vivdunstan

Just blogged about this on my academic musings blog. Mainly making a public statement of intent there to encourage me to properly do it!

After submitting another academic journal paper (wish me luck!) briefly pausing to take stock of others in progress. 4 more in development; all Scottish history; 16th, 17th, 18th & 19th centuries; genealogy & court history, legal history, black history, music history & popular culture. Lots to do!

Researching, writing and submitting these - including dealing with all the *fun* of peer review - as a sole author is *interesting*. But something I enjoy, and will keep doing for as long as I can.

20 years ago "Rose", the first episode of the relaunched Doctor Who, aired. This was the start of an opening series starring Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor and Billie Piper as his companion Rose. And what a return.

Though I felt that Christopher Eccleston sometimes seemed uncomfortable in the part, particularly the more humorous sections, Billie Piper was a revelation. I knew her before then as a pop singer, a pre Britney UK version of Britney Spears. And then wow, she could really act. And now is a multi award winning stage actress. There's no way that Doctor Who would have been such a hit on its return without her part in it.

The overall feeling from the first season for me was fun and vitality. Doctor Who was back with confidence and pizzazz, and it sure delivered. Albeit with often scares and even pathos. Losing the Ninth Doctor at the end of the season was a shock, but as a one-season run for that Doctor (before Big Finish made many audios more recently with Christopher Eccleston returning to the role) it was very strong, and remains so viewed today.

My favourite story from this opening series by a long way is the two-part "The Empty Child" / "The Doctor Dances". When this aired it even bumped 1979's "City of Death" from the all-time top spot for me. And it's retained that place in the two decades since. This story is a perfect mix of historical, terror, horror, humour and pathos. It was also the first time I'd seen Steven Moffat's writing (yes I missed the 1999 "The Curse of Fatal Death"!) and I was wowed.

The other absolute standout for me from this series is "Dalek" by Robert Shearman. Cleverly reworking a Big Finish audio, this relaunched Daleks for a new audience, all through presenting just one of them on screen.

And my other favourite story is "Rose". Which was a superb introduction for new viewers and old timers alike. Absolutely brimming with confidence.

I could write much more, but for now just want to say "Happy birthday New Who!" And yes, I will be watching my all-time favourite story again tonight.

Crikey I so wanted to type 2024 there haha!

I've got off to a flying start this year, partly with 2 books that were hang overs from before, but also a quick read for my book club. But then I also quickly read 3 other books that had been hanging around for too long, and I wanted to pass on to charity shops. I'd previously started reading a couple of them.

1. An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson
2. Don't Touch My Hair by Emma Dabiri
3. Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa
4. Egyptian Myths: Meet the Gods, Goddesses, and Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt by Jean Menzies
5. Tutankhamun: The Treasures of the Tomb by Zahi Hawass
6. ABBA: The Treasures by Ingmarie Halling and Carl Magnus Palm

An Academy for Liars is a dark academia book, with rather a lot of violence and gore added to the mix. It was ok, but I had to push to keep reading it to the end. 3/5 stars.

Don't Touch My Hair by Emma Dabiri was an incredible insight into the experience and history of black hair. A strong 4/5 stars.

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop was another 3/5 star read for me. Ok, mostly, but a rather odd writing style, and an unexpected and lengthy shift away from the cosy bookshop setting mid way through. 3/5 stars.

Egyptian Myths by classical historian and YouTuber Jean Menzies was an entertaining and informative text, full of striking large format illustrations from Katie Ponder. I did find the order and structure a little confusing in places, but I learned a lot. 4/5 stars.

Tutankhamun: The Treasures of the Tomb is a large format coffee table book, filled with huge photographs and details of many hundreds of items from Tutankhamun's tomb. The items chosen are a selection carefully curated by Zahi Hawass, and it's not exhaustive. But for what you did get it was jaw dropping, including multi-page folding out large photographs. Both Martin and I were stunned by parts. 5/5 stars.

ABBA: The Treasures is a large format squidgy book telling much of the story of ABBA in photographs, reminiscences, and reproductions of paper ephemera connected with them, tucked into folders inside that you open up and work through the contents of. It's a nice book, but a rather narrow perspective on their life, focusing mainly on some of their 1970s international tours, which one of the authors accompanied them on. I did feel that I was missing out on the wider story. But the folders of paper ephemera were a delight. I was particularly amused by the customs list, for the Australian tour I think, including a "piano accordion". 4/5 stars.

Very difficult week with my progressive neurological illness, but delighted to end with some accordion practice. Mainly playing my own arrangements, including here Despacito, and also Speechless from Aladdin, and Don't Shut Me Down from ABBA. Extremely light headed, and there were fluffs, but happy.

I've never seen Wicked, on stage or in the cinema. Will watch it from home (well part 1 of the 2-part film version) when it goes to streaming. But I *adore* this song from the musical, especially the version sung by movie Elphaba Cynthia Erivo. Have bought some digital piano music for it, and am going to do an accordion arrangement. Just gorgeous.

Overjoyed to get my wee Maugein chromatic button accordion out for the first time in well over 6 months. I'm still learning this new to me type of accordion (I'm a very long-term piano accordion player) including even where the right hand notes are! Delighted with how much had stuck and making plans for progress. Had fun working through some tuition books, as well as Sous Le Ciel de Paris and even the Pirates of the Caribbean film's main tune.

Currently listening to this one, the last story in season 5 of the Benny audios. And gobsmacked.

It's a totally bonkers adventure for Benny and Adrian. Truly bizarre in a theatrical and imaginative way. It reminds me of so many things e.g.

• Blake's 7 TV episode "Gambit"
• Alice in Wonderland
• Doctor Who adventures with the Toymaker
• The Prisoner TV series
• MUD computer games
• Tom Stoppard's play "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead"

There's very little logic to anything, though it does repeatedly argue for its own internal logic.

But it's utterly compelling to listen to.

Great music too! And extremely metatextual.

But yup, crikey. Highly recommended.

I do realise I've written very little about what it's about. But going in unprepared is probably for the best.