August 2025 | James Durose-Rayner's website

August 2025

The A's

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31 August 2025

Good morning.

It is 3:35 am and we are up. I've just had my coffee and the bath is running. A drive down the M1 awaits.

We fly out to Cyprus at 9:55 am. Hopefully, this morning we are not delayed. Certainly not 7 hours anyway.

I'm taking over a couple of new Vans T-shirts and the new centre floor console for the FTO that I bought from Australia the other week. Oh yeah - and some DVDs. Series 2 and 3 of Happy Valley starring Sarah Lancashire.

We have Series 1 and 2 at home, but I tend to double up on the DVDs I like and take them over to Cyprus.

In Series 2, Des Barnes's wife (Amelia Bullmore) is a right evil cow in it!

Des was the bookie off Coronation Street when we used to watch TV an Amelia Bullmore's character, Vicky Fleming, certainly reminds me of a few women that I've met throughout my life. Intense is not in it!

Right. That's me done. Hopefully, I'll see you when I get down to Luton Airport.

--

It's 7:40 am and we are in the Priority Lounge at the airport. No kerfuffle this time around, even though the self-important tub of lard with the shit attitude from our last time here, was clumping around on guard duty.

She loves wielding the axe of authority.

I might try and get a photo of her on the way out. I'll have to go 16:9 widescreen though!

Animation. Opposite is just a quick one of Angie Mellor that I rendered this morning, along with me trying to create a Series introduction card that's a bit Star Trek-ie.

I did the animation of Angie, using the non-pro software a few months back. I have a few other animations of her, which I have never chucked up on here.

Anyway. Cyprus beckons.

30 August 2025

A very good morning to you.

I was up at 6:50 am to an empty house. Julie was out through the woods walking the dog.

I walked into the kitchen to the smell of last nights meal. Fillet steak, dry fried with three bags of prawns in red wine and pepper. We have a powerful extractor and several large windows, but steak, for some reason, just seems to linger.

It looks like it's going to be a nice day but the Met Office says not. We are due rain around 4:00 pm.

Julie is going to Sheffield's Meadowhall this morning with our Jamie, and on the way back are calling to see her mum in the care home.

Today, as with yesterday, I will be working on The A's.

I nipped back into the previous episode to try and smooth it out some more.

As I have said before, I don't write from once upon a time (The start) through to them living happy ever after (The end) - I tend to write in patches which is based on ideas. I then link up these patches to form the story. However, and is often the case, the story may flow to some extent, but it possesses discrepancies.

I could let them go, but my alleged OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) - alleged by my wife, would never let me.

So, basically, I am ironing out these patches and links to make the story flow better.

Music. I was writing in the dining kitchen last night - basically to keep the dog company, and listen to the B2.

Crash Indie Anthems CD's 1 and 2, and Indie Hits CD's 1 and 2.

These are four compilations of 1990's indie music ripped from albums of the same name.

Favourites. El President by Drugstore feat. Thom Yorke (of Radiohead).

29 August 2025

Good morning.

I was up and out through the woods with the dog at 6:50 am. It looks like the start of a nice day.

I've just texted a few friends that I've not spoken to in a while. Just checking-in as I call it.

I've not much planned today, bar a haircut and possibly jet washing the the car.

Yesterday, was a nothing day, the most interesting thing was, me giving our Jamie a kilo of red chilli powder.

Not to cook with as that would be too simple.

His wife's dog - an 11-year-old Border Collie by the name of Archie, had a seizure at the weekend. A fit if-you-like.

The dog was diabetic and had a large tumour pushing against his pancreas. His time had arrived and it was time to say goodbye.

If you've never had a dog, putting one to sleep is an extremely hard thing to do.

Human's piss you off all day long so getting rid of one of those would be child's play. A dog does not. A dog gives you unconditional love no matter what fucking mood you are in. And I speak from experience.

Jamie buried him in the garden up at Lianne's parents' house in Crowle, as it had been they who had looked after him most of the time.

A grave of 1.2m (4 foot) was dug and he was placed in that.

The other night, however - a fox came into the garden, and decided to try and dig him up.

Foxes are both predator and scavenger and will eat just about anything.

The chilli powder is the ultimate deterrent.

A foxes sense of smell is out of this world and sniffing chilli to put to finer point on it, will blow its head off.

If you ever get chance, watch the 1967 film Cool Hand Luke with Paul Newman and George Kennedy.

When Luke (Paul Newman) escapes from the prison's chain gang and the dogs are coming after him, he uses chilli to confuse their senses.

A classic film with a class actor.

He made another four great films. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), Hud (1963), Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid (1969) and The Sting (1973).

Animation. Opposite is another one of the Gaynor character - possibly, how she will end up looking in Series 2. Not at the beginning, as she will be a bit weighty and unpolished.

I'm still working on that one!

28 August 2025

Good morning.

I was up and out through the woods with the dog at 6:30 am.

It is nice and sunny with a cool breeze - however, it won't last as the reliable (sic) Met Office state that rain is forecast this afternoon.

My first job today is dropping the car off for its MOT and at the end of the day, picking up my car and dropping in The Beast (the dog's car) for its yearly ticket.

August. The month when all three cars need MOT-ing.

And over in Cyprus - an MOT will want bunging on the FTO - however, over there MOT's are done every two years - thank God.

Yesterday, we had the plumber from Dyno-Rod come to the house as part of our extortionate annual insurance that we are shafted by British Gas for. Homecare 4 - £1,410.16.

I tried but failed with fixing the toilet in the family bathroom the other day as no matter what I did, it was pissing water everywhere, therefore, Julie hit the Batphone and called them out.

He was quite a nice guy, actually. He must have had some nervous disposition, though - as he kept on saying: "I'll just be a minute."

He must have said it a dozen times.

He also fixed the leaky tap on the sink after he'd had all the contents of the cupboard out in the middle of the kitchen before putting them all back in the wrong way round.

Animation. Opposite is Jenny Mellor.

Jenny absolutely hates P.E at the Christ Is King All Girls School. The main reason is that she is in a class full of girls who are three school years older than her, and being smaller, she doesn't do the physical things as well as the others.

Christie Gotleib sits on the board of education at the school and it was brought to her attention by the headmistress, Mrs Westcott of Jenny's zero interest in the subject.

Therefore, Christie decided to act on it.

Each Saturday Jenny goes swimming at the Gotleib's.

Christie, never let on to Jenny about the conversation with Mrs Westcott, but mentioned the fact, that with all her family living close to the river - and one which can be dangerous, learning to swim would be a good idea.

In the early episodes of Series 2, Christie is seen to push Jenny on, so much so that she becomes quite a capable swimmer - which is something Jenny doesn't quite realise until the time she does.

Her great gran - Ana Reung also thought it would be a good idea to take her to Taekwondo, which was something else Jenny initially disliked.

The beauty about this animation is that Jenny is very much like her mum, in that if she is not bothered about something - she will try her damnedest not to do it.

With Gaynor it was her hatred with cooking and cleaning up. With Jenny it is what she sees as needless exercise.

"What's the matter with it?" Mason asks.

"I hate it," Jenny replies.

"Stop exaggerating - you're like your mum."

"Mam says I'm like you."

"No she doesn't... anyway, what do you hate about it?"

"Everything."

"So what would it take to make you like it?"

There's a pause whilst Jenny ponders.

"Er... I think I might like it if I had a mobile phone."

"You're not having a mobile phone."

"You wouldn't have to tell mam."

"Er - yes I would."

Jenny is also very manipulative, which is another genetic trait that has been passed down from her mum... and Granny Maureen...

27 August 2025

Good morning.

It is 6:10 am and I am up.

Julie is out through the woods with the dog.

My tasks. Make the bed, get the dog's breakfast ready, empty the dishwasher and get the coffee on.

I've got a short Tesco's shop coming this afternoon.

By short, I mean not a £250 one, as we are out of the UK on Sunday - so just a couple of 210g fillet steaks, four fresh cod loins, some fresh smoked salmon, some salad stuff, and bread and milk, to sort of tide us over until the weekend.

Animation. Opposite is the Gaynor Mellor character making her bed in 8 Marquis Gardens, Chiswick Green to the sound of Fleetwood Mac's Gold Dust Woman .

This was a track off their 1977 album Rumours and the flip (B) side to Don't Stop (Thinking About Tomorrow).

The song was one I had in my head when Gaynor and Mason first went on a date of sorts.

There's a big story there, but one I can't tell you as it is part of the overall plot.

My idea was to have them dance to it but as the story (Series 1) evolves you never really see Mason as that type of lad, therefore I cut that out.

What I can say is that Mason was supposed to go to Gaynor's for tea with the family at 6:00 pm that balmy evening in mid-September 2022, and rather embarrassingly for Gaynor, he didn't turn up.

With Gaynor it was a first boyfriend-kind-of-thing and it had taken her a lot of courage to invite him over, not at least because her mum, Maureen, and her elder sister Angie, were always pulling her leg... mainly about her appearance.

Really!

In the beginning Gaynor looked a totally different person to what you regularly see in the 2D animation.

26 August 2025

A very good morning to you.

I was up and out through the woods with the dog at 6:15 am and came back in to coffee and toast.

I'm in Cyprus-mode. Roll on Sunday!

I have nothing planned for today, as my day job writing and setting the magazine is for the time being, complete.

Some advertisements coming in, however - would change that and have me have to do some juggling, which is always a great problem to have.

Therefore, today, I will be working on The A's.

Yesterday, was possibly the nicest Bank Holiday's in a long time. The weather was brilliant, I did some bits and pieces around the house, and we copped a teatime curry with The Cuban and Broken Arm Sue and afterwards, nipped up to the Red Lion for a couple. And then on our way back down the High Street we noticed that Big Scott and Edyta's car was parked outside The Curry Leaf so we nipped inside to see them.

Julie had seen them earlier in the day has it had been his birthday on the Saturday, so she had called in at Tesco's on the M181/A1077(M)/A18 roundabout and bought him a bottle of Moët & Chandon champagne and dropped it in.

"Did you get him any strawberries?" I asked.

"No, because I wasn't sure if they would be in and it was to hot to leave them outside," she told me.

I don't think it is a Wimbledon-thing but he likes them with champagne!

We have known Scott well over 20 years.

After he got to know us he brought his family (+ his second wife) over from Sheffield and on to the Isle of Axholme, and all his kids have therefore grown up around us.

We aren't supposed to have favourites but the middle lad - Hunter, just about lived at our house sort of on an off for a good couple of years.

"Why do I have to go home?" he asked.

"Because your mum and dad will be missing you," I told him.

"No, they won't."

He always had an answer for everything!

And he was the biggest tearaway of them all.

His mum and dad were forever being called into school.

Great kid!

Animation. Opposite is Clara Margieson the girlfriend of Augie Doggie and best friend of Gaynor Mellor.

Clara was a year or so older than Gaynor and was introduced to her by her soon-to-be fiancée, Mason Green.

In Series 1, Clara and Gaynor were in separable but would never speak for seven years.

25 August 2025

Good morning.

I was up at 8:00 am - Julie taking the hound for her walk.

A bit of D.I.Y this morning.

Do I like it? Am I any good at it?

A double fucking no.

I re-fixed and painted the trestle on the back door. Ideally, we need two new doors but I was quoted £3,000, so I basically told the guy to fuck off.

Not very nice of me, I know, but everyone who doesn't know me who comes to the house and sees it, wants to overcharge. That's not being a snob regarding the size of the house and where it is, that is just how it is.

We have an odd job man of sorts from Gringley-on-the-Hill by the name of Tom Lowther and he is the same.

"Come on Tom - stop taking the piss - how much?"

He always overprices. Always. And he always finds himself extra work to do.

Whilst cleaning out the gutters down the side of the house: "You're missing a slate - £130."

That was three or four weeks ago.

My other job is climbing up some ladders to free up the cistern / ball cock in the family bathroom as it's got stuck twice over the past week and pissed water everywhere.

This morning was no different. So - ladders and some WD40, plus I'll clean the top of the cistern whilst I'm up there.

I am reliably (sic) informed by the Met Office that the summer is indeed back and it is going to hit 28°c by 5:00 pm.

Something that rarely happens: A Bank Holiday Monday with sun.

We are booked in at The Curry Leaf - I think. I certainly know that we are going, anyway.

We did Sunday Lunch at The Red Lion yesterday. We tried to hang it out and cop a curry for tea, but it didn't happen. At 1:00 pm, we were out too early and ran out of steam by 4:00 pm. Well, ran out of steam to go for a meal, anyway.

The last thing that any respectable people (as we live in a respectable neighbourhood) want to see is someone facedown in a curry come 5:30 pm. Therefore we went home.

Anyway, Sunday lunch was interesting, more so since the chef (Steve) from The Industry Bar & Grill over the road is now working there.

Yesterday, I was told (by him) was his first day.

He's a good chef but left is previous employment under something of a cloud. I'm not sure exactly what happened as you always get told different tales - but I do know that he has baggage.

Still - the Sunday dinner was sound enough - not as good as he did over at The Industry, but still sound.

The proprietor of The Red Lion - Fat Fred isn't the kind of person to sort of speculate to accumulate, and runs the place on his fine lines principle, which isn't just my opinion, but fact, as the staff who manage to stay there are always fucking complaining.

And since he's got the place mega-rigged with CCTV everyone of them are on their toes.

The Sunday lunches at The Industry were nothing short of brilliant, as the owner wanted repeat custom.

Fat Fred wants custom but he's not actually bothered about doing any work to get it.

He's a character that much is for sure.

Did you ever read Jack and the Beanstalk as a kid?

"Wife - fetch me my hen that lays golden eggs!" boomed the giant as he banged his fist on the table.

That could give you an idea who he is.

He's just stuck up his Christmas Dinner pricing.

Good luck with that!

Music. I was playing quite a bit of Indie on the B2 the other day, which, with them being compilations, was quite a refreshing change to just listening to one band's album after another.

It's a Shame About Ray - The Lemonheads.

I'd not heard it in ages.

This is just a 15 second animation of Gaynor Mellor on a Vespa created from one frame with no transitions and from an image that I created with Adobe Photoshop 2025.

The Vespa is a big thing in Series 1 of The A's as Gaynor's new friends from Hammersmith all ride them. And Mason? He had several, with Gaynor ending up with one.

Trying to animate a moving scooter in 2D is pants as you tend to lose control of the eyes.

It is a resolution problem with the software provider in that it needs to be able to take 50MB files. At the moment it is shot at 16:9 - however, if I shot it at 9:16 (Portrait) the resolution would be quite good - however, it is a case of swings and roundabouts as I would lose most of the backdrop.

It is frustrating.

24 August 2025

A very good morning.

I've been up since 4:50 am.

I was awoke by the dog barking at what I thought was the neighborhood feline hanging around the house.

I opened the back door and let her out and as she ran around the house I went outside and flicked on the torch only to hear an owl in one of the trees absolutely hooting its head off.

I'd been tossing and turning for an hour prior so, I thought I may as well get up and I therefore stuck the kettle on a made myself a coffee before I took the dog on her a walk.

Julie has nipped to the care home over in the Dearne Valley to see her mum, and I'm tasked with mopping both the kitchen and dining kitchen as when she gets back we are going up to The Red Lion for Sunday lunch. And if we hang it out up there we could end of calling into The Curry Leaf for tea.

It is what Bank Holidays are all about.

In fact, we are booked in there Monday night for a meal with Cuban Pete and Broken Arm Sue.

We haven't seen them since we had a few in The Red Lion a few weeks ago and I lost their dog in the woods.

Our dog walks without a lead. Theirs doesn't. It runs off.

Anyway, I'm digressing.

I was intending to put some animation up yesterday but I got side tracked with stripping down the holly tree that I'd chopped down on Friday and sticking it it the brown bin. It was a tight squeeze, but bar its trunk and thick branches I managed to fit it all in.

Opposite is a music video of sorts made from several frames - the majority of which have been posted on here before.

When you do a music video - the idea is to use shorter frames with movement within them.

The one opposite is okay, but I could have thought it out better. Saying that, it only took me an hour or so!

23 August 2025.

Another belated good morning.

I didn't get out of bed until 8:15 am and came downstairs to an empty house.

I managed to get the dog's breakfast ready and switch the kettle on before Julie came back in with the dog with a change of mindset.

The new quilt, pillows and bedding were apparently a success.

There you go: Don't judge a quilt (book) by its cover!

Yesterday, I removed a holly tree that had been growing at the side of the house and slung it on the front garden.

I'll chop that up in a bit and get most of it in the brown bin.

It is one of those trees that sort of grew on its own. It looked quite cute with the berries on when it was around three foot tall.

It did, however, grow to be quite intimidating, and was proudly standing around twenty-five-feet tall, before I put the chainsaw through it.

Trees look great, but they kill everything else.

Johnny Welsh has just been back and forth on WhatsApp - from complaining about UFO's 1981 hit, Doctor, Doctor being in some gadgy's top 15 on Radio Caroline, to Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel's rehash of The Beatles' Here Comes the Sun (1976) and their brilliant 1975 No. 1 Come Up and See Me (Make Me Smile), and to Rod Stewart poaching Steve Harley's guitarist Jim Cregan.

Music. I love it.

The other day, four CD's dropped through the letterbox.

Three by The Smith's ex-guitarist, Johnny Marr. Spirit Power: The Best of Johnny Marr (2023); The Messenger (2024); and Playland (2014). The other an album by Suede - Dog Man Star (1994).

I'll give them all a proper listen over the next few days.

22 August 2025

A rather belated good morning on the first day of this Bank Holiday weekend.

Well, it isn't really, as today is supposedly a work day - however, I've done this month, so mine starts now.

I was up at 6:30 am and out through the woods with the hound. I counted around a dozen rabbits on the waste ground along with a load of pigeon feathers with no carcass, meaning that the Fabulous Mr Fox has been knocking around again.

Have I seen it?

Not recently but the tell tale signs are there - namely the abundance of mávra skatá that dogs like ours like to fucking roll in.

For the record, and in Greek, mavros means black, and skatá shit, but as with most languages, when you wish to say something, it sort of reads backwards and the adjective... in this case the description of the colour, alters from mavros to mávra.

Am I boring you? Probably.

Julie did us poached eggs on toast as a sort of Bank Holiday treat. I thoroughly deserved it as I'd helped her put the new bedding on and had to put up with her grizzling and snarling. Mainly due to the fact that in her humble opinion it looks tacky.

It can't really look tacky as it's plain white.

"It doesn't look right," she said.

It wouldn't do. She had a mountain of clothes on a shoe box which sits at the end of the bed that you could stick a flag on.

"And the (throw) pillows are cream and don't match."

"Well, get some white ones, then," I replied.

She shifted her clothes and it didn't look too bad, but she still wasn't convinced.

I've stuck the old bedding plus pillows in three black sacks which I'm going to take down to the dumpit (waste recycling) site before she changes her mind.

Whilst we were having our coffee's this morning I used the newly acquired three-step ladders and cleaned out one of the twenty kitchen cupboards.

You're not doing that this morning are you?" she asked.

"Why?"

"Because you're stressing me out just watching you."

It took ten minutes and it looks really tidy.

It was the cupboard where we keep cereal, bread, flour, biscuits or whatever.

We aren't big on breakfast, the tell-tale sign being a half box of banana Weetabix that I bought around three years ago.

A few months ago I shifted the first half, but I have to admit, it was like eating fucking cardboard - even with half a gallon of milk on it. Anyway, I slung them along with some other stuff - mainly these takeaway cartons from the Tandoori that Julie is obsessed with saving.

Christ knows why.

As a treat, I even cleaned the knife and fork drawer out.

I'll do a couple more tomorrow and stress her out even more!

Music. For some reason Radio Caroline was off air this morning so I just let the B2 choose what to play.

Bread's 1977 compilation - The Sound of Bread was first up.

If you've never heard them, you should. A very talented band.

David Gates the lead vocalist wrote two songs on it that other people took to No. 1 - and in one instance - the same song twice.

If by Kojak in 1975, and Everything I Own by Ken Boothe in 1974 and Boy George in 1996.

After that the B2 flipped to Nick Heyward & Haircut 100's 1994 compilation The Very Best.

I always thought they, like with much of these 1980s bands, were a bit cheesy but I have to admit, they weren't that bad.

Third up was The Move's 2009 compilation album The Very Best of which has their only No. 1 from 1969 which I used as Pat Marshall and Angie Mellor's riverside residence in The A's. That being 1 Blackberry Way.

Ideas stem from anywhere and everywhere!

I mean look at the animation opposite... Mrs Rowland was named after another one of my family... my cousin.

I have tried to make each teacher at the private all girls school look like they actually belong there and not dressed like some left wing activist in a flared skirt and crocs who looks like she needs a good scrub.

21 August 2025

Good morning.

I was up at 6:20 am and came downstairs to an empty house - Julie had taken the dog out for her walk.

My task? Get the dogs breakfast ready and get the coffee on.

Oh yeah - we have just bought a load of new bedding - so I transferred what I could from washing machine into the dryer - that being yesterday's wash, and bunged it in the dyer.

I'm looking forward to having all white bedding. It'll make the bedroom look brighter.

We are very minimalist and that being the case very pro-white in that I can't stand shite laid around the house and every wall, ceiling and skirting board etc. in the house has been painted white. Which is great until it's ready for decorating!

Anyway - enough of that.

Animation. Opposite - if you're on a PC or laptop is a clip of Mrs Tracey Westcott from Series 2 of The A's.

Mrs Westcott is the headmistress at the Christ Is King All Girls School in Chelsea, and immediately takes to the new little girl in school that is Jenny Mellor.

The first thought is that it is Jenny's connection to the Gotleib's that has forced her hand, which maybe it is, but Jenny is different to all the other girls, which is something that all the teachers notice - and none more so than Mrs Westcott.

20 August 2025

A very good morning.

I was up at 6:50 am and took the dog through the woods for her walk.

For some reason I was tired this morning. No idea why as I haven't had any alcohol since Saturday and I was in bed for ten bells.

Julie was out early.

She is going into work and dropping the dog off for a haircut and bath at the dog groomers and then she has to nip into either Doncaster or Scunthorpe to cancel a couple of Direct Debits at the HSBC, as we have just switched energy providers.

She has just missed the DPD driver as well. He's just dropped in a new DELL laptop as the I.T girl (not It Girl) in the offices told her that the system that she is currently working on is obsolete.

She did have a point.

Another strange one occurred this morning. I woke up to a WhatsApp message sent at 5:40 am. My cousin's kid reaching out.

Therefore, I have been speaking with him over WhatsApp for the past couple of hours. Music mainly.

I should complete another 84-page magazine today, which is sort of 20 days early. Not that it's getting uploaded to the printers, as it's not.

It gets uploaded on Monday 8 September 2025 after we get back from Cyprus. Hence, why it is the September 2025 issue!

Anyway, I have 20 days to work on The A's.

Yesterday, Halford's mobile unit came to re gas the air con in my car. I left it running for ten minutes and when I got in it, it was like a fridge.

It's just a pity all the nice weather is over!

Animation. Opposite is two of the original Faces from The Hammersmith Vaults. Augie Doggie (Dorian Ogley) and BAM BAM (Adam Bamford) - friends of Mason Green.

Augie is in a relationship with Gaynor's best friend, Clara Margieson, through both series, whereas BAM BAM seems to move from girl to girl - one of whom was an undercover police woman - a Detective Sergeant working with Scotland Yard's Human Trafficking Division.

Her interest wasn't in BAM BAM, however.

19 August 2025

Good morning.

I was up at 6:15 am - Julie taking the dog through the woods, me emptying the dishwasher getting the coffee on and the dog's breakfast ready.

I'm currently busy doing my day job, which I'm hoping should be more or less completed by Friday.

I also have Halfords mobile unit coming out to re gas my aircon between 12:00 pm and 4:00 pm.

I played around with some animation both last night and this morning, but the software was being a bit unruly and not doing what I wanted.

Still, me working to overcome these problems is all part of the pre-construction process. You need the problems so you can understand not only how to solve them, but why they have occurred.

Working with 2D is extremely limited and I know my time with it is coming to an end, which means me needing a new and much larger system. I will also be working towards putting voices to the characters - however, that will be a one step at a time process.

I will still use 2D, but it will be limited.

The animation opposite is supposedly of Teddy Layne and Jack Harrington going up to a site just south of Cleethorpes called North Cotes, and mapping out a site for a ground investigation which will be undertaken by Greenford Geotechnical & Piling.

This actually happens in The A's - Series 2, but it certainly won't look like this. 2D is rigid, flat and... well, two dimensional!

With 3D you can pan the camera around and shoot from different angles with everything (staying) in proportion.

Music. Radio Caroline played a song called Crystal Ship (1995) this morning... and what is strange is that I'd never heard it before.

It was originally sung by The Doors and was the flip side of their universally acclaimed hit - Light My Fire (1967).

Duran Duran are known as the 1980s new wave band that went all commercial pop, sort of post Rio (1982) - which is a very good album, but one that is slightly tarred by who and what they became.

A good Duran Duran song that stands the test of time? Ordinary World (1992). That could be part of any classic rock compilation and would never look out of place.

Right... my day job beckons.

18 August 2025

Well, it's sort of good morning.

It's one minute after midnight and I'm still up.

I did a bit of work whilst following the football - and did three dog walks - two of which were with Julie.

We had a non drinking day today, and I cooked us a paella in two pans - just chicken breast, tiger prawns, mussels and those Canadian prawns - you know - those little maggoty-looking ones.

I used to do paellas quite a bit, but to be honest, the best bit about them is actually eating it straight out of a big paella pan.

I'm the same with a glass of lager. A good glass, I feel makes it taste better.

It has to be a mind over matter thing.

Music. Last night we listened to a bit of 1950s music in The Red Lion as there was some birthday do for a lady by the name of Marlene Doubtfire who is well into her 80's, so Alex behind the bar stuck some of that through the speakers, which I have to say was really enjoyable.

I followed suit whilst making the tea/dinner and listened to an album by Buddy Holly and the Crickets. The Buddy Holly Story (1959) - which was his first posthumously released compilation album.

My dad had the original battered album and I got in on CD quite a few years ago and uploaded it on to the B2.

It is an extremely good album with no bad tracks on it.

I also listened to a greatest hits compilation by Ska legends - Desmond Dekker and the Aces which included Israelites (1968), 007 (Shanty Town) (1967), It Mek (1969) and You Can Get It If You Really Want (1970).

They are sort of in the same category as the other 1960s Ska bands, The Foundations, The Equals and Toots & The Maytals.

And if you want a bit of history - it was Desmond Dekker who first spotted the young Bob Marley in 1962 and helped give him a foot on the ladder.

Animation. Opposite is an animation concerning Mizz Hayes - the new Maths teacher at the Christ Is King All Girls School in Chelsea.

"Well, she says she knows you and dad," Jenny exclaimed on her mum coming home from work.

"Well, I don't know anyone called Hayes," Gaynor replied. "What's her first name?"

"Mizz, innit."

The conundrum that was Miss Hayes certainly had Gaynor scratching her head.

"What's she look like?"

"Uh uh," shrugged Jenny. "Like a teacher, I suppose."

Well, I finally got to bed at 12:40 am and was up at 6:30 am to an empty house - Julie was out through the woods taking the hound for her walk.

Let's see what today brings.

(Above) A 1:16 minute animation of Miss Hayes - the new maths teacher at the Christ Is King All Girls School in Chelsea (in Series 2).

Jenny Mellor was in her class literally five minutes when the very strict Miss Hayes (pronounced Mizz) realised who Jenny was.

I created this with quite a few frames as the pro-software wouldn't do as it was told. Eight, I think - some slowed down, and with several transitions and a reverse loop.

The images were created using Adobe Photoshop 2025.

Music: Choke by Feeder

17 August 2025

A very belated good morning.

I had a lie in, lay in, or whatever they call it - and didn't get out of bed until 8:15 am.

It being a bit cooler last night could be the reason that I had an uninterrupted night of sleep.

Julie is nipping over into the Dearne Valley to see her mum in the care home.

The timing is a bit of a bug bear.

The care home say you can visit when you want - but they don't mean it, as when it is dinnertime or teatime, they don't let you in.

Bug bear as in its a 70 mile round trip and the roads on Sunday are shit.

There is a reason why they call them Sunday drivers.

My mate, Tim and his family came over for a couple of hours last night, and we ate in The Curry Leaf.

We gave his daughter her birthday presents - a pink denim jacket (Board Angels), a pink and white puffer jacket (Reebok), and as in Bruce Forsyth's Generation Game - a cuddly toy - the latter of which we bought from Chryso in Derynia (Cyprus).

After they left, we went up to The Red Lion and had a couple of drinks. Well, Julie did - I think I had four.

I've just swapped a couple of texts with Tim and told him that we'll drive over to Islamabad (Bradford) next time, as they tend to always come to see us, and that being the case, it's not really fair.

The last curry house we went to over there was sort of on an Industrial Estate off Dick Lane and was quite good bar the miniscule fucking table they expected us to eat off.

On the opening of The Curry Leaf, Imran - the head waiter, initially tried putting me and Julie on a table for two... The Tinder tables, as I call them as there's always male-stroke-females on them... a lot of them being dates... you know - new relationships with lots of bullshit... "Where do you see yourself in ten years time..?"

In short, they are shit with no room to put your food or drinks.

I told Imran straight from the off: "Fuck that. You stick us on there and I'll go somewhere else."

That was word for word.

Set your stall out. Take no shit.

We have never been put on one, ever.

We always have a table for four - but even when four are on the table, there is still very little room.

When we eat with Tim - there are five of us - and his daughter generally comes equipped with a bag full of cuddly toys, colouring books or whatever, so they all end up on the table.

Still - it's not as bad as the mobile phone.

If there is another thing that winds me up, it is someone sticking their fucking mobile phone in my face. I hate it.

One. My eyes are shit so I can't see it.

Two. I have zero interest in anyone's crap on their phone.

Not just that. Mobile phones kill the art of conversation.

I never take mine out - ever, and Julie - she only has hers on her for emergencies.

Rant over.

Animation. Opposite is Brian Ramage a.k.a Brain Damage.

I took the nickname from a kid that I used to work with when I was working in the tunnels on the Vale of Belvoir Mine Development when I was a young lad.

Brian is a bit of a minor character and as the name suggests, is a brick short of a load.

He is one of the original Faces that goes in The Hammersmith Vaults in Series 1, and in Series 2 you see him working for the Hammersmith solicitors Kingdom, Temperton & Price as a process server amongst other things... you know, serving papers.

Mason thinks the world of him... and Anita... not so.

Now, why is that?.

16 August 2025

Good morning.

I was up at 7:20 am - Julie's turn to walk the dog.

"I thought we didn't do turns?" she told me.

"We don't," I replied.

This is true. It's just a figure of speech.

"Well stop saying it then."

That bump on her head from the other day has made her more argumentative than normal.

She is going to Sheffield's Meadowhall this morning with our Jamie... mam and son day... and breakfast in Frankie & Benny's.

Frankie & Benny's is a great idea if it wasn't for the shit service.

I elaborated on it in The A's and have a New York-Italian restaurant called Facchetti's, which is known to Gaynor's crowd as Judy's - as it is owned by Judy Knock (née Facchetti) - the wife of Frankie - a villain of sorts who died before the story takes place.

In Series 2, Jenny Mellor becomes acquainted with the story of Mr Knock - through Jacob Gotleib to a degree, but more so, Albert Hands.

Albert is a lovely fellow and was a great friend of Mason's father. For much of Series 1 he is just a name as he is serving a six year sentence in a prison on the Isle of Wight.

When Jenny comes back to live in London and all the truth comes out, she is blown away to find out who she really is. On the flip side, however - she is utterly miffed at her mum that the person she really is had been hidden from her.

It is a lot for her to process, but process she does.

Music. Radio Caroline knocked out One Horse Town (2003) by the Thrills this morning, which was followed by some surfer music - I Get Around (1964) by the Beach Boys.

Both good tracks.

Animation. Opposite - if you're on a laptop or PC is an animation that I recycled from yesterday and the day before and added to with some full head-to-toe shots of Gaynor along with a drive down the block of Boelyn Mews where Mason and Gaynor live in Series 1.

What's actually happening is a phone call from mum and a reluctant recipient in Gaynor.

In all honesty that only happens towards the very end of Series 1, but it certainly does in Series 2 when Gaynor has become estranged.

15 August 2025

Another belated good morning.

I was up at 7:20 am and out with the dog through the woods.

The Met Office are forecasting 27°c today.

All good stuff.

I updated my software earlier - around 13 apps, which slows the big computer down big-style - hence the late post.

I also booked my car in for its MOT with Johnny Hanson over in Crowle and arranged for Halfords to come out and re gas my air-con on Tuesday.

Halfords is quite an annoying website as I wanted them to fit some new windscreen wipers as well, but for that I've got to go into either Doncaster or Scunthorpe.

I've just asked the garage if they'll fit some whilst they do the MOT.

The postman has just been - the fourth different one this week! Tony (the regular one); a far eastern lady with a gregarious persona; an Asian dude with a beard; and a black guy... the latter of whom has just dropped me off an M and M delivery and a big box from Perth in Australia (via eBay).

It is a brand new centre floor console for the FTO after Nicos the auto electrician in Paralimni cracked the other one whilst installing the Blaupunkt Bluetooth / CD car radio the other week.

The last one I had, was bought from a breakers yard near Nottingham and ripped out of an old FTO. That being the case it was nearly 30 years old and very brittle - which was made more so, with having a few years in the sun over in Cyprus.

This one is new, so fingers crossed!

Talking about the weather in Cyprus - yesterday it was 56°c.

Yesterday evening Julie nipped down to see the kids - Lianne - the daughter-in-law is moonlighting from her day job as a manageress in some equestrian shop near Selby and sort of working for the Utility Warehouse.

We aren't people that generally piss about jumping from one provider to another - banks, building societies etc., but Julie promised her so she could get some commission.

As it is, the move will save us a guaranteed £1,500 per annum.

Sound.

Whilst she was out I prepared the dinner whilst listening to two albums by The Dandy Warhols - 13 Tales from Urban Bohemia (2000) and The Dandy Warhols Rule OK (1995).

With the exception of a couple of songs they are albums that you can listen to all the way through.

When Julie got in we nipped up to The Red Lion for a couple - my couple being five. I'm going to have to stop this non-drinking at home malarkey as it's costing me a fortune as we are never fucking in.

I think we've done in around £1,000 on going out over the past four weeks - and that doesn't include Cyprus.

Animation... opposite is some recycled animation from yesterday which is just me trying different things.

The music is by Nirvana.

Dottie West - the young girl who befriends Jenny, likes the band, which is something that the the two of them have in common. Not so much Nirvana, as Jenny had never heard of them - but loud music.

Cue Jacob Gotleib.

14 August 2025

Good morning.

I was up at 7:10 am after a restless night of a hot bedroom with no air conditioning and a load of weird dreams.

It was Julie's turn to take out the dog amidst loads of complaining. Not so much about having to walk the dog, more to do with her feeling a bit spacey.

Whilst rummaging around in one of the cupboards for some seafood sauce (for some prawns) the stool flipped over and she banged her back and head... or head and back.

Some of the kitchen cupboards are quite high and for the top shelves you really need to use the ladder.

Anyway, the egg that was on the back of her head last night has gone down a bit but she is still aching... and moaning... mainly about my alleged lack of sympathy.

You know - the "You'd miss me if I wasn't here... to do your ironing etc."

I remember a group of us all walking down High Street one winter's night and me going arse-over-tit due to a combination of the ice and these new boots that I was wearing and bang!

Did I get sympathy? No. Just laughter. And I went with a right fucking crack.

A few years ago, when I was in the house on my own, I went into the loft and whilst coming down the ladders gave way - slipping back on the freshly polished tiled floor, and I did the same. However, it wasn't the falling from a great height that hurt, more the fact that I fell on to the ladders themselves.

Right - that's enough falling and hurting yourself stories for today.

Music. For some unknown reason, Radio Caroline played Angel by The Jimi Hendrix Experience, from the posthumous Cry of Love (1971) album TWICE yesterday.

On its second play, it was followed by Bob Dylan's Lay, Lady, Lay (1969) - a song which I regard as being one of his top two songs that he actually sang, along with Like a Rolling Stone (1965).

I admire both artists - Bob Dylan more for his song writing. Mr Tambourine Man by The Byrds (1965); Mighty Quinn by Manfred Mann (1968); and All Along the Watchtower (1967) by... The Jimi Hendrix Experience.

You gotta love music!

Animation. Opposite I've just done a short one of Maureen Mellor - Mason's favourite mother-in-law and Jenny's glamorous granny having a chat over the phone with her daughter who as you can see, is over at Mason's flat which is 24A Boelyn Mews.

Above is a photo from this morning, with the sun rising in the east.

I've just walked up the High Street and into Market Place and bought two pieces of cod from the fishmonger and some salad and vegetables from the grocers.

I was going to buy halibut but it was £36 per kilo.

I don't mind shelling out - but if I'm going to be paying that kind of money, then I want him to do the washing up.

Anyway, we are eating in tonight!

I've broke the back of the September 2025 magazine this morning. Another eight pages and all the features are in.

I might do some work on The A's tonight.

Opposite, I have extended yesterday's animation as I am going to start inserting lengthy animations into the title pages.

This will be the first.

As I've said before, Jenny helps carry the story in Series 2 and she sees things that adults can't... and I'm talking from a child's perspective here and nothing more.

In Series 2 she is uprooted from her home and thrown into a completely different environment.

She knew she was related to Mason, but she didn't know how until her granny - Maureen Mellor, told her one afternoon - Episode 13 - A Carrier Bag Full of Secrets.

Gaynor absolutely flipped as it would be her that had to deal with the fall out.

"Sorry - it just slipped out," Maureen told Mason.

"Maureen knew what she was doing," said Anita.

It was a time when Mason went from being just Mason - to becoming dad.

It was a time when Jenny would realise just who her family were... and more to the point who had been responsible for the façade.

"I admit - some of that was my fault," Gaynor told Jenny.

Jenny disagreed.

"No it wasn't - it was all your fault," she said.

12 August 2025

Good morning.

It is 4:05 am and I am up.

I was tossing and turning and finally awoke to the dog barking.

I came downstairs and let her out and had a look around.

I think it was the cat that hangs around the house because I couldn't see anything.

Both gates to either drive are locked, and there are wrought iron railings around the house so we are quite secure - however, since the trees have come down at the front of the house we look a bit exposed.

At one time we had a dozen cameras around the house, but you are forever watching the CCTV - and with today's technology and the amount of traffic that comes past our house my phone would constantly be going off.

It is supposed to be a hot one today and according to the Met Office we are going to hit the big three-zero - 30°c.

Bring it on!

Last night was the first time we have cooked dinner since last Wednesday. Aside of the two Indian takeaway's from The Tandoori we have been eating out, the most recent being The Curry Leaf on Sunday evening.

We are back there again on on Saturday evening as my long time friend Tim is coming over along with his wife Maggie, their daughter Jessica, and Maggie's mother - who is over on a six-week visit and who lives in Poland.

It's Jessica's birthday tomorrow (13 August) so she'll have her card from us to open at home, but on Saturday she'll have a couple of presents from us as well.

Trivialities aside... I cut an animation opposite of Jenny Mellor wearing a Fred Perry sweatshirt and drinking a hot chocolate with marshmallows.

The detail is perfect.

Wait until I'm animating her in 3D.

I created her speaking with her friend Dottie West, as I am currently editing the storyline with Dottie in it.

Her real name is Dorothy Westerman.

Jenny absolutely adores her.

Well, she would do - Dottie is much older and in Year 11... but more to the point she appears very cool.

The part that I've been drafting is in the episode - The Arabian Princess, in a scene where Jenny invites her over to her dad and Anita's for tea. The reasoning is that Jenny can test her on her French as Dottie's average has dropped off over the last couple of years...

What is strange about this, is that Jenny has never done French, ever - but just to help her friend, she decides to have a crack at reading a full French dictionary... in four days.

All the teachers at the Christ Is King All Girls School are absolutely enamoured with the little girl with the South Yorkshire accent... and not just because of this...

Dottie... now here is yet another of those wonderful arcs!

(Above) A 71 second animation of little Jenny Mellor sat on a stool at the breakfast bar at her father's house, and talking to one of her friends -Dottie West, on a video call from her laptop.

I created this using eight frames and the odd transition.

The Jenny Mellor character never fails to amaze me when she animates. Some of her expressions are pure perfection.

Her mum, Gaynor animates well - but always in a very pouty and matter of fact kind of manner.

Jenny on the other hand, always appears happy and full of life.

Music: Life is a Rollercoaster - Ronan Keating.

11 August 2025

Good morning.

I didn't get up until 7:30 am. The reasoning? A night of interrupted sleep. I awoke around 1:00 am, tossed and turned, and eventually went downstairs at 3:40 am to get a bottle of water from out of the utility room.

This is where we keep the washing machine, tumbler dryer, gas boiler, dog meat, over 200 bottles of water etc., and was debating with myself about getting up then.

Thankfully I didn't, and went back to bed and persevered.

Yesterday had been a job of me finishing the front garden.

I filled around 20 black sacks, and even did my American Psycho-bit and got the chainsaw out to take the stumps of the (removed) trees down further.

It looks like wash day in both the upstairs front bedrooms since the trees have gone. Very bright.

Whilst I did the garden, Julie did the ironing - including a load of new stuff that I'd bought from both Mainline and M and M.

Julie's ultimate bug bear is the labels.

"Can't you just take them off?" she says. Often.

As for M and M. He is a character in The A's.

Marvin Marshall - the nephew of Pat.

In Series 1 he is a little 12-year old that Mason meets at his auntie and uncle's wedding. It is here where Marvin gets given his nickname.

There are a few nice scenes with M and M and Mason.

In Series 2 he is obviously seven years older, and in the early episodes he is extremely lazy and disinterested.

Cue Mason.

M and M's life changes within days, and on meeting another young lad in Matthew Paignton - their story (arc) begins.

Both good characters.

10 August 2025

It's 10:12 am. Good morning.

I was up and through the woods around two hours earlier.

It's another glorious day. The Met Office forecast states that it will be sunny all day with temperatures around 24°c.

I did a bit of work yesterday and ragged in around midday.

I had a job to do in the front garden that involved clearing away all the ivy that has grown around the trees (that have been removed) and the peripheral wall.

I'd broke its back around 4:30 pm and filled eight black sacks plus the brown waste bin.

I'll nip out in a bit and complete it.

I need to fire up the chainsaw and cut some small tree stumps down to the bone and go round to the garden centre and buy around 15 bags of bark. It will then be a trip to Belton Recycling Centre to dump all the bags.

Gardening. The most mind numbingly boring fucking pastime ever. I cannot for the life of me understand why anyone likes it.

Anyway - enough of that.

The animation opposite is of Alice Layne and her eldest daughter Jeannie.

As I've said before, the Layne family are related to the Pallenburg's. Alice is Anita's mum's cousin.

The Layne's live next door to the Mellor's at 6 Marquis Gardens, in the fictitious leafy London suburb of Chiswick Green.

As you will see, the Layne's house is very noisy with the mum and two daughters always battling against each other, which drives the father - Teddy, up the pole!

The Pallenburg's house was no different with all four daughter's bickering. Anita may have been the youngest, but she was the dark horse and always held her own.

In short, Anita's sisters are horrible.

Jenny Mellor loves Anita's stories as Anita tends to always ends up whacking one of them with some implement - in one instance a hairdryer,

"Don't let anyone ever bully you."

It wasn't Anita that said that to Jenny. It was Mason who said it to Anita early on in Series 2, when... No, it'll ruin it.

9 August 2025

Another belated good morning to you.

I'm going to have to stop this!

It's 11:20 am on a sunny Saturday.

I was up at 7:10 am - Julie taking the hound out for her walk through the woods.

We have had sausages in the fridge since Wednesday, but we had a takeaway the other night and last night we - along with the dog, ate out in the Red Lion.

Therefore after I'd stuck some washing in the machine, and put the coffee on - I chucked the 16 sausages in the oven. Either us or the Dog can have them..

Last night we had Fish and Chips twice!

I certainly wasn't happy with the £111 bill.

I know we drink a lot but that was extortionate.

"Check it again," I told Sue on the till.

"You have had fish and chips and a bottle of wine," she said.

"No we haven't had a bottle of wine - we asked for one but they were all warm, so Julie's been having it by the glass."

She'd charged for wine by the glass plus the bottle. She knocked the £18 off.

We really do need to fuck them off for a while.

When we were doing our 74 days dry, the owner actually phoned Julie to see if everything was alright as we obviously hadn't been in.

If a something pisses you off. Stop spending money on/in it. They always notice! Eventually.

On another note, the BAFTA winning actress that was Sheridan Smith came into the Red Lion with her two kids and mother - Julie copping a photo with her for her Facebook page.

Her youngest kid was quite funny. I'd tell you what he said - but Julie said that I must not. It really was that good.

I can never understand why pretty women daub themselves with skanky tattoos. My cousin - Sally Carman (Coronation Street), is the same. With Sheridan, it is common knowledge that it is something she dearly regrets.

In The A's none of the women/girls have tattoos although one of the crowd that goes into The Hammersmith Vaults - Volkswagen Rolf, owns a Tattoo shop on Hammersmith High Street. His real name is Rolf and he drives a... Yes, you've guessed it.

Rolf is an amiable lad who everyone likes. I have animated him opposite.

I have his tattoo studio in in 3D - it is called Dandy Warhols.

The reasoning?

They are one of my favourite bands - and Rolf... well he looks not unlike the lead vocalist of the band - Courtney Taylor.

Their first three albums - Dandys Rule OK (1995), ...The Dandy Warhols Come Down (1997) and Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia (2000) are very good.

I should give them a listen later!

8 August 2025

A very belated good morning.

It is 1:04 pm.

I was up at 6:30 am and out through the woods with the dawg and hit mega traffic - dog walkers, joggers and rather strangely - ramblers.

Wait until it rains - and you won't see anyone!

I was straight into work this morning - my day job, as I need to break its back as we are out to Cyprus again on 31 August.

I can't wait!

Yesterday, was an interesting day for Julie.

She went on an outing with the old folks home and took her mum. Cleethorpes!

She told me that she was glad that she went as it would have been so easy to cry off. It can't have been easy shoving a wheelchair up and down the promenade - that much is for sure.

When she got in her first words were. "We should go out - I need a drink."

Therefore we did - and copped a shit takeaway curry from The Tandoori on our way back, with me having to clean the debris up after she ran out of steam!

I can't believe how much mess we make after a drink. The table was a right fucking mess.

In Series 2 of The A's Cleethorpes comes into the story, but but seven years into the future it has been twinned with Grimsby and has been given city status - the city by the sea.

How it comes into the story is firstly via Angie and then Gaynor... and Jacob Gotleib picks it up from thereon in.

It has a nice arc to it.

The animation opposite is of the Blum's.

In the animation they look affable. It is a front as they are anything but. In the clip you cannot tell, but these are both big guys.

Mason mentions Frankie's height being 6'4 whilst in conversation (with Clara Margieson, I think).

Maurice is a bookmaker - as for Frankie... it never really gets said. Maurice is allegedly the more vicious of the two.

In Series 1, they somehow end up at John and Maureen Mellor's home in Chiswick Green and drop Maureen off a bouquet of flowers.

Maureen is anything but stupid and can suss out a dog when she sees one.

This is a very good part of the story.

7 August 2025

Good morning.

Just.

It's just after midnight and we have workmen on the A161 junction doing some work through the night.

I've no idea what, but they are making a noise.

I've been working since this morning and just broke off to take the dog a walk, do some cardio, get a bath and have my tea.

I did catch some music, however. Three tracks sort of jumped out at me on Radio Caroline.

The Curse of KK Hammond's Mister Apology, The Trap by The Smiths ex-guitarist Johnny Marr and Suede's Dancing with Europeans - each one of them very different.

KK Hammond is a female blues singer from London.

In all honesty I know absolutely nothing about her, but I will download her album Death Roll Blues as I liked what I heard!

Johnny Marr's The Trap is extremely good and most unlike anything The Smiths ever knocked out - all of which was basically music to slit your wrists to.

A good Smiths song? How Soon is Now, possibly.

And Suede?

Suede are Suede. An English rock band formed in London in 1989 by singer Brett Anderson and guitarist Justine Frischmann - the latter of whom is/was the total It Girl of rock who fronted Elastica and knocked out the brilliant album tracks such as Stutter, Blue and Never There.

I never knew that Justine was the daughter of Wilem Frischmann - former chairman of Pell Frischmann.

Like the other It girl of the time - Miki Berinyi, she came from a rather privileged background.

Suede were one of the big four indie bands during the Britpop boom in the 1990s.

I did nothing on The A's apart from toy around with the three-way animation opposite.

SLEEP!

I got up at 6:20 am and took the dog out through the woods.

Julie is off to Cleethorpes on the care home's Jolly Boys Outing. She'll certainly lose some calories pushing her mum around in a wheelchair. Hopefully, she doesn't get too cocky and take her on the beach or she'll never get off it.

The place is a dump at the best of times, but more so now.

All the UK's seaside town's have been ruined and it has all done by the politicians. I saw a clip of the beach at Bournemouth on X the other day and it looked like Mogadishu.

There was a bit of dog walking traffic this morning, some lady following us round the circuit at the pace of some speed walker. I put a spurt on along the home stretch but nevertheless she was always gaining on me. I was just glad that I go through the churchyard, as when I did she sped passed me and went down the gravel path.

If the roles were reversed, I'd have the police down at the house!

Anyway, the Costa Coffee Man was back in his pog after not seeing him for months.

He's originally from Chesterfield and moved to the town and with some woman and her three kids last year. He works nightshift over in Immingham and has a coffee, whilst his girlfriend gets the kids ready for school.

"Her kids are horrible with me," he told Julie. "I just come here to get out of the way."

Appeasement never works. All it does his highlights a persons weakness.

Anyway, that's me done. Have a good one!

6 August 2025

A very good morning to you.

I was up at 5:50 am and out through the woods with the dog.

First up, however - and whilst putting on my trainers, I switched on the B2 and put on Radio Caroline.

The first song of the day being Lola by the Kinks (1970).

A good song?

An interesting one but I wouldn't ever call it a good song bar the fact it portrays the seedy west London nightlife of Soho at the turn of the decade, and is very typical of The Kinks.

Waterloo Sunset (1966) - which they knocked out four years earlier is very similar in its construction.

The Small Faces were another London band of the time and one that I can relate to much better as they had a far greater range with a much better vocalist in Stevie Marriot; and an all star line-up that would morph into The Faces once he left to form Humble Pie with guitarist Peter Frampton.

I love rock history.

I thought about using Red Balloon in The A's at one particular time as I was listening to it quite a lot.

It is one of those songs where you think, What the fuck did you do that for? as it's construction makes little sense.

It starts off great and loses itself for quite a while before coming back hard and smashing you in the face.

Anyway - enough of that.

I moved on to another episode of The A's last night - that being The Arabian Princess.

As I have frequently said. Once you move or add something in an earlier episode, everything changes in future episodes and this is a case in point.

The dreaded knock-on effect!

It does however, open the story up by creating more of those lovely arcs and it is here that you see Anita Pallenburg, Pat Marshall and Teddy Layne in their working environments.

Again, they are all great characters.

The animation opposite is of me trying different things.

The non pro software isn't up to much as over a course of a few seconds, facial structures often change.

As I've often stated, 2D is nothing like 3D as I am animating from a standing start in the same position.

With 3D you can start in hundreds of position and all the proportions stay the same.

5 August 2025

Good morning.

I was up at 6:10 am and through the woods with the hound - however, this particular morning, I had to walk the opposite way around as the dog walking set (people with dogs) were out in force. And I hate getting stuck in traffic.

I stick my headphones on as that's about as much company as I want on the dog walk as I like to think.

Last night I had a good sleep.

I did 60 minutes cardio on the cross trainer, ran out of steam around 10:00 pm, and slept all the way through.

I'd kept the dog company for a couple of hours in the dining kitchen whilst I did a bit on The A's, and listened to some music on the B2.

I did in A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002) by Coldplay.

I'm not a fan of the band as I find lead singer Chris Martin a bit fucking whiny and gut wrenchingly woke, but fair play - the album is very good and nearly all its tracks are very listenable.

The animation opposite (if you are on a laptop or PC) has part of the chorus of the band's Daylight.

The magazine is done. I'll give it a once-over and upload that to the printers once I've done on here.

Have a good day.

(Above) This is a 44 second animation of Gaynor Mellor which I created with the non pro software.

It was created from an image I made in Adobe Photoshop 2025 and from four frames with transitions.

What is different about this is that I turned the widescreen 16:9 on its head and went with a portrait 9:16.

The quality from head to toe is very good and is something you rarely achieve with 16:9.

The software providers need to start accepting larger files of up to 50MB as presently, things are frustrating.

Music: Daylight by Coldplay

4 August 2025

Good morning.

I was up at 6:30 am - Julie being already out through the woods with dog.

I had a shitty night - with cramp in my left leg.

That's not happened in years.

It must have been the early start and flight home yesterday.

We didn't do bad and got in the house for 11:40 am... And to see the four trees in the front garden fully removed.

Fucking yeah!

The front garden now looks really open and light.

I now need to find someone who can drop me a lawn sort of late-September or October.

We have a gardener but he doesn't inspire me with confidence when it comes to something as technical as laying a lawn.

He's gone from "No problem" to "I don't want to piss your dad off if it dies like the last one has".

The gardener has a day job working as part of the maintenance and groundworks team under my son over at the Seven Lakes Leisure Park near Crowle but runs a garden maintenance business on the side.

He's a grafter - but more a butcher than a surgeon - so we'll see.

As for me - I hate gardening and cannot understand why people actually enjoy it.

I had to reset part of the magazine yesterday afternoon to accommodate a few advertisements - two of which were from one of the biggest contractors in Europe - Volker Wessels.

It's nice to be associated with the best!

Right. Onwards and upwards.

3 August 2025

A very early good morning.

I was up at 1:00 am (GMT+2).

We are now in the priority lounge at Larnaca Airport.

Our flight is due out at 6:10 am (GMT+2).

Hopefully there are no delays.

The taxi arrived over half an hour early. Chris from Empire Taxi's farmed out our ride as they are currently swamped. Julie ended up on the end of the street in her nightie and on the dog and bone trying to give directions for the driver to get to the house.

"Turn your apartment light on so I know where you are," he told her.

There are no apartments on Levanda Hills, just three number 52's, which is as confusing as hell - especially as since we have lived there, we have had NO mail.

And that includes my Bank of Cyprus debit card.

Anyway, the Mercedes stretch limo with its confused driver finally got us here okay.

What was strange is that he was on the phone all the way from Agia Triada. Christ knows who he found to talk to for 45 minutes in the middle of the night!

I did quite a bit of work on The A's yesterday and completed what I thought was a wonderful arc.

Good storylines are a combination of these arcs - a start, a middle, and an end.

Animation. As I'm in Larnaca airport and don't have access to my external hard drive, I've opted to re-use the Gaynor character with the Vidal Sassoon hairstyle, which as I stated yesterday, was very early on in the series.

I've still not settled on Gaynor's appearance in Series 2 as yet.

2 August 2025

Kaliméra kósme.

Good morning world.

I was up at 7:30 am (GMT+2).

It's supposedly another hot one.

Yesterday, we did a bit of running around on the scooter - just to test it out.

We had a run across the coastal path from Agia Triada to the Famagusta Sailing Club and then up to the Lionheart bar where a had a couple of Espresso's and Julie her frappe's.

We also had two sessions at the beach bar on Ayia Triada beach, whereby on the second visit, around 7:00 pm - we fed all the 12 feral cats around the fisherman's church.

We did the same the day before - that was after I had taken the bolt croppers out of the boot of the FTO to break the padlock on the water tap.

I cannot see defenceless animals die of thirst.

We went into the church afterwards and Julie lit a candle, did a prayer, and dropped some money in the tin.

Julie's prayers, as always - were for the family.

Mine were for the country.

The politicians that have been in power for the last 15 years have purposely lied and deceived us, and our children are getting hurt.

It has to stop.

In Series 1 of The A's you will see Gaynor and her crowd in the Hammersmith Vaults often get very politically irate - and refer to the man running London, with its surging knife crime and rape, as the Idiot King.

Gaynor has socialist aspirations all aimed at the greater good, hence her career path of being a doctor - however, she is certainly no Socialist.

And when she finds out that Mason has been tasked by a group, financed by Investment Banker Simeon Cartier-Bloem to help push its candidate - former Brentford MP, Anthony Percy, to displace the Idiot King, she is all for it... and even has some of her own ideas.

Some brilliant; some not so.

She soon realises that politics can be a very dirty game and one of her Ace cards is the friendship she has formed with Christie Gotleib - the wife of Jacob.

The animation opposite is of her and Christie.

I wrote this up a few years ago and I still can't believe how well I read those political tea leaves..

If you check out Gaynor's hairstyle, in the animation - that is Vidal Sassoon (and very Nancy Kwan).

In the very first episode her mum, Maureen and sister, Angie, urge her to get her hair properly styled.

She does, and when Angie sees it, she has a fit as she went to one of the most expensive places in West London and came back with what you see.

"She paid HOW MUCH?" bemoans the elder sister.

1 August 2025

Kaliméra.

I was up at 7:30 am (GMT+2).

It's hot. Again.

I did quite a bit of work on The A's yesterday and I'm hoping to do the same again today.

I finally managed to put the fourth episode of the second series (Episode 16 - Desk Wanker) to bed.

It has been an awkward one as the guts of it was originally written-up quite a while ago when I was throwing around some ideas.

As the story continually morphs things change - especially in the future episodes and Episode 16 was a case in point.

Mason Green is the focal point of The A's, but it is the people who are around him that are the story.

In this episode, lots of things are revealed about who and what he is. As I've said, this is a good episode as he temporarily moves into an environment where a lot of people get close to him.

Jenny's constant question of why her dad didn't come after them and bring them home is also addressed, the most concise reasoning coming from Maureen Mellor.

In the previous episode - Episode 15 - The Ghost of Jenny Deal, there is a nice scene where Mason is picking things up from his old flat and where he has a conversation with his gran - Rochana (Ana) Reung, and one where Ana mentions Maureen's happiness.

"I see Maureen quite a bit and I can't say that I've not noticed a change in your favourite mother-in-law's demeanour," she said.

(Another part, and further on in the same scene)

"Gaynor's said nothing, gran," said Mason

"Gaynor saying nothing isn't something that I ever recall, my love," Ana replies, before becoming inquisitive. "How are you two getting on, anyway?"

"Okay."

"The boy whose heart she broke and who, when he became a man, went and rescued her from the evil prince and brought her back home and everything is what - just okay?"

"You've been watching too many old films," Mason tells his gran.

"I don't think I have."

"And Gaynor never broke my heart."

"Mmm... It must have been that other grandson I had then," said his gran.

There's a pause as Mason looks through the contents of the box

"You see anything of her - Gaynor?" Mason inquires.

"The day Gaynor comes knocking at my door, is the day I become worried," said his gran.

The first animation for August 2025 is one of Ana and her great granddaughter, Jenny Mellor.

On Sunday mornings in Series 2, Ana takes Jenny to Taekwondo, and it is a time where jenny gets to know more and more about who her family are... and also... about the Dreaded Mr Wong.

"The dreaded Mr Wong?" whispered Jenny, in an exaggerated tone. "Who's the dreaded Mr Wong."

(Above) A 37 second animation of Rochana Reung (Granny Ana) and her great granddaughter, Jenny Mellor.

I created this from four frames with several transitions and from an image that I created with Adobe Photoshop 2025.

Music: Sunday Will Never Be The Same by Spanky and Our Gang.

I may have said before, but Ana is originally from Laos and came over to the UK when she was 16 years old.

She owns a florists shop in the fictitious Little Brittany area of Hammersmith and is chairperson of the West London and South Thames Chamber of Commerce.

In short, she is a very well connected lady and a great conversationalist...

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© JAMES DUROSE-RAYNER 2025