vivdunstan

Gothic swoons

2026-05-01T05:43:13Z

I'm belatedly playing a few of this year's Spring Thing interactive fiction games. Just played one, "The Perilous Plot", which sees you play the villain of a gothic novel trying to outsmart the heroes. Inspired by a Guardian article, I think this one, which I remember reading all those years ago.

Making the heroes faint a lot is a major in game goal ...

comments

Piles of books

2026-04-30T21:25:07Z

Clearing more secondhand books to go to charity. We don't have enough bookcases in this house and there are lots of piles. Positive: digging into a pile that hasn't seen the light of day for years reveals a large number of books to donate to charity. Negative: it can undermine another pile!

Also there's a limit to how many books Martin can take at a time to our local Oxfam's (the best place locally to donate them to find good homes). He may need several trips with over 30 books looked out today! Plus a backlog of other ones plus Big Finish Doctor Who audios.

There are many more piles and areas still to be attacked ...

comments

Rewatching Doctor Who: Under the Lake / Before the Flood

2026-04-28T20:34:40Z

Continuing my Twelfth Doctor rewatch, and going into spoiler space to discuss some more specific spoilery details.

( spoilers )

comments

Rewatching Doctor Who: Tooth and Claw

2026-04-27T20:17:33Z

We watched this last week, another 20-years-on anniversary rewatch. I remembered really liking this story on first watch, with some provisos. And it's still great.

Tightly written, full of content. There's an original Scottish setting, and it was nice to see David Tennant's Doctor use a Scottish accent, and be incorporated into the plot.

Rose is very resourceful and brave, leading the prisoners' defence. But at the same time she is phenomenally irritating re the repeated "We are not amused!", and her Princess Anne jibe was incredibly misjudged by RTD. And I say that as a non royalist.

The episode is full of exciting action scenes, from the opening monk acrobatic hijinks, through to the werewolf transformation, and the final climax.

A strong guest cast, mostly Scottish, helps immensely. Pauline Collins - a Classic Who returnee to Doctor Who - is a memorable Queen Victoria.

Much running along corridors, and more stairs. But effectively done, and not annoyingly repetitive.

Some nice uses of history, and as a book historian I especially liked the woodcut showing something relevant from James V's era. Unlike Jonathan Creek's "Satan's Chimney" episode with Mary Tamm, this story at least got the correct Scottish monarch!

And nods to the future, re both Torchwood and Bad Wolf.

Great stuff, albeit still with a few quibbles. And, yes, incredibly tightly written, which again RTD2 and also Capaldi-era Moffat could take lessons from.

Oh and the early 2000s special effects seemed to hold up well for me watching two decades on.

comments

Current listening: Jenny (Doctor Who spinoff) audio story "Stolen Goods"

2026-04-22T20:29:53Z

Had the first boxset waiting to listen to for ages, and finally fired up this first story. And this is enormous fun. Georgia Tennant does a grand job returning to her Doctor Who TV role as the Doctor's Daughter, and the story, characters and tone are great space comedy, in the style of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I don't know if the rest of the boxset will be similar, but this is a superb start.

comments

Rewatching Doctor Who: New Earth

2026-04-19T15:21:50Z

This last week marked 20 years since the start of David Tennant's first full series of Doctor Who. We weren't planning to rewatch anything, but stumbled at midnight that night into a rewatch of "New Earth". I wouldn't be surprised if we rewatch more episodes over the coming weeks ...

I jotted down some quick thoughts while watching.

DT so young!
Seeing Mickey is going to be *challenging*, but hey ho
Nice to combine first new Tenth series story with a sequel to End of the World
So many lift shafts and stair scenes in this early era of New Who!
Adjoa Andoh's voice even more recognisable for me now after watching some of Bridgerton
Certainly pre Covid, with the Doctor opening up multiple patient cells, full of people infected with many diseases, and saying it’s ok as long as you don’t touch them
Marvellous cat acting from Doña Croll particularly
Very dark storytelling, but also incredibly concise for the runtime - RTD 2 could take lessons
Overall a fun intro to a new series. And the middle part of an elongated trilogy story of sorts, which I hadn't appreciated back then.

comments

Hyperland (1990)

2026-04-18T19:28:54Z

Very belatedly watching the 1990 documentary “Hyperland” about hypertext, starring Douglas Adams (who wrote it) and Tom Baker. It originally aired on the BBC just as Martin and I were starting as undergraduate students at St Andrews.

And for the computer science folks, my St Andrews CS PhD which I had to drop out of in 1996 due to my progressive neurological disease (still not then diagnosed properly) was about creating a system to support hypercode, a hypertext like programming system built on underlying persistence technology.

comments

Irish genealogy: the 1926 census

2026-04-18T07:11:15Z

Starting the day looking up siblings of my g-granny from Dublin in the newly released 1926 Irish census. Having to check some more BMD certs (fortunately mostly available online, free, for this period for the Republic of Ireland) to verify addresses. But finding most folks sought.

comments

Preparing a board game for play

2026-04-17T14:22:53Z

Hoped to have my first play of board game Calico, but had to pop out all the cardboard pieces first, and sort them into wee bags. Big challenge with neurological illness hands! Done, though I'm now very sluggish all over as a result. Hope to have a play another day!

comments

Books finished in 2026, mid April edition

2026-04-16T21:28:52Z

Finished a bunch more books since last month, so time for another update.

( earlier books )

Insomniacs After School volume 8 (manga) by Makoto Ojiro
Shakespeare: The World as a Stage by Bill Bryson
The Book of Life (Discovery of Witches book 3) by Deborah Harkness
A Hat Full of Sky (Tiffany Aching book 2) by Terry Pratchett
Bill Oddie's Little Black Bird Book by Bill Oddie
Echolands: A Journey in Search of Boudica by Duncan Mackay

Continuing to enjoy Insomniacs After School manga, though volume 8 felt more of a filler volume than usual. The story continues to delight though, as do the lead characters. Good art too.

Bill Bryson's Shakespeare biography is very compact and concise, but well done, and covers the key issues. Also suitably analytical about the evidence and different perspectives. Recommended.

I reread the third Discovery of Witches book, a couple of years after rereading the second. The third book is by far my least favourite, with too much gratuitous violence, and also a rambling plot that needed tightening up. But it does provide a good resolution to the opening trilogy.

A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett was another reread, as I work my way through the Witches subset of Discworld books. Tiffany is delightful, and here is combined with Granny Weatherwax plus the Nac Mac Feegles. Solidly 5/5, though it's not my absolute favourite Tiffany book.

Bill Oddie's Little Black Bird Book was recommended to me by a birding friend, who knew it would give me an insight into the psychology of birders like Martin. Excellent stuff, though it was originally written back in 1980, and much is very dated now in terms of how birders operate. But still insightful, and ever so amusing. I read lots of bits out loud to Martin.

Duncan Mackay's Echolands book about Boudica is a voyage of discovery, digging into her story and the landscapes in which the story unfolded. On the downside I struggled an awful lot with the numerous descriptions of places and landscape. I probably have aphantasia from my neurological disease, and it's worsened over the years as the disease has progressed further. I couldn't picture enough what was being described, though I think the written descriptions were fair. I was also frustrated by footnotes in the Kindle version not being hot linked, so pretty useless in that format. But it was an evocative read, and the discussion of the archaeological evidence was gripping.

comments

Bankrupt accordion companies

2026-04-15T13:40:01Z

Belatedly learning that Weltmeister accordion makers in Germany (since 1852, give or take debates over individual firms) closed in late 2024. I have a 48 bass Perle box of theirs, which is a handy smaller alternative at times. I have form in this: bought a Maugein CBA accordion not long before their company shut in France too! But they have since successfully relaunched.

Meanwhile my main box remains my Clinkscales 72 bass piano accordion, made by Paolo Soprani in Italy, and bought new in 1981. It had its first retune in 40 years in 2021, and is still going strong. Gorgeous rich sound, still practical for me to play when my progressive neurological illness allows.

comments

RIP Moya Brennan of Clannad, singer and harpist

2026-04-14T05:25:24Z

Sad to read this news overnight, now being reported by Donegal Daily and RTE. Her voice was ethereal, as was her harp playing. And perhaps known particularly to many of my generation because of the music of TV series Robin of Sherwood.

For added poignancy for me, she was diagnosed late in life with pulmonary fibrosis, the very rare terminal lung condition my dad died from. Which continues to have echoes like this throughout my life ...

comments

Narnia/Blackadder crossover

2026-04-12T17:43:03Z

Continuing our weekly rewatch of 1990 BBC Narnia TV series “The Silver Chair”, and wryly amused at episode 4’s quasi reunion of Blackadder’s Nursie and Captain Rum. “Potato” is my all time favourite episode of Blackadder.

comments

Rewatching Doctor Who: The Magician's Apprentice / The Witch's Familiar

2026-04-12T03:15:50Z

Was worried that I was going to run out of title characters to fit that lot in!

Continuing my rewatch of the Peter Capaldi era with this opening two parter from New Who series 9. And going to put my discussion into spoiler space.

( spoilers )

comments

Current reading, April 2026 edition

2026-04-10T20:49:07Z

My current main reading, on my Kindle, with utterly gargantuan font needed for disability reasons. A mix of fiction and non fiction, history, SFX magazine columns, and oh so very much Venice. I’m starting a virtual tour of Venice for a few months (self directed), and reading is part of it.

comments

Spring Thing 2026

2026-04-09T21:31:38Z

Drawing up my initial target list of Spring Thing interactive fiction games. Have noted those that appeal to me initially, and that I am hopeful I can play. A nice mix of genres (e.g. slice of life, fantasy, scifi, mystery etc) and type (e.g. parser, choice etc.).

comments

Venice Virtual Tour 2026 ideas brainstorm

2026-04-07T03:44:30Z

I should be asleep now, but I've had a dire night with my neurological disease, sprinting to the bathroom constantly and unrelentingly for many hours. So ended up typing up ideas for my Venice virtual tour instead of sleeping! Still stuff to fill out, especially some of the details, but thought I'd share the notes so far.

( expand to see lengthy notes )

P.S. I've been to Venice several times in person, so am very familiar with a lot of the core concepts and places. Not sure I will ever get back! But this virtual tour should be fun.

comments

First Big Finish, and again how did I miss that movie?

2026-04-06T21:12:48Z

Replying to a Doctor Who subreddit post about first Big Finish story heard. For me it was Chimes of Midnight in 2004. Also the first time I encountered the 8th Doctor. Somehow - and I'm still not sure how this happened! - I missed knowing about or seeing the TV movie in 1996. Despite being a fan since 1978.

comments

Virtual Venice trip and currently not on display paintings

2026-04-05T20:58:27Z

Planning a virtual visit to Venice this spring/summer - goodness only knows when I might get there again in person, with my progressive neurological disease. Browsing Gallerie Accademia website, agog how many of my favourite paintings aren't on display at mo.

This includes my favourite Gentile Bellini huge paintings as well as the Ursula cycle by Vittore Carpaccio. So it's probably as well I'm planning this tour - including favourite and new to me artworks - virtually rather than in person now! I can sit in person for ages in front of these ones.

To be fair the paintings are not available to view because of a combination of restoration work and restructuring of the gallery. So it is for good reasons. But I'm really relieved I'm not hoping to see them in person there at the moment. Because I'd be incredibly disappointed to miss these paintings.

comments

Steven Moffat's storytelling style in Doctor Who

2026-04-05T01:44:23Z

I'm just starting a rewatch of New Who series 9, with "The Magician's Apprentice" / "The Witch's Familiar". And while I'm enjoying it, I'm finding the so very Steven Moffat storytelling exhausting. Admittedly I'm especially tired at the moment, including cognitively, as I recover from my latest neurological illness flare. But the constant jumping around from time and place to somewhere else combined with the big set pieces in between feels way too much for me at the moment. I'd really like a more simple story structure with a more straightforward beginning, middle and end!

To be fair I've seen and enjoyed this era of Doctor Who before, on original broadcast. And I'm very familiar with this style of storytelling, from especially New Who series 5 onwards, as well as some isolated examples before then. It's what we get, for example, in "The Pandorica Opens" / "The Big Bang", and so many many more Steven Moffat penned stories. But sometimes it's just too much for my taste. And tonight is definitely one of those times.

Harking back to slightly simpler times in Doctor Who history, we're planning to soon rewatch all the Fifth Doctor TV stories in sequence, now that we have all of his season Blu-ray boxes. I saw them all many years ago, and a few again more recently. Martin's only seen a few of the stories. So that will be fun, and hopefully a little more palatable for me when fatigued. That's not to say that they're simplistic, but there should be a certain lack of convolution generally. Which I think I will appreciate. Though we still have to finish watching the final BBC Narnia TV series first.

comments

Books to go, but not pirate or sea shanty tunes!

2026-04-04T21:27:08Z

Clearing out more books to go to charity, including some piano music books, though some others are staying - I don't officially play the piano, but usually use them as source material for my accordion! Keeping all my concertina music books though, especially the pirate and sea shanty ones!

We've donated many books to our local Oxfams, but in the last few months they hadn't put any online for a long period. But they're catching up with the backlog now, so we'll feel happier donating more. They often sell well for them, as well as tarot decks and card games that I sometimes donate, and it's easier for us to get things off our hands in this way.

comments

Tiffany Aching reread

2026-04-03T21:01:14Z

Current reading includes a reread of the second Tiffany Aching book in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. I adore the Tiffany run of Discworld books, though it took me quite a while to start reading them. Suitable for all ages, good thought-provoking fantasy. Some of Pterry's very best.

Some years ago I read all the Discworld books in sequence. Mostly a reread, but some, like Tiffany, were new to me. Now I'm taking a leisurely reread through the Witches stories and am now in the Tiffany subset. Enjoying this so very much. After that I think I'll reread the Guards books in sequence.

comments

Still Moka Pot making

2026-04-03T17:05:44Z

Still enjoying our Friday late afternoon weekly Moka pot coffee fun, sharing a 4-cup Bialetti Moka Express between us two. My daily coffee maker is a Hario Switch V60, combining immersion and pour over. But the Moka pot is a fun weekly change for us. Like the best kind of chemistry experiment!

comments

Sleeping + waiting

2026-04-03T15:44:41Z

Waking late afternoon as continue to recover from my latest neurological illness flare. Heavy sleeping daily with the most bonkers protracted dreams! Still waiting for urgent gynaecology referral appointment. NHS Tayside has phenomenal wait for this particular clinic (*), though guidelines say they should see you in 2 weeks ... Meanwhile sleep.

* Current advertised waiting times are 35 weeks ...

comments

Rewatching Doctor Who: Last Christmas

2026-04-03T01:22:45Z

Continuing my rewatch of the Peter Capaldi era of Doctor Who, with this episode at the end of New Who series 8. And going to go into spoiler space again.

( spoilers )

comments