NEW START....SAME SHIT?

Started back to work yesterday, for the first time in 6 months. Very apprehensive and nervous about not only facing the management, but also to a greater extent the colleagues. As expected, things didn't go smoothly from the off. No gentle reintroduction, refreshers, or even anybody on hand to ease my transition back into the workplace. This was later acknowledged and apologised for, but it still nearly made me leave after 15 mins of being there. But I stuck it and hopefully things may become a little easier as things progress. Glass half empty as usual. Went to my Monday night MIND drop in meeting, and have started to find that slowly some of the other members are beginning to accept me and let down some of the barriers that they erected.

Last Thursday I eventually started my befriending scheme. This involves going around to a elderly person and spending something like an hour with them. This then gives them an outlet to talk with someone, this opportunity may be quite scarce for them, so I act as a sort of social outlet. The gentleman I see is called Bob, he is an ex prison officer, 69, but also disabled. Not only does Bob hopefully benefit from these meetings but I also am looking to gain from them. My second visit will be on this Thursday. Along with my Monday night drop ins at MIND, I am starting to build up my social life.

Baseball updates.

Fleckney flyers, 174 overall, 7 in the BJ div

Nice 'n' sleazy, 214 overall, 10 in the BJ div.

Finished this weekend was Anthony Gilbert, "Out for the kill" First edition, published for the crime club by Collins. 1960, p254. Jacket by William Randell.

A review will follow next time.

RETURN

Had a meeting today with work, and we managed to agree a way forward in my reintroduction back to work. When I say we, virtually all the initiatives and ideas came from my rep' and myself. Even though the meeting ended with positive outcomes, I still think that there is an undercurrent of duplicity.

The last 2 books I have read were "The best detective stories of Cyril Hare". And "Scales of justice" by Ngaio Marsh.

The Marsh book was a decent enough entry in her bibliography. Good enough story, interesting characters, suitably fishy fingerprints and a satisfying enough solution. I have read worse, but also better. Worth a read.

Cyril Hare's collection of short stories is excellent. I haven't read a collection of short stories since Agatha Christie's "Labours of Hercules". I can safely state that the two books easily match each other in quality. There is mystery, twists, humour and even a ghost story in this fine collection. An example of the humour comes from the story entitled "Mondays child", when describing two different girls, we are told "I suppose her vital statistics were in order, but looking at her you forgot about them. It was the sheer beauty of her face that took your breath away. "

The other girl is described thus " She had a face which didn't distract you for one moment from her vital statistics."

Marks out of 10 for these 2 books, Marsh gets 7, Cyril Hare gets a big fat 10 !!!!

2 Gladys Mitchell audio books.

"Three quick and five dead", by Assembled stories, read by Eliza Hunt.

" Noonday and Night", by Soundings Audio Books, read by Anne Cater.

Baseball standings.

Fleckney flyers 159 overall, 7 in the BJ div.

Nice 'n' sleazy 344 overall, 16 in the BJ div.

ALL STAR BREAK

Where I am at the all star break.
Fleckney flyers.........204 overall,08 in the BJ div.
Nice 'n' sleazy............326 overall,14 in the BJ div.

1978, my favourite year, or was it?

I have always looked back on 78 as being my favourite year for music, but the more I research my fading memories the more I realise that 79 was damn good as well.

Let me first state the case for 78.

Patti Smith Group.........Because the night

The Jam..........................Down in a tube station at midnight

Buzzcocks........................Ever fallen in love

Talking Heads.................Psycho Killer

Elvis Costello...................Radio Radio

Blondie.............................Presence Dear

The Motors.....................Airport

The B52s.........................Rock lobster

The gang of four.............Damaged goods

Siouxsie and the Banshees....Hong Kong Garden

The Rezillos.....................Top of the pops

The Cars..........................My best friends girl

The Undertones.............Teenage Kicks

X-Ray Spex.....................The day the world turned day glo

X-Ray Spex.....................Identity

X-Ray Spex.....................Germ free adolescents

The Saints........................Know your product

The only ones..................Another girl, another planet

Penetration......................Firing squad

This is getting silly, I have just realised that I could probably sit here all day writing artists and tracks, must move on to 1979.

The Police........................Can't stand losing

The Dead Kennedys.......California Uber alles

The Specials AKA...........Gangsters

The Ramones..................I wanna be sedated

The Skids.........................Into the valley

The Members.................The sound of the suburbs

The Pretenders...............Stop all your sobbing

Dr Feelgood......................Milk and Alcohol

The Clash..........................London calling

Stiff little fingers..............Gotta gettaway

The Dickies.......................Banana splits

The Ruts...........................Babylons burning

The Ruts...........................Something that I said

The Ruts...........................Jah war

The UK subs....................Stranglehold

The Slits............................Typical Girls

The Tourists.....................I only want to be with you

This is just a little bit of food for thought.




Gladys Mitchell, "Mingled with venom" First pub' 1978 by Michael Joseph, p184, jacket/ Graham Rogers.

Gladys Mitchell, "Nest of vipers" First pub' 1979 by Michael Joseph, p192, jacket/Graham Rogers.

Again 1978 against 1979.

STRATFORD UPON AVON

Yesterday, both my mother and I went on a day trip to Stratford. We had a lovely day, the rain stayed away and we had a leisurely day just strolling around. We didn't indulge in the usual tourist trappings, mostly because we thought it was too expensive for entry. Past recollections tell me that we didn't miss anything. I have included some photo's of some of the beautiful old buildings.

ONE OR TWO NEW ADDITIONS

By my usual standards my book buying has slowed down. However when compared with more recent times, I have been quite a spendaholic.

I was very fortunate to get hold of Glady's Mitchell's "Churchyard salad" First published by Michael Joseph, London, 1969. P247. The 4th of 6 books published under the pseudonym of "Malcolm Torrie." Cover design by Graphic Partners. Let's be honest it's a bit crap. Why fortunate to get hold of this? When it was placed on e-bay, it was only advertised under "Malcolm Torrie" and not under Glady's Mitchell. I think it slipped under the radar somewhat.

The front and back of Colin Watson (1920-1983) "The Naked Nuns" First edition published 1975 by Eyre Methuen. P175. This is especially for Kay, hope you enjoy it and if you know the cover artist, let me know. Thanks.

This one was a step into uncharted waters, I know very little about Josephine Bell, or her works, other than she was first published in 1937 with " Death on the borough council", her final book "The Innocent" was published in 1983. This book "Death in Clairvoyance" First edition published by Longmans Green and Co, London 1949. P244. It was both the age of the book and its wonderful jacket that made me dig deep for it. Any help with the jacket design would be

greatly appreciated.

Baseball update, for the first time, my number one team has overtaken my number two team.

Fleckney flyers 244 overall, 08 in the BJ div'

Nice 'n' sleazy 324 overall, 12 in the BJ div'