Category Archives: Reviews and Past Events

Review: Heavy Metal (1981) film; music, sexism and gaming culture.

I’m notorious for never watching TV or movies but I’m currently reading Designers & Dragons Shannon Appelcline’s wonderful history of the rpg industry and immersed in 1970s and 1980s culture. While doing so I chanced upon the cover of White … Continue reading

Posted in Reviews and Past Events, Social commentary desecrated, Uninteresting to others whitterings about my life | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Boardgame review: Final Girl – The Haunting of Creech Manor

A quick post tonight: I did another play through of this solo boardgame based on 80’s horror flicks. This time it’s Poltergeist: you have moved in to Creech Manor and very quickly discover that it is horribly haunted. So you … Continue reading

Posted in Games, Reviews and Past Events, Uninteresting to others whitterings about my life | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Letters of M.R. James

There has been a bit of a kerfuffle this week in the Jamesian community after a savage TLS review by A.S.G.Edwards of Casting the Runes: The Letters of M.R.James by Jane Mainley-Piddock utterly trashed it. My problem with the book … Continue reading

Posted in Fiction, Reviews and Past Events, Uninteresting to others whitterings about my life | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

In Memoriam: Robert Moore, UFOlogist – 1967 – 2023.

Today is the funeral of my friend and ASSAP Vice Chair Robert Moore: UFOlogist, folklorist, and researcher. We are thinking of his friends and family and raising a glass to his memory. A number of ASSAP friends are travelling to … Continue reading

Posted in Paranormal, Reviews and Past Events, Science, Uninteresting to others whitterings about my life | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Sisters Grene

I wandered in to Cheltenham today to buy some jeans as my trousers are falling apart; on the way I decided to pop in to a new shop at The Brewery, just five minutes gentle stroll from my home. I … Continue reading

Posted in Reviews and Past Events, Uninteresting to others whitterings about my life | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Boardgame Review: Final Girl

I don’t play a lot of solo boardgames: I’ve owned B17: Queen of the Skies for decades but rarely break it out, and many games I own can be played solo but I don’t bother. Boardgames for me are a … Continue reading

Posted in Games, Reviews and Past Events | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Thought for the day: Poltergeists’ People.

I have resolved since changing my meds and finding myself able to concentrate better to start blogging again. It requires time, and I don’t have much, but I dutifully set an alarm and I get prompts to write. Today’s was … Continue reading

Posted in Paranormal, Reviews and Past Events, Uninteresting to others whitterings about my life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Image from The Wizard Torn 3: an online Ars Magica convention.

Tonight I am writing about my gaming hobby so feel free to skip reading this unless you are a tabletop rpg gamer or very curious! I will be back tomorrow to normal topics (whatever they are?) Well another Image from … Continue reading

Posted in Fun forthcoming events, Games, Reviews and Past Events, Uninteresting to others whitterings about my life | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Review: The Haunting of Alma Fielding: A True Ghost Story, by Kate Summerscale

Sometimes you should not review a book: it is a job for someone else. It was the morning of my mother’s funeral; late September 2020, bright sunlight and sudden darkness; an angry wind shouting at me as my housemates gathered … Continue reading

Posted in History religion and society, Paranormal, Reviews and Past Events, Social commentary desecrated, Uninteresting to others whitterings about my life | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Review: Waiting for Another War – The Sisters of Mercy 1980 to 1985 by Trevor Ristow

So I read Waiting for Another War the history of the Sisters of Mercy (till 1985) by Trevor Ristow. It is a really good readable book with a limited market (probably people who bought The Reptile House ep) and charts … Continue reading

Posted in Reviews and Past Events | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment