I Like To Think That Mr. Gardner Would Appreciate It.

The building I now work in appears to be modern - last 10-15 years probably - though the Edge Lane site in Liverpool appeared nearly as recent despite being built around 1900. It was refaced and re-modelled inside to create a reasonably comfortable environment. However, the buildings around the one I now reside in, are pre/post war, mostly single storey with those typical iron window frames and big wooden doors. Take a picture of this site and convert it to black and white and you will have something from the fifties and sixties, a sort of Ealing comedy atmosphere. In fact it looks like you may imagine the actual Ealing Studios did (though they didn't).

Funny old world. We need a thunderstorm and we may get one.

As you may have guessed, I jettisoned The Ancestor's Tale temporarily in order to read Harry Potter. I am not allowed to detail any of the plot in case my wife reads something crucial but I will say that it was slow to start and got better. I though it a return to the old style with a lot more concentration on the school year rather than extraneous events. I know I promise full reviews and never provide them and you will have to wait until my wife has finished HP but the intent is here. Having said I was going back to The Ancestor's Tale, we went to the library yesterday and I came away with The Stars' Tennis Balls if only because it is by Stephen Fry. Portents are good, though they always are with Stephen Fry who can do no wrong - except Absolute Power. I am drooling at the thought of the follow up to Moab Is My Washpot though it may not arrive - ever. I imagine him picking over my style and grammar in the same way he pulls up Alan Davies in Quite Interesting and you can show your support for the great curly-headed underdog at www.GiveAlanDaviesMorePoints.com.

I wonder how Molly is getting on in Tibet?