Monthly Archives: February 2021

Non-fiction 4 (YTD 8) The Last Manchu: The Autobiography of Henry Pu Yi, Last Emperor of China A Buzz in the Meadow, by Dave Goulson Ties That Bind: Love in Science Fiction and Fantasy, ed. Francesca T. Barbini Goodbye To … Continue reading →

I am grateful to Ian for bringing to my attention the case of Patience Kershaw, a girl whose testimony to the Antony Ashley-Cooper's Children's Employment Commission (Mines) has been adapted and set to music, performed by many including The Unthanks: … Continue reading →

Sat, 12:40: May 2010 books https://t.co/oRS0p94UZ1 Sat, 12:56: Picasso’s anti-war “Guernica” tapestry removed from U.N. headquarters after decades on display https://t.co/i17KfO0TGS Sad news, but I guess it was only ever on long-term loan. Sat, 18:54: Megaliths of Western Belgium – … Continue reading →

i) births and deaths for 28 February 28 February 1912: birth of Mervyn Pinfield, who was Associate Producer for Doctor Who from An Unearthly Child (1963) to The Romans (1965) and also directed The Sensorites (1964), Planet of Giants (1964) … Continue reading →

As you will know if you follow me on social media, I did a grand tour of the menhirs and dolmens of western Belgium on Monday, accompanied by J, my partner in crime. Here they are in the order that … Continue reading →

This is the latest post in a series I started in late 2019, anticipating the twentieth anniversary of my bookblogging which will fall in 2023. Every six-ish days I've been revisiting a month from my recent past, noting work and … Continue reading →

Fri, 16:26: 7461 Belgians got their first vaccination yesterday, including U and her sister B. https://t.co/gZPYBKuvt2 Fri, 18:14: Friday reading https://t.co/shqkWFsyZi Sat, 09:30: Whoniversaries 27 February https://t.co/yp5RPHgsIy Sat, 10:06: RT @pmdfoster: Yes. It’s not just the ERG that has no … Continue reading →

i) births and deaths 27 February 1946: birth of Tom Chadbon, who played Duggan in City of Death (1979) and Merdeen in The Mysterious Planet (1986), and also various Big Finish roles including Harry Sullivan's younger brother Will in the … Continue reading →

Current Titus Alone, by Mervyn Peake Chasm City, by Alastair Reynolds Goodbye To All That, by Robert Graves Science Fiction: The Great Years, eds. Carol and Frederik Pohl The Ministry for the Future, by Kim Stanley Robinson Last books finished … Continue reading →

Thu, 12:56: HBO Developing Adaptation Of Roger Zelazny’s Sci-Fi Novel ‘Roadmarks’ https://t.co/m4f9eHX9Lv Brilliant! Thu, 15:28: RT @davidallengreen: Why it was correct for an appeal court to allow a memorial entirely in Irish Today’s post at the @law_and_policy blog… Thu, 16:05: … Continue reading →

i) births and deaths 26 February 1932: birth of Michael Goldie, who played Jack Craddock in The Dalek Invasion of Earth (First Doctor, 1964) and Elton Laleham in The Wheel in Space (Second Doctor, 1968) 26 February 1938: birth of … Continue reading →

Second paragraph of third story (“Contraption”): “I never saw such a trifling young’un in all my life,” she’d shrill at him and then she’d go on to say that she’d think he’d have some gratitude for the way she and … Continue reading →

Wed, 12:56: RT @mrjamesob: More sparkling analysis from @rafaelbehr, including the observation that, for a succession of Tory leaders, reaping the (obv… Wed, 16:05: Just caught up with this excellent piece! https://t.co/wdYmnvSaC4 Wed, 16:48: Western Belgian megaliths! I did a … Continue reading →

i) births and deaths 25 February 1997: death of Arthur Hewlett, who played rebel scientist Kalmar in State of Decay (Fourth Doctor, 1980) and doomed passenger Kimber in Terror of the Vervoids (Sixth Doctor, 1986). broadcast anniversaries 25 February 1967: … Continue reading →

Second paragraph of third chapter: Across the gleaming, sterile expanse of her dojo-esque office chamber her assistant, Vincent Lee, braces on his feet. Lee is twenty-three, groomed and polished to CPB junior executive standards, and quite unaccustomed to delivering such … Continue reading →

Tue, 12:08: RT @peterjbirks: @nwbrux Yes, started in France (presumably from England in December?), now looking to be in Netherlands. Have to expect an… Tue, 12:56: UK universities plead to keep EU cash post-Brexit https://t.co/LmupfcVKBY But Whitehall and Westminster show … Continue reading →

i) births and deaths 24 February 2019: death of Graeme Curry, who wrote The Happiness Patrol (Seventh Doctor, 1988) ii) broadcast anniversaries 24 February 1968: broadcast of fourth episode of The Web of Fear. Lethbridge-Stewart (*sigh*) leads a sortie to … Continue reading →

Second paragraph of third story (“The July Ghost”): He picked a long, bright hair off the back of her dress, so deftly that the act seemed simply considerate. He had been skilful at balancing glass, plate and cutlery, too. He … Continue reading →

Mon, 19:00: RT @OliveBridget: Katherine O’Shea #TodayCB #charlesstewartparnell Mon, 19:32: Gormenghast, by Mervyn Peake https://t.co/TY3mielQg4 Tue, 09:30: Whoniversaries 23 February https://t.co/qVQIiqPmSj Tue, 10:11: RT @pmdfoster: ‍⬛ UK pet food industry hurt by Brexit checks and red tape – a story … Continue reading →

i) births and deaths 23 February 1918: birth of Bill Strutton, writer of The Web Planet (First Doctor, 1965) and the novelisation Doctor Who and the Zarbi. 23 February 1928: birth of Bernard Kay, who played Carl Tyler in the … Continue reading →

Second paragraph of third chapter: But no. There were no scales or wings at all When I last reread this in 2011, I wrote: The second book of the famous trilogy, in which the evil Steerpike's plans to dominate Gormenghast … Continue reading →

Sun, 12:56: RT @HawardTom: The phrase, ‘EU shellfish ban,’ keeps being used by news outlets and it’s important to understand how this language is misle… Sun, 15:16: RT @alexstubb: I do not think it is the job of big tech … Continue reading →

i) births and deaths 22 February 1975: death of Peter R. Newman, writer of the story we now call The Sensorites (First Doctor, 1964). 22 February 2011: death of Nicholas Courtney, who played Bret Vyon in The Daleks' Master Plan … Continue reading →

This is the latest post in a series I started in late 2019, anticipating the twentieth anniversary of my bookblogging which will fall in 2023. Every six-ish days I’ve been revisiting a month from my recent past, noting work and … Continue reading →

Sat, 12:56: RT @Mikepeeljourno: A striking image. Session on “A New transatlantic agenda” at the Munich security conference – with the leaders of the U… Sat, 15:23: Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and the books https://t.co/o8vJ3YJWq5 Sat, 15:56: Pattern Recognition by … Continue reading →

i) births and deaths 21 February 1981: death of Ron Grainer, who composed the Doctor Who theme tune. According to the lore, he was so gobsmacked by Delia Derbyshire's electronic arrangement of the music that he asked her, "Did I … Continue reading →

I'm going to try and keep up a 10-day report here, even though there seems little enough to report. The numbers in Belgium are still not falling, and there has been no firm news about vaccines, though a strong hint … Continue reading →

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (there is no punctuation in the official title) won the 1988 Hugo for Best Dramatic Presentation. Second place went to Beetlejuice and third to Big

Fri, 12:56: How performers lost out in ‘eye for an eye’ Brexit talks https://t.co/zOZniIe0Bn In brief, there was inflexibility on both sides. (Though more from London.) Fri, 14:59: Blowing My Cover: My Life As A CIA Spy, and other misadventures, … Continue reading →

i) births and deaths 20 February 1913: birth of Rex Tucker, who is credited formally as director of The Gunfighters (1966) but also played an important role in the genesis of the show in 1963. 20 February 1954: birth of … Continue reading →