My Telephone Never Rings.

Magic Roundabout.

(From my sketchbook.) Dougal is listening to an old record. Probably the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band. Hes a bit partial, is Dougal.

The Devil's Storybook.

Came across this lovely wee bookin a hospice Shop. The Devil's Storybook, written and drawn by Natalie Babbitt, consists of ten little parables straight out of the Adversary's ink well. Wry little yarns with titles like The Harp Of Heaven or The Power Of Speech, each one accompanied by a single illustration which elevates each rum little tale. Part Edward Gorey part Charles Adams, this is a Halloween Orange and Black celebration of a Devil more inclined to miscief than mayhem. And one of the stories has a goat in it called Walpurgis. Eat your soul out, Black Philip.Originally published in the seventies by Sunburst, I was lucky to find a copy. Although the words luck and The Devil rarely go together in a sentence.

In the Avenues and Alleyways.

I pass under Pottingers Entry archway on a re3gular basis. It never gets old. Unlike me.

My Lady Judge.

Had not heard of this wonderful mystery tale set in one of the most mysterious regions of Olde Irelande but I am so glad I came across it on a recent book forage in Oxfam books.

I have never been to the Burragh but have seen a documentary and some articles and pictures capturing some of its primal beauty. It struck me as a location that fairly radiates an otherworldly energy, as a region shaped by ancient forces that predate man on this island of ours. Everywhere we find people on this world you also find ground beneath their feet. Yet few bear the impression of the way deep time works than this region of Ireland. The finger prints of deep time lingers in the region, with its silent tributaries of serrated rock, like the wrinkled bros of sleeping gods. It would be easy to accept that life is not welcome there but that notion could not be further from the truth, life does indeed exist there and continues to do so, in abundance. It may not be human life as modernity presents but its a hardy and savage kind of life form that can choose to operate there. One might goes as far as to suggest The Wild Hunt continues there. Cora Harrison does a fantastic job of introducing a wide range of very interesting and real feeling characters in this murder mystery set in a period of Irish history I am completely unfamiliar with. we were never taught history like this in school. We did learn something about the Tudor period in school but barely anything about the history of Ireland. In fact I do not think I have ever read any fiction, much less factual history, set in this era. And for a historical it feels very fresh indeed. I would not hesitate to read more by this author in whatever era she chooses to work.

The Craic's Up To Ninety.

Nine decades of being Tom Baker.What a man.We love you,Tom.

Trouble Songs.

Are there such things as redemption songs? And by virtue of that redemption music? Who can tell, music means so much to the people of this planet it is most likely only onr aspect of an enormous world view stretching back to the time some human being blew into a hollow reed or repeatedly bounced sticks of a drum like object. Like our ape descendent in the opening of 2001 A Space Odyssey as he beat out the opening to Blur's Song 13 on a pig skull. Probably.

A picture of me with someone who actually understands and makes music; Brian Young of The Sabrejets.