Diary... Sergeant Leslie Todd Gunner Leslie Todd was an ordinary soldier who fought an ordinary Second World War like millions of others. A Territorial volunteer, he served on anti-aircraft duties in the Battle of Britain and landed in Normandy a month after D-Day. When Leslie died in 1985 I discovered his war diary. [...]
Covid-19 has ignited an explosion of creativity in all sorts of fields from people trapped in lockdown. One such event was UK Crime Book Club's #UKCBCfest20 free online festival. Held over last weekend, it featured 13 live Facebook sessions with top crimewriters including Mark Billingham, Elly Griffiths, Cally Taylor and William Shaw. #UKCBCfest20 came about [...]
You can have the cream of crime in your living room this weekend. Dozens of crime book festivals attract hundreds of authors and thousands of fans annually. This year they are victims of Covid-19. But the Facebook group UK Crime Book Club is on the case. This site, which has more than 10,000 members, is holding [...]
Friday April24: Another clear, hot day. Busy morning editing videos of me reading Phoney face... high-tech toddler Danny for #UKCBCfest20. Emailed isolating elderly friends for a catchup. … Went for a forecourt sundown beer and started Ben Kane's Lionheart. Sun still beautifully warm. Daughter Facetimed. Fuzzy Grandson calling out the names of his [...]
Sunday April19: Another brilliant day. Long walk. Felt better although knee tender. Fair number of people walking, enjoying sunshine (but only as an unavoidable byproduct of walking). Facemasks increasingly common as debate on their usefulness rages. … Saw the Walking Man. Glad as I haven't seen him for a week+. Monday April20: Woke before alarm [...]
Monday April13: Received videos of grandson enjoying Easter egg hunt. Good to see but it makes his physical absence more acute. … Haven't seen the Walking Man for a week. Don't know his name or where he lives. Hope he's ok. Another 717 hospital deaths, new total 11,329. Non-hospital deaths not included. Scramble for [...]
Friday April10: Up early, hot and sunny. Mooched through morning. Milk had gone off. Chatted to neighbour's husband on forecourt. Think he's getting a bit stir crazy as he's not usually very talkative beyond the standard pleasantries. … Out mid afternoon, followed the back roads to parish church. Churches are closed but the churchyard was [...]
UK Crime Book Club on Facebook is a lively, friendly group of nearly 10,000 readers and writers. They run regular short story events. Here is my recent contribution. THE ASSASSINATION OF EDDIE TENCH The target was close now. He could see him, smell him, but the doomed man would never see his soon-to-be assassin. It [...]
Friday April03: Queued 20 minutes at Waitrose. Well spaced although the guy behind seemed to think he'd get in quicker if he edged closer to me. It was fairly well stocked but crowded given the rationed entry. Many people so focussed on their shopping they were oblivious to those around them. Hard to maintain separation. [...]
I am saddened, cheesed off and worried to find my GP has retired. It wasn't the patients, I'm told, it was NHS bureaucracy that drove him onto the golf course. It takes an age to build a rapport with your first port of call for medical assistance. Explaining ailments from scratch to a stranger in a one-disease-per-ten-minute-slot [...]