PONDERING POMPEY... (Updated)

Exterior of 5 Shearer Road.  My room's on the ground floor

For a few months at the beginning of 1985, I lived in a little bedsit at 5 Shearer Road in Fratton, Portsmouth, at the start of my long freelance comics career for IPC/FLEETWAY, and later (back home) MARVEL UK and REDAN, etc.  I had a small front room, and shared kitchen and bathroom facilities, though I always ate out, not being given to preparing my own grub.  Earlier tonight I was looking at a couple of items I'd acquired while ensconced in number 5 and suddenly realised I kind of missed the place.  It represented a time in my life when I was less than half the age I am now, and had it ever occurred to me to project my thoughts 35 years into the future, it probably would've seemed far too distant a span to even imagine - an eternity away in fact.

However, from this side of the devide, it seems like no time at all really, and I can't help but marvel at the speed with which the years flashed past while seeming to be almost stationary during the process.  Funny that, eh?  I wish I could jump into my private helicopter (if I had one) and fly down to Portsmouth, let myself into the house I stayed in, and re-experience the sense of what it was like to live there.  I'm doing that now of course, but only in my mind - it would give it far greater clarity and closeness if I were able to do so in the place itself.  I still possess most if not all of the books, comics, and items I purchased in my few months down there, and they provide a nice reminder of a particular period in my life from long ago.  

I've also got photos of the room and area I stayed in, so if you're not busy watching paint dry, why don't I share them with you?  You'd like that?  Oh, good, 'cos I would too.  So here are some images recorded for posterity on a HANIMEX 110mm camera (bought in Southsea on a previous stay in 1981) of where I lived more than half my life away.  If you're from the area, feel free to provide an update on any significant changes since I was there.  (For example, is there a blue plaque with my name on it above the front door of number 5 yet?)  These pics form a circular tour (left-to-right) of my room (I'm sure you can work out which one it was), starting outside the house and ending there.  I'll add some other photos of Portsmouth later.

I once saw a woman walking her cat on a lead on
the street across the road from this window

You can see the little desk I worked at, lettering and resizing pages
for the pocket library mags while listening to Radio Victory

I attended a service (may've been a Gospel meeting) in the Salem Baptist
Chapel one night 'cos they were serving tea and biscuits after it ended

Can't recall ever hanging anything in the 'wardrobe'

The bed was comfier than it looks.  I very soon bought two
sleeping bags (zipped them together) and two comfy pillows

My Coca Cola Radio bottle and a can of the 'Real Thing'.  The Wind
In The Willows Calendar hangs on my wall to the left of me as I type

Kept some comics and books in the chest of drawers

H'mm, what could this be?  Ah, now I remember - it's
the door (from the inside) in to and out of my room

View from the window again

Now this looks familiar

'My' house - home sweet home (sort of)

Okay, Crivvies, next is the road to Portsmouth Town Centre from Buckland/Fratton, and the centre itself, which is very reminiscent of my town back in the 1960s and '70s.  Maybe that's why I felt so at home in Pompey.  After the shot of the fountain is the Guildhall, plus the large park just behind it.  Back on October 12th 1984, BOB HOPE arrived at the Guildhall to do a gig, only to find it cancelled due to an unexploded bomb being found the day before.  It was in the papers, and he also mentioned it at The Edinburgh Playhouse the next night (13th) - I was there.

The flats on the right (our pov) hadn't been completed
when I walked into town on a previous stay in '81

Talking of which, here's a photo I took in '81 on the same road

This shot is just before and on the right (our pov) of the previous pic.
I've got one taken in '81 of a horse grazing here when it was a field

And here's the very photo to prove it

Portsmouth Town Centre fountain outside Lloyds Bank, out of
sight on the left from our pov.  It closed many years ago

Street on the left-hand side (our pov) of The Guildhall

The Guildhall was completed in 1890 and bombed to
bits in 1941.  The Queen reopened it in 1959

Queen Victoria statue seen from Library Cafe.  You might recognise
the area from a 6-part TV show called 'Going Out', broadcast in 1981

Dunno what this edifice is, but doesn't it look grand?

Very futuristic-looking

The swans were absent the last time I took a photo
in 1981.  Must've been away getting repaired

And (from a different side) here is proof of which I speak, taken in '81

H'm, what's this?  Let me refer to my notes... ah, yes - a tree

Let's see, what's next?  Some assorted shots near the seafront, and one from a cafe overlooking the bus terminus.

Saw this archway in a TV drama sometime in the '80s 

Gosport on the horizon.  Visited twice in '81, first time at night, second during the daytime

Another shot, same view.  Don't know why I didn't visit again in '85

It was either in this newsagent's or a bookshop along to the right (our
pov) that I saw a nice hardback copy of The Wind In The Willows.
Can't recall if I bought it there, or later when I returned to Scotland

If you're a Russian agent, look away now

Below is one near the duck pond at the far end of Southsea, followed by one of me in my room in the HOMELEA HOTEL (prior to living in Shearer Road), not too far away from the pond (if memory serves).  This was taken sometime in January, I believe.

Frankly, my dear, I don't give a duck.  (Swans, on the
other hand, I've got plenty of.  Or are they geese?)

Hairy-but-handsome, that's me.  Incidentally, I still have that blue
jumper and it still fits.  (Though it might be just a tad tighter)

Tell you what - to finish, let's jump up to London and take a look at the view from the 26th floor of KING'S REACH TOWER when I was there doing some lettering.  I used to visit KRT once or twice a week (from Pompey), which involved rising at around quarter to 4 in the morning so I could catch the 6 a.m. coach.  I usually arrived about 8.30 a.m. or thereabouts, and didn't get back to Shearer Road 'til sometime after 10 at night.  Are you up for it?  Okay, here we go then.

I think I've got pics of this site when new buildings
had been erected.  (Tee-hee!  I said 'erected')

Slightly wider shot...

...and a view of the skyline above it

And that's your lot.  Hope you enjoyed this small tour 'round a snippet of my life 35-odd years ago.  No?  Ach, you're an awfy hard lot to please.

TV TORNADO ANNUAL 1969 COVER...

Characters copyright relevant and respective owners

Right, where were we?  Like I said in a previous post, back around 1986 or '87 the 3rd TV TORNADO Annual (1970) was given to me by an old schoolfriend.  Then, nine days ago - Wednesday 18th to be precise - his best pal (another old schoolfriend) gave me the 1st Annual (1968) to add to my collection.  Today I received the 2nd Annual (1969), bought on eBay, and tomorrow (Saturday) or Monday, the 4th and final one (1971) should hopefully arrive to complete the set.  So it's taken me 33-34 years to get all four, making me feel like MAGNUS ("Ive started so I'll finish") MAGNUSSON.

But are you lot interested in any of that?  I guess not, but I always like to write something in each new post to justify including an image with it.  And be honest - don't you regard the proffered pictorial presentation as a well-deserved reward for wading through whatever dreary pish I've written?  So, that way, each of us feels validated for being here and honour is satisfied on both sides of the Bloggerland border.  Tell you what, if you like this cover, go to your front door, throw it open - then applaud as loud as you can to show your appreciation.  What's that?  No chance, you did that last night and you're not falling for it again?

Good.  You're learning.  

MIGHTY MARVEL COLLECTOR'S EDITIONS CHECKLIST - ON SALE NOW! (Updated)

THE ASTONISHING SPIDER-MAN #50

Copyright MARVEL COMICS.  Published by PANINI

52 action-packed pages of arachnid adventure!  All Spidey needs is a little R&R, but with the Rhino, Taskmaster and the Black Ant around you can bet that peace and quiet is off the menu!  Plus, Classic Adventure!  Spidey and the Black Widow team-up once again to take down a criminal cartel, but just who is the mysterious mastermind behind it all?!  By Nicks Spencer, Chris Bachalo, Roger McKenzie, Marv Wolfman & Will Meugniot!

Reprinting material from Amazing Spider-Man #14 & Marvel Team-Up #98.

On Sale Now!

£4.50.

******

MARVEL LEGENDS #23

52 action-packed pages in the Mighty Marvel Manner! The War of the Realms is coming to Earth!  Thor and the All-Mother side-by-side to save the world!  By Jason Aaron & Mike Del Mundo! Plus: Can Captain America survive being held prisoner in The Myrmidon long enough for Sharon Carter and her team to rescue him?!  By Ta-Nehisi Coates & Adam Kubert!

Reprinting material from Thor #11 & Captain America #9.

On sale Now!

£4.50.

(Update: These two mags have now disappeared from the Panini website, so presumably their distribution is on hold until things are back to normal.)

MIND CONTROL RUN RIOT?

I'm sure we all appreciate what NHS workers (and others) are doing on our behalf during the current crisis, but having just been woken up from a much-needed sleep by people clapping out on the street (some quieter than others), I can't help but think it's a pretty empty gesture as most NHS workers won't have heard it.  In fact, of those who did, some were probably trying to get a bit of rest after a long hard shift and found their repose as disturbed as mine was. 

Whose idea was it to suggest such an action?  And why, like sheep, do we so readily fall into step with such pointless 'political' posturing?  Clapping's one thing, but when people start whooping like Americans at the Super Bowl, it's going a step too far.  Show your appreciation for the nurses, doctors, carers, etc., by doing something more useful.  Boris, give them a raise or/and pay them double-time while the pandemic is ongoing, and make sure they have the essentials to do their job with minimum risk to themselves.  Man in the street, drop a big tub of chocolates into their workplace when it's safe to do so, or make a donation to their Christmas party.

All the clapping in the world isn't going to help medical staff who have become infected (or even died) while aiding others.  It may make us feel pleased with ourselves ("Look how wonderful we are - we stood on our doorstep and clapped at empty air for a few minutes - that's how much we appreciate the NHS"), but when it comes down to it, it's like pissing into the wind.  It doesn't do anyone one real bit of good in the long run.  It's also a bit like standing at your door and applauding a play you haven't gone to see, just because you like the actors who are in it.

And call me a cynic, but some people only participate in such public displays because they're more concerned with being seen to be appreciative than just actually being so.  Sure, we should all be grateful for those who are tending the sick (and helping 'oil the wheels' of the country) at this uncertain time, but let's show our gratitude in a far more practical way.  Maybe you think I'm a miserable old git, or perhaps you agree with me?  Feel free to say so either way in the comments section.  You never know - someone might applaud you for it.

******

(Incidentally, I'm a carer [unpaid], and all the applause in the universe is useless to me.  It's more a case of 'hands-on' help I could do with, not mere hand-clapping.)

Update: Tonight, April 1st, my taxi driver told me that his wife, who's a nurse, regarded the clapping event as ridiculous - and that isn't an April Fool. 

NEW U.K. BATMAN TITLE - ON SALE NOW! (Updated)

BATMAN #1  TALES OF THE DARK KNIGHT

Copyright DC COMICS.  Published by PANINI

Two fantastic Batman stories!  Issue #1 features the first part of the highly acclaimed 'White Knight' mini-series from Sean Murphy.  Imagine a world where the Joker is cured and demanding the arrest of Batman.  Our other story is the first chapter of Peter J. Tomasi’s 'Mythology', in which a killer goes to extreme lengths to duplicate the murder of Batman’s parents.

On sale Now!

£4.50.

(Update: This magazine  can be ordered direct from Panini by clicking here.)

TERRIFIC! It's PART SIX Of DON STARR'S 'APPOINTMENT With FEAR!'

Copyright relevant owner

One of the problems with these DON STARR pages is that quite a few of them are 'dirty'.  What I mean is that the ink outlines from one page are imprinted on the page facing it when the comic is closed, and sometimes also vice-versa.  It would take hours to clean them up properly, and I don't have the stamina for such an arduous task nowadays, so I've done the best I can without going all out, leaving some ink 'smudges' still visible.  However, they're cleaner than they were, so hopefully the remaining imperfections won't spoil your enjoyment of the strip too much.

Having said that, it doesn't seem very popular with most Crivs, as the visits to each episode has been declining since I revived the strip on the 7th of this month after a few year's break.  To those who complain about their favourite blogs closing all over the place, then you should try supporting them more by visiting regularly and leaving a comment, as I can quite understand why some bloggers give up the ghost when it seems all their efforts are a waste of time.  I did say 'favourite blogs' so that probably leaves Crivens out of the reckoning, but hey - it's a favourite of mine!

Anyway, hopefully you'll enjoy this current episode and return for the next one. 

ALBERT UDERZO DIES AT 92...

Copyright relevant owner

Sad to learn that ALBERT UDERZO, co-creator and illustrator (as well as writer after RENE GOSCINNY's death in 1977) of ASTERIX The GAUL, has died of a heart attack in his sleep.  He drew comic strips the way they deserved to be drawn. Thoughts are with his family, friends, and fans.

CRIVENS' CLASSIC COMIC COVERS - SUPERMAN #279...

Copyright DC COMICS.  Cover art NICK CARDY

I've asked this question numerous times before, but I'll ask it again anyway - just where do the years go to?  Following my recent acquisition of a replacement for my long-gone issue of SUPERMAN #268, I decided to get the follow-up tale to Supes' team-up with BATGIRL, namely issue #279.  Again, this is one I originally had back in 1974, a whopping 46 years ago while I was yet a schoolboy, but when it arrived a short while ago today, the decades melted away as if they'd never been upon the mere sight of it.

Just finished reading it, and it was a pleasantly entertaining tale, as was The FABULOUS WORLD Of KRYPTON back-up strip.  And as with #268, I remember where I was when I first read this mag, and the vanished world of my youth reappeared, resurrected as if by magic from the mists of time.  Such experiences are relatively short-lived until reality again intrudes, but can always be revived at a later date whenever the fancy takes me.  Who needs a TARDIS when we have old comic-books, eh?  (Don't get me wrong though - a TARDIS would be nice.)

Did you have this ish back in the day?  If so, what personal memories does it conjure up for you, faithful Crivs?  Let loose in the captivating comments section - and don't worry, it's a completely Coronavirus-free area.

BABE Of The DAY - LINDA THORSON...

It's luscious LINDA THORSON

to brighten your day and put a spring in

your step, even if just to walk around your

own house 'cos you can't go out due to the

'canary virus'.  Never mind, worse things

happen at sea.  (Or so I'm told - just ask

 Roger the cabin boy.  Ouch!)

TV TORNADO ANNUAL 1970 COVER...

Characters copyright relevant and respective owners

Above is the cover to the very first TV TORNADO Annual I ever had (and still have), given to me by an old school pal around 33-34 years ago.  This is the third Annual, issued in 1969 for 1970, and though I've now had it for all this time, I've never before read it until the very early hours of this morning.  Well, to be precise, I only read the comic strips, the text stories I've left for a rainy day.  Same with the other Annual I received as a gift from another school pal on Wednesday - read the strips, not the stories, but I'll get around to them eventually.

When I was first given this book, I somehow had the impression its previous owner had bought it (or had it bought for him) when it first came out, but I noticed a hand-written price of 10p (it had originally cost 12/6d in 1969) on the inside, so presumably he bought it at a jumble sale two or three years later.  I've now owned it for far longer than he did, but somehow I still associate it with him more than myself - maybe that'll change in another 30-odd years.*

I've also just bought the second Annual on eBay (for a price less than the postage), so that only leaves the fourth Annual to add to my collection, then I'll have the full set.  (Update: now bought it.)  Incidentally, the ridiculous MILE HIGH COMICS (obviously named after their exorbitant prices) is selling the first Annual for £510.92, even though there are several available on eBay for just a few quid.  And even though the Mile High copy is supposedly in pristine condition, it's still not worth anywhere near that price.

Did you buy TV Tornado comic back in the day, or any of the Annuals?  Feel free to share your memories of them in our sadly-neglected comments section.

******

*Unusually for me, I'd left this Annual completely unretouched (in regard to repairing any minor defects) since I first acquired it 33-34 years ago.  Until tonight (23rd March), when I straightened the dunted corners and gave them a slight colour-touch where required.  I also reinforced the spine as it was a bit fragile in places, so the book finally displays signs of my personal ownership after remaining exactly as it was since passing into my possession so many moons ago.  I can now truly regard it as 'my' book, and not anyone else's. 

GIT ALONG, LITTLE DOGGIES...

The above picture-frame hangs in my hall above the kitchen door and shows two photos each of the three dogs we had (at different times) from January 1973 to November 1998.  The first was PRINCE (1 & 2), the second was TARA (3 & 4), and the third was ZARA (5 & 6).  The interesting thing about these photos is that they were all taken within a few feet of each other in the same area of the same back garden over a period of 20-plus years.

Let's number the top pics 1-3 and the lower ones 4-6.  So going from left to right, pics 1 & 2 (Prince) are on the path seen behind Tara in pic 4, and pic 5 (Zara) is on the path to the right (our pov) of pic 4, which is in front of the doorway seen in pic 3 (Tara).  Pic 6 (Zara in her kennel) is on the left (our pov) of pic 3, and was a different kennel to Tara's, but in the same place that her's once occupied.  (Still with me?)  "So what?" you may be wondering.

Well, we moved to another house in a different neighbourhood in 1983, where Tara lived for the last three years of her life.  A month after she died, I bought Zara (who was born a month before Tara passed, so their lives overlapped), and a year after that, we moved back to our previous house.  That means there was a gap of just over four years between Tara and Zara living in the same house, so photos of them (and Prince) on the same few feet of pathway of the same garden is somehow very satisfying and significant to me.

The dogs never met one another, but they all knew and played in the same garden, and 'posed' for photos, each being captured for posterity within the same few feet of space.  How fitting, therefore, that their images are now housed in the same picture frame, almost as if they all shared the garden at one and the same time.  Perhaps their spirits romp about together out there, the best of pals, and greet me a with a ghostly bark of welcome whenever I go out to fill the birdfeeders every morning.

Anyway, do you have a similar pictorial reminder of any dogs or pets you may've once had, and does it make you smile fondly whenever your eyes fall upon it?  Tell all in the comments section. 

BABE Of The DAY - LINDA THORSON...

Seeing lovely LINDA THORSON

with her hair like this makes me wonder if,

instead of being TARA KING, she could've

just assumed the role of EMMA PEEL after

DIANA RIGG left for pastures new.  What

do you say, Crivvies?  Do you think such

 a switcheroo could have worked?

TV TORNADO ANNUAL 1968 COVER...

Characters copyright relevant and respective owners

Here's a nice little gift that one of my old pals (ROSS) from primary school gave me on Wednesday - the TV TORNADO Annual for 1968 (on sale in '67).  It's not one he's owned since childhood, only having bought it last Friday - presumably specially for me.

Funnily enough, back in 1986 or '87, one of our former classmates (PETE - he and Ross were best pals) gave me his Annual for 1970, so that only leaves the '69 and '70 books to complete the set of four.  Any other old school pals out there who want to fill in the gaps, feel free.

(Update: Too late, I've now got them.  You can't say you didn't have your chance.)

DON STARR Has An APPOINTMENT With FEAR! PART FIVE...

Copyright relevant owner

Time once again for me to try and think of something vaguely interesting and non-repetitive to write about DON STARR's 'APPOINTMENT With FEAR' strip from '60s POWER COMIC, TERRIFIC, published by ODHAMS PRESS.  It's no use - I just can't think of a thing to write that I've not written before in relation to Don's strips, so I'm afraid I'm going to have to disappoint you all and not write anything at all.

(Hey, where'd that paragraph come from?)

MIGHTY MARVEL COLLECTORS' EDITIONS CHECKLIST - ON SALE NOW!

AVENGERS UNIVERSE #11

Copyright MARVEL COMICS.  Published by PANINI

The Avengers attempt an exorcism to help the Ghost Rider, but it triggers a possession that threatens the entire world!  Don’t miss a shocking new storyline: ‘Challenge of the Ghost Riders’ by Jason Aaron & Stefano Caselli!

Featuring material first published in Avengers #22-23 and Marvel Comics #1000.

On sale Now!

£4.50.

******

WOLVERINE & DEADPOOL #11

Wolverine takes on The Hand, and Conan confronts a terrifying mystic!  The Punisher, Doctor Voodoo and Venom join the battle – and the Savage Avengers are born!  By Gerry Duggan & Mike Deodato Jr!  Also: ‘Return of the Living Deadpool’ continues!  The Deadpool plague has spread across the world – can the guy who started it also stop it?!  By Cullen Bunn & Nik Virella!

Featuring material first published in Savage Avengers #1-2 and Return of the Living Deadpool #2.

On sale Now!

£4.50.

CRIVENS' CLASSIC COMIC COVERS - SUPERMAN #268...

Copyright DC COMICS.  Cover art NICK CARDY

Here's yet another of those 'CLARK KENT and SUPERMAN together' covers that DC COMICS liked to tease us with every now and again.  I had this comic back in 1973 or '74, but I don't remember too much about it, which is unusual for me (though I do recall buying it).  To be honest, I probably only bought it because of BATGIRL's appearance as I'd had a 'crush' on her since reading 'The MILLION DOLLAR DEBUT Of BATGIRL' back in the late '60s.

My youthful attraction to Batgirl was primarily due to CARMINE INFANTINO's and SID GREENE's rendition of her, and though not all artists managed to do her justice, the memory of her initial outing often made me pay more attention than usual to any mag she was in or on, resulting in me purchasing it.  In fact, I've just bought the one above on eBay so that I can remind myself of the story and delve once again into the delightful depiction of BARBARA GORDON in her skin-tight cossie.

Yes, I know - I'm a perv.  What of it?  Fancying a drawing is pretty harmless (if sad).

HUNK Of The MONTH - BIG FRANKIE...

Here's big BORIS KARLOFF as depicted in the classic 1935 movie The BRIDE Of FRANKENSTEIN, wherein he reprised his 1931 role as 'The Monster'. LON CHANEY Jr. and GLENN STRANGE both gave creditable performances in later portrayals of the 'patchwork' creature, but for my money no other actor managed to capture the 'dead-but-alive' look that Karloff The Uncanny so convincingly conveyed.  What say the rest of you Crivs? 

HERE IS THE NEWS - YOU'RE GETTING OLD, MATE...

With the sad news of comedian ROY HUDD's passing, I was surprised to learn that his long-running radio show The NEWS HUDDLINES ended in 2001.  19 years ago?  Really?  It seems like only a year or two at the very most since I last heard it on the radio, not the duration it actually is.  In fact, I didn't even know it had been cancelled, assuming, on the few occasions I ever thought about it, that I'd probably just not heard it in a while.  Ahh, where does the time slip away to when we're not looking, and why are we not aware of it until long after the event?  (A bit like our childhoods, in fact.)

Condolences to Mr. Hudd's family, friends, and fans.  

MIGHTY MARVEL COLLECTORS' EDITIONS CHECKLIST - ON SALE NOW!

ASTONISHING SPIDER-MAN #49

Copyright MARVEL COMICS.  Published by PANINI

52 action-packed pages of arachnid adventure!  Can Spider-Man save J. Jonah Jameson (and himself) from the might of the GIANT Big Man?!  Plus: Classic Action!  Spider-Man and the Black Widow Vs. Silver Samurai!  By Nicks Spencer, Ryan Ottley, Chris Claremont & Sal Buscema!

Reprinting material from Amazing Spider-Man #13 & Marvel Team-Up #57.

On sale Now!

£4.50.

PART FOUR Of DON STARR'S APPOINTMENT With FEAR...

Copyright relevant owner

Ooh, an interesting plot-twist this time around, Crivs, but I'll let you discover it for yourselves in the accompanying pages.  Be sure and register your vote for continuing with this series, as response has been rather muted to be honest.  Is DON STARR a star with you or not?  Let me know, frantic ones.

(Note that the same dialogue is used in two consecutive panels on the first page, which means that the letterer missed out the correct word balloon and inadvertently did one twice.) 

MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #12 FACSIMILE EDITION - The SON Of SANTA... Er, SATAN! (THAT FIRST ONE SOUNDS INTERESTING THOUGH)...

Copyright MARVEL COMICS

Here's the Facsimile Edition of MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #12 from November last year, but I've only just received it after buying it recently.  Truth to tell, I didn't really need it as I already have a reprint of the tale in a collected edition, but there's something about these single ish re-presentations that I really dig, man.  (Hey, how hip am I?)  Anyway, if your local comics shop is sold out, you should be able to get it on eBay just like I did.  Grab a sizzlin' slice of the sensational '70s now!

I suspect that Marvel are laying new colours over the original ads to enhance their reproduction, as, in most cases, they're far bolder-looking than the ones in DC COMICS facsimiles, which generally look faded and tired.  Hey, Marvel - let DC in on your secret, will ya?  Their facsimiles would look a lot better for it.  (As would yours if you printed them on matte paper, like they do.)  

REFLECTIVE REPOST: WINDOW On The PAST...

Regular readers will be aware by now that one of the chief delights of my life when younger was gazing out of my classroom windows and losing myself in daydreams.  What cared I about matters pertaining to geography, history, maths and the like?  I was too busy flying around the sky or saving the world - in my fertile imagination, at least.  Sometimes I wasn't quite so energetic in my fantasies, and was content just to watch the clouds glide by in languid motion, going wherever it is that clouds go to.

It should therefore come as no surprise to anyone to learn that I still like to gaze out of windows today, observing the comings and goings of neighbourhood residents, the antics of assorted dogs, cats, birds, squirrels and foxes, and whatever else happens in a typical street.  And yes, I still enjoy just watching the clouds drift by or con-templating the rain pattering off the pavement.  Recently, however, I've become aware of just how few people I actually recognise in their daily perambulations past the panoramic perimeters of my property.

There are now only two faces I can identify from around the time I first came to this house over forty years ago.  One was here before we moved to the area, the other took up residence a year or two after we arrived.  There are others who've lived here for maybe twenty or thirty years, but for some curious reason I still regard them as 'newbies' and not yet established in the neighbourhood firmament.  Strange how them not living here within the first few years of my arrival makes them seem like newcomers I haven't quite adjusted to yet.

There's a possibility that one of the old, familiar faces may sell up and move on in the not too distant future, and the other is retired and getting on in years.  When the last link to how things once used to be has finally gone, I wonder just how I'll react to being surrounded by complete strangers with no connection to my younger days back in the early 1970s.  I've noticed a feeling of 'displacement' gradually creeping up on me over the last few years as more and more 'well-kent' faces have faded from my everyday experience, and sometimes I almost feel like I'm the stranger who doesn't quite belong in these here parts.

It's then that I immerse myself in comicbooks from four decades ago and re-live the early years of when I first moved to this house, in an attempt to recapture the mood, the ambiance, the atmosphere - the flavour - of what it was like to live here back in the sensational '70s, when I was practically just a lad not too far removed from the start of my journey through life and all it had to offer.

Then I lose myself in visions of the past; where long-gone local worthies yet walk the streets beyond my window - living, breathing, laughing and chatting as they did in bygone days, before they gradually fell, one by one, victims to time.  I seek refuge in a place and a period which now exist only in memory, populated by the ghosts of yesterday, and the knowledge is not lost on me that, one day, my 'continuance' will consist of being nothing more than a lingering echo in the minds of others.  Until such time as they, too, are gone, and that faint echo falls forever silent. 

LEAN CLOSER - LET ME WHISPER...

Methuen edition

Regular readers may be aware that my favourite book (of its kind) is The WIND In The WILLOWS by Scottish author KENNETH GRAHAME.  The book (unintentionally) started as bedtime stories for the author's son ALASTAIR, which continued in the form of letters when, sans parents, the child was on holiday with his governess in Littlehampton.  The rest, as they say, is history.

In 1944, ELSPETH GRAHAME (Kenneth's widow) wrote a somewhat fanciful introduction to FIRST WHISPER Of 'The WIND In The WILLOWS', a thin booklet which included a then-hitherto unpublished short story entitled BERTIE'S ESCAPADE, along with transcriptions of Grahame's letters to his young son.  I'd previously acquired a 1947 CHILDREN'S BOOK CLUB edition in 2017, but today I took possession of a 1946 METHUEN (3rd) edition with original dust-jacket.

Now all I have to do is find the time and energy to read it, but it's nice to know it's sitting on my shelf waiting for my attention.  What's your favourite book from childhood or youth, fellow Crivs?  (If you can remember that far back.)  Tell your fellow decrepit members of this blog just what it means to you, and why.

The Children's Book Club edition

TERRIFIC'S DON STARR In APPOINTMENT With FEAR - PART THREE...

Copyright relevant owner

Okay, Crivs, here's what you've all been waiting for (I'm foolin' myself) - DON STARR's close encounter of the third kind (see what I did there?) with DOCTOR FEAR!  No dreary preamble from me, let's get straight into the action!