BABE Of The DAY - ROMOLA GARAI...

ROMOLA GARAI puts the 'oo' in

oomph!  Wotta cracker.  In fact, I'd love

to find her in one this Christmas.

GUIDE DOGS - "EVERY PENNY COUNTS"...

This dog and her two pups were featured in my local newspaper recently. The 'doggy-bank' has sat in my neighbourhood chemist's for many years, possibly even going as far back as the '50s or '60s.  The shop occupies larger premises than it did originally, having moved a few units along in (I think) the early '70s, into what used to be a cafe.

It's probably older than me, and I certainly remember it from my early teenage years, but to think it goes all the way back to my childhood (or beyond) is a startling thought.  I must remember to deposit a coin or three the next time I'm in - after all, every penny counts.  My eyesight isn't as good as it used to be, but I'm grateful for what I've got and don't take it for granted.  Next time you see one of these 'banks', make a deposit.

 (I'm sure you would anyway.)

TWELFTH & FINAL PART Of The INCREDIBLE TRI-MAN...

Copyright relevant owner

Well, it's the end of the road for TRI-MAN, SMASH! fans, as we present the final two episodes of his weekly adventures.  After imitating the SPIDER-MAN formula for most of its run, the strip now seemed to be borrowing an element from SUPERMAN, with TODD BLACKER determined to prove JOHNNY SMALL's superhero alias, much like LOIS LANE trying to expose CLARK KENT's secret identity.

However, it never happened!  Tri-Man was only seen once more in the pages of the Smash! Annual for 1971 (on sale in 1970), in a RON TURNER-illustrated tale which, in all likelihood, had been completed before the superhero's final weekly story recounting Todd's discovery of JS's secret.  You can read that full-colour Annual adventure by clicking this link.  Th-th-that's all, folks!  Bid Johnny goodbye.

  

The PERILS Of eBay - SELLER STUPIDITY Or SMALL-MINDED SPITE?

Save us from some eBay sellers.  Saw a comic, described as VF+, which I needed to fill a gap in one of my collections, and bought it for a paltry sum.  I could see from the photo that it matched the description, but the seller despatched it in a thin 'padded' envelope with no cardboard backing - result?  A bent and crumpled comic that had been reduced from its 30-year-old VF+ condition to a far lesser category.

This is surely incompetence.  How someone can send a single comic in a thin envelope and expect it to arrive in an undamaged state is simply beyond comprehension.  Writing 'Please Handle With Care!  Please Do Not Bend!' is not what I'd consider adequate steps to properly protect fragile contents.  Packages of this sort travel in sacks with all sorts and sizes of other mail sitting atop them, so the chances of surviving the rigours of transport undamaged are slim to non-existent.

Was the seller annoyed that my winning bid (out of two) was a mere £1.89 (plus £1.50 p&p) and decided to extract a spiteful revenge?  (After all, at such a low price, it's hardly worth the bother of returning the item for a refund.)  Or is it simply that he's a numpty without a clue, and shouldn't be trading on eBay?  What think the rest of you?

And if any of you Crivvies have similar tales of such stupidity, vent your frustrated feelings in the comments section.  You'll feel much better for getting it off your chest.