READ ANY GOOD BOOKS LATELY?

[Stanley]

I finished Bryson yesterday. Well worth a read but frightening stuff. I remember sending a copy of 'The Limites of Medicine' by Ivan Illich to my friend John Pudney when he was dying because of throat cancer. He thanked me for it, said it deeply depressed him but he got some good quotes from it for his last book 'Thank Goodness for Cake'. (LINK)
Back to less demanding stuff, Dorothy Hartley and on Thursday my new le Carre arrives....

[Stanley]

Private Eye arrived, fills the le Carre gap nicely!

[Stanley]

Le Carre arrived but by a roundabout route, the courier delivered it to 10 Hill Street instead of East Hill but the man there was good enough to bring it round for me. I've started on it, I shall report. (First impression it follows his trend of late, more a commentary on current affairs and you have to pay attention and read carefully or the undercurrents can be missed.)

[Stanley]

I am in no doubt that le Carre hates Brexit and Trump degrading political discourse. Very topical!

[Tripps]

Stay with me - there's a book involved. . .

Yesterday I watched an interview with Ronnie Campbell MP in whose constituency I once lived. He seems to be a bit demob happy now, having said he will soon retire.

This brought back many memories of his predecessors Eddie MiIne MP, John Ryman MP, also (Lord) Ivor Richards ,John Poulson, T. Dan Smith, Andrew Cunningham etc.

The names will mean nothing to most people now, but it's worth googling them all, to understand that perhaps this generation of politicians isn't the worst ever.

Milne wrote a book called 'No Shining Armour' which resulted in thirty six writs for libel and nearly bankrupted the publisher. I've manged to find a correctly priced cheap copy on Amazon / Germany, and having successfully (?) avoided being tricked into joining Amazon Prime again will get it in a couple of weeks. Should be a lively read.

[Stanley]

"John Poulson, T. Dan Smith"
I recognise those two!

[Tripps]

Even I was surprised at how bad this guy was. John Ryman MP

Offering 22.5 % interest seems totally ridiculous today, but I was getting 16.05% from Bradford and Bingley at the time, so relatively speaking, not too much 'over the odds'. How times have changed.

[Stanley]

David, good link. I had forgotten him. Shirley Summerskill must have sussed him out early on!
At that time I was getting automatic pay rises every three months under the control of a Wages Council for the textile industry. Abolished by the Tories of course!
I finished le Carre yesterday, not a long book, not a word wasted and a cracking story if you concentrated.
What a contrast with Cameron......
Back into the slower paced arms of Dorothy Hartley for a while now!

[Tripps]

Daniel Meadows makes it into the Daily Mail.

Daniel Meadows

[Tizer]

Wonderful! Thanks for the link to this article on Daniel.
I do wish online newspapers would stop providing a space for comments at the bottom of every article or report. Much of it is rubbish, unfortunately.

[Whyperion]

At that time I was getting automatic pay rises every three months under the control of a Wages Council for the textile industry. Abolished by the Tories of course!

Most/all wages councils were, but in a way re-invented with the general minium wage/ 'living wage'/

[Stanley]

No they weren't! They have no control over conditions.
David, thanks for that link, cracking pics and I shall inform him we have noticed.... I see I am an extinct trade.....

[Tripps]

David, thanks for that link,

You're welcome. Good thing someone on here reads the Daily Mail.

[Stanley]

That'll be right.....
I am enjoying Dorothy Hartley, a million miles from politics!

[plaques]

The Greatest Knight. by Thomas Asbridge. (The remarkable life of William Marshall the power behind the throne) Covering the period from Henry 2, Richard, John, to Henry 3, A period when all our Kings were Frenchmen and most of the action took place in France. Written in a style that's easy to follow, lots of background detail and scene setting. Worth a read for the casual historian who likes a bit of action. ABE books £2.40 post free.

[Stanley]

Sounds interesting P. I'm afraid Cameron has put me off weighty reading for a while, I see a lighter trend for a while....

[Wendyf]

I'm not reading much at the moment but I have been getting rid of a pile of old and unwanted paperbacks from my bookshelves.... not that you would notice, the shelves are still full. I took as many as I could carry to the charity book stall in Colne Market but there are some that are too old, ragged and coffee stained to take there. If I whisper Fahrenheit 451 you will know what I have been (furtively) doing with them.....

[Stanley]

I put any discarded books in a neat pile for the bin men Wendy, then they can decide! Like you, I have an aversion to destroying any book.
There's one waiting for you down here....

[Wendyf]

They make good firelighters, but it doesn't feel right.

[Stanley]

[Stanley]

Dorothy is back on the shelf and I am having yet another therapeutic read of Kipling, 'Puck of Pook's Hill'. I never tire of it!

[Stanley]

Finished Puck, now on to the sequel, 'Rewards and Fairies'. If you have never read either of them I urge you to have a look, they are wonderful books and very good history and English lessons!

[Tripps]

Well - the Dorothy Hartley food book hasn't arrived yet, but whilst browsing I noticed she also wrote a book on water . Since the poet next door was interested in the topic - having bought a cottage with a 'spring underneath it' - I thought it wisest not to ask for any more detail.

I sent for a copy and I've given it to her.

It's hard back and in good nick. I skimmed through it, and it seems very scholarly, and authoritative, and will I'm sure answer all her questions. Interesting that is an ex library copy from Corpus Christi College Cambridge. So it's coming home so to speak. She'll like that.

[Stanley]

I often fancy reading more of Dorothy's books, she is such an easy and interesting read.... I hope the poet enjoys it.....
I first came across her when I read her book 'Made in England'. It's about old trades and crafts and well worth looking at..... The National Trust reprinted it as one of their Classic series.

[Stanley]

'Rewards and Fairies' is back on the shelf and on a whim I decided to read 'From Russia with Love' by Ian Fleming again. I think it was the first James Bond book.....