If you have been following my Steak Pie saga (which can be found here and here ) it may have occurred to you, as it has just to me, 'What the dickens was the waitress doing in the kitchen all that time after we ordered our mythical steak pies?' In the absence of any facts, I've done what anyone else would do in the circumstances, and made something up: Waitress: "Oh my God, Oh my God, you've got to help me!" Chef: "Calm down, whatever's the...

'Film Vroom Vroom', it's a genre flick. Almost non-stop car chase to a sometimes apt sound track. The characterisation, plot and backstory are sketched thin and just about believable, if you choose to believe in gangsters, mental-mad car chase and a lot of the old Bang-Pop! 'Baby', our eponymous hero, has been hoodwinked into the criminal life by a big old baddie. His passengers, a new set on every job are rough tough armed robbers. Baby's job...

We are positively heaving with good stuff on here this week - particularly prose, so it's been very hard to pick the best - in fact I'm going to cheat a bit and do some honourable mentions too... Anyway, our Story of the Week goes to Weatherwax's two-parter 'A Meeting with Kindness' - a departure from his usual genre (fan fiction), and I hope to see more like this from him. A big honourable mention to Celticman for his hilarious 'The Best Days...

Some of you may recall my failure to purchase a steak pie from a local cafe a while back? I'm quite prepared to believe that this event hasn't exactly burned itself deep into your memory but I'm hoping there's a small chance of a sliver of recognition? For those for whom this earth-shattering event did not register, you can find the gory details (which include a spot of drain-unblocking) here . If you can't be bothered to check out the whole...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b08ywk09?suggid=b08ywk09 I wouldn’t have watched a programme like this on Channel 4 or 5. I’m biased that way. Hate those that pedal welfare porn and mock sympathy with smattering of right-wing agenda. Trumpet at a them and us world and look at the money we’re wasting on scum. I’m not really sure this is much better. I know the script. Phoenix Futures Specialist Family Services in Sheffield offer addicts the...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b08yrc78/i-know-who-you-are-series-1-episode-1 I must admit to overdosing on Cardinal recently and watching a whole series into the early hours. The premise of this Spanish drama is pretty simple but very complicated, because it involves memory and not remembering. Juan Elias Castro (Francis Garrido) may or may not have killed his niece, the beautiful Ana Saura (Susana Abaitua). Ana sent a phone message to...

A few minutes of meditation today. True silence is not possible of course. The sound of my breathing is mingled with the sounds of my enviroment. Breath in, the birds outside my living room window chatter. Mostly sparrows, an odd jay or cardinal adds a percussive rhythm. Aircraft on their way to landing filled with people and their thoughts pass overhead. I hear the groan of the engines and wonder at the lives passing by. My lungs are filled, I...

Posted by airyfairy on Fri, 14 Jul 2017 A plethora of riches to choose from this week! Our Poem of the Week is Rosa Cruz's 'Seals in the Currents', a wonderful combination of intricate detail and poetic vision: https://www.abctales.com/story/rosa-cruz/seals-currents Story of the Week goes to Cooper King's 'What Happens Near Rome'. I laughed, my toes curled in painful recognition - and from the reactions, I wasn't the only one: https://www...

A plethora of riches to choose from this week! Our Poem of the Week is Rosa Cruz's 'Seals in the Currents', a wonderful combination of intricate detail and poetic vision: https://www.abctales.com/story/rosa-cruz/seals-currents Story of the Week goes to Cooper King's 'What Happens Near Rome'. I laughed, my toes curled in painful recognition - and from the reactions, I wasn't the only one: https://www.abctales.com/story/cooper-king/what-happens-...

A couple of weeks ago, I went on my annual Walking Weekend with "the Lads". I've mentioned before that this epithet is becoming more and more of a misnomer with every passing year. After all, I'm 62 and I'm the youngest! Anyway, I was to be dropped off to join the other three but before that, we had to take our six-year-old grandson, Flynn, to school. I drove there and Hilary and Flynn got out of the car, with Hilary reminding Flynn to say...