showed our tickets and settled down until the tower stop was announced. We crossed the road and went into the Coral Island amusement arcade and Elliott had a lovely time. Once we were done, we could see that Elliott looked a little tired so we went back to the tram stop and got the tram back to the South Pier. The conductor checked our tickets and then he printed off a little ticket for Elliott which said, "I am a Roarsome passenger", Elliott thought it was wonderful. We got off the tram and he ran along the path to the front of the tram so he could wave to the driver. All day he had waved at tram drivers and they all gave him a wave back.

We got back to our room and Karen got Elliott ready for bed and read him his new books and he had some milk. I popped out for a cigar and when i got back he was still awake. Eventually we turned the lights off and within five minutes he was fast asleep.

I like Elmer's taste in apparel! Blackpool sounds like a very rewarding place to visit.

Wow! That's a great book score up above! How nice that they were all free of charge, too. Jealous. : ) Your recent reads are right up my alley. And I love all the Elliott and Elmer shots - so fun. Hope life continues to treat you well my friend.

That was a great Grandma and Grandpa trip with Elliott. The trip was a memory maker for sure.

>108 johnsimpson: A couple of my favourite books in your recent additions, John. A House for Mr. Biswas and A Covenant of Water.

Nice photos of your Blackpool jaunt. Not been there for the longest time. Blackpool always makes me think of my Gran and our day trips there together when I was a boy.

For his 40th birthday present my son-in-law had the opportunity to play the Mighty Wurlitzer in the Tower Ballroom, including being announced while rising up through the floor!

Lovely photo's of the Elmers, John.
So nice you two took Elliott to Blackpool :-)

>108 johnsimpson: Cranswickian purchasing there, John!! Are you two bad influences on each other I wonder??! ;)

Checking in on you, John! I have no idea who Elmer is, but I want one!

Love all the pictures and all the Elmers!

>114 johnsimpson: I just finished The Lost Bookshop and really enjoyed it!

>135 quondame:, Hi Susan my dear, apart from the Original Elmer the Patchwork Elephant Sculpture, the rest of the Sculptures designs had something to do with Blackpool or where they were to be situated. The trail ran from the 25th April to 9th June and will have helped with tourist figures in the early part of the holiday season.

As a child, i holidayed there with my parents from about 1965 to 1982, Karen and I had a Friday to Monday stay in October 1988 and we have had odd days in Blackpool since then. I remember happy times on holiday, we used to stay near the South Pier on Dean Street and the guesthouse is still going although it has changed since we stayed there. All i wanted to do was to go on the beach, go on a tram and see a show on the pier.

Blackpool has three piers, South, Central and North and all staged shows in the summer season and from the 1950' through to the end of the 1970's, there were 28 venues for shows, the most outside of London and attracted all the big UK stars of the times.

While staying in Dean Street, Mum and Dad made friends with a couple from Shipley, near Bradford and they had a daughter, Debbie, who was the same age as me. For about six years we all stayed at the Wescoe B&B the same week and we used to go to the Pleasure Beach amusement park together. Mum and Dad kept in touch with David and June and since i lost them i have kept in touch with them even if only by a Christmas card.

Sadly, Blackpool went downhill a bit with the advent of package holidays to Spain and it has lost some of its lustre, like most town centres over the last decade or so, there are lots of empty shop units but some of the old hotels on the front that went out of business and became run down and decrepit have been bought up and bulldozed and new large hotels are being built or in the process of being started on. The tram system that has been in existence since September 1885 and runs from Starr Gate to Fleetwood Ferry, 11 miles, has just opened a new section that comes off the main line at the North Pier and runs to the newly re-furbished Blackpool North Railway Station and the new hotels etc that have been built as part of the regeneration of Blackpool.

Blackpool were the first to have Electric lights on the promenade and from Eight lights in 1879 and, to called the Illuminations, now The Lights or The Illuminations run for 6.2 miles (10 km) and use one million bulbs. They used to run for 66 days from late August to early November but since 2020 the season has been extended to run until the New Year. Last year it ran from 1st September to 7th January and this year will run from 30th August2024 to 5th January 2025. Besides the lights, there is always a theme with light boards in the shape of Children's characters from lamp posts and then there are Tableau's as you go beyond the North Pier towards Bispham.

I only found out recently that Two of the old Boat Trams were bought by Muni in San Francisco and run on the North Street Railway and i believe Two more have been acquired, the Two in service have been changed from Cream and Green to Cream and Red.

It is well worth Googling Blackpool, The Illuminations and Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Blackpool Trams and Buses up to the 1980's, nowadays new Flexity trams run with the old trams used on weekends on Heritage runs and special lit up trams out for the Illumination season.

I do hope this of interest to you my dear friend.

>136 Berly:, Hi Kim my dear, what a bonus the free books, Elliott loved the Elmer Sculptures and his cuddly Elmer is now a favourite of his. It was lovely to see Blackpool through his eyes, the joy he showed reminded me of how i felt on family holidays there from 1965 to 1982.

>137 benitastrnad:, Hi Benita my dear, as soon as i heard about the Elmer trail i knew we had to take him and Karen decided that we needed an overnight stay to do it justice. Seeing as he only has one set of Grandparents now, it is crucial to give him some lovely memories and it was so nice to see Blackpool through his eyes, it reminded me of my family holidays there from 1965 to 1982 and the excitement of being at the seaside.

>138 PaulCranswick:, Hi Paul, mate, glad that i have acquired a couple of your favourite books. The Blackpool jaunt was brilliant, seeing Blackpool through his eyes reminded me of my family holidays from 1965 to 1982, the excitement of being at the seaside, the trams and smells of the sea, cockles, whelks etc and of course, Fish and Chips.

>139 CDVicarage:, Hi Kerry my dear, what a fabulous 40th birthday present to play the Mighty Wurlitzer and be announced while rising up through the floor.

>140 FAMeulstee:, Hi Anita my dear, the Elmer's were fabulous to find and look at and as soon as i knew about the trail, i knew we had to take him and then Karen decided that we had to stay over night, the memories of the trip are very precious to us all.

>141 LovingLit:, Hi Megan my dear, most of that haul were freebies courtesy of an old school friend of mine. I do think we are bad influences to each other, lol.

Hi John - which are your favorite Elmer books?

>142 alcottacre:, Hi Stasia my dear, Elmer the Patchwork Elephant is the product of author David McKee, first published in 1968 and there are a total of 44 books, sadly David passed away on 6th April 2022 at the age of 87.

The Sculptures are to be auctioned off on 27th and 28th of June at Blackpool Tower, all proceeds will go to Brian's House Children's Hospice. The bidding for each one starts at £3,000.

>143 witchyrichy:, Hi Karen my dear, glad you liked the Elmer photos and enjoyed The Lost Bookshop, i loved it.

>144 johnsimpson: John. thank you for sharing some of what Blackpool means in your own history and the history of your region. I see that there is a lot for me to learn about it.

>154 quondame:, Hi Susan my dear, i hope that if you have a look, you find it interesting dear friend.

Finished book 21 of 2024 on 13th June, Fifty Fifty by James Patterson, PB - 382 pages.

IT'S NOT EASY BEING A GOOD DETECTIVE.... WHEN YOUR BROTHER'S A SERIAL KILLER.

Sam Blue stands accused of the brutal murders of three young students, their bodies dumper near the Georges River. Only one person believes he is innocent: his sister, Detective Harriet Blue. And she's determined to prove it.

Except she's now been banished to the outback town of Last Chance Valley (population 75), where a diary found on the roadside outlines a shocking plan - the massacre of the entire town.

And the first death, shortly after Harry's arrival, suggests the clock is already ticking.

On the Thursday of our visit to Blackpool with Elliott, we had a good start. Elliott slept through until just after 7am, Karen got him a drink and then filled the kettle and made us a pot of tea before she woke me up. We watched BBC Breakfast news and checked our phones before we got up, washed and dressed, Elliott was excited for the morning ahead.

Once we were ready, we packed everything else away and then went downstairs for breakfast. Having been in and out of the hotel and only seen the living room and bar at the front of the hotel and the staircase, we were unsure of where we would have breakfast. It all became clear when Christine came out of a door that we thought was through to their quarters, we followed her and passed another door, the kitchen and then a large dining room.

We picked a table and Elliott decided he wanted to sit next to Grandma and then Christine came and asked if we wanted tea or coffee and juice. We ordered tea (of Course) and juice and then Karen went to the bench that backed onto the kitchen and got cereal for Elliott. Christine came back with out cups, saucers, teapot and milk and then took our breakfast order. I ordered a full English breakfast, Karen had Egg, one Sausage on toast and a Sausage for Elliott. Karen had got Elliott too much cereal, so i finished it off before my breakfast arrived. Not only did Karen get toast but she also got a piece of fried bread which she gave to me to go with my piece of fried bread.

I finished my breakfast and ordered toast for us and we had this between us while Elliott finished his Sausage. Once we had all done, we went back up to our room, i got the car keys and with help from Leon, i got the car out of his small car park and parked just up the street. I left the car and went back up to our room and with help from Karen, we brought out belongings down to the lounge. We took our case and the buggy and Elliott to the car and while Karen got the car open and put things in the boot, i went back for the rest. As i got to the car, i went to step off the kerb when my right ankle went numb and my left hip gave way and i fell onto the road, landing heavily on my right knee and a bit softer on my left. The pain shot through me and i was more bothered that i had not torn my jeans, i checked my knee and it was badly grazed and bits of fine gravel had left red indentations in my skin below the cut area. Karen continued to load the car while i popped back to the hotel with our key and i went to see if Christine had anything to clean my knee up.

She asked me what i had done and i then ended up explaining all about my back, the pains in my hips and thighs and that my ankles sometimes go numb at inopportune moments. I cleaned my knee up, gave her our room and front door key and thanked them for our stay. I then made my way to the car, Karen had got Elliott fastened in his seat and we got in and made our way onto the road on the sea front. After a very short drive i spotted some on street parking and we parked up, just a short walk from the Waterloo Road Tram stop. I paid for my parking with my card and we made our way to the tram stop.

We had a short wait for our tram and once it had arrived and we got on, i bought two day rider tickets and we settled down to our journey. I told Karen that we would go up to the North Pier as that was where i thought the Elmer done up as a tram was situated. Elliott enjoyed the longer ride on the tram and before long we had arrived at the North Pier stop. Not far from the tram stop was the Elmer tram, we took a photo and i logged it on the app and we walked over to the pier. Elliott wanted a ride on a fixed amusement ride, it seemed to go on forever, he certainly go his monies worth. Once he was done, we walked down the promenade and spotted some more Elmer's, photo's were taken and all logged on the app. We had a look inside the tourist information office and once back outside, Elliott decided that he wanted a wee. We found a grate to wee into when a man sat nearby said he would open up the Wedding chapel exit as their was a toilet there, Karen took Elliott in, he had his wee and then they came out, we thanked the man and Elliott said thank you as well.

We continued wandering down the promenade finding Elmer's until Karen decided that we should go and get a drink. We crossed over the road and found a gift shop that sold Rock and Elliott spotted a car ride nearby, Karen went to pick some rock and i took Elliott to the ride and put money in and off he went. The ride finished and we joined Karen in the shop, Elliott said he didn't want any rock but wanted some marshmallows. Once we had everything, we went and paid and then went and found the Costa Coffee and we had a coffee and Elliott had some juice and some Chocolate Flapjack.

Once we had finished our rinks and food we had a wander around the Town Centre looking for a toy shop, we found one but it had rather expensive collectables, Elliott was a little disappointed but i told him there was one not far from the tram stop we got on. We made our way back to the Coral Island amusement arcade so that Elliott could have a last go on the 2p slots. Between us we won a few tokens and as we were leaving the machine, two old ladies came up o us and gave Elliott a long strip of tokens, Elliott thanked them, bless him. He had a go on the racing car game and then we made our way to the Token exchange area. At this point Elliott only had tokens to the value of 280 points, in front of us were two young girls aged about 10 or 11, they spent their tokens and were given a slip to the value of 220 points. As they turned around they spotted us and i am not sure if they heard that Elliott hadn't got a lot of points, but they walked over and gave him their slip, we thanked them and Elliott went over to them and thanked and hugged them. This now meant that Elliott could get something decent for 400 points and a bottle of Bubble mixture with the remaining 100 points.

We left the arcade and made our way to the tram stop, we had a short wait and then the tram arrived, we got on and travelled down to Waterloo Road. We got off and made our way to the toy shop, we had a good look around and Elliott asked if he could have the remote controlled Land Rover. It was on offer and we said yes as he had been a very good boy during our trip. We left the store with the Land Rover and went next door to Notarianni Ice Cream parlour, this was established in 1928 and is a go to place for Ice Creams. We all had a a Vanilla Cone and found a bench to sit down and eat our ices. Once we had finished we made our way back to the car, i strapped Elliott in and we set off for home, and just like his Uncle Robert, he fell asleep just before we reached the M55 out of Blackpool.

>158 johnsimpson: I'm so glad you were in sufficiently good condition after your fall to enjoy more holiday activities, though very sorry you took a fall.

I've been out of town, and it looks like you've been posting a lot! Looks like you all had a great time with Elliott.

>159 quondame:, Hi Susan my dear, to be honest i was surprised that i didn't have too much pain although i had to move the car and park on the sea front and the tram stop was quite near to where i parked, add to this i was able to sit on the tram stop seat until the tram came and then we had a nice journey up to the North Pier before i had any real walking to do.

>160 thornton37814:, Hi Lori my dear, i had a bit of catching up to do and then i had a couple of long posts of our overnight trip to Blackpool with Elliott to show him the Elmer trail and some of the 71 Elmer Sculptures along the sea front and town centre.

We had a lovely time with Elliott and he loved it, it was nice to see the resort through his eyes and i could wistfully look back to my family holidays there from 1965 to 1982.

Hi John! I was so behind I had to skim part of your thread. Lovely pictures of the Elmers! And it’s obvious Elliott has been enjoying them and your trip. So nice for him to have an outing with his grandparents, and for you to see it all through his eyes.
Glad your fall didn’t result in a lot of pain for you.

Hi Ella my dear, Elliott really enjoyed his trip. When we told him about the trip on the Sunday before we went, he was so excited and asked if their was a tower, we told him there was and i brought up pictures on my phone to show him. He then asked if he could go up and i told him we could and Karen said we would all go up even though she is not good with heights, he was so, so disappointed when we couldn't go up due to the wind and that the lift was having work done on it, you would have thought his whole world had disappeared.

The staff on duty were so good to him and Karen promised him that Grandad would take him back to Blackpool to go up the tower and since then Karen has said she will come with us even if she only goes to the coffee shop for an afternoon tea.

It is a real shame that only one set of Grandparents can take him on outings, the memories garnered will last a lifetime and it is so lovely to see things through his eyes, they are missing out on so much.

The fall didn't give me too much pain and i have had no bruising luckily.

Sending love and hugs to you and Marc, my dear friend.

It sounds like a wonderful trip! You made it so special for Elliott.

Finished book 22 of 2024 on the 17th June, A Terrible Village Poisoning by Hannah Hendy, PB - 290 pages.

THE LOCAL MAYOR HAS A DINNER DATE WITH DEATH.

With school out for the summer, Margery and Clementine Butcher-Baker are taking advantage of the break to explore the village of St Martin's-on-the-Water. By the end of their first night, the local mayor lies dead on the floor of the hotel restaurant. The villagers are convinced: the poisoner is back.

As the residents turn upon the duo with suspicion, Margery and Clementine are left with more questions than answers. Everyone is convinced that the pair are bad news, but why? As pressure mounts on the couple to prove their innocence, the question remains, is the poisoner back, or is this the work of a new killer?

>166 johnsimpson: I haven't heard of that one, but I won't add it to a TBR list since none of my libraries own a copy.

>68 m.belljackson: I've added this one to my WL!

Finished book 23 of 2024 yesterday afternoon, Family Album by Danielle Steel, PB - 400 pages.

FAMILIES ARE HELD TOGETHER BY BLOOD, BY ORGANISATION, BY DESIRE.... AND SOMETIMES, IF YOU ARE VERY LUCKY, BY LOVE.

Everything happened so quickly for shipping heir Ward Thayer and screen star Faye Price. Within days they were in love, and within weeks they were married. But how was Faye to choose between her Hollywood career and motherhood? How could she decide between fame and family? Faye's choice would not only change her life: it would shape the lives of generations to come.

From the uncertain post-war days when fortunes were swiftly made and as swiftly lost... through Hollywood in the storm torn political years and the turmoil of the Vietnam era right up to the present... FAMILY ALBUM follows the Thayer dynasty through generations of love and hope, of strife and passion.

The last nine days have been glorious here in Walton, i was back in my shorts and trying to get a little bit of a tan before we go on holiday, i really don't want to walk down to the pool and sunbathing area as a typical pasty Brit, lol. I must say that i am pretty lucky in that with driving when the sun has been out but has not been warm enough for shorts and sitting about in it, that my arms up to mid-upper arm soon get some colour as does my head and neck.

I am careful with not having a lot of hair nowadays in that now i have some head colour, i wear a baseball cap. Karen has not had as much time as me in the sun and is careful not to be out at the height of the day and we make sure that Elliott always has a hat on his head although he does need a haircut bless him.

Having just finished a book, i have decided to read a chunkster, i have picked out The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith, this comes in at 1,221 pages and will therefore be my 50th book of over 1,000 pages when i finish it.

>168 Tess_W: Another odd, but fun, hedgehog mention is in Jenny Colgan's 500 Miles From You.

It starts off memorably dark then moves on to balance, though London does get dissed a lot while Scotland ranks high!

>170 johnsimpson: Hi John! Good thought, getting a bit of a tan beforehand. And good choice for a fiftieth book! Enjoy.

JUNE'S READING STATS

Books Read....................... 4

No of Authors.................... 4

New Authors...................... 0

Male Authors..................... 1

Female Authors.................. 3

Pages Read....................... 1,442

Daily Avg........................... 48.07

Book Length avg................. 360.5

POTS OF TEA...................... 293

Books on shelves at 1-6-24 - 3174
Books added in June - 50
Books read in June - 4

Revised book total - 3220

Pages to read at 1-6-24 - 1,288,889
Pages added in June - 22,534
Pages read in June - 1,442

Revised total pages to read - 1,309,981

>152 johnsimpson: I have no idea how much £3,000 is in US dollars, but I am betting it is out of my price range :)

>156 johnsimpson: I may have to read that one at some point. The premise seems interesting.

>166 johnsimpson: That looks like a series that I might enjoy. Thanks for the mention, John!

>173 johnsimpson: I bet I could rival you for pots of tea! lol

I hope all is well there, John.

Am I right in thinking it's your birthday John? Happy Birthday if so!

Happy birthday, John.

John - Hope You, your Family, and little Nettie Nettles (? correct name) are having a fun Celebration!

Best wishes for a Happy Birthday!

>170 johnsimpson: I really love all of the Robert Galbraith books so much!

Happy Birthday (although it's probably the day after where you are)!

Happy slightly belated birthday!

Happy happy birthday my friend!!

>170 johnsimpson: I enjoyed The Ink Black Heart! Hope you do too. : )

Happy Belated Birthday, John! I hope you had a great day!

>176 SandDune:, >177 PaulCranswick:, >178 m.belljackson:, >179 quondame:, Thank you for the birthday wishes, i had a lovely day even with a 3.50am alarm call and car journey.

>175 alcottacre:, Hi Stasia my dear, £3,000 equates to about $3,900 and that was just the starting bid price, from what i have been able to find out, around £250,000 was raised from around 40 lots, a great amount for the Children's Hospice.

I think you would enjoy the two books you mentioned my dear and it appears that we are both tea lovers.

Sending love and hugs to you and the family my dear friend.

>180 Dianekeenoy:, Hi Diane my dear, i also love the Galbraith books, really enjoying The Ink Black Heart.

>181 thornton37814:, >182 witchyrichy:, >183 Berly:, >184 vancouverdeb:, Thank you for the birthday wishes, i had a lovely day despite a 3.50am alarm call and car journey.

I had a lovely birthday on the 6th July, i had a 3.50am alarm call to take Andy to work but once back i got two and a half hours sleep before the reset alarm went off. After opening my cards and presents, we had a pot of tea and our meds before setting off to the market town of Hebden Bridge in the Calder Valley.

We had a pleasant journey in the sunshine and managed to get parked up before having a mooch around looking for a suitable cafe for a late breakfast. We found a lovely cafe we have been in before and ordered Latte's and Karen opted for a Sausage Sandwich while i went for Full English Breakfast without Black Pudding. Our breakfast choices were lovely and once done, we paid and left the cafe.

We had a good look around the market and headed to the Antique Centre just as the rain began, we had a good look around, Karen found a nice little Brooch but i came away empty handed. We left the dry Antique Centre and went out into the rain, we managed to find a nearby cafe and had another Latte while it continued raining outside.

By the time we had finished our drink and paid, we left the cafe and the rain had stopped and within ten minutes the sun was out. We had a wander back along the main road running through Hebden Bridge, where more shops were there to look at and wander in. We found the independent bookshop which is the sister shop to the Book Case in the Piece Hall in Halifax. By the time we left we had a few books in our shopping bag.

We wandered back to the car park and got in the car and headed for nearby Todmorden, sadly by the time we got there, the market was packing up and the town centre looked very sad. We decided not to stop and made our way back towards Hebden Bridge and then homeward bound. On the way back we stopped at the Sainsbury's store in Wakefield to pick up a couple of bits and ended up with two more books before we finally made our way home and a nice, welcome pot of tea.

>189 johnsimpson: Full English Breakfast without Black Pudding I'm actually pretty keen on the black pudding! No grilled tomatoes or baked beans though for me. I like baked beans on toast, but not with cooked breakfast for some strange reason.

I loved the English breakfasts served at the hotel in 1967, but probably in deference to tourists' tastes there was no black pudding, and if there were kippers they were easily avoided on the buffet. I don't remember beans either. I filled up on oatmeal, toast, eggs, bacon, sausage, and loved the grilled tomato with the sausage, but there was only ever one small one per person. That kept me going all day and I don't remember even having much of an apatite for dinner except for the one night I dined with my dad who happened to be in London on business while I was with the tour group.

It sounds like you had a happy birthday, John. How long until your trip now?

Hi all, since i last posted things have been a bit busy for us and i have had one or two bad spells with pain that has laid me up. As i type, Karen is top and tailing the last of the Red Gooseberries while we watch the final of the Great British Sewing Bee. We have had a good crop of Gooseberries again, the first picking was made into Jam and it is lovely. Karen gave a Kilo of Gooseberries to next door neighbour Catherine and to good friend Margaret. The rest of the Gooseberries have gone into the freezer along with some of last years berries. We also had a small Gooseberry Crumble and that was delicious.

On the holiday front, we are all packed and ready to go, Elliott asked what the cases were for this morning when he arrived, love him. Dave the taxi is picking us up at 2am Friday morning and we fly out of Manchester at 6.45am, arriving at Funchal airport at 10.45am unless we are lucky enough to have a tail wind and if so, we may get there 10 to 15 minutes sooner.

I will be off here until the 10th August although i will have my mobile and so i will see any Facebook posts, we really need this break, sun and relaxation are the priority although we will enjoy a few drinks and some good food and have a wander about the Island and of course on the 28th, two days after we arrive, we will celebrate our Ruby wedding anniversary, cards to each other are in the case. I cannot believe that forty years have passed so quickly, it only seems like yesterday that we exchanged our vows to each other. How has Karen put up with me for so long, be generous with your replies, PLEASE, lol.

John - 40 Years - What a Beautiful Record!

>195 thornton37814: Glad to see on FB that you made it aboard the plane.

Guess I will have to check FB but mainly wishing you a wonderful time!

>194 m.belljackson:, Hi Marianne my dear, 40 years is an achievement and we had a lovely anniversary meal at the Ritz Madeira.

>195 thornton37814:, Hi Lori my dear, the flight was a good one and we arrived ahead of schedule.

>196 witchyrichy:, Hi Karen my dear, we had a lovely time.

Hello all, i am back online after our holiday sojourn.

On Thursday 25th we went up to bed at around 9.30pm in the hope that we would get 2 to 3 hours sleep before getting up, having a quick pot of tea and then being picked up by Dave the Van, sadly this did not happen. We were like a couple of excited kids, we read, we had some milk and we may have catnapped for about 40 minutes. We eventually got up, washed and dressed and went downstairs to have our pot of tea. Dave, as usual, was early and parked just up from the house, he spotted me on the drive having a cigar and moved down to the front of the house.

It was a nice drive over to Manchester Airport, he dropped us off and pointed to where the Jet2 entry was and wished us a good holiday. We quickly checked in and got rid of the cases and then made our way towards the departure area. My left hip and thigh were playing up and this and my stick came in very handy as we were fast tracked to be checked and go through the scanner at passport control, the staff were very good to us and soon we were free to go through to the duty free area and the departure area.

Looking at the departure board, i found out that we were delayed by 40 minutes, we were called to the gate and everyone was boarded and we set off as scheduled and because of a nice tail wind we landed at Funchal airport as per our documentation time.

Once through passport control at Funchal, we got our cases and were directed to our minibus to take us to our hotel. We were the last of seven drop offs and the driver took our cases to reception for us. We checked in and made our way to our room which we had stayed in on our first visit in 2009.

We unpacked enough so that we could get changed and then we left to go and get a drink and something to eat. I called into the little Tabac shop and picked up some cigars and then we called into the Almeirante for a coffee and a nice cold drink of fresh Orange Juice. Once we had finished we had a wander to wards the centre of Funchal before making our way back to the hotel via the supermarket to pick up some water and milk. Yes we had taken enough Yorkshire tea bags both standard and decaf.

The first evening we continued our Madeira ritual, we had our first meal at the Xarambinha Italian restaurant and had a lovely greeting with Katya, who embraced us warmly like old friends. It was so lovely to see her, we have known her since 2009. She made sure that she served us and at every opportunity, she stopped by our table for a chat. Once we had finished and paid we made our way back towards the hotel but we called into the Barreirinha Bar Cafe to have a drink and listen to the DJ who was playing.

I am not going to describe everyday of our holiday as i don't want to bore you all but i will add a bit more of our trip.

It sounds like your holiday got off to a good start, and since you are reporting on it, at least a safe conclusion!

Hope you continue to enjoy your holiday!

Happy 40th Anniversary, John and Karen! I was able to the lovely pictures of your holiday on Facebook, and the gorgeous ring that you surprised Karen with. It's very beautiful! I'm glad you were able to get away somewhere special.

>199 johnsimpson: John, your holidays sound wonderful. It's always nice to return to a place where you are welcomed with open arms.

Sounds like you are off to a good start. Congrats on 40 years!

>200 quondame:, Hi Susan my dear, we had a lovely start to our holiday and it continued throughout the rest of the holiday. I know it is usual for folks to say that they did not want to come home at the end of their holiday BUT we really did not want to come home, it is our happy place. Sadly since we got back, wild fires have been ravaging parts of the Island, apparently someone was having a party in or on the outskirts of Ribeira Brava and let off fireworks and this led to the fires starting.

The Madeira governor called in 65 firefighters from the mainland, some firefighters have arrived from the Azores and now 40 more firefighters have arrived from mainland Portugal and two large firefighting planes are due to arrive early on Thursday to help out. I have contributed to a fund to get tree saplings ready to plant when all is safe and well as large forest areas have been decimated.

>201 figsfromthistle:, Hi Anita my dear, we arrived back home on the 9th August, we were there from 26th July with our anniversary on the 28th July.

>202 vancouverdeb:, Hi Deb my dear, i am glad that you saw the photos that Karen posted on Facebook, Karen spotted the Jewellry shop as we were making our way into the centre of Funchal. The owner was very nice and showed Karen a range of rings etc but she spotted the ring she ended up with and that was that. He did tell her that he was expecting a large consignment of Jewellry back from being assayed in mainland Portugal and so if she came back in a couple of days, she would see a bigger selection.

We got busy and it was the Monday of our final week that we went back and the ring was still the one that she wanted, she looked at me and i just said, "If that is what you want, then get it". The young lady who was looking after us along with another colleague checked Karen's finger to get the size right and then it had to be sent away and would be ready within 48 hours, we paid for the ring and Karen was very happy. Late the following day, we were passing on our way back to the hotel and called in on the off chance that it had come back early. As we went in and asked, the young lady wasn't sure but the young man in the doorway, who happened to be the owner's son, said it had come back. The ring was shown to Karen and she put it on, they checked to make sure everything was OK and Karen floated out with a big smile on her face. We thanked them for all their assistance and Karen told the son to say thank you to his father for all his help initially and he said he would. If their is any problem, we have to email them and they will post out a secure post paid pack and then we have to send the ring to them and they will sort anything out and then get it back to us by courier but they don't envisage us having any problems, overall the service we got was excellent, no pressure selling at all.

We first went in 2009 for our Silver Wedding Anniversary, the hotel we stay in wasn't our first choice when i went to book, the hotel we selected was fully booked for the time we wanted and i was on my own. I rang Karen at work and told her about the Quinta Bela Sao Tiago and she just said book it, i was just praying that it would be OK. We went with a firm called Classic Collection and everything was just right, we wanted to go for our 30th anniversary but things didn't work out so we went the following year for our 31st, again with Classic Collection. When it came to our 35th anniversary, the Classic prices were a bit steep and i looked at Jet2 which is a Leeds based airline that do holidays and they were £600 cheaper for the same holiday and so i booked with them at the travel agents, and then booked again with Jet2 for this holiday. The hotel is in the Old Town with a bar at the bottom of a steep hill as you turn right out of the hotel. If you turn left out of the hotel it is a long shallower hill BUT we have said that if we go again we may have to choose a different hotel as the hills took it out of us this time

>203 Ameise1:, Hi Barbara my dear, it has always been lovely to come back to the hotel again and again and then to see Katya at the restaurant once again after a five year gap, that was special as she has been so good to us over each holiday.

>204 thornton37814:, Hi Lori my dear, we had a lovely Anniversary and holiday and we really didn't want to come home this time, it is our happy place.

I finished book 24 of 2024 on the 25th July, the day before we went on holiday, The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith, PB - 1221 pages. This is the Fiftieth 1,000+ page book i have read since 1-7-1995.

When frantic, dishevelled Edie Ledwell appears in the office begging to speak to her, private detective Robin Ellacott isn't sure what to make of the situation. The co-creator of a popular cartoon, The Ink Black Heart, Edie is being persecuted by a mysterious online figure who goes by the name of Anomie. Edie is desperate to uncover Anomie's identity, but Robin doesn't think the agency can help her. A few days later, Robin reads the shocking news that Edie has been murdered in Highgate Cemetery.

Robin and her business partner Cormoran Strike become drawn into the quest to track down Anomie. But with a complex web of online aliases, business interests and family conflicts to navigate, Strike and Robin find themselves embroiled in a case that stretches their powers of deduction to the limits - and which threatens them in new and terrifying ways....

>205 johnsimpson: I'm glad you had such a good time!

The fires sound heartbreaking. I hope they can repair the damage straightforwardly and without delay.

Finished book 25 of 2024 on the 10th of August, Date with Justice by Julia Chapman, PB - 392 pages.

DELILAH'S BROTHER IS UNDER SUSPICION OF MURDER. CAN DELILAH AND SAMSON PROVE HE'S INNOCENT?

The Dales Detective Agency is on the brink of collapse.

Samson O'Brien has returned to his position as an undercover operative for the Met and his relationship with Delilah is under pressure.

Their troubles are only multiplied when an ecologist is found dead and the finger of blame is pointed firmly at Delilah's brother, Will Metcalfe.

It seems an open-and -shut case. An argument over an ecology report for planning permission that got out of hand, with Will known to have a hot temper. But Delilah won't accept he's guilty and neither will Samson.

Dropping everything, Samson returns to Bruncliffe to help Delilah prove Will's innocence. But, as the two detectives start digging, they unearth more than they bargained for and soon realise that the price of justice can be very costly indeed.

Finished book 26 of 2024 on August 15th, First of the Summer Wine, George Hirst, Schofield Haigh, Wilfred Rhodes and the Gentle Heat of Yorkshire Cricket by Harry Pearson, PB - 327 pages.

GEORGE HIRST, SCHOFIELD HAIGH AND WILFRED RHODES WERE KNOWN AS THE TRIUMVIRATE. INSEPARABLEPALS OFF THE FIELD AND A DEVASTATING COMBINATION ON IT, THE TRIO HELPED TURN YORKSHIRE INTO THE GREATEST COUNTY CRICKET TEAM OF THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY.

George Herbert was one of the most popular sportsmen of his era, his brilliance with bat and ball matched by the warmth of his personality. Schof was the greatest wet wicket bowler of his time, his flow of cheery wisecracks masking insecurities about his form and fitness. Wilfred was quiet and watchful, his analytical brain marking him out as the Sherlock Holmes of the summer game. Together they left a legacy of great deeds, good humour and decency: gentle men from a gentler time.

Following on from post 199, our first full day in Madeira was spent having a stroll around the Craft and Secondhand market down near the Cable Car station for Monte. Once we had perused the market we continued our stroll towards the centre of Funchal, stopping on the way for a coffee. We only wandered so far before turning back and going back to the hotel to do a bit of sunbathing and a dip in the pool. That evening we decided to go to a restaurant we had seen the day before as we were driven to our hotel from the airport. We had a lovely meal, we decided to pick a dish each and share, we settled for Thai green curry and Thai yellow curry, neither of had had the yellow curry, it was superb and over the holiday we had some lovely meals except for one and that was in our hotel.

The following day was our Ruby Wedding Anniversary and we spent it relaxing by the pool and taking the sun, that evening we ordered a taxi to take us to the Ritz Madeira Restaurant and cafe where we had a lovely meal and were well looked after by Carlos. He couldn't do enough for us once he knew what we were celebrating, he is a credit to the establishment.

Over the holiday we did a bit of shopping both in the centre of Funchal and also at the Forum shopping centre, Madeira shopping centre and in Ribeira Brava. We took the buses to Madeira shopping and also to Ribeira Brava, the trip to RB was on the Via Rapide, their motorway which to us was just a dual carriageway but quicker than going via the Camara de Lobos and various villages. The scenic route is lovely but the twists and turns can be bumpy and we have done this before, more than once.

Most nights we invariably ended up at the Barrerinha Bar for a last drink or two, (we also ate their a couple of times) as it was at the bottom of the hill up to the hotel and we only had to go halfway up to the hotel's underground garage and we pressed the buzzer and they let us in.

We met some lovely people over the two weeks, we made friends with two Dutch couples, the younger couple were just a couple of years younger than us and the other were the husbands parents, the older gentleman referred to Karen as his Yorkshire Terrier friend and we had a good laugh about this. We also met a young Dutch man and his friend from junior schooldays, a lovely young lady and we had a good time with them when we met up a couple of times. One morning at breakfast, they were sat near us, one of the waiters obviously thought they were a young couple and made a nice comment to them but the young man said it was not possible for them to be boyfriend/girlfriend or engaged as he did not fancy girls. We wished we could have seen the look on his face, we had all on to not burst out laughing.

Later we were chatting with them and he said it was the waiters fault for assuming they were a couple, this was when we found out about them knowing each other since they were about Five but they don't see as much of each other as they would like. He likes to travel and the young lady doesn't like travelling on her own, she is a very attractive young lady with a stunning figure and we could imagine to wrong attention she gets because she is an attractive young lady. We bumped into them one night at the Barrerinha bar and we had a lovely couple of hours with them.

The holiday did us the world of good, we did plenty of relaxing around the pool, we took advantage of the pool to ease our aches and pains and we did things at a nice gentle pace. Karen took a folding walking stick as well as a knee support and she needed to use the walking stick daily and occasionally the knee support, my hips, thighs and back ached from the airport going to coming home, not all day but everyday. This made our minds up that it may be the last time we stay in this lovely hotel because of the two climbs although we will go back to Madeira as it is our happy place. We would like to try mainland Portugal and apparently Amy mentioned that it would be nice to go on holiday altogether on mainland Portugal, we would also like to visit Lisbon for a long weekend perhaps.

Since we got back from Madeira, life has resumed its normal pattern as before our holiday. I am still finding it hard to get back on here as often as i would like or to increase my reading, it seems like one step forward and two back. We missed seeing Elliott and we are back to having the little lad on a Wednesday through to Thursday afternoon.

When we took him to Blackpool at the beginning of June, we made him a promise that we would go back so that he could go up Blackpool Tower. To that end, we are going to Blackpool next week from Tuesday to Thursday, we are staying at the Premier Inn, in Bispham, just a short tram ride from the Tower. Karen has booked us a slot to up the Tower on Wednesday morning and Elliott is very excited. We are also going to take him to Stanley Park so that he can have a good run around and we hope that the weather is good and that the tide is out so that we can take him onto the beach.

On Sunday i am taking Karen over to Selby to pick Amy and Elliott up and then go on to York where they are going to the Grand Theatre to see The Tiger who Came to Tea. I will drop them off and then park up and i will have a wander around York, principally i am going to the Criminally Good Books bookshop.

We get back from Blackpool next Thursday and then on Friday i will be going to the PBFA bookfair at York Racecourse, this is the biggest bookfair in the UK and has been going since 1974 when 20 dealers met at the White Swan Inn, now there will be over 200 dealers having a stand. I am not sure whether Karen will come with me or not.

>215 johnsimpson:
It sounds like you are going to have a bookish couple of days this weekend. Enjoy it. I am still packing and moving in and around. I will be traveling back to Alabama on Monday and will be there until I move sometime in late October or November.

I am glad you and Karen were able to get a summer escape! Love to both of you and Elliott, of course.

Looking forward to a report about the PBFA bookfair.

Just stopping by to wish you a great weekend, John. Love to you and Karen.

What to do you think of Lawrence as an opener? I think that he is pitiful in that role and it is a slap in the face for the County openers who have done well this season - Lees, Jennings, Haines, Lyth, Gay and Yates. Two of those should really tour with Ben Duckett as Crawley is also a dead loss.

Hull is promising but I think that he is being thrown in too early.

It sounded like you had a wonderful time on your trip, John. What a nice way to celebrate 40 years together!

I like the name of the Criminally Good Books bookshop. Do they specialize in mysteries?

>216 benitastrnad:, Hi Benita my dear, Elliott, Amy and Karen enjoyed their trip to the Grand Theatre to see The Tiger Who Came To Tea. When Karen rang me to let me know they were out of the theatre, i could hear Elliott in the background saying the show had been fantastic and chattering about the Tiger. While they were at the theatre, i had a wander around York and i called into Criminally Good Books but i was a little disappointed with the amount of stock or lack of more to the point.

>217 witchyrichy:, Hi Karen my dear, we really loved our summer escape to Madeira, it was really needed and it did us the world of good.
I have nothing to report about the PBFA fair as i got the date wrong, it is this Friday and Saturday and so i will report after i have been on Friday.

Sending love and hugs to you, Bob and Circe.

>218 PaulCranswick:, Hi Paul, i was surprised that they had decided to use Lawrence as an opener as it is not something he has done before and to be honest i was not surprised at his poor showing, the last innings was truly awful and i am not sure if his Test career is over. The openers on the County circuit must have felt that this was a kick in the teeth for them.

Selecting Hull is both a surprise and not a surprise given the random selections so far in the Bazball era, he did not do too badly considering his career stats. I think they are wanting to find someone of genuine pace and height for the next Ashes.

>219 Familyhistorian:, Hi Meg my dear, we had a wonderful holiday in our beloved Madeira, we relaxed and recharged our batteries, we had some nice meals and met some nice people. We enjoyed our strolls around the centre of Funchal and our coffee shop stops and a nice bit of shopping.

I was really looking forward to visiting Criminally Good Books and although it was nice, i was a bit disappointed with the stock or rather lack of. I am hoping that like one or two bookshops that have opened over the last 5 to 10 years, they will get well established and then be able to extend or move to a larger shop.

Last week we had a lovely trip to Blackpool with Elliott, Amy and Andy brought him over on Monday night about 7pm in his pyjamas and supposedly ready for bed. They went upstairs with Elliott and Karen to say goodnight to him and then they left, it was just before 9pm when Karen came down and said he had gone to sleep.

Elliott slept until just before 4am before he came into our bedroom to say that his nappy was full, Karen changed him and he wanted to stay in our bed, so we did a swap. He came and woke me up at 7am to say that grandma wanted a pot of tea, i went and made us a pot of tea, we had our tea with Elliott in the middle of our bed and Felix laid on my legs. We finished our tea, got up, washed and dressed and quickly got our breakfast ready, while waiting for our pot of tea to brew, i got everything in the car.

Once we were done, we loaded up the dishwasher and set it off, made Elliott try and have a wee and then as we left the house, Felix went out. Our neighbour Catherine was looking after Felix for us, all the food packets for him were left out and i had left two plates, covered, with food for the Hedgehogs, in the fridge for Catherine to put out on Tuesday and Wednesday evening.

We got in the car and set off, we had a brief toilet stop at Birch motorway services and then continued our journey. We travelled along the M62, M61, M6 and M55 before turning off for Stanley Park in Blackpool. On the way to the park, Elliott piped up that he needed a wee so i had to pull into a housing estate to park up and Karen got out with his potty so he could have his wee. Once done, emptied and cleaned up, we continued onto Stanley Park.

As we approached the park, we drove through one of the best areas of Blackpool with lots of Edwardian and 1930's houses, we would love to live in one of these especially with the park just across the road or a short walk away. The Grade II- listed park opened in 1926 and covers 390 acres of elegance, boasting a blend of architecture, horticulture and recreation. It has a wonderful bandstand, boating lake and Italian gardens and yet it is only 1.8 miles from the very busy and raucous Blackpool promenade. The park is split into four zones, the north and western formal gardens, the eastern area lake and woodland area and the south stretch contains the children's play areas and sports facilities, around 2 million people visit each year.

Also within the park stands a 5,000 seat cricket ground used by Blackpool cricket club and is also one of Lancashire county cricket clubs outgrounds. As well as the cricket ground, their is also an 18 hole golf course, a sports centre, athletics ground and a model village attraction.

We stopped at the art deco cafe for a coffee and some flapjack, Elliott had some juice but was desperate for us to finish so that he could go to the play area. We finished and walked through the Italian gardens and were told to head for the clock tower and then we would see the play area. The clock tower is 85ft tall and Elliott wanted to know if he could go up it, we told him that he couldn't but would be going up Blackpool Tower, the following morning. He had a wonderful time in the play area, there were lots of things for him to climb, slide down, be spun around on and generally keep him very occupied. After leaving the cafe, we spent two hours in the play area before making our way back to the car.

Once we had left the park, Karen got satnav on her phone and directed me to Bispham, 3.1 miles away, luckily it was a fairly straight road with no deviation. As we neared Bispham we passed some more nice houses and Bungalows, again an area we could live in. I potted the sign for the Premier Inn we were staying in, i pulled in and parked up before we got some luggage out and went to check in. Once checked in we made our way to our room and Elliott let out a wow when he saw his bed. I went back to the car to get a bag with toys and jigsaws for Elliott and we relaxed until it was time to go next door to the pub for our evening meal. After we had finished our meal we set off for a walk to find the tram stop, satnav said it was just a 20 minute walk but after 20 minutes we still had a fair way to go and as Karen was tired and her knee aching, we made our way back to our room. Once back, Karen got Elliott ready for bed, i kissed him goodnight and left Karen to read him his bedtime story while i went outside for a smoke. When i got back he was asleep and i made us a pot of tea, we got into bed and had our tea while reading.

>224 johnsimpson: That sounds like a great day in good company!

What a wonderful time with Elliott. These are memories to cherish and save for days we he is not longer a little one, but grown with his own children.!

>225 quondame:, Hi Susan my dear, it was a lovely day to start our two night stay to honour the promise we made to him in June.

>226 Whisper1:, Hi Linda my dear, the whole three days was wonderful with the little man. As you say, these are memories to treasure as it was lovely seeing things through his eyes. Just a couple of days ago, Amy said it would be nice to go and see the Illuminations for her birthday next year, i agreed and then she said it would have to be either the weekend before or the weekend after (this would only be two days later) as her birthday is on a Thursday and he would have only just started school. This took me aback as i had forgotten that he will be four next may so he would start school in the September, where is the time going.

I will be posting more about our trip shortly.

You could not make this up, 30 minutes ago i said to Karen that i had better go and clean the Hedgehogs plate and put fresh food down otherwise i will have a Hedgehog knocking on my door asking where the food was. I went into the kitchen and put our plates and cutlery in the dishwasher as we had eaten late, i then went to the garage to get the food and then got the plate out of the Hedgehog house to wash and clean. I filled the small sink with hot water and put the plate in to steep. I went back to the garage and then as i came out i thought i had better check the box, to my surprise there was a hedgehog in the entranceway, i quickly went into the house to tell Karen and for her to come and see. I quickly cleaned the plate and put fresh food on and quickly went out to the Hedgehog house to put it in, luckily the Hedgehog was still waiting, i put the plate in and put the lid down and left. I stood at the kitchen door and i could hear the plate tapping the side of the house as the Hedgehog was eating. Phew, i made it by the skin of my teeth.

>229 johnsimpson: That Hedgehog has your number! Great story!

>224 johnsimpson: We took Jacob to see the Blackpool Illuminations when he was a similar age, so Mr SandDune could relive his childhood trips there. (I think he went quite a lot as he had relatives in Blackpool).

>229 johnsimpson: I wish we had a hedgehog in our garden. Haven't seen one for ages.

Further to post 224, the following morning, Elliott awoke just before the alarm went off at 7am, i made us a pot of tea and gave Elliott some juice before we got up, washed and dressed and went out of the hotel and went next door to the pub to get our breakfast as i had booked us in for 8.30am.

We all had a nice breakfast, Elliott enjoyed his and then we went back to our room to get our things and then make our way to the bus stop just a short walk from the hotel. We were a little bit early and there was a bit of light rain in the air. The bus arrived and Karen and Elliott got on and then i got on and paid our fare. This was Elliott's first time on a bus and he loved it although he did say it was a bumpy ride due to the potholes. We got off in Blackpool town centre and then walked a short distance before i checked my watch and found that we were too early to go to the Tower for our trip up it. Karen suggested a coffee so we made our way to the nearest coffee shop, we had lattes and Elliott had a hot chocolate. By the time we were done it was time for me and Elliott to make our way to the Tower. We left Karen to have a wander with an empty pushchair and we walked onto the promenade and the short walk to the Tower complex entrance.

I went to the reception desk and showed our e-tickets and we were told to take the lift to the fifth floor, once we got there we were greeted by two young ladies and they told Elliott to go and sit on a plinth in front of a green screen, they told him to smile and took a photo and they told him to jump down and then put his arms up and smile and they took another photo. After this they said we would see the photos at the end of our trip up the Tower. We were told to follow the arrows on the floor and make our way to the 3d cinema, as we approached the waiting area we were both given 3d glasses. After a short wait we went in and stood on stepped rows and awaited a film to start. The film was all about the Tower and Blackpool and because of the glasses, we were part of the film, Elliott was a bit unsure so i cuddled him into as i got down to his level and he was ok then. We left the cinema, dropping our glasses into a box on the way out and made our way to the lifts to go up the Tower. Luckily Elliott decided he wanted a wee so i took him off to the toilets, we got back and a lift was waiting for us. We got in and 68 seconds later, we were at the top of the Tower.

A few years ago they installed a glass floor extension. i went onto it straightaway but Elliott was a bit reluctant. No matter what i did, Elliott was still a bit unsure so i got off and we went for a walk around this level. Elliott climbed up onto a step and i pointed out things that he could see, i pointed out the Ferris Wheel on the Central Pier, the Big One at the Pleasure Beach fun park, Blackpool Football Ground and in the distance, we could see the coast as it curved its way around from Blackpool towards St.Annes and then onwards to Lytham. We then continued wandering around this level, 380 feet above ground until we came to a spiral staircase, i asked Elliott if he wanted to go up, he did, so he went up and i followed. When we got up we were now at 390 feet above ground and i took a photo of Elliott against the secure railings, again we wandered around this level until we came to another staircase, again i asked and we went up, this time we were at 401 feet above ground. I took another photo of Elliott and then we wandered around until we got to another staircase, i asked and we went up and this time we were at 412 feet above ground. This was as far as we could go but Elliott wanted to go further, at this point i said there were four reasons why we couldn't, 1) he was not old enough, 2) we weren't qualified, 3) we didn't have any safety gear and 4) grandad was not breaking the lock of the gate to the next set of steps. If he could have gone further, he would have done. We came back down each level via a spiral staircase on the opposite side to the upwards staircases.

Once we back at the glass floor level, i went to the glass panels to look out to sea and to see the Piers, eventually a young man saw that i was trying to persuade Elliott onto the glass and he got down to Elliott's level and said he was a bit scared but if Elliott held his hand they could both get over their fears and go on the glass. This worked a treat and i took a photo of Elliott on the glass, 380 feet above ground. After another walk around Elliott said could we go down, i explained that if we did, we could not come back up, so was he sure he had done enough looking out over Blackpool. He said he had and we waited for the lft to come back up, we got in and we could see through the metal gates as we came down. Once down we made our way to where the photos could be picked up, i selected the Silver set and we picked which photos we wanted in large size and then which small ones for the key fobs and fridge magnets.

We had a quick look in the Tower store, a lot of it was expensive tat and we made our way to the lift and once back down to ground level, we left the complex and made our way to Costa Coffee to meet up with grandma, i had a coffee and Elliott had some juice.

The Blackpool Tower company was formed in 1890 and they bought an aquarium on Central Promenade with the intention of building a replica of the Eiffel Tower on the site. Once funding was gathered they began building in 1891 with the foundation stone laid on 29th September 1891, it was completed and opened on 14th May 1894. The total cost of the Tower and building was £290,000, 5 million Accrington bricks, 3,478 long tons of steel and 352 long tons of cast iron were used to construct the Tower and base. The base is hidden by the building that houses Blackpool Tower Circus. Originall the Tower was to be 450 feet high but by the time the flagpole was finished, the Tower measures 518 feet 9 inches from the ground.

Within the Tower buildings is the famous Tower Ballroom, this was built between 1897 and 1898 to the designs of famous theatre designer, Frank Matcham, he also designed Blackpool Grand Theatre. The ballroom was commissioned in response to the opening of the Empress Ballroom in the Famous Winter Gardens complex. The Ballroom is 120feet by 102 feet and is made up of 30,602 blocks of Mahogany, Oak and Walnut. From 1930 until his retirement in 1970, the resident organist was Reginald Dixon who was known as Mr. Blackpool. The first Wurlitzer organ was installed in 1929 but was replaced in 1935 by one designed by Dixon, When Dixon retired, Ernest Broadbent took over but retired due to ill health in 1977, the current organist is Phil Kelsall who has been playing the organ since 1975.

The Ballroom was damaged by fire in 1956, the dance floor was destroyed along with the restaurant underneath the Ballroom. Restoration took two years and cost £500,000 with many former designers and builders coming out of retirement to assist, the rstaurant then became the Tower Lounge. Strictly Come Dancing stages one show there and the professional dancers love it as they have danced there in competitions many times, it is a big surprise to the celebrities as the dance floor bounces whereas in the Elstree studios, the floor is solid.

The Tower Circus is positioned at the base of the Tower, between its four legs and first opened on the same day as the Tower itself. The Circus ring can be lowered into a pool of water and holds 190,000 litres at a depth of 4ft 6inches. The Clown, Charlie Cairoli appeared at the Tower for 39 years and Britain's best known ringmaster, Norman Barrett, worked the ring for 25 years. Animals appeared at the Circus until 1990 and Elephants were regularly seen coming out of the Tower, across the tramlines and onto the beach each morning. The Tower is lit up and different colours have been used to celebrate and event, 10,000 bulbs are used to illuminate the Tower.

I hope i have not bored any of you reading this but i thought it would be of interest.

>232 johnsimpson: I saw the picture of the Blackpool tower glass floor. On the 118 project I am doing John we have glass observation decks which protrude out from the building at 500 metres up. To put that in perspective the Shard which is the UKs tallest building is 310 metres at its highest point.

https://www.edgeprop.my/content/1907029/ride-eight-metres-second-reach-view-118

>229 johnsimpson: What a cute story!

>232 johnsimpson: Those glass floors can be unsettling, even for adults, to cross. I'm glad I don't encounter them often. Once in a while is enough.

>232 johnsimpson: So good to catch up with your travels, John--And loved the description of Blackpool & the Tower--not bored a bit! Glad Elliott enjoyed his holiday and hope the grandparents have now recovered 😉

Continuing post 232, after we had our coffee in Costa Coffee, we made our way to the Coral Island amusement complex so that Elliott could spend his 2p's on the Coin Pushers, he loves these. Grandma helped Elliott otherwise he would just put his money in willy nilly, soon they were starting to get coins dropping in the tray and tickets coming out of the machine.

After a while he wanted to try larger machines and this was where my help was needed, while Elliott pushed the firing buttons, i was moving the firing laser so that Elliott just shoot the Zombies, he loved this. After a few goes on this he wanted to go back to the Coin Pushers. After we had exhausted some of our funds we told Elliott that we needed to save some for the evening when we would come back before getting the tram to see the Illuminations. He was OK with this as long as he could go on the solo rides, he went on a couple of them before we left the complex.

Elliott was starting to tire a little bit so we got him in his pushchair and before long he fell asleep, this was just what we wanted otherwise he would have fallen asleep during the evening. We decided to have a steady stroll to get our bus back to Bispham, rather than trying to find a local who could direct us, i said let's head to the tram stop at North Station as i knew there was a bus stop there which i was sure would include the bus we wanted. It was a nice stroll in the sunshine, by the time we got there, we had just missed one but the next was due in a short time. The bus arrived and we got on, i paid the fare while Karen got on with the pushchair and Elliott was still asleep. We were going to tell Elliott that we had walked all the way from Blackpool but he woke up as we reached our bus stop.

We had a short stroll from the bus stop to the hotel, once in our room i made us a pot of tea and Karen gave Elliott a juice and he got on with his jigsaws and then watched a bit of TV. I checked the tram times and we had just enough time to have a coffee before we left our room to get in the car. I drove us onto the Promenade at Bispham and then found a street where i could park safely and the tram stop was just a short walk from where we parked. The stop before ours had the original 1930's art deco station building and this is where the Illuminations stop. Opposite our tram stop there were the Tableau's, these stretch for about a mile towards Bispham Station.

Out tram arrived and we got on, i bought two day rider tickets and the conductor printed off a really long ticket with allsorts of cartoon characters on as well as Santa and other symbols for Elliott, he was so pleased and thanked the young man. I thought the tram was only going to North Station and that we would have a walk to the pub for our evening meal but the conductor said that no, it was going right down to Starr Gate and the tram depot. We stayed on the tram while there was a change of driver and then the tram made its way back onto the Promenade. We got off the tram at the Tower stop and then crossed the road to the Albert and the Lion pub. We got a table straightaway and once we had looked at the menu, Karen went to the bar and ordered and got our drinks. We didn't have long to wait for our food and we all tucked in, once we had finished we all had a toilet visit, more to convince Elliott to try so that he didn't want a wee whilst on the tram. We left the pub and made our way back to the Coral Island amusement complex.

Elliott went back on the Coin Pushers and we won some money but it all went back in the machine and we got more tickets. Karen asked Elliott if he wanted to go on the ride that wound its way above the arcade, he said he did so i was dispatched along with Elliott to the ride, he absolutely loved it. Once the ride was finished, we made our way back to grandma and used up the last of our 2p's. We fed the tickets into the machine and found that we had 506 and we got a receipt for them, we then went to the redemption area and he chose some construction toys for the amount of tickets we had. By this time it was gone 8.30pm and was dark which meant the Illuminations were on.

We left the amusement arcade and went to the tram stop, we didn't have long to wait before a tram arrived, we got on and made sure that we were on the right side to see the lights all the way down to the South Pier and then Starr Gate and the tram depot. All Elliott could say was wow, wow as new displays appeared and all the colours of the rainbow. We got to Starr Gate and we were told that as long as it was OK with the new tram crew, we could stay on, they agreed and we stayed on and then we made our way back along the promenade and the lights. We passed some static displays on the Promenade and then went past the North Pier and onwards to Bispham. Before long we came across the start of the Tableau's and Elliott was wowing and wowing all the way to Bispham Station. We got off and had to walk back to the Cavendish Road stop to get to the car, he loved being so close to the Tableau's. As we were walking back towards the car, we spotted the Illuminated Train Tram, we stopped and Karen got ready to take some photo's and Elliott was in awe of this sight, he loved it.

We got back to the car, got in and made our way back to the hotel and our room, I got Elliott's milk ready while Karen got him washed and in his pyjamas and then into bed, by this time it was 10.15pm. I left Karen to read his story and went out of the room to have a cigar, by the time i got back, he was asleep. We got ready for bed and i made us a pot of tea, we were quite tired by the time we had finished our tea and so no reading was done.

>232 johnsimpson: My s-i-l, Richard, is an organist, and is an aquaintance of Phil Kelsall. For Richard's 40th birthday treat his friends and family contributed for him to play the Mighty Wurlitzer - a lifetime's ambition - including rising up out of the floor. We went with him and had tea there first. Toby, our grandson (who will be four in December) was just walking then and enjoyed having the entire ballroom to himself to practice this new skill!

Continued from post 237, the last day. We were woken up by Elliott at 7am, i made us a pot of tea and made Elliott some juice. While we had our pot of tea, Elliott played with his jigsaws, once we had finished our tea we got up washed and dressed and then Karen sorted Elliott out. Elliott had some milk and a couple of brioche buns and i took some of our luggage back to the car. Once Elliott had finished his light breakfast, we got everything together and checked the room before we left and dropped our key card in the box and went to the car. Karen put the last bits in the car while i got Elliott strapped in and then we set off to Lytham.

I decided to drive to the Promenade at Bispham Station and then drove along the front towards Blackpool, Elliott had a last look at the Tower and then i turned off onto Lytham road. It was a nice drive once we left the outskirts of Blackpool, new and old houses on our left and sand dunes on our right. Before long we drove into St.Annes and then Elliott piped up that he needed a wee, luckily as i was looking where to park up safely, i spotted some roadside parking. I got Elliott out of his seat and he slid across as Karen opened the rear passenger door on her side and got his potty out. After a quick wee, Karen emptied the potty down a nearby drain and dried it with some tissues and Elliott climbed back in the car and got across to his seat and i fastened him in. We continued on our way and soon came into Lytham.

We parked up in a promenade car park and then made our way onto Lytham high street to find a cafe so that we could have breakfast. We ordered our breakfast and Elliott wanted some toast, i checked my phone and i had a message from the bank about a possible fraudulent payment on my credit card, i answered no to the question of if i had authorised it. To give some back story to this, on the Friday before we were setting off to Blackpool, my credit card statement came and i noticed a suspect payment. This was something i had noticed on the July statement but with going on holiday a couple of days later, i forgot to ask Karen if she knew anything about it. I rang the bank and they said it had started in April with a one pound payment, who pays for something this low on a credit card. After some security questions they stopped the payment and the young lady transferred me to the fraud dept and they instigated a file on it and they refunded me just under £160. They also said my card would be cancelled and a new one would be sent. On the day we set off, i got a message to say a new card should arrive in the next couple of days.

Back to the cafe, my phone rang just as my Full English breakfast was brought to me, i dashed outside so that i could talk and hear properly and it turned out that the fraudsters had tried again using a different title, i explained what had gone on and that my new card would be waiting for me. The young lady confirmed all this and said they had tried on the card they had closed down but to be on the safe side, they would issue me with another new card and as i explained where we were she said to cut up the card that would be waiting for me. As the call was ending she hoped that i would enjoy my breakfast and i said it looked like it had been taken away to be kept warm for me. Fraudulent gits.

I got back to my breakfast which i really enjoyed and Elliott enjoyed his toast along with some of Karen's scrambled eggs on toast, he is a food monster, lol. Once we had finished and paid we made our way to what i thought was the beach, it turned out to be more of marshland with a little bit of sand near to the steps we climbed down. I played kickabout with Elliott before a Jet fighter broke the relative silence, it continued to circle us for about 20 minutes, Elliott was fascinated. After this i managed to get some sand together from the grassy area and he made his first sandcastles. It looked a bit like rain so we put Elliott's bucket and spade and his football in the car and then we went back onto Lytham high street to have a look around. I picked up a couple of books in a charity shop and then we went into Lytham's independent bookshop, it also had some book related toys along with notebooks and some fountain pens. Karen bought a couple of things for Elliott and then we continued along the high street.

We had a good stroll around before we headed back to the car, on the way we had a coffee stop in a nice cafe, the young lady who served us was very attractive and Elliott could not keep his eyes off her. Bless her, she coyly waved back to him and he waved back, definitely flirting with her, to be honest i couldn't blame him. When we left he didn't really want to leave and made sure he waved to her again and she waved back to him and we chuckled. We got back to the car and headed back towards Blackpool and the motorway.

We had to stop at the services on the M61 as i was feeling a bit tired, i went and got drinks for us and Karen had to get out and get Elliott out of his seat and change him as he had failed to let us know that he wanted a wee and had wet himself. As i was getting the drinks, i had a chat with the young lady serving me, it was obvious from her netted hat that she had long hair. I commented on this and asked how long it was, she was quite tall and she said it went down to her waist and that it was her best asset, bless her. It was only when i got home and thought about our conversation that i should have said that it was not quite true, although she had no make up on, she was an attractive young lady, so much so that i got onto Greggs website and tracked down the services email and left a message to this effect and that she was very good at her job, very personable and an asset to them and that i hoped they would pass on my message to her. I hated to think that she thought she was only attractive due to her lovely hair, she did say that she hated wearing the net hat but she had to because of her lovely hair.

We got back to Amy and Andy's at about 5pm and he had not fallen asleep at all on the way home which surprised us seeing as he had had a late night the day before. He really enjoyed his little trip away and wants to do it again.

After a lovely 3 days with Elliott in Bispham, Blackpool and Lytham, things got back to normality on the Friday, or so i thought. We had a lie-in and then i went and made us a pot of tea to enjoy in bed, once we had finished we got up, i went to the bathroom to get washed and when i came back in, i walked quickly along the bottom of our bed to get to my clothes, whilst walking in bumped into the folded and rolled up quilted blanket, sadly four toes went one way and my little toe got stuck in the hard folds and we heard a crack. I pulled back and my right little toe was stuck out at and angle and was painful, it was obvious i had broken it and then the piece de resistance, Karen said, " does it hurt" to which i replied quickly, "do bears shit in the woods" of course it bloody hurts.

Karen was quite pale and would not look at my foot, i said it could be worse, the skin could have split and then there would have been blood. Karen eventually got some strapping and strapped my toe to the next one and i got dressed. I gingerly got downstairs and we had breakfast before going to do the shopping. Not only was i hobbling a bit because of the pain in my hip and thigh, but also from the pain in my toe. Once we were done we got home and unpacked and put the shopping away and then had a pot of tea. Later Karen persuaded me to ring 111 and talk to the NHS helpline, they told me to go to Pontefract Hospital and i had a four hour slot in which to go. I knew i would be wasting their time, it was obvious it was broken and they don't do anything. I got there and was only waiting for about 10 minutes before i was seen. The nurse gently took the strapping off after complimenting Karen on the strapping and after i had told her how it had happened and she had a good laugh. She confirmed it was broken and there was no need to subject me to radiation from an x-ray and said to keep it strapped for about a month and that it could take up to 10 weeks to fully heal because it was a foot injury and obviously i would be walking about.

I finished book 27 of 2024 on the 29th August, The Kashmir Shawl by Rosie Thomas, PB - 500 pages.

Newlywed Nerys Watkins leaves rural Wales to accompany her husband on a missionary posting to India. High up in the heart of Kashmir she discovers the lakeside city of Srinagar, where the British live on carved wooden houseboats and dance, flirt and gossip as if there is no war.

But life becomes less frivolous when the men are sent away to fight. Nerys is caught up in a dangerous friendship, and by the time she is reunited with her husband the innocent Welsh bride has become a different woman.

Years later, when Mair Ellis clears out her father's house, she finds an exquisite antique shawl and a lock of a child's hair. Tracing her grandparents back to Kashmir, Mair embarks on a quest that will change her life for ever.

Finished book 28 of 2024 on 7th September, 22 Seconds by James Patterson, PB - 355 pages.

22 SECONDS... UNTIL LINDSAY BOXER LOSES HER BADGE - OR HER LIFE.

SFPD Sergeant Lindsay Boxer has guns on her mind.

There's a buzz of a last-ditch shipment of drugs and weapons crossing the Mexican border ahead of a new restrictive gun laws. Before Lindsay can act, her top informant tips her to a case that hits disturbingly close to home.

Former cops. Professional hits. All with the same warning scrawled on their bodies.

YOU TALK, YOU DIE.

Now it's Lindsay's turn to choose....

Finished book 29 of 2024 on 13th September Full Blast by Janet Evanovich, PB - 340 pages.

DATING CAN BE MURDER...

Jamie Swift is facing the story of a lifetime that could make or break her. Someone from her newspaper's Lonely Hearts column has murdered a local woman. To find the killer, and save her newspaper. Jamie will have to call in mega- handsome millionaire genius Max Holt, who right now is still frustratingly far from becoming anything more than just her business partner.

But the real problem isn't that Jamie wants to get closer to Max. it's that the killer wants to get closer to Jamie.

Finished book 30 of 2024 on 18th September, The Vintage Shop by Libby Page, PB - 348 pages.

ONE DRESS. THREE WOMEN. A LIFETIME OF SECRETS.

Among the cobbled streets of Frome in Somerset, LOU is about to start something new. After losing her mother, she knows it's time to take a chance and open her own vintage clothes shop.

In upstate New York, DONNA receives some news about her family which throws everything she thought she knew into question. The only clue she has to unlock her past is a picture of a yellow dress.

MAGGY is in her seventies, newly divorced and all alone in an empty house. Visiting the little vintage shop in Frome, with its rows of beautiful dresses, brings back cherished memories she'd long put aside.

COULD UNCOVERING THE SECRETS OF THE YELLOW DRESS HELP THEM UNLOCK THEIR NEXT CHAPTER?

Finished book 31 of 2024 on 20th September Private Gold by James Patterson, PB - 135 pages.

PRIVATE JOHANNESBURG IS CLOSING DOWN...

After the tragic suicide of his partner, Khosi, Joey Montague is packing up the branch of Private they'd set up in Johannesburg with US owner Jack Morgan. The investigation agency will be scaled down until Joey can recover from this devastating loss.

As he's loading the removal van, Joey receives a call from an American woman who has just landed in the city and needs his help. But what at first seems to be a simple protection job soon becomes a matter of life and death - not just for his client, but for Joey himself.

New month and so time for a new thread, come and join me in about 20 minutes.