vivdunstan

Quick sales at Oxfam's

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 20:25:12 GMT

Our local Oxfam's volunteers have been listing more items that we donated recently. 12 more items were listed on their web store today, including 6 Big Finish Doctor Who (or Doctor Who spinoff) audio adventure boxsets. Within just a couple of hours 4 of those newly listed Big Finish boxsets had already sold. Which is very good news for the charity, bringing in almost £60 of revenue. I don't think even if I'd sold these myself I'd have sold them for that much. And there would have been all the practical hassle, which I really don't need, especially right now.

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Photo ID and voting in Scottish by-elections next week

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 19:56:35 GMT

I wonder how many people in my local Scottish constituency will be caught out by not having suitable photo ID for voting in the Westminster by-election taking place here next week. Photo ID wasn't needed for the recent Scottish parliamentary elections, though it was needed at the local council elections in England happening at the same time. If I wasn't voting by post for a new MP - already done - I'd be ok, with my passport and Blue Badge. Martin has a passport and driving licence. But my Mum doesn't have anything suitable. And I would be surprised if some other folks don't too.

P.S. There are two Westminster by-elections in Scotland next week, one here in Angus, and another in Aberdeen.

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Sir Sherlock take 2

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 19:59:09 GMT

Today I backed the second in the Sir Sherlock series of Sherlock Holmes audios starring Tom Baker and John Leeson as Holmes and Watson. I greatly enjoyed the first audio. Note the series is CD release only, so you'll need a CD player. Tom Baker is on fine form.

The first CD can be picked up as an add on to the second Kickstarter. I expect in due course it will also be available to buy direct from AUK's web store.

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Update from the BBC about Doctor Who's future

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 14:49:31 GMT

The BBC today issued an update about Doctor Who's future. The 2026 Christmas Special has been cancelled, and they are putting the series out to tender. No word when it may come back. On Instagram Russell T Davies and Bad Wolf both confirmed their exit.

I'm struggling to see any positive spin on this. On the one hand there may be a company who can do a good job of it, hopefully with a good showrunner, if that's the model they go for. But it feels very much like a very uncertain delay, and with the circumstances of the BBC at the moment, which are becoming more precarious as time goes on, I don't feel confident that Doctor Who will return to the telly. And even if it does, will it have a sustained future, or limp through another attempt, then vanish again?

On Instagram Russell T Davies wrote: "Now I’m as excited as anyone to see what comes next! Will they keep the theme tune? Will they lose the blue box? Will they bring back the Drahvin?! It’s all up for grabs, which is so Doctor Who, exciting and unpredictable and new!" Please forgive me, but none of that fills me with excitement.

There's also the problem that at the moment there is no current Doctor to carry on the torch for fans, unlike during the 1989-2005 gap, where the existence of current doctors prompted a mass of tie-in books and other things. It's also quite likely that any new series produced in the future won't address, or at most will quickly brush away, the Billie Piper appearance.

Strictly speaking it's not the Wilderness Years 2.0, but it does feel awfully like it ...

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Fifth Doctor rewatch

Sun, 07 Jun 2026 18:02:01 GMT

Starting our Peter Davison / Fifth Doctor era rewatch of Doctor Who with Castrovalva. It’ll take us a couple of goes to get through the story, and we also plan to watch some of the special features on the remastered season Blu-Ray box.

Technically it’s a rewatch for me only. Martin, who didn’t grow up with a telly at home, has only seen a few bits of this era before.

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Sir Sherlock

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 20:47:09 GMT

Digging out my CD player to play a new Sherlock Holmes audio with Tom Baker and John Leeson playing Holmes and Watson.

Tom Baker sounds on great form, but John Leeson is a little laboured. But I'm enjoying so far. It also stars Nicholas Rowe, known from Young Sherlock Holmes.

I also have the hardback version of the novelisation to read, which is a lovely artefact.

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Brainstorming questions

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 14:18:23 GMT

Starting to write down questions for my post multidisciplinary team gynaecologist ?cancer meeting on Monday. Initially thinking I won't fill the page. But yup, I did! She may answer lots of the questions before I ask them, but at least I have a bit of paper with everything on. Will also take notes. As will Martin there with me.

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"You shall not pass!"

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 13:16:04 GMT

Martin took my watch in to our local Timpson's store to get a new battery. Impressed at the staff member's words, on seeing the Lord of the Rings themed watch: "You shall not pass!" The battery also didn't cost us anything extra, because we'd taken out an inexpensive lifetime guarantee before.

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Rewatching Doctor Who: The Zygon Invasion / The Zygon Inversion

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 14:15:45 GMT

Another two parter in this series, and it's a two-part sequel to 2013's "The Day of the Doctor". Going to discuss my thoughts with significant spoilers.

( spoilers )

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More voting for us

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 13:14:26 GMT

Finally our postal votes have arrived! We were expecting them from late last week. Finally here. This is for the local Westminster by-election in our constituency. One of two Westminster by-elections currently in northeast Scotland, caused by the sitting MP winning a seat as a MSP in the Scottish parliament, so needing to be replaced at Westminster. Martin has the joy to look forward to of me loudly commentating as I battle with envelope A, envelope B and envelope C!

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Wheech

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 20:46:00 GMT

Introduced my in laws tonight to the word "wheech", a fantastic Scots word, which I had been using in recent weeks in chats to my Mum, talking about how much surgeons might remove from my tummy re gynaecological cancer. Me: "They can wheech it all out!" For more info see the DSL word of the week page for wheech.

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Fantastic interview with Sylvester McCoy (Doctor Who the Seventh Doctor) on the Whoniverse show

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 19:55:39 GMT

We enjoyed watching this immensely. It’s prompted by the newly rereleased remastered 1996 TV movie. But the chat with Sylvester covers his whole TV era of Doctor Who and more since then.

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More clearing out / donations for charity

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 14:42:40 GMT

Clearing out another huge pile of books and DVDs in the house. Many going to charity, though I'm checking with our local Oxfams that they can take this hefty donation this time, combined with others we have waiting for them! Others now shelved appropriately around the house.

It was nice to rediscover things, including a book of game reviews of 1980s Spectrum text adventure games, lots of manga books (especially Sherlock Holmes themed), and a book collecting old issues of a Blake's 7 fanzine. All those things are staying in the house. But happy to pass most others on.

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Whether to make somewhere fictional or not

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 20:43:13 GMT

I'm newly reading Bluff by Francine Toon, which is set in St Rule, a thinly disguised version of St Andrews. I'm not sure why she bothered making it a fictional place. Not least when I read of the "Isle of Maeyar" ...

So far I'm finding the book frustratingly choppy, with incredibly short chapters, and constantly changing POVs and time periods. But hopefully it will settle down.

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Micromania

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 20:36:15 GMT

Rather amused, browsing the free PDF version (print copy also available to buy) of Micromania: The Whole Truth about Home Computers, originally published in 1984 by Charles Platt, and adapted with extra text for a British context by David Langford. More info available here.

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Approaching the end of another week

Thu, 28 May 2026 21:29:59 GMT

Still in waiting limbo re the gynae cancer investigations, but generally happy, and my brain has thankfully stopped overthinking relentlessly at 4am/5am every day! Side effects from my Covid vaccine on Monday have largely eased, though I'm still popping painkillers every 6 hours, and am giving Paddington Bear level stares at my frustratingly itchy red and swollen arm. Anti histamines can only do so much! I hope tomorrow to tackle a big pile/clearing out area in the sitting room. Martin might be happier if I left it alone 😜 But we'll see what I can do.

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21 years ago today ...

Thu, 28 May 2026 21:15:14 GMT

... the final part of my favourite Doctor Who story first aired on TV. "The Empty Child" / "The Doctor Dances" immediately overtook "City of Death" as my top Doctor Who story, a position that had held since I first saw it as a youngster in 1979.

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Rewatching Doctor Who: Rise of the Cybermen / The Age of Steel

Wed, 27 May 2026 20:28:08 GMT

Rewatched this pair of episodes last week and the week before, as part of our continuing 20 years on rewatch of the first David Tennant series.

Going to discuss some major spoilers, so going into spoiler space. Spoiler discussion will also include the later 2006 series finale.

( spoilers )

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Rewatching Doctor Who: The Girl in the Fireplace

Mon, 25 May 2026 20:16:23 GMT

Just realised that I didn't blog about rewatching this the other week, 20 years after original broadcast. I haven't got much to say, except that I think it's one of the very best episodes ever, and it totally holds up on rewatch. It was my late Dad's favourite Doctor Who story, and he'd been watching since 1978. It's a little self knowing in places, but that's very Steven Moffat. But it's so very good. And I think it would be a good introductory episode for a new watcher, to see if they might like the programme.

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Covid vaccine #13 upcoming

Sun, 24 May 2026 15:28:27 GMT

Another day, another drive around Google Street View, checking the route for a NHS appointment. This time for my NHS Covid vaccine (#13). I may be the only under 75 patient there again! Closer venue and sooner than originally booked for me. Important, given I'm due major surgery, one way or another.

It is very amusing to be counting roundabouts for directions. We were last at this venue in November. Not the main Dundee vaccination centre, and it's quite a bit closer to our home. But still a bit of a venture into a new area for us, so always a bit of an adventure to get to successfully.

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RIP Michael Keating

Thu, 21 May 2026 17:18:36 GMT

Best known for TV's Blake's 7, but also a familiar face from other programmes, including Doctor Who and Eastenders. I've just dug out our old Dutch Blake's 7 DVD boxset which includes season 4, so we can rewatch his superb performance in "Orbit". https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0500252/

Note I don't think this episode is available to stream legally anywhere, and the collection remastering project for Blu-ray etc hasn't got this far through Blake's 7 yet. Luckily we have the old DVDs.

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"21 years or more"

Wed, 20 May 2026 20:33:34 GMT

Completing a Tolkien Society member survey, and had to double check my answer to the first question. I've been a member since 2002, though I think I was a member some years earlier too. Definitely "21 years or more" though!

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Musica Veneziana

Sun, 17 May 2026 17:46:33 GMT

Told my Mum about my virtual Venice tour this afternoon. And mentioned that it includes music, e.g. I plan on listening to some Vivaldi ("Oh, was he from Venice?") as well as playing some suitable accordion tunes. If I was still playing my violin I could try to play some Vivaldi music on that. But my violin isn't accessible at the moment, and I am an extremely lapsed player. But squeezebox is very much available, especially my favourite Italian box.

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Venice virtual tour progress and unexpected connections

Sat, 16 May 2026 16:55:50 GMT

Just mused some thoughts about this on my academic blog.

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Rewatching Doctor Who: The Girl Who Died / The Woman Who Lived

Mon, 11 May 2026 14:01:21 GMT

Continuing my Twelfth Doctor rewatch with this pair of linked episodes. Going to discuss this with big spoilers.

( spoilers )

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