As followers might have noted I’m involved with some jolly fine fun writing of the story of Nicky Tams by my colleague Gordon Thorburn. Trying to be as clever as possible, never a good idea, I have scheduled these to appear in the right order over several weeks. It worked out quite well until today when I managed to post one a few weeks early after some editing I needed to do to it. Flapping around I went back and deleted it and then put it back in the right order. Breathing a sigh of relief, though I’m not sure quite … Continue reading You wait for a blog to come along, then three turn up at once…

They used to inhabit small shops, and generally had a bank of second-hand TVs that they would sell to you with the legend, that “these never seem to breakdown, Japanese you see” ( Never quite explaining why they had appeared in his shop ). Put out of business by the solid state flat screen TVs we have today hanging from every wall. Why we even refer to them as “flat screen TVs” any more is a bit of a mystery as every TV seems to have a flat screen, when’s the last time you saw one with buttons on the front … Continue reading TV Man, remember them?

Our latest episode of Nicky Tams the King of Nosepipe,  as told by Gordon Thorburn and illustrated by myself Wordsmith Drawingsmith   Kings are only human. As, indeed, are manservants. After the squash, Macdonald drove King Canoe home through the country lanes in the Royal Sports Car, which was a fantastic old red MG TC. It had the soft top and the wooden steering wheel, leather seats, walnut dash, proper circular dials with chromium round them, and proper black knobs and switches. Macdonald always had the top down if it wasn’t actually pouring with rain, and King Canoe wore goggles … Continue reading 11. Kings are only human.

Our latest episode of Nicky Tams the King of Nosepipe,  as told by Gordon Thorburn and illustrated by myself Wordsmith Drawingsmith   If you thought King Nicky Tams was a clot, wait until you meet King Canoe. He’s wobbly, he’s weedy, He’s fat he’s wet he’s greedy, C.A.N.O.E. Canooooooooe! (Ang Gonnaseckian children’s playground rhyme) The answerphone was on because Canoe, a fat King and a total pickled cucumber, was spending the morning at the Squash Club in York. He was in York because it was summer. In summer, the King and his Entourage (means ‘Hangers-on’) always retreated from their Scarborough … Continue reading 10. If you thought King Nicky Tams was a clot, wait until you meet King Canoe.

I’m not one for taking pictures of my own lunch but this has to be a worthy exception. Until last week I’d never had East End Eels. I’d heard about Pie and Mash shops and Jellied Eels, of course, but never sampled the delights. A trip to Hackney and there stands an old established Eel and Pie shop. On a perishing cold day, it seemed sensible to have a hot dinner. Under that sea of green lurk the eels in question, the sea of green is described as liquor, but to you and me it would be parsley sauce ( … Continue reading Eels and Mash

Our latest episode of Nicky Tams the King of Nosepipe,  as told by Gordon Thorburn and illustrated by myself Wordsmith Drawingsmith Let loose the dogs of war! Have at ye, varlet! In the Olden Days, soldiers used to say things like that. They also said “Lay on, Macduff” and “I want my mammy”. The Nosepipians’ journey across the sea was total chaos, with quite a few of the ships being sailed by people who had only done wind-surfing before. There were no signs or anything to give them directions, and the weather got worse and worse. They thought they were … Continue reading 9. Let loose the dogs of war! Have at ye, varlet!

Our latest episode of Nicky Tams the King of Nosepipe,  as told by Gordon Thorburn and illustrated by myself Wordsmith Drawingsmith It was usually muesli for the poor wee lamb. Nicky Tams looked at the muesli jar. It was a special, very good for you sort of muesli, specially mixed by the Royal Special Muesli Mixing Herald Pursuivant. It had large quantities of sharp bits, blended carefully with hard bits and chewy bits and stick-between-your-teeth bits, all together with loads of round, flat, floury tasteless bits. Nicky Tams was allowed no salt or sugar, but he found that if he … Continue reading 8. What the King had for his breakfast.

Our latest episode of Nicky Tams the King of Nosepipe,  as told by Gordon Thorburn and illustrated by myself Wordsmith Drawingsmith What a girl. She’d already written out the list. This was the list. Bows. Arrows. Catapults. Air pistols (they wouldn’t sell proper guns to someone still at junior school, even in the Olden Days, and even if she was the Prime Minister). Slugs for the air pistols. Uniforms. Boots. Tents. Flags. Trumpets. And, of course, Men. They didn’t allow girls in the army. “Now, what about lunch on the first day?” she said to herself. “Would a Chinese take-away … Continue reading 7. The Prime Minister gets the shopping in.

Our latest episode of Nicky Tams the King of Nosepipe,  as told by Gordon Thorburn and illustrated by myself Wordsmith Drawingsmith The Doom of Nicky Tams. Perhaps some Eye of Newt would have been better. Tracy was good at History as well as everything else, and so she knew the answer to that question. “They usually try to make their kingdoms bigger, so they can be more important than the other kings.” “But that’s silly,” said Nicky Tams. “Obviously.” “Like, why?” asked Tracy. “Well, obviously. I mean to say, if I were to make my kingdom bigger, that would mean … Continue reading The Doom of Nicky Tams.

Just a short film of a very small selection of the morris dancing and their bands yesterday in Stroud, there to celebrate Wassail. What a talented bunch.There were too many to film all of them all of the time, but these few give the flavour of the event. Make sure you don’t miss it next year. A brilliant way to cheer people at the most miserable time of year. This was no morris minor.   See if you can spot this chap!   Continue reading Morris minor, parts thereof…

A day out in Stroud to see the Wassail. Read all about where it comes from here In actual fact, I saw more of the Morris men and women than the Wassail thing itself as by the time I’d had a spot of chilli and bread with the horse nearby I was at the back of the crowd outside the Subscription Rooms in Stroud. That aside I got loads of shots of the very fine Morris Dancers, who were all very accommodating, but then if you spend time decorating yourself like this you must expect some attention. I’ll leave you to enjoy … Continue reading This was no morris minor.