It's back! And wasn't that fantastic? We had intrigue and adventure and car chases and silly jokes and fabulous clothes.... and it wasn't even a John Pertwee story! Now, one of the horribly tedious statements so many of the people who don't like this new incarnation is that the writing has been bad and the …
Norwich Ghost Walks
The Norwich Ghost Walks have been around in the city for a long while and it's been a great privilege to be a part of it. Since August, I've been playing the Jack of Crows, a trickster figure with a dark sense of humour. I take my unsuspecting audience on a journey around Norwich castle …
Review of Landlocked by Doris Lessing
Landlocked is a frustrating novel. It’s about frustration and futility and transition. The previous novels in the Children of Violence series had Martha constantly involved. Martha was driven. She was wilful and energetic and stumbled from one crisis to next mostly convinced of her own righteousness. She puts “the cause” before herself, before her family …
Review of The Further Adventures of Lucie Miller
Back in 2007, Big Finish did a massive change in their direction. They created the 8th Doctor adventures as a series, separate from the monthly range, and broadcast on BBC Radio 7 as an officially sanctioned Doctor Who series. This series was made for me! Confession: I wasn't getting on with the TV series at …
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Review of War Master: Rage of the Time Lords
With the volume of new releases from Big Finish recently, it’s very easy to get overwhelmed. Normally, I manage to identify one very clear “must have” each month, which I’ll get on its release, and then I can treat myself to one or two other stories if I have the money at the end of …
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Orford Castle: a visit
Have you visited Orford Castle? It’s this magnificent 12th century fortress built by Henry II to keep the Earl of Norfolk in check. Only the keep remains, but that is more or less fully intact and is well worth a visit. It’s a very rare design of castle, standing tall and magnificent, visible for miles …
Doctor Who Review: The Two Masters
I have to say from the outset, I absolutely adore Alex McQueen’s Master. He needs to appear more often and he needs to recruited into the TV show as well. He was fabulous in UNIT: Dominion and I could quite happily listen to Dark Eyes 3 on continual repeat. Seriously, we need to start a …
Review: Let the right one in by John Lindqvist
Like many of us, I had watched the highly acclaimed Swedish 2008 film and ignored Hollywood’s perplexing attempt to make a westernised version but, despite having the John Lindqvist book on my shelves for the past decade, and never quite got round to reading the original. Which is a pity, as the novel is a …
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Osric Fingerbone and the Boy Murderer by Michael-Israel Jarvis
With full marks going to author, Michael-Israel Jarvis, for the highly compelling title of this, the first in a series of urban fantasy YA novels set in the dark and twisted world of this alternative version of 19th century England. A world very much set in the tradition of Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere or Jennifer Bell’s …
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Doctor Who review: Resolution
So, for new year we had Daleks and adventure and lots of Tardis scenes and they managed to avoid making it “festive”. Very, very happy with that. Now, I’m not the world’s biggest Dalek fan - Remembrance is probably the only TV Dalek story I’d put in my top ten - but, when not overused, …
