The Deep North

Mind Games From jamescs in lost in space (139 days old)

The Asian media is still completely saturated with coverage of Michael Jackson, more than a week after his somewhat unexpected demise from a cardiac arrest. The pundits, former friends and employees, … more

I Travel From jamescs in lost in space (144 days old)

It’s been quite a week in the world, one way or another. Colleagues of mine have lost close friends, former colleagues have lost family members in tragic circumstances, others have been caught up in p… more

It's A Mystery From jamescs in lost in space (150 days old)

Toyah had it exactly right, didn’t she? ‘It’s a mystery, it’s a mystery…’ Yes, ‘it’ sure is. So, what it exactly is ‘it’? Well it’s obvious, isn’t it? It’s a mystery… About a month ago I changed jo… more

Black Eyed Dog From jamescs in lost in space (155 days old)

‘Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay 
 To mould me man, Did I solicit thee 
 From darkness to promote me?’ John Milton, Paradise Lost I awoke with a start, sweat-soaked, choking … more

whatevershebringswesing From jamescs in lost in space (173 days old)

‘And so’ expounded Alice ‘lets just cut to the chase and fill in some of what’s been happening in the last couple of months, albeit in a surreal manner (as indeed and as usual, much has been surreal a… more

Keep on Running From jamescs in lost in space (257 days old)

Do you recall Worzel Gummidge? He was a scarecrow, a walking, talking, living, breathing scarecrow, portrayed with admirable joie-de-vivre on Sunday afternoon children’s TV during the late 70s and ear… more

S'cool Days From jamescs in lost in space (267 days old)

‘Today I learned about the sea and ‘bout someone in history well, ain’t that cool they taught me how to square a cube and put a fly into a tube well, ain’t that cool…’ the above lines are lifted… more

Aloha from Hell From jamescs in lost in space (286 days old)

Roll on Rock on Raw Bones Well I still got all the rhythm in these Rockin' Bones I wanna leave a happy memory when I go, I wanna leave something to let the whole world know, That the rock 'n… more

Going to a Go-Go From jamescs in lost in space (286 days old)

Have you ever hankered after tinkling the ivories but were stymied by a complete lack of length in your fat little digits? Ever been the disappointed one turned away in the queue for hand cream models… more

Distant Showers Sweep Across Norfolk Schools From jamescs in lost in space (302 days old)

For the lucky ones such as I, memories of the past are akin to imaginary creatures, amorphous yet solid, there but yet not quite there, subject to being shaped by the will to make things fit with the … more

*Morpha Too From SkipC in The Valley of Gwangi (302 days old)

Hi readers. Have you missed me? I know I have. These last few weeks have been a bit of a blur what with one thing or another, but I am now once again a (largely resting) artistic minnow at large in th… more

A Song From Under the Floorboards From jamescs in lost in space (302 days old)

Nostalgia… Not what it used to be, eh? Not entirely true in my case. As age advances upon me, steadily eroding what little remains of my once proud and noble frame, my inner eye turns both autum… more

The English Cold* From jamescs in lost in space (317 days old)

Hello again. I have returned.(sound of muffled boos offstage) Temperatures of -11 across southern England, bloody carnage in Gaza, winter vomiting virus, the credit crunch, the demise of Woolies, M… more

I wish it could be Christmas everyday From SkipC in The Valley of Gwangi (336 days old)

...actually, no. I don't. But here, to paraphrase Phil Spector, is 'My Christmas Gift to You'. (though I wouldn't care to be on the receiving end of the kind of gifts he seems to be dishing out … more

Stop The Cavalry From jamescs in lost in space (336 days old)

Actually the above should probably read '(stop) stop the cavalry'. For some (to me) unfathomable reason, the lovely A loathes that song. Personally, I find it a jolly little ditty, and also found Mr J… more

Santa Claus is Coming to Town From SkipC in The Valley of Gwangi (352 days old)

Too late, apparently he’s already been… and not only was he sitting in a cyclo, but he also changed colour, shape, race and size over the course of a morning. J assures me this was absolutely the case… more

Rock n Roll Doctor From SkipC in The Valley of Gwangi (355 days old)

It’s been quite a week in the world, hasn’t it? Being a ‘resting’ artist means having the luxury of time to just sit, lie or lounge and watch the world go by, and this week that world has seemed even … more

Suicide is Painless From SkipC in The Valley of Gwangi (361 days old)

Lonely? Depressed? Suicidal? You have a choice. Used to be that Croy Changvar, otherwise known as the Japanese Bridge, was the favoured suicide spot for the loveless or lovelorn of Sean Penn to f… more

The Valley of Gwangi From SkipC in The Valley of Gwangi (361 days old)

Welcome to The Valley of Gwangi. Enter here and you will find the ramblings, rumblings and grumblings of living dinosaur Skip (and his equally unusual friends) on a variety of subjects which will inev… more

Never Say Never Again From jamescs in lost in space (361 days old)

Oh hi... just passing through. Many thanks to all for their very kind comments in person and in cyberspace on this blog. You might like to check out this blog coming soon from a friend of mine - it's … more

What a Long Strange Trip it's Been... From jamescs in lost in space (414 days old)

‘and in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make’ The Beatles ‘The End’ This is going to be The Last Post from me for the foreseeable future and I really want to talk a bit abou… more

See No Evil From jamescs in lost in space (425 days old)

‘Television, come go to my head. ‘ I’ve had a bit of a week health wise, first few days enveloped by a sort of flu that attacked both head and throat with equal ferocity (‘it’s the wind…’ my Cambodia… more

I think it's going to rain today From jamescs in lost in space (434 days old)

'human kindness, it's only blindness...and I think it's going to rain today...' Randy Newman Tuesday. It has rained for most of the day. Eric Olthwaite would have been in his element in Phnom … more

Home Again From jamescs in lost in space (442 days old)

‘One is a lonely number…' not, as you may be thinking, another half-baked philosophical statement from yours truly, but actually the title of the first track on the latest Edwyn Collins album ‘Home A… more

Feelin' Groovy From jamescs in lost in space (449 days old)

Has it really been three months since I last inflicted my meandering musings on an unsuspecting world? ‘Not long enough!’ comes a cry from the back. Excuse me whilst I summarily eject that malevolent … more

less than zero From jamescs in lost in space (450 days old)

...don't just watch the skies... watch this space... normal service will be resumed as soon as possible ... in the meantime, dear readers, ...take care J… more

Rene and Georgette Magritte, with their dog, after the war. From jamescs in lost in space (533 days old)

Surrealism. Hmmm, nice. A bit like Jazz. Delicious hot, disgusting cold. Paul Simon has a beautiful and elegantly understated song on the subject, ‘Rene and Georgette Magritte with their d… more

Perfect Day From jamescs in lost in space (546 days old)

‘Life’ as those Small Faces so succinctly put it on their classic Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake album, ‘is just a bowl of All-Bran - you wake up every morning and it’s there.’ The life of the lucky expat … more

The Soul of my Suit From jamescs in lost in space (556 days old)

There seems to be a bit of a fashion note creeping into these missives of late, and indeed this particular bunch of virtual scribblings will be no exception, as we proceed through the sickly events of… more

Messin' with the Kid From jamescs in lost in space (563 days old)

… so I’m sitting next to this young monk, and he’s nodding, smiling and somewhat enthusiastically pointing at my trousers. We’re perched on the edge of a reservoir in the first gallery of Angkor Wat a… more