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Posted

From The Arctic To Angola - The Adventures Of A Hull Skipper by Danny Platten.

 

A very interesting life story which Skipper Platten punctuates with anecdotes about the Hull trawlers and men that were lost at given times in his life. Some of them evoke very vivid memories for me. I remember Christmas 1966 and the news reaching Hull that the St Finbarr was in trouble off the coast of Labrador. She had caught fire and the skipper had sent out a May Day message on Christmas morning. The father of one of the lads we 'larked out' with was on board and I can still remember being able to feel the anxiety and tension in the local community as we waited for news. We heard later that he had been one of the fortunate ones and had made it into a liferaft (the crew couldn't launch the lifeboat because an electrical fault had caused the davits to become live). He was rescued by another Hull trawler, the Orsino, which was in the area and had picked up the May Day. Sadly, twelve of his crewmates lost their lives that Christmas Day.

"I'm from a fishing family. Trawlermen are like pirates with biscuits." - Lucy Beaumont.

Posted (edited)

I don't think I've read a book for about twenty years but, if this woman's written an autobiography, I'd make the effort.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathy_Smith

That could be interesting!

 

I am currently reading The Spanish Ambassador's Suitcase, a collection of Foreign Office 'funnies' compiled by Matthew Parris.

Edited by Futtocks

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Posted

I've just finished reading Jimmy Greaves' biography. I didn't realise how bad his drinking was. He states that he knows he was a good player cos he's got a load of medals and he's seen old video footage but he can't remember the biggest part of his playing days. He's got a blank of about ten years.

Posted

I've just finished reading Jimmy Greaves' biography. I didn't realise how bad his drinking was. He states that he knows he was a good player cos he's got a load of medals and he's seen old video footage but he can't remember the biggest part of his playing days. He's got a blank of about ten years.

He was a serious boozehound.

 

That post about the blanks reminds me of the anecdote Clarissa Dickson-Wright told about seeing a big parade in London and asking what it was all about. When told "the Falklands War victory", she realised she had no awareness that any of it had happened, which turned her off alcohol for the rest of her days.

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Posted

A maze of death by Phillip K Dick

I love PKD. Not one of his greatest but still crackin.

Posted

I've been reading quite a few Raymond Feist books recently. Really getting into them.

 

Just about to finish 'Rage of a Demon King' - 3rd (of 4) in the Serpentwar Saga.

Posted

I've just started 'XIII Inspirations', but have also given into the hype and downloaded the first book in the 'A Game of Thrones' series, to see what the fuss is all about. So that's next on the readig list.

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Posted

Almost finished Viv Albertine's autobiography Clothes, Clothes, Clothes, Music, Music, Music, Boys, Boys, Boys. Great evocation of the 70s and the leading characters in punk. Lots of surprising stuff about Sid Vicious.  

Posted

John Le Carre: The Spy Who Came In From the Cold

 

probably the fourth time I've read this but nevertheless its an excellent read

Bernard Manning lives! Welcome to be New RFL, the sport's answer to the Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club.
 
Posted

Just finished ‘Murder on the Orient Express’. Never read it before, and never read any Agatha Christie before actually but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it  - funny and well paced. I was a bit annoyed as I realised halfway through I’d heard the solution before as it’s quite a famous one but it was still impressive how it all came together.

SQL Honours

Play off mini league winner - 2002. Bronze Medalist - 2003. Big Split Group Winner - 2006. Minor Stupidship - 2005, 2006. Cup Silver Medalist - 2008, 2009

CHAMPION - 2005, 2009, 2010

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted (edited)

I have just finished Mansour Bahrami's autobiography 'The Court Jester'. A fascinating life, and magnificently indiscreet about his fellow tennis stars. Like French Rugby League players of the past, he was also the victim of a state-backed sporting ban. If you don't know who he is, this might give you the beginning of a clue.

 

Edited by Futtocks

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Posted

On the third of Stieg Larsson's "Millennium Trilogy".

 

Lisbeth Salander doesn't sound like the sort of girl to try taking advantage of... :ohmy:  :wacko:

                                         "You've only won one trophy SINCE 1985"
                                             
Posted

Ian Rankin's Strip Jack, half way through, not bad so far....just finished Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength as my new years resolution was to join a gym, not so much to "get buff" but certainly to sort myself out with a view to maybe having another bash at low level, amateur RL again one day

Posted

Ranulph Fiennes    AGINCOURT   My family ,the Battle for ,and the fight for France.

 Soon we will be dancing the fandango
FROM 2004,TO DO WHAT THIS CLUB HAS DONE,IF THATS NOT GREATNESSTHEN i DONT KNOW WHAT IS.

JAMIE PEACOCK

Posted

The Golden Scales by Parker Bilal.

 

I'm a sucker for detective stories set in exotic locations so when The Times on Saturday gave the fourth Makana instalment a cracking write up I thought I would start at the beginning. It has not disappointed as yet.

  • 1 month later...
Posted

Stephen Leacock (1869-1944) was a Canadian humourist who, in the early part of the 20th century, was one of the most-read authors in the world. Nowadays, he's less well-known, but his absurd short stories and articles are still very funny and well-written. Think of him as being somewhere between Jerome K.Jerome and S.J.Perelman and that is a (very) rough idea of his writing.

As he is out of copyright, I got a 12-volume Kindle anthology from Amazon for 99p! That's good VFM in anyone's book.

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Posted

Edgar Wallace's JG Reeder series, as re-awakened recently in Radio 4 Extra

Bernard Manning lives! Welcome to be New RFL, the sport's answer to the Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club.
 
Posted

Kingmaker by Toby Clements .At last I've found a novel featuring The Battle of Towton

 Soon we will be dancing the fandango
FROM 2004,TO DO WHAT THIS CLUB HAS DONE,IF THATS NOT GREATNESSTHEN i DONT KNOW WHAT IS.

JAMIE PEACOCK

Posted (edited)

For those of you who enjoyed Danny Baker's 'Going to Sea in a Sieve', you might be interested to know that the second instalment of his autobiography is out next week (25th Sept). 

 

If it's only half as good as the first one it will still be well worth the cover price....

 

Finally gotten around to reading this – certainly as good as the first one, in fact I think I’ve laughed more at this one – the yarn early in the book about the family tortoise had me properly chortling. Just read the section on Gazza and I’m not sure what to think really – it was quite touching in a way although the implication that he was quick to embrace the story of his tragic downfall, when he was weary to accept his meteoric rise is rather sad, but telling in its own way.

 

 

Anyway, great book as expected, will be sad when it’s over.

Edited by Amber Avenger

SQL Honours

Play off mini league winner - 2002. Bronze Medalist - 2003. Big Split Group Winner - 2006. Minor Stupidship - 2005, 2006. Cup Silver Medalist - 2008, 2009

CHAMPION - 2005, 2009, 2010

Posted

Kingmaker by Toby Clements .At last I've found a novel featuring The Battle of Towton

 

Have you read the brilliant AA Gill article on it?

(Sunday Times : several years ago)

Under Scrutiny by the Right-On Thought Police

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