Flags, rags, ferry boats...

Dear Yuletide Author

2016-10-10T16:22:54Z

I didn't realise how close to the wire I was when I submitted at 9am this morning...

Dear Yuletide Author,

Thank you for offering one of my requests.

General things I like:
Canon compliance, moments of solidarity, found families, single people whose lives do not revolve around finding a partner (it can be an element, but not their sole purpose/defining characteristic).

Things I'm less keen on:
Anything sexually explicit (not in these fandoms), overt gushy romance, a wedding/coupling up as the happy ending.

Things I can't read:
Elderly people being lonely or neglected. Only acceptable if the episode is brief (or briefly written about) and there is a happy ending!

The Tillerman Cycle
I first read these books in my early teens and feel that there should be far more fic out there. I've always been intrigued by the uncle who moved away and never returned - what would happen if he did? James has always been my least favourite, although Sons from Afar made an attempt to swing me round on that. Convince me of his value and positive points! I'd love to see them all in the future with careers and lives - I've often wondered how they are getting on. Or maybe a glimpse of their early years, or Gram's childhood. Really I'd just love to read more.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Several years ago I received a story about Francie's college years and it was wonderful. I'd like to read something set later - maybe in the late 1920s or 1930s. How is the family developing? Does she marry Ben? Does she write? How has Laurie grown up?

Lord Peter Wimsey
I love Peter, I love Harriet, and actually I can cope with their romance here! I have always been intrigued by the glimpses we have of Mary Wimsey in Clouds of Witness, and Kitty Climpson is a fantastic character. My favourite books are Gaudy Night, Murder Must Advertise and Clouds of Witness (honourable mention for Busman's Honeymoon). Be it mystery, glimpse of life or missing scenes, I'd been happy.

Convalescence

2016-01-27T07:39:10Z

Patrick is bored.

So that was that. Nicola closed the book and tucked it down the side of her chair, pulling her knees up under her chin to think.

---Five years previously---

Grumpy, bored and in pain, Patrick Merrick picked up his book and cast it away again. Stupid rotten bones and stupid rotten doctors and stupid rotten… he ran out of coherent thoughts at this point and twitched at his blankets, trying to get them to lie comfortably over the contraption of casts, straps and braces which fastened him to the bed. One of the buckles had worked slightly loose and lay cold and pointedly against his hip, just out of reach of his goodish left arm. He twitched again, dislodging the volume from its precarious position on the bed, and it slid to the floor with a loud thump, taking with it a box of Turkish delight, which scattered dustily across the floor. His left hand formed a loose fist – the best he could manage at present – and Patrick let out a strangled growl of frustration.

It wasn’t as if he liked Turkish delight – beastly sticky stuff when you were lying practically flat – but the pistachio ones were acceptable and he had been eating the rest out of boredom. He was now doomed to lie without distraction until the nurse or his mother returned, and after his snappishness at lunch (“wouldn’t anyone be snappish if they were tied down eating mush?”) he suspected he would not receive more than a cursory glance until supper. The angle of his bed meant he couldn’t even see out of the window, he couldn’t reach the wireless, and the restlessness was making his bones and muscles shout at each other in a series of dull throbs.

After almost an hour, there was a knock at the door and a friendly face appeared in his eyeline, the smile fading slightly as it took in the flushed face and rumpled bedding. Jon nodded briskly and set to work, deftly straightening the cage which was keeping the weight off his injuries, pulling the blanket from where it had tangled into hot feet, rescuing assorted items from the floor. Then he picked up a flannel from a dish on the bedside table (“Not for you to use, Master Patrick, you’ll only let it lie on the sheet and then nicely damp you’ll be”) and gave the boy’s face a quick sponge over. In less than five minutes Patrick was feeling much cooler and fresher, with only a lingering sense of embarrassment.

Jon had been to visit the week before and had looked at the set up with an appraising eye. It was he who had made the suggestion which allowed Patrick to prop a book open to read, and he had returned with an ingenious device which helped the pages stay open by use of elastic cords and parts of a music stand. After fitting it into place, he picked up a parcel from the floor and unwrapped it with a flourish.

“Entertainment for the Merrick Boy with the compliments of the Trennels Lending Library” Half a dozen volumes were revealed and displayed in turn. “One atlas to plot your worldly adventures. One book of historic maps to compare and contrast, as well as the odd bit of dragon spotting. One guide to British birds of prey, ready for when you are at the right angle to use your binoculars again. One copy of The Once and Future King, an old friend of mine, and I thought you might enjoy this.” ‘This’ was a new hardback by an author Patrick had only vaguely heard of: Josephine Tey. He took it from Jon, who was holding it open at the first page, and read the first few lines. A description of a police officer confined to bed with a broken leg. He looked up at Jon, who’s eyes laughed back at him. “Trust me, you’ll like it.”

When Jon next returned from a fortnight at some sort of Secret Conference, he found a brighter Patrick (helped by being a few degrees more upright) with a long list of questions about the Wars of the Roses. Books and messages were dispatched between Trennels and the Chase, and Patrick immersed himself well and truly in the life of Richard the Third. By the time he was well enough to get out and about, Daughter of Time had been forgotten, and he considered himself thoroughly read on the subject.

---

Nicola had found the book in the study at Trennels, and having enjoyed A Shilling for Candles, had settled into it cheerfully. A few chapters in she started to get a prickling feeling that she had heard some of the facts and figures before, and by the end she was well and truly convinced of it. The final straw was a note inside the dust wrapper in wobbly but still distinctly Patrick’s pen, listing things he wanted to look up along with a scribbled note in what she recognised with a pang to be Jon's handwriting. It all became obvious. The arguments in favour of Richard the Third’s innocence, which had so impressed her a few years before, had been lifted straight from a book. The questioning of accepted history was not original in the slightest. Certainly it had been fleshed out, but still… Nicola shook her head and pulled herself together. If Patrick had once suggested he’d got the ideas from somewhere else, but… No, she was going to have to think about this some more.

I recently read Daughter of Time for the first time. It is a detective story about historical research and unreliable sources, and rather wonderful. I wondered whether Antonia Forest had read it too. The book was published in 1951, and given the flexibility of Marlowtime I decided that Patrick could have his accident about then... It is a long while since I read Falconers Lure (where Richard III gets his first mention I believe) so I can't remember exactly what is said, but I could clearly see a younger and rather bored Patrick getting caught up in it all.

Dear Yuletide Author

2015-10-25T20:42:57Z

This entry is doomed. This is the third time I've written it and once it just vanished, the second time I closed the tab by accident and it no longer seems to save drafts...ah well, here goes again.

Firstly, thank you very much for offering one of my fandoms of choice. I will be thrilled to bits with whatever you write.

Things I love - moments of solidarity, people standing together against the odds, found families, politics (be it local, national organisational or family) and endings where there is a possibility that it could all work out ok. I'm fine with an ambiguous or open ending, but I'd like there to be a hope it could all end well.

Things I prefer to avoid - older people who are desperately lonely, neglected or otherwise ill treated (unhappy is fine if part of the story, but I'd like it to end very well for them). People paired with folk they grew up with, be it actual kin or people raised as family (see the Melendys and also Peter and Fob).

Marlows
Oh Ann, Ann, Ann. We occasionally see her as a full and included member of the family, but more often than not she's the odd one out, the least liked, the different/boring/conventional one. I'd really like to see a time when her family appreciates her for herself, or when she's fully part of things. This could be before, after, or any time during the books, and feel absolutely free for people to find it strange at the time! The TL:DR is Ann and her family having fun together, feel free to make of this what you will.

Melendy Family
This is my annual hope - I put it in every year and it has never yet materialised! Although Randy was my favourite (I read Spiderweb for Two first) I would love to read more about Mona, particularly her time living in New York and working on the radio show. She's away from her home, she's working and at school, how is she finding things? Mona has always seemed the most independent and separate of the Melendys, so I'd love to see what she's up to. Feel free to write about her at another time in her life, and include as many of as few of the others as you like. It doesn't even have to be focused on Mona, but I'd love her to be included in some way. Go free and enjoy! My only plea is that Mark is not paired with any of the Melendys.

Lord Peter Wimsey - Miss Climpson
I am very fond of the Cattery in general and this is my private destination for all wronged female characters in 1920s books (occasionally as clients, usually as staff). Tell me more about her, show me an aspect of her life and I'll be happy!

Dear Yuletide Author

2014-10-26T17:21:35Z

Firstly, thank you very much for offering one of my fandoms of choice.

General thoughts:
What I love: Moments of solidarity, people working together against big odds, glimpses of everyday life, and people showing they care about each other. I'd prefer a happy ending for yuletide; open ended or ambiguous is fine, as long as there is a possibility it could all turn out well.

What I don't like: anything dealing with neglect of elderly people or cruelty towards them. Unlikely to come up, I know, but it isn't something I can cope with very easily. The House of the Old in the Giver is fine though - the people are happy and comfortable. Nothing sexually explicit please.

Marlows
Pomona Todd has such and unpromising start, bracketed with Marie Dobson as irritating and unlikable, but she shows she is a lot more than her mother. Interaction with her schoolfellows in or out of school, or even a cameo in a wider tale would be nice to read. One of my favourite scenes is the way the form handles Marie Dobson's death, the squirmy embarrasment of not-feeling-as-expected is captured brilliantly. I'd be happy to read something set during or after the books, whatever inspires you.

Lord Peter Wimsey
After enjoying Clouds of Witness, I was quite disappointed that Mary settled down to married life and appeared only briefly in the narrative. I'd like to read something when she was at school, interactions with her mother, or simply a glimpse of her life. I'd prefer something pre-canon, but if this doesn't inspire, I would enjoy anything to round out Mary. The Dowager Duchess is rather magnificent, and I would love to read about her interactions with her daughter.

The Giver
I first read the Giver when I was about twelve and I remember finishing it on a train and spending the remainder of the journey unpicking it in my mind. I have a weakness for dystopian societies, and I would love to read about the people who live in the community. I'd love to read about life before Jonas became the Receiver - family life when he was small, his parents meeting, a visit from another community - but don't be restricted by this. Let your imagination flow!

Hamlet

2014-10-13T11:55:03Z

I saw Hamlet for the first time on Saturday, and I have been left with lots of thoughts and a burning desire to find my GCSE English teacher and camp out on his doorstep until he gives me a terms worth of Eng Lit lessons on the subject.

I saw the production at the Royal Exchange in Manchester with Maxine Peake as Hamlet. If you haven't been to this theatre before it is an interesting building, with the theatre itself a module inside the exchange building. The performance area is in the round, with multiple entrances and a central playing area, a ground floor and two tiers of seating, giving an intimate feel to performances.

When I said that I hadn't seen Hamlet before, it was a bit misleading. I've seen the David Tennant version which was filmed a few years ago, and watched it over several evenings one Christmas. I don't remember it having a particular impact on me, and although I can picture a couple of the scenes, it is more that I can see the actors and the staging, rather than the story. I am a little baffled by this, but I was possibly listening to the voices and language rather than the story, if you see what I mean. The main result was that although I knew the gist of the play (Hamlet sees ghost of dead father, Gertrude has married the chap who killed her husband and Hamlet isn't happy, Ophelia drowns, Hamlet dies), I didn't know exactly what was coming next.

The play was gender balanced, in that the cast was 50:50 split. Maxine Peake played Hamlet as male, but other characters were female (Polonius became Polonia, Rosencrantz was a woman). I am not sure whether my lack of expectations helped here, but none of the characters felt forced or strange in their adapted roles. Maxine Peake was superb, and gender was completely irrelevant - I wasn't thinking about a woman playing a man, I was just caught up in the story.

The ghost scenes were very well done, with flickering lightbulbs and an electrical hum indicating when the spirit was near. Really very eerie, without needing to show the actual ghost until a key scene, and the graveyard scene used old clothes as earth to great effect. Minimal scenery and maximum impact.

Ophelia's mad scene was amazing. I have no idea how it is usually interpreted, but I was convinced that the character had been raped. Her 'madness' contrasted to Hamlet's, and is making me think of the way Macbeth and Lady Macbeth's drive switches. Lady Macbeth is urging her husband forward, when he lets his ambition take over and chases onwards she draws back in horror. Hamlet is 'mad', but when Ophelia goes mad and dies, it pushes him back to sanity?

The final scene was terrific, but I felt so sorry for Horatio left alone among the corpses. I did wonder how he was going to talk himself out of that when CSI Elsinore showed up, but apparently in the full version the Norwegians invade at that point, neatly evading matters for him. 'Goodnight sweet prince' is a beautiful and heartbreaking final line - he still loves his friend, and sees him as a victim of the situation as well as a perpetrator.

TL:DR I saw Hamlet and can't stop thinking about it, so I typed a not particularly coherent post about it.

Finally, I give you Hamlet the Text Adventure. If you have even a vague knowledge of Shakepeare it is hugely entertaining. http://rdouglasjohnson.com/hamlet/

Dear Yuletide Author

2013-10-08T10:31:40Z

Hello Author! Firstly, sorry it has taken me a few days to put this up. I started the letter, changed my re quests at the last minute, and then was away for a few days…

I am sure that I will love whatever you write for me. Yuletide has become such a part of my Christmas each year, and seeing ‘gifts’ listed at the side of my AOOO profile is so exciting.

Generally I like things to follow canon, or at least to be plausible offshoots thereof. I have read some great AUs, but I would prefer that it wasn’t for these canons. I would rather not read explicit sex or violence – non explicit is fine – and am happy to read characters in relationships with characters of any gender as long as it is convincingly written! My only strong preference is for no incest, either biological, or among people raised as siblings. I am also really happy to read about people who are single and completely happy with it, or where relationships aren’t mentioned at all.

I like stories which show how much characters care about each other, either as friends or as family. Moments of solidarity in the face of odds are always good. I am fine with angst and hurt/comfort type fics (enjoy them even), as long as there is a happy ending. Most of the year I can cope with sad endings, but I’d rather not for Christmas! Ambiguous endings are fine too, as long as there is a possibility that it could come out ok.

This is incredibly unlikely to come up, but I’d much rather there was nothing about elderly people being mistreated, or characters with dementia – it all feels a bit too personal at the moment.

Fortunate Few - Tim Kennemore
I love gymnastics, and this book was my first taste of it. When I read it aged ten I had no idea it was AU - I imagined that there were leagues and clubs and fans out there. I rediscovered this as an adult and I'd love anything more in this world. What happened to gymnasts once they retired? What about when they were younger? Let your imagination flow!

The Melendy Quartet - Elizabeth Enright
I would really love a happy family story, very much in the flavour of the books. I'd be interested in reading about Mona's time in New York, any of them as adults, a slice of life before The Saturdays - I would be delighted with anything. My only plea is that Mark isn't paired with any of the Melendys.

Hollis Family Series - Michelle Magorian
I really loved these books, and the way the family seems fractured at first, but as the novels build the strength is shown. I'd like anything - Elsie meeting Geraldine, Elsie at school, Ralph and his father and/or mother...you decide!

The Silver Crown - Robert C O'Brien
I was fascinated by this book when I first discovered it, and was desperate to know what happened next. I would really love to find out what happened to Jenny, how did Sarah cope with Ellen and Otto, did Ellen ever see anyone else from the 'school'...?

Dear Yuletide Author - a wip

2012-10-30T22:13:27Z

Dear Yulegoat,
Thank you for offering one of my fandoms! As ever, I am going to be delighted to read anything you write for me.

Marlows:
I discovered Antonia Forest about ten years ago and have been seeking out fic ever since. I'm less keen on Patrick/Nicola as a long term combination (but feel free to try to convince me), mostly because I don't find people who find true love in their early teens particularly realistic! I'd like to see Ann more appreciated and accepted into the family, or someone exploring their relationship with her. I loathe Peter's Mummerset and was more sympathetic towards Edwin during that scene...

Melendy Family:
This is my annual Yuletide hope. I return to these books from time to time and particularly enjoy the warmth of the family. I'd be interested to read more about Mona working on the radio in New York, about how Randy spends her life, about their early lives before the books, or pretty much anything. The only thing I'd ask is that you don't pair Mark with any other Melandy.

Back Home:
I adored this book and would love to see more of Rusty's life, of her mother, of poor Ivy whose fate was left hanging - anything and everything before, during or particularly after would be loved and appreciated.

Some general things I like:
Stories about friendship, people supporting each other, and moments of solidarity. I am quite happy with any relationship someone is in (m/m, f/m, f/f) as long as it isn't incestuous. I love additional details, alternative viewpoints to canon events, missing scenes and 'what-happened next's

Some things I'm not comfortable with:
Although I read smut/pwp for some fandoms, nothing NC-17 for these please. Incest (or between people raised as siblings/family members), rape/non-con, realtionships with an unequal power balance.

Unexpected Exercise

2012-07-19T23:23:35Z

This weekend I was due to visit a friend in Sheffield, but her little boy hasn't been well so I am left unexpectedly free. In some ways it is good because I was away last weekend, will be next, and working the following. I have also taken a bit of a plunge and entered the Race for Life on Sunday...

My Nan was frail for all the time I knew her. In the mid 1970s she was diagnosed with cancer. They cured the cancer but the treatment left her with major health problems, but it gave me my Nan until I was almost seventeen. My other Grandmother died of breast cancer when I was about four, and I have no memories of her. In both cases the treatment has advanced so much in the past twenty years.

In the last couple of years my oldest friend has lost her mother, a close school friend has lost her sister, and I have lost a very dear family friend and surrogate uncle. My Grandad was successfully treated for stomach cancer, and several work colleagues have been battling the disease. I've wanted to do the Race for Life for several years but have always been working, and I put it on my list of 100 Challenges. Mol cancelling on me was a sign...

I haven't been training so I'm aiming to run the first 3K and jog/walk the rest.

My sponsorship page is here - feel very free to ignore! http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/sarahkerrison

bookwormsarah @ 2012-05-01T23:28:00

2012-05-01T22:28:04Z

I appear to have accidentally written fic for the Women of Torchwood commentfic party. The prompt was "That time when Alice moved as far from Cardiff as she could get and there were damn aliens there too." This was the result (also available here). I didn't warm to Alice in CoE, but I had fun with this, which could possibly be described as crack!fic...

Alice's Gap Year

Alice made no secret that she wanted to go away to university, but it was a surprise to her mother when Alice announced she was taking a gap year first. Lucia was sanguine, and offered to pay her fare to Italy, mentioning relatives who would be happy to give her a job. Alice smiled sweetly, and shook her head. Everyone knew that Uncle Giacco's vineyard was a front for the Italian version of Torchwood (above ground, more relaxed attitude and vastly better pizza), and she wanted to get as far away from aliens as possible.

Egypt was amazing, but there was a particular smell in the second pyramid and Alice's heart sank. Her Arabic was limited to a few words (and she wasn't convinced that her father had taught her the polite versions), and none of the phrase books offered to translate "Excuse me but there is a weevil in this tunnel". It skuttled out of sight as she approached, and after a few moments Alice decided that it was probably safe and out of the way. Egypt wasn't like Somalia ('pirates' being the catch-all explanation for strange happenings), and the weevil seemed non aggressive. Still, time to move on.

The safari in Kenya was a revelation, as the guide blythly explained the six horned 'antelope' as a rare species ("No pictures, please, the hunters you see..."). Alice decided that the explanation would have been more plausible if it hadn't been covered in green scales.

In Peru the guinea pigs near the mountain top temple squeeked in an uncannily accurate morse code, and later that night she slipped out to release them so that they could be collected by their shuttle. The perception filter slipped as they were beamed away, revealing something orange and furry. Lucia would have liked them, thought Alice, putting away her penknife, she had a fondness for unusual forms of communication.

Roswell was a strange experience. She had expected a good laugh, but instead all she felt was sadness. The museum was full of 'genuine artefects', but nothing she recognised. Later, sitting in a diner served by a waitress wearing green deely boppers, she wondered whether real aliens had been found, and whether they had been caught and killed by an American agency. Suddenly she felt a long way from home. Two small children looked at her as she left, and she felt the hairs on her neck stand on end. This place was definitely getting to her. Time to move on.

Japan, Thailand and Indonesia were relatively alien free, and Alice truely felt she had left Torchwood behind her. That was until she stood in front of Sydney Opera House and registered the shape properly for the first time. Oh dear.

Dear Yuletide Author...

2011-11-18T16:31:11Z

Thank you for offering one of my fandoms - I am really looking forward to reading something in anyone of these.

I love reading stories in which people show how much they care about the others, particularly in a strong platonic friendship way. I like angst (as long as it is all resolved or there is at least a light at the end of the tunnel by the end - it is Christmas after all). Am happy to read canon or plausible-within-canon slash. I'm less keen on depressing endings (although ambiguous ones are fine). I really like strong female characters. I'm not crazy about explicit sex scenes, and would rather avoid kinks for these fandoms.

Make It or Break It: Rock on! I love Sasha getting all papa bear over the team, supporting the girls when Ellen Beals is being evil (seriously - she gets more pantomime every week). I started out likeing Emily but she is getting more annoying, and conversely I used not to be able to see a single redeeming feature in Lauren but she is growing on me a little (would still like to give her a smack). Payson is far and away my favourite, and I'd like to see more fics that aren't about her relationship with Sasha. I like the new improved Kelly Parker we see towards the end. I'd prefer it to focus on the girls rather than the boys. There are some amazing strong women at the Rock, and anything about them (especially any of the Keelers) would make me very, very happy.

Tillerman Cycle: I really love these books, and I think I would be happy with anything. Maybe you want to explore Maybeth as she grows up, or John leaving home and building a life away from his family, or something about Gram when she was young, or Mina as an adult - enjoy yourself!

Life Unexpected: I was glued to this series but I really didn't like the epilogue and would like to pretend it didn't happen. Cate and Ryan were fantastic together and I would prefer to see a future where they didn't break up, or where they broke up and got back together. I don't like Cate and Baze as a couple and was happy when the show seemed to have moved beyond that. Or something set during the series or pre-. It doesn't have to focus on Cate and Ryan at all, but I'd rather not have anything set during or after with Lux's parents together-forever... Feel free to pick a minor character. I was unexpectedly fond of Lux's teacher-boyfriend Eric, and wouldn't mind seeing him again, but feel free to pick something completely different if you feel inspired!

Whatever you write I know I shall enjoy it, and I shall look forward to my story very much.

Fic: A Battered Cardboard Box

2011-11-01T12:20:11Z

Title: A Battered Cardboard Box
Recipient: sariagray
Author: bookwormsarah
Rating: Gen
Characters: Mica Davies
Spoilers and Warnings: Post CoE, refers to the events therein, including canon character death.
Summary: When Mica gets her teeth into something she doesn't let go
Beta: The wonderful nancybrown
I've worked on Mica being seven during the events of Children of Earth. This was written for tw_femficfest 2011.

+++

Mica was eight when she found the box in the sideboard. The remote control had stopped working and there were no batteries in the usual place. Poking around she saw the box at the back, and pulled it out. It was stuck up with tape and she picked idly at it while she yelled for her mam.

Rhiannon appeared in the doorway, screwdriver in hand, and promptly dropped it to snatch the box from her daughter’s curious hands. Mica received a smack on her arm and she was so startled she forgot to yell. The box was born away, and she couldn’t get it out of her mind, even when she found the new packet of batteries down the side of the sofa.

Four months later she was helping Johnny to clean the windows in her parents' room. He hoisted her onto his shoulders so she could bat away a cobweb, and she spotted something strange on top of the wardrobe. “Da? What’s that box up there?” Johnny looked disconcerted.

“It’s your Mam’s”. This was clearly the end of discussion.

David thought it must be a present for one of them, but lost interest when Mica pointed out that it wasn’t even summer holidays yet so it couldn’t be for Christmas, the next birthday was Mam’s, and the box was old. David shrugged, and Mica rolled her eyes. Boys, she decided, weren’t very interested in things. Next time she was alone in the big bedroom she jumped on the bed to look. The box had gone.

When Mica was ten, she caught sight of the box again. Rhiannon was finishing a job application and had asked Mica and her brother to put the clean washing away. David looked askance at the wobbly chair his sister dragged over, and contented himself with handing up the towels and sheets while Mica balanced on the arms and stuffed things in place. A flannel started to disappear down the back of the boiler, and as she fished it out she felt something hard and square nestling into the insulating jacket. Pulling an edge forward she recognised the battered cardboard, and felt her insides leap with triumphant recognition. Then Johnny appeared to lift her down, chiding her gently for using the
swivel chair and not a sturdier one from the kitchen. She resolved to come back and find out properly what was going on.

That was the winter that Johnny lost his job and was home a lot. Mica was never on her own in the house, although she did use every opportunity to put the washing away and check with a cautious fingertip that the box was still there. Shortly after her eleventh birthday she hatched a Cunning Plan. She started hoarding empty packets (“School project, Mam”) and the next time she put the washing away she gave the parcel a good squeeze. A fortnight later she was prepared: two boxes from toothpaste tubes, with the box from a free sample of soap powder in the middle, all covered in an inside-out cereal box and stuck together with sellotape filched from the Christmas drawer.

Once on the chair (Johnny insisted she used the solid, ancient one from Gran’s house) she slid the packet out from the hiding place and tucked the decoy into its place. The Mystery Box was tucked up under her jumper, where it made a lump. She paused. All that planning and she hadn’t thought about the next step. Quickly she picked up her clean clothes and held them against her front. That did it! She crept into her bedroom, dumped the clothes on the chair, slid the box behind the books on her bookshelf, and when Rhiannon looked in was calmly putting socks and t-shirts into their respective drawers. Rhiannon was baffled, but decided to take advantage of the unexplained domesticity.

The torch had been David’s, before he got the big fancy one Da used to keep in the car. Mica liked this one better though, you didn’t need batteries. She wasn’t sure how it worked but a good shake made something heavy inside move up and down and it stayed light for ages. She curled up tight, pretending to be asleep, until the door opened and closed again, and she heard Mam and Da on the landing. The front door clicked – Da was on nights - and a few minutes later the TV started a gentle buzz from the sitting room. Perfect. One final thing to make her safe – she slipped out of bed and unhooked her dressing gown,
letting it fall to the floor in front of the door. Now if anyone tried to open it the door would stick, just like it had last Easter and she had to put her arm through the gap because everyone else’s was too big and she tore her dressing gown and Mam was a bit cross but not really very because it was pretty old. Now, finally, she was ready.

The sticky tape wasn’t very sticky any more, and flaked away at the lightest touch. A couple of bits cracked off and she dusted them off the edge of her bed. Carefully, she worked her way round, and then eased the lid up. Inside were bits of paper, and she almost cried with
disappointment. She hadn’t expected to find treasure in Cardiff, but these looked like the bits of paper Mam threw out of her purse. There was a book with lists of numbers. Money? She blinked at the numbers. Were Mam and Da rich? Underneath were some bits of plastic, like Da’s work badge. The photo was familiar… Uncle Ianto! She looked back at
the other bits of paper and saw ‘Ianto Jones’ printed on one corner. Interesting. Nancy Drew would have made lists of clues, and probably been kidnapped or knocked out in the process, but Mica didn’t have time for that. Instead she delved deeper, finding a little sheaf of photos.

Suddenly she froze. The telly was off, and the squeaky board on the landing had gone. In a trice the box was under her bed and her head was on the pillow, although her flushed face and rapid breathing would never have fooled her mother. Luckily the silence within was enough, and soon the narrow line of light around the door vanished as the hall light was
switched off. Cautiously Mica switched on her torch again. She was very sleepy and the wobbly torchlight was starting to make her eyes ache, so she put the box into her school bag under her science book, tucked the torch under her pillow, and went to sleep.

After yawning her way through maths and French, Mica made her way to the steps-up-to-nowhere. The door at the top was always locked, and the year nines told horrible stories about pupils trapped up there all holidays, but Mica wasn’t scared by that. Jade’s sister said it was only a boiler room and they shouldn’t be babies about it, but although Mica (like all Cardiff children) knew that Things lurked in dark places, she also knew that they usually left footprints and struggled with heavy duty padlocks. The tiny landing was tucked out of the way, and although it was near the staffroom, she had hidden there before on days that weren’t quite wet breaktime but should have been. Trembling slightly she undid her bag and spread the contents of the box in front of her. The papers about the money went back pretty quickly, as did some bits of newspaper. The card she looked at for longer. She was pretty
sure it was Uncle Ianto, but it had a different name on the bottom. She shrugged and discarded it.

The photos were more interesting. One of Uncle Ianto and a pretty lady outside a tent. They were laughing and it looked like they were holding the camera themselves. Two or three of the same group of people: in a pub, in what looked like a tunnel although there was a sofa there, and one where they were at desks and looked as if they didn’t know the photo was being taken. She liked that one. The lady with the dark hair was looking over her shoulder and looked as if she was talking to a man in a white coat. A lady with glasses had her hands out, and Uncle Yan was handing her a mug of tea. If these were her uncle’s things, that would explain why Mam didn’t want to talk about them. The last one was of her uncle and another man, who had his arm around her uncle’s shoulders. Uncle was smiling and the man was laughing. They were looking at each other. Mica frowned, as a voice echoed up the stairwell

“Mica Davis, what are you doing up there?” Mica jumped, frantically cramming the things into the box, but Mrs Adams, head of Year Ten was there and picking them up.

“Sorry, Miss,” she mumbled, glad that the things about the money were away. Mrs Adams looked at the photos and smiled.

“Family pictures?”

“My uncle, Miss. I don’t remember him much.” Mrs Adams’ face softened.

“Why don’t you work in the library?” This had never occurred to Mica, who only headed in there when they had silent reading in English last thing on a Thursday.

“Didn’t know I was allowed, Miss.”

“Come with me.” Mrs Adams picked up a stray newspaper clipping and led the way through two classrooms (a route strictly forbidden to students) to the school library. Inside she ushered Mica to the desk and introduced her to Ms McGregor the librarian.

“Mica is looking for somewhere quiet to go through some papers for a family project.” The tall lady with the big grin waved her arms in welcome.

“Mica, hi. Lovely to find people interested in research. Let me know if you need to look anything up and I’ll sort you out with a library log-in, and the main rule is no food or drink.” As she spoke she had one eye on the clock “ If you come back at lunchtime I can show you anything you need.” The warning bell rang, and Mica hurriedly took the papers from Mrs Adams, pushed everything back into her schoolbag, only to find the box taken firmly from her hands. “Don’t crush those in - I’ll put them under the counter and you can pick them up later.” Feeling dazed, Mica headed off to science.

At lunchtime she was back; she needed the box. Ms McGregor greeted her with a wave and handed over her property, before proceeding to give her pupil a thorough lesson on the correct method of handling photos and documents. When Mica protested that these weren’t
old pictures, and even the bits from the paper weren’t crumbly like the things from her Grandma’s house, the librarian snorted.

“Not the point. Archives tell us amazing things and need to last for future generations. Treat them with respect and you won’t have frayed edges and fingerprints. Always worth getting into the habit of learning to handle it properly from the start. Now, how do you plan to begin?”

When the bell range, Mica had a List, the use of a computer (if there wasn’t a queue), and access to a scanner and copier. When she had found the box she hadn’t thought beyond looking inside. She hadn’t imagined a mystery. She stayed in at afternoon break to photocopy the contents of the box, and put them in a plastic folder provided by the librarian.
The original box was smuggled back to its hiding place, and Mica stopped feeling guilty every time her Mam looked at her.

Now she had questions, so many questions, but neither of her parents would talk much about her uncle. He was a shadowy figure in her memory, quiet, besuited, happy to hand her some money and leave her alone. When she asked Mam she heard about him as a little boy, how he got into trouble, worse than she or David. When she asked about later, she was
told that he had gone to work in London for the government, and then got transferred back to Cardiff. She gathered information like beads, holding them close and secret inside. He had died a hero said Rhiannon, her mouth in a firm line. This was always the end of the discussion. Mica had read the reports of the incidents, and found a whole mass of conspiracy theories online (cursing the restrictions on the school computers she delved further at home). She also had her own confused memories of the house being crowded and police everywhere, and everyone being scared and buses and queues and shouting and running and everyone push and pulling. She wasn’t sure how her uncle Ianto was a hero, but somehow she would find out.

She had no names for the people in the pictures, but she found words in the documents she didn’t understand and made a list of them in her Secret Private Notebook. Shannon had given it to her for her last birthday and it had a lock. She learned how to use the online newspaper archives and scoured things for her uncle’s name, and for the meaning of the word that cropped up time and time again: Torchwood. She researched the incidents mentioned, and in the process discovered how much fun dusty bits of paper could be. Sometimes she jumped off at tangents and learned about completely different things, sometimes weeks would pass without her picking up the copies, but she always eventually returned to her own private mystery. Some weekends she would wander around Cardiff
looking for places in the cuttings, trying to imagine what had happened and what hadn’t been said.

Time after time she returned to the library, the only place she could spread out her notes without questions. It was warmer than the playground and she found herself reshelving books and learning how to check them in and out. She even dragged her friends in the big library in town from time to time, and they joined in, initially with amused tolerance. The
interest gripped, though neither of them felt Mica’s tingle of excitement when they crossed the threshold. Libraries were safe, comfortable places and full of exciting things to discover.

***

The new librarian was nice, thought Mica, observing from behind a stack of books she was busy shelving, but she wasn’t as friendly as Ms McGregor. The woman was quiet, calm, and wore her hair braided close to her head in interesting patterns. Mica was skeptical when she heard the old librarian was leaving, but so far she hadn’t been turfed out or given grotty jobs. Jade and Shannon thought she was weird for hanging out there at breaktime, but it was warm and comfy and she could get her homework done, which left time for mooching around with the others after school, and for babysitting which was a brilliant way of getting a bit of cash because Da was down to part time again and there wasn’t much about at home.

It was through the new librarian that she heard about the babysitting job, and agreed to stay after school to meet the parents. When the final bell rang she pushed her way through the heaving mass of bodies and fought her way up the stairs against the flow. She could see someone in the library, her back to the door, but as Mica looked through the window she turned to say something to the librarian. Mica stopped in her tracks. Her stomach gave a terrific flip and every single hair stood on end. Surely it wasn’t possible?

It was one of the women in the photographs.

Sliding back into the stairwell she fished for the packet in her bag. The copied photo was battered round the edges, the paper soft with handling, but it was definitely her - the lady laughing with her uncle in a pub somewhere. Could this be the answer? Pulling herself together she straightened her ponytail and walked back in. She was damn well going
to get this job, and if she didn’t she was going to get some answers.

Gwen Cooper had a girl of eight who needed a regular sitter because Ms Cooper was a police officer and worked shifts and her husband was sometimes out late with his job. The librarian smiled and ducked into her tiny office, and Mica tried to process the bizarre turn of events. Gwen talked about pay, expectations, and when she asked if Mica had any questions, the girl nodded and pushed the picture across the desk. There was silence.

The older woman looked down at the piece of paper and traced a finger over the surface, slowly shaking her head. Eventually she looked up and there were tears in her eyes.

“I wondered whether you’d remember me.”

As she spoke, a memory stirred in the back of Mica’s mind, a memory of running and damp places and being very, very scared.

“You knew my Uncle Ianto.”

Gwen nodded. “Yes. I worked with him. When Lois told me she had a student who might babysit for me, I had no idea it was you until I heard the name.”

Finally, finally someone who could tell her all the things that had eluded her since she first found the box. Someone who could make sense of the half stories and conspiracy theories, of the tales of monsters and ghosts and hidden chambers. Someone who could tell her about the enigma that was Ianto Jones.

Mica squared her shoulders and stuck out her chin. “I’m Mica Davies and I have some questions I’d like to ask you.” She placed the battered notebook on the desk. The lock had long since given up and elastic bands held the bulging cover shut, stopping the printouts and
photocopies from spilling across the desk. The cover was marked and tatty, a testament to all those hours researching, and all the places she had been. The handwriting matured from her careful twelve year old hand, through her fountain-pen-with-coloured-inks phase, to the steady script she used today. She looked at Gwen Cooper, who looked straight back at her, and then reached out her hand.

Gwen flipped through the notebook, spotting the logic, the theories (often far tamer than the truth), the dead ends carefully logged, and the dogged persistence that was reflected in the jut of the chin of the girl in front of her. She remembered Rhiannon and her determination to
protect all those children. Mica at nearly sixteen was so very much her mother’s daughter. Those photographs! Faces smiled at her from a decade ago, and Gwen swallowed hard to shift the lump in her throat.

“You like researching, don’t you...” it wasn’t a question, and Mica stayed silent as the older woman turned pages. The girl had a clear mind, and had found out things... If she had access to the right databases she could work from home, or even a computer at school; Lois would set things up. Just a few hours a week would fill in the background for those endless reports. She could even combine it with a spot of babysitting. She was very young, but it wouldn't be dangerous work, and she knew so much already...

Gwen looked up Mica, who leaned forward eagerly. Gwen held out her hand.

“Mica Davies, welcome to Torchwood.”

Are you on the Organ Donor Register?

2011-07-15T22:02:05Z

I've had my donor card since I was fourteen, and am on the Organ Donor Register. That was that. I thought little more about it.

Last year I read an article on the BBC website about a woman called Tor Tremlett has Cystic Fibrosis who was waiting for a double lung transplant. It linked to her blog and her twitter feed (Tor87) in which she describes life waiting for new lungs. When she was put on the transplant list she was told without new lungs she had 18 months. This was four years ago last week. She has had seven false alarms - calls when the lungs have not proved suitable. Read Tor's Plea here.

I have never needed an organ. I know two people who have had their lives changed by transplant - a school friend who had a new kidney when she was in her mid teens, and a former colleague who had a corneal transplant when she was 20. I know how their lives were transformed.

There are many good reasons why people do not or cannot donate, but there are also lots of people who have never thought of it. The whole purpose of this post is to ask that if you aren't on the Organ Donor Register you seriously consider it (and you can sign up here. If you are already on the register, make sure your family and friends know your wishes. Make sure you know their thoughts too.

This is something I feel so strongly about at the moment. Tor and many others are waiting and so many die before they get their call. I hope no one ever needs to check if I'm on the Register - I plan to live to a ripe old age and fade quietly away surrounded by family and books. I'd just like to know that if something did happen to me it would give someone else a chance.

Thank you for reading. Normal service will be resumed tomorrow.

Books for sale for my sofa-and-microwave fund!

2011-06-09T23:14:00Z

Prices on enquiry (because I haven't had a chance to look them all up yet)

EBD
Problem for the Chalet School (GGBP)
New Mistress at the Chalet School (GGBP)
Stepsisters for Lorna (GGBP)
School at the Chalet (1994 Armada anniversary reprint)
Trials/Theodora two in one
A Chalet Girl from Kenya (Armada)
Summer Term at the Chalet School (Armada)
Joey Goes to the Oberland (Armada)
The Wrong Chalet School (1978 Armada)
Gerry Goes to School (HB, 1952)

All of the above are in good to excellent condition - more details if needed.

GGB/Bettany Press/Other - mostly read once.
New Beginnings at the Chalet School by Heather Paisley
A Chalet School Headmistress by Helen Barber
Hilda Annersley Headmistress by Lesley Green
Juliet of the Chalet School by Caroline German
Gillian of the Chalet School by Carol Allan
Peace Comes to the Chalet School by Katherine Bruce
Two Chalet Girls in India by Priyadarshini Narendra

I'm also selling all my Nancy Brearys some Dorothy L Sayers paperbacks, a Dimsie (Goes Back), E M Delafield's 'Consequences', and various books by Jane Shaw, Angela Brazil, Malcolm Saville (Armada pbs), Jennings pbs, Noel Streatfeild, and 'End of Term' by Antonia Forest (pb).

Fic Masterlist

2011-04-26T18:22:00Z

There isn't much fic but I am trying to get it together in one place for future ref...

Ballet Shoes
A Petrova Snippet A glimpse of Petroval during the War. Also on AOOO as A Night Off

Beyond the Cromwell Road Written for Yuletide 2007, a Ballet Shoes continuation. This is one of my favourites.

My Daughter, the Dancer Backstory for Posy. I was trying to write a short piece about each Fossil sister. Petrova and Pauline's developed into Beyond the Cromwell Road and A Night Off, but I struggled to write Posy. This was influenced in part by The Whicharts.

Solo (first bit of a story about Petrova set immidiately after Ballet Shoes) This was originally going to be a lot longer, but I think it works as it is.

BSG
Ten Things Helo Thinks but Never Says Helocentric musings. Answer to a challenge at the BSG Hiatasthon community.

Broken Wings What if Apollo had grounded Starbuck at the start of Maelstrom? It was one of those trousers-of-time moments, and this was my response to a challenge.

Family Cally Tyrol thinks. Cally was always a favourite of mine and I think she made some bad decisions. If she'd been older, if her world hadn't been Galactica and the fleet, her life would have been different, but I still like her.

The Smell of Snow Pilot and deckhand silliness - pure fluff and the only attempt I've made to write something vaguely funny.

Blyton (both v short and very silly)
A Postcard from George George isn't well.

What Really Happened on Kirrin Island A mystery solved?

Chalet School
Peggy's Christmas Peggy is feeling glum the first Christmas away from the Tyrol. I am rather fond of this story, written initially for Secret Santa at the CBB.

Double Life An attempt to explain one of EBD's convenient coincidences.

One Summer Day at Pretty Maids What happened to Rolf Maynard. This was originally going to be part of a series "The Many Deaths of Rolf Maynard", and although I had several ideas, I never wrote the others.

Whoniverse
Alice's Gap Year Written for the commentfic prompt "That time when Alice got as far from Cardiff as she could and there were *still* aliens.

Quid Brevi Tempus How does Tosh spend her rare days off?

Stratigraphy River Song is an archaeologist in many ways.

Whisky Dream Child The start of a story about Alice meeting the Creepy Tarot Girl at some point after Children of Earth. Unfinished, but I really ought to pick this up again.

A Battered Cardboard Box Written for tw_femficfest 2011, Mica Davies grows up with a family mystery.

Other
Afterwards (Dead Poets Society) Written for Yuletide 2008

A Murder of Mycologists (Midsomer Murders) Written for Yuletide 2009. Probably the Yuletide story of mine I am least happy with.

Five Things That Didn't Happen to Jodie Bell (Fortunate Few) Written for Yuletide 2010. How can you not love a world of dystopian gymnastics?

An Interview at Hogwarts (HP) Albus Dumbledore applies for a job. This is probably my favourite story, and probably the only time I'll write anything Harry Potter.

Of Peas and Princesses (Fairy Tales) A retelling of the Princess and the Pea, a story that frustrated me when I thought about it.

Knitters...

2011-03-28T14:47:05Z

Is there anyone who would be able to knit me a dalek? I am tempted to get hold of some needles and have a go at the Tardis myself, but Daleks are a bit beyond me, as is the Dalek washcloth... If you fancy the challenge, please get in touch to suggest a price! I have no idea what wool costs and how much time it would take...

Dear Yuletide Writer

2010-12-03T12:14:13Z

Dear Yuletide Writer,

Firstly, thankyou for signing up to write in one of my fandoms-of-choice. Sorry it has taken me so long to put this together but I managed to lose my signup list...

Generally I am happy with gen, het or slash, as long as they are canon or canon-plausible. In these fandoms I would prefer nothing explicit, and I find incest really squicky... I rather like angst, especially if things are happily resolved, but something open ended would be just as interesting.

The Fortunate Few is a book I recently rediscovered, having been fascinated by it as a teenager. I would love to find out how things were resolved after the book finished, and how the characters carried on from that point.

I have just reread 'The Saturdays' and am very fond of the Melendy Quartet generally. I would love something gen - no Mark/Rush slash for me, thanks. I would particularly like to see Mona when she is living in New York and working on her serial, but anything would make me happy. Something seasonal would be particularly lovely.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is one of my all time favourite books, and the way it finished was so happy and hopeful. The family successful, Francie off to college...I was never quite certain about Ben, but I am willing to be convinced (the man needs to show a little vulnerability). How does Francie feel when she reaches Ann Arbor? What is it like returning home after her first semester? How are Neely and the others getting on back in Brooklyn?

Feel free to run with any of my thoughts, or to go with your own ideas. I know I shall be thrilled to bits to read the story, and thank you for all of your time and effort.

Sarah

Of Peas and Princesses

2010-06-23T14:46:23Z

Another from the meme mentioned earlier. This time a new version of a fairy tale...

Kate found the pea after fifteen minutes. It was clear something was up, with bedding piled high, and knowing looks as they bade her a "soft sleep". She had been livid at first, but started to see the funny side. This is how he chose a wife? Seriously? He wanted someone delicate and fragile and pathetic who could be completely suppressed, with no idea what made a healthy kingdom tick? Good luck to them, it certainly wasn't her idea of a marriage. The next morning she dressed for breakfast, complimented the chambermaid on the comfortable bed (although suggested that fourteen feather beds was excessive), secretly enjoying the petulant disappointment in their eyes.

She rode away with her head held high and a chearful wave, stopping at a clearing in the woods to enjoy the freedom and to share the joke with her entourage, who fell about laughing and suggested a campfire to celebrate her narrow escape. They had started to roast apples, when a young woman approached. Her chin was firm, and she was rubbing her arm as if bruised.

"Just be careful with that fire. A lot of us round here take our livelihood from the woods, and if it goes up in smoke we starve." She looked at it closely and nodded in approval. "Not bad, actually. There are beach nuts yonder, and they go very well with apples." She took off with a page, and they returned a few minutes later, aprons full of nuts. They cooked and ate, and when prompted, Lucy told them about the life of the woodspeople, tenants of the crown (although the houses and roads were badly in need of repair), and how some years were wonderful while others a struggle, she was clear thinking, articulate, and had a definite plan for solving problems, if only the King and Queen would listen.

Kate looked thoughtfully at the woman's red hair, pale, pale skin, and the bruises on her arm. "Tell me Lucy," she said in a pause of conversation, "are you married?" Lucy looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

"Are you proposing?" Kate laughed and explained her plan. Lucy looked interested and then doubtful. "I could make great changes, but there would be...expectations...and I really would not want..."

Kate explained about the wet and wimpy prince (the words "probably couldn't find it even if he knew what he was looking for, would almost certainly lose it if it wasn't attached" did much to reassure Lucy), his elderly parents who were keen to hand the kingdom over to the charge of a new royal couple so that they could the sea and the mountains, and how the insistence on someone frail and delicate could be used to her benefit ("just look horrified and he'll leave you be"). Together they plotted, and when Kate and her party set off, Lucy had made up her mind.

***

The wedding of Prince Ferdinand and Princess Lucinda took place on the same day as their coronation. The prince was as clueless as Kate had suspected, and Lucy bade him sweetly goodnight and retreated to her own chamber where her personal maid (a school friend who had high marks in maths, history and geography) was waiting with a roaring fire, a bottle of champagne on ice, and a mountain of papers to plan their way through.

It had been easy in the end. She waited a couple of days until a good storm, strolled across to the castle and battered at the gate. The words "a real princess" had acted as a shibboleth. She slept like a top, but woke early the next morning to help her bruises with a smudge of watery ink and shyly stammer out about her lumpy, sleepless night. There was an inner eyeroll at this, as she wondered who would have such poor manners to complain to her hosts about the bedding. They royals were delighted and put plans in motion at once.

Kate winked at Lucy as they passed each other at the celebration ball, and Lucy smiled back, knowing that an extension of the aquaduct has already been ordered, road repairs were sanctioned, and an inspection of all tenanted properties would be taking place over the next month. Kate looked up at the grand canopy and the miriad of flags and felt a huge wave of relief that she was safely away from it all. Lucy could hold her own beautifully among the politicians, would be an excellent reformer, and the kingdom would live happily ever after.

bookwormsarah @ 2010-05-01T23:44:00

2010-05-01T22:44:09Z

Over at my Dad's, having just had a wonderful evening at the ballet. Northern Ballet Theatre do glorious productions, and Peter Pan is wonderfully put together. The lead roles are played by more junior members of the company, which adds to the childish feeling. They fly! Crocodile! Pirates! All good stuff.

Managed to forget one or two bits when packing...facewash, nightwear, underwear... emergency dash into M&S solved the third of these, and am improvising the other two.

Finally, I am a mod for one of the teams in a Star Trek Challenge community, on the verge of restarting after a five month hiatus. starfleet_hq will give you more info... I captain Team Picard. We have regular Trek based challenges; creative, social posts, puzzles... Come and join us!

bookwormsarah @ 2010-04-22T15:24:00

2010-04-22T14:24:06Z

I want to buy a book from the website below, and I cannot find a 'pay now' link. The payment methods at the side are just images, and although I emailed the owner earlier, I have heard nothing. Have I just missed it? Would be very grateful if someone could take a peek and let me know...

http://www.coullcollectibles.com

ETA: All sorted now - there was a bug on the page which had made the payment tabs vanish. All sorted now and have made my purchase. Some of the GGBP books are half price, so worth a look!

Books for Sale

2010-04-18T17:34:42Z

Clearing off my shelves, more to follow.

£1 each:
Good Dog Dandy by Malcolm Saville (pb, 1971)
The Secret of Grey Walls by Malcolm Saville (pb, 1975)
Two in one Trials/Theodora by EBD (does anyone not have this?)

£5 each:
Seven White Gates by Malcolm Saville (pb, 1978)
The Wrong Chalet School by EBD (pb 1978)
The Chalet School Librarian by Pat Wilmott

Finding Serenity, Jane Espenson (ed) - excellent
Serenity Found, Jane Espenson (ed) - excellent
(Essays about Firefly and Serenity written by cast/crew/fans)
Rough Guide to Peru - mint, unread, random present from an aunt

GGBPs
Heather Leaves School by EBD - £30
Stepsisters for Lorna by EBD - £25
Janie Steps In by EBD - £20
New Mistress at the Chalet School by EBD - £25

Individually priced
Gerry Goes to School by EBD, hb, 1952 - £20

Others - couldn't find a price guide, or couldn't quite believe the prices the single copy I found was listed at, any reasonable offer accepted.

Where's My Girl by Malcolm Salville (pb 1972) - glue on spine going so cover loose
Summer Term at the Chalet School by EBD, pb, Armada, 1992
Joey Goes to the Oberland by EBD, pb, Armada 1995 - spine faded but uncreased

Anyone want two free tickets to the Ideal Home Show?

2010-04-02T20:48:04Z

I have two spare complementary tickets to the Ideal Home Show, which closes on the 5th of April. Can't post, but they can be collected from Cambridge or I'll be in London tomorrow (Sat) and can hand them over. Mum and I went last week, and someone passed on a couple of tickets as they can't now use them. Giant fake houses! Lots of samples! Laugh at people buying overpriced gadgets!

Really hope one of you would like them...

Casual sexism of the sort I thought was long since past...

2010-03-02T10:05:37Z

I stopped in Sainsbury's last night to pick up a couple of bits on my way home (note to self: their own brand meat-free kievs are a bit...weird. Don't get them again). On the end of an aisle there was a rack of children's fancy dress costumes. Thinking 'Awww' I stopped to look at them, and was utterly horrified to see that the 'doctor' costume was firmly labeled 'Boys' and the nurses outfit 'Girls'. These are tabard-type outfits with a few accessories as far as I can tell, and aimed at small children. The colours were the standard children's dressing up shades, and nothing particularly gendered (apart from slightly cutesy stuff on the nurse's kit). I could not believe it, and would have said something to a staff member had I seen one. I am going to write a letter.

*fumes*

Public Service Announcement

2010-02-25T08:49:16Z

Margin Notes Books have just republished 'The Whicharts', Noel Streatfeild's first book which was later rewritten as Ballet Shoes. £13.50 including postage (within the UK. I have just ordered a copy, breaking my 'no more books until May' rule...

http://www.marginnotesbooks.com/index.html

I covet...

2010-01-08T23:40:13Z

...this duvet cover SO MUCH. If only it came in a double...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Zap-Doctor-Cyberman-Single-Duvet/dp/B000UUBSTM/ref=pd_bxgy_kh_text_b

ETA: ZOMG it does. I can't...can I? Would it be too sad for words? Probably safest if you don't answer that one. Does everyone else only have sensible and grown up bedding?

Is there anyway to find out who was in an advert?

2010-01-07T12:04:52Z

I was watching something last night and in the ad break saw the most recent BT advert (I haven't wanted the next installment of an ad so much since the one where they fed Paul Daniels, Debbie McGee and Vanessa Feltz to the lions...). In it the man (can't remember his name) phones his mother. Does anyone know whether his mother is played by the same woman who was Bridget Spears in Children of Earth?

On a semi-related note, the Virgin Atlantic ad (which REALLY annoys me) was on and I was surprised to see the man who wants to change his ticket at the end is PC Andy!

And there is my random thought for the day.