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Hello Rusty,

How nice to hear from you ! I am in good nick I think, thank you, apart from a niggling tooth ache ! My fault for keeping as far away from dentists as I can !

Rugby definitely is more a gentlemen's sport than footballers and yes, players address the ref as Sir - I don't think this has changed. Another thing that is good about the sport is the behaviour of the public - no hooligans in Rugby ! (or ever so little if any)

Certainly I would have thought that Froome would have a mention in your BBC programme !


Rosalind, I think I got somewhat mixed up between Fiction and Science-Fiction - of course I like fiction since I read a lot of novels ! but they have to be realistic novels, and what disturbs me with Skallagrig (without having read the book yet) is precisely this ; what is/who is Skallagrig - the explanation on the inside jacket is of no help whatsoever since it says: ' Skallagrigg is a name, but whether of a thing or a person no one in authority knows or cares' -
Well, I'm afraid just that sentence is enough to put me off ! Might sounds stupid to you but I can't bring myself to forget about it and dive into the book proper.

Pigale, yes, I approve of rugby, if only I could understand it!
Froome is in the running, and Sir Wiggo.
But Jess Ennis is favourite. I like Jess a lot, but I hoped Lizzie would figure, too. She maybe is not concerned as she has her wedding to think about now!
I think I must have an American spell-checker.
It does not approve of "favourite"!!!

Hi everyone, and especially elle - welcome back.

Yes, I do prefer tidy endings. I didn't guess who the Skallagrigg was in advance!

That's a shame, pigale, because the story is a good one and based on a great deal of research. maybe pick it up in a year or so?
I think the ending's perfectly clear, chris, but I don't want to cross swords with you!
Back to bulb planting

Hi again, everyone!
I've just come home.......we went for a walk - it's a glorious day now that the heavy early morning fog has lifted. None too warm though - temperature creeping up slowly to about 12C.
I read somewhere that we can expect the warmest November in the UK for 69 years? I'll believe that when I see it!

Hi, Rusty!
Yes, I'm delighted wth the prospect of another grandchild! I have a sneaking preference for a granddaughter this time around - although we shall of course love whatever ( should that be 'whomever'? ) comes with an equal intensity.
But we already have three grandsons to one granddaughter, so another girl would be lovely!
But we shall probably never catch up to you in numbers - it looks like we shall stick at only four grandkids!
Now, you might even like "Skallagrigg". Although it is fiction, it is based on the author's personal experience , his having a daughter with cerebral palsy - or so the write- up in Wikipedia says?
The same with the second book I have read by the same author, " The Boy With No Shoes"......this contentionally is a (partial?) autobiography? It's a bit of a puzzle because it does say in a couple of places in the book that it is ( part) autobiography - the reference in the Author's note and the Acknowledgements definitely suggest that - well, certainly to me!
But Rosalind has told us that she knows the author, and she doesn't seem to think that IS an autobigraphy?
I shall pursue this mystery further........watch this space......
So what are you going to paint with your Hammerite paint (when you get it from from Amazon?) It's a metal paint, isn't it?

Hello, Pigale!
I can only do heights, even from within a building , if I have something solid before me that is chest high. I've never been up the Eiffel Tower - I might make it if I'm solidly encased! I couldn't for instance stand outside on a low balcony and overlook somewhere.
"Chicken" or what?!
Now back to what you said about "Skallagrigg" - read what I've just said to Rusty....it might change your mind about attempting the book.

Chris, you MUST read "The Boy With No Shoes"(also by William Horwood) That will also bring either tears to your eyes or a lump to your throat! or maybe both?

Knowing the Yanks, they probably did away with the 'u' !

Your feeling about Rugby is somewhat the same as mine about Cricket - I approve of it, pleasant peaceful (sunny hopefully) afternoon with tea and little cakes while watching the game, if only I would understand the first thing about it !


Chrise, do you think the last penalty in Scotland/Australia should have been granted to the Aussies?

Hi pigale
You could see why the ref awarded the penalty, and unfiortunately it wasn't oone of the scenarios in which the video ref could have a say. Scotland were unlucky, but the ref wasn't to blame.

I think that "The Boy With No Shoes" is largely based on fact, but not everything happened exactly as written. One would , in fact, hope not.
I once read it aloud to a friend with poor eyesight. There are at least two places where I couldn't continue.

Elle, yes, insist on a granddaughter!
They are great, but expensive!
I am not buying any more books for a wee while.
Have several I have not read yet.
"Isaac's Storm:The Drowning of Galveston in 1900."
Worst natural disaster to hit the USA. A hurricane came ashore and 10,000 were killed overnight.
And "The Tiger". The story of a tiger which hunted humans in Siberia in 1997.
Oh, and I have Dead Wake, about the sinking of RMS Lusitania.
Yes, Hammerite is for metal. Especially rusty metal. It is for railings. Gets great reviews on Amazon.

Hi, Rusty!
Yes, wouldn't it be nice if we could just place an order?! "One granddaughter to be delivered!"
But we shall be happy with whatever we get, provided mum and baby are well!
Did you realise that I couldn't count? We shall have FIVE grandchildren once the 'new' one arrives!
Ads speaking of grandchildren - how are yours? How is Miss L-Plate doing at university? ( or do we need to call her by another pseudonym now, as I'm presuming that she has now passed her driving test?) Is she enjoying her course?
The books that you have lined up to read sound interesting.... I don't know much about the Galveston disaster other than the town was destroyed by a huge hurricane?
But I do know a little about the tiger's revenge stalking of a hunter. (I'm quite interested in tigers, altho' I know relatively little ) I should think that will be a great read.
I ran out of 'fresh' reading material and I've been re-reading the Classics. I stopped doing that in order to read the two books by William Horwood, that I was telling you about earlier.
It is time that Amazon and I have a conference!