August 2026 | James Durose-Rayner's website

AUGUST 2026

The A's

All Images Open in Technicolour

(Series 1) Gaynor Mellor in the Speedibar diner

31 August 2026

Good morning.

It is 5:40 am and I am up.

I am in the study with a cup of sweet tea.

Sweet, meaning that there's a spoonful of sugar in it!

I slept well, however I took some dropping off as the noise of the heavy rain outside kept me awake.

It's just starting to get light, therefore I'll take the dog out for her walk in half an hour.

Yesterday, was a frustrating day.

The software provider for the animation took a lot of cash out of my bank account - and by a lot, I mean a lot. I am hoping that gets sorted today, as it has really pissed me off.

As I stated in yesterday's blog / journal, I have been hammering the animation, to see how far I can go with it. The word 'far' meaning quite a few things.

I now know that I could easily do I 30 minute sitcom or show... call it what you will, with the assets at my disposal. And possibly in two to three days, and which I could safely say would hold it's head up against anything out there.

That is how far I have come in these 600+ days.

This computer system helps, as it is extremely powerful and fast... In fact too fast at times, hence money being taken from my account.

Just look at the photography over the past few months.

A few days, I went into my 2025 archive and got the original Gaynor character 'out of her box'... The girl in the college uniform.

Before, she used to look sort of mannequin-like, waxy - unreal, especially against the more recent Gaynor animations.

There is a system, pattern, method, sequence - call it what you will, which I now follow, which helps dramatically when setting up the animation.

It is time consuming and often frustrating, but more often than not it works.

As I said yesterday, some of the animation over the past few days looks unbelievably fucking real... so much so, it is scary.

This is how far I have come

So, Julie should be calling me in a bit.

(Series 1) Gaynor Mellor in the common room at 40 Martyrs College.

30 August 2026

A belated Good morning.

I was up at 6:40 am and out through the woods with the hound.

Christ - I felt rough.

We went out with The Cuban and Broken Arm Sue last night and didn't get home until 11:00 pm.

Both were on their best behaviour so it made for a good night.

I've no idea how much I drank, but it certainly told this morning.

Our Jamie and Lianne flew out to Cyprus from Luton Airport this morning...

They were delayed over half an hour.

It is 1:50 pm and according to www.flightradar24.com they are currently flying over the Serbia - Kosovo border.

Julie is staying down at their house for the 10-day duration to look after their dogs.

She says that she'll call home for her coffee with me on a morning and get a shower before she goes to work...

It works quite well.

Well, it did last time, although Julie bollocked me as a couple of times she had to knock me up.

At our Jamie and Lianne's she gets up at daft o'clock each morning... around 5:00 am, and she expects - not so much for me to do the same, but at least be up and have walked the hound when she comes round..

(Series 2) Mason Green in a pensive moment sitting on a bench near the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal

29 August 2026

Good morning.

I was up at 6:20 am and out through the woods with the hound, calling in at the barbers - which is owned by Dean Bramhald - the ex-boxer.

He had just opened up and there was no-one in so I thought I'd cop a haircut.

We are in The Curry Leaf tonight with Cuban Pete and Broken Arm Sue, me hoping that I'm not going to have to try and manufacture conversation as he's listening to her talking about him.

It rather reminds me a bit of my mate Tim, with his gaggle of wives, ex-wives and girlfriends.

So, here's me hoping.

I did some animation yesterday and the day before, which was possibly the best that I've ever seen - the reality being fucking awesome. Better than real acting, by any actor or actress.

And that is some fucking statement!

Will I put it on here?

Nope. Not yet.

When The A's gets completed and goes live, I will publish all these animations... for posterity if-you-like

Why not now?

Because I'm using the actual character assets in the story to get au fait with their characteristics etc., and I want the first time people see them - being in this series, if that makes any sense.

The voices aren't where I want them at the moment, so in the near future, I'll be looking for lots of people to record their voices onto disk so I can assign / allocate voices for each individual character.

My main problem is that I am from the north of England, therefore the majority of people I know have a northern accent and the series is set in west London.

It is something that I will have to think about.

Last night I watched another black and white film on DVD, and one that I bought months ago.

This was Doublecross (1956) starring Donald Houston - a film which I first watched in Port Gaverne near Port Isaac (The location of Doc Martin), and which was on Westward TV when I was a kid.

I have to admit - it was quite enjoyable.

(Series 1) Trapped in an Elevator at the Hong Kong Garden flats in Hammersmith

28 August 2026

Good morning.

It is 4:00 am and I am at my desk in the study with a cup of sweet tea.

I had been tossing and turning for the past hour with my mind absolutely racing.

No idea why.

Last night, and rather than go straight to bed after tea - a bit of surf 'n' turf: fillet steak, king prawns and scallops along with a green salad, I tried watching a film.

It was one of two film noir type films that I bought earlier in the year, and which were directed by Ida Lupino.

The Hitchiker.

Any good?

It reminded me of Steven Speilperg's The Duel starring Dennis Weaver and was one of those frustrating films that was on for an hour and which was literally going nowhere.

I turned it off before the end so I'm not sure what happened.

The other one was The Bigamist, which was a much better film and one which I thoroughly enjoyed.

The Hong Kong Garden flats in the background. There are three tower blocks.

---

Gaynor Mellor possibly has a reason for being there as towards the end of Series 1, she does some charity work for the Arrabella Trust.

As for Angie... not sure yet.

In Series 2, Anita Pallenburg certainly goes into Hong Kong Gardens as JSG have bought them for Greenford to redevelop... or modernise; and Anita is of course the procurement director for the Greenford Group

So, being that the elevator figures in the video and images, I have just added a track to the music player, aptly titled... Yes, you've got it!

(Series 2) A close up shot of Anita Pallenburg pouring tea

27 August 2026

Good morning.

I was up at 6:40 am and out through the woods with the dog and came in to a strong coffee and toast.

Yesterday, was a strange day.

This website was as frustrating as hell - and just would not save.

The engineer for the website provider said it was some glitch that was ironed out.

What is strange is that there was some glitch a few weeks ago when it was taking over five minutes to publish it to the web.

Anyway...

I got an MOT put on the car, with zero fuss, and we went out to The Red Lion and picked up a crap curry from the Tandoori on our way down.

What was strange is that the Red Lion was quite full around 6:30 pm with most tables taken.

I've not seen it like that in a while.

Opposite and above is more Anita.

She is my most problematic animation.

I have been speaking with engineers from the software providers trying to get more realism into the characters - and Anita is definitely the problem child.

When I finally get the realism, she purposely pisses me off with that fucking mole above her lip.

Julie asked the other month. "Is that a mole she's got?"

"Yes," I told her.

"What did you give her that for?"

"I didn't," I told her. "That's how the character asset was constructed when I bought her."

"And did she have red (ginger) hair?"

It was then I told her straight: "Do you honestly think that I'd purposely have a character with ginger hair and a fucking mole?"

"Well, change it then," is what I got back.

All the characters have different characteristics. It's what creates the realism.

(Series 2) A close up shot of Anita Pallenburg

26 August 2026

A very, very belated Good morning.

It is 8:50 pm.

I was actually up at 5:30 am and out through the woods with the hound.

The delayed post is that my website server, hasn't been down as such - just this August 2026 journal page.

No idea why.

Fucking annoying!

My mate called round today - Mark Jarvis - who is a general manager for Lincoln-based specialist contractor JMH Directional Drilling.

It is Mark who I based the Mason Green character in The A's on on.

Not his personality, but his appearance.

"I've got more slanty eyes than him," he told me.

Er... no I don't think so.

Mark, when he was younger looks exactly like him.

(Series 1) Angie Mellor. Walking home in the rain.

25 August 2026

A very belated Good morning.

It is 11:40 am.

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

Today, is a work day. My day job. I have to focus.

Over the past few days I have been hammering away at the animation technique.

Sometimes it's great and sometimes it's very frustrating.

Like yersterday's for instance.

The Anita Pallenburg did NOT want to be animated properly and reminded me of the problems that I had way back when.

What is strange, is that she has been animating okay.

The problem is maybe the colours (along with the resolution) I use.

The style of photography through the majority of The A's will be Chiaroscuro.

As stated, this is used in cinematography for extreme low key and high-contrast lighting to create distinct areas of light and darkness.

The problem that I got, was using coloured clothing - and in yesterday's instance, brown.

The software didn't like it.

My favourite colours to use when using Chiaroscuro are orange, black, white, cream, navy blue and grey's.

No idea why.

Even red isn't that good.

(Series 2) Mason Green flying into Laos and calling into one of the markets in Vientiane, and surprising his 14-year old cousin.

24 August 2026

A very belated Good morning.

I was up at 6:20 am, Julie opting for the morning's walk through the woods with the hound.

An early start for her as she had her Auntie Margaret's funeral to attend over in the Dearne Valley at 10:00 am.

Sad days.

Opposite and above I've done a lengthy animation of Mason Green flying into Laos in Series 2.

This really happens in the story.

Mason hadn't been to the country since he was very young.

He has a small family there, who are sort of aunts, uncles and cousins. Sort of, meaning half-cousins.

As he was growing up, his gran - Rochana (Ana) Reung, made sure he kept in touch, and when she video-called, Mason was often present.

In the video, is his 14-year old cousin, Mala, who works on her aunt's (no relation to Mason) stall in the food market.

(Series 1) In better times. The Mellor sisters. Gaynor and Angie in the Hammersmith Vaults

23 August 2026

Good morning.

I was up at 8:00 am.

Well, I wasn't really - I was up at 5:00 am - Julie thought she'd heard the dog mooching around downstairs wanting to be let out.

I went downstairs and the dog was laid flat-out in her basket.

So much for Julie's hearing!

The animation software is absolutely doing my head in.

Temperamental is not the word for it.

Fucking annoying would be a better description.

The time I wasted on it yesterday is unbelievable.

It's not much better this morning either.

Opposite and above are the Gaynor and Angie Mellor characters - supposedly in the Hammersmith Vaults.

They are quite nice photograph's - however, the setting up of them was nothing short of a pain in the arse.

The Angie character has gone from being quite buxom - to being exactly the opposite and I had to try and animate this out as best I could.

They are both in red, so maybe it could be Christmastime?

An actual film set.

Gaynor's Mini Cooper parked outside the Hammersmith Vaults, with the Hong Kong Garden flats in the background.

---

Angie is always regarded is being the prettier of the two, which is something that is reinforced by Gaynor quite frequently.

"My more stupid albeit more beautiful sister" she is often referred to.

"For someone who works in a bank, I can't believe how thick you are."

Sibling rivalry.

You see this more in Series 1 than you do in 2.

In the first series the relationship is strained and by the start of the second, fully broken

Music.

I've added a track by The Beat as I thought I'd do include some plastic Ska.

The reality is that I saw the cover of this 45 Single with a Mod Girl sticking on a record, and thought of doing it with one of the sisters.

I didn't get round to doing it - but I will.

In the meantime - They are both in red.

The track is from the album Special Beat Service and peaked at No. 47 in the UK charts.

Dave Wakeling wrote it years earlier, before the band even existed. It’s about that awkward slide from teenager into your twenties — realising life isn’t as effortless as it felt when you were younger, feeling a bit lost, not quite knowing your place. The title itself started life as a dirty schoolboy joke: “save it, fellator.”

Wakeling has been open about that for years.

The song nearly never made the record. Bassist David Steele hated it — thought it was “too rock, too old wave.” The label pushed for it, Wakeling threatened to record it himself, and eventually the rest of the band (especially Everett Morton on drums) helped get the basic track down.

It’s gone on to be one of their biggest earners — Wakeling has said it accounts for a huge chunk of the catalogue’s publishing these days.

(Series 2) Jenny Mellor and her dad

22 August 2026

Good morning.

I was up at 6:30 am and out through the woods with the hound, hitting quite a bit of dog walking traffic on our way round, which is strange for a Saturday morning.

Last night we did what we said and went to The Red Lion - the dog having her plate of fish goujons and Cuban Pete and Broken Arm Sue finding us out around 40 minutes later.

We've not seen them in a while.

Sue is renowned for being loud and last night, she must have missed us (sic) as the volume was full-on. They didn't say as such, but I think they'd already been out a while before they gate-crashed our table.

The Cuban texted me the other week asking about us all going out for a curry and I hadn't replied.

"Pete texted you, didn't you get it?"

"Yeah," I told her.

The last twice we had been out with them, Pete had been quiet. The reason being is that she had been talking about him and he had been more interested in hearing what she was saying rather than wanting to engage in any conversation.

The idea is, that if you have shit or issues at home - you leave it there.

I go out for conversation and I can't be doing with one-way traffic; be it me towing out my rag and trying to make it with some fucking mute; or some wanker or wankers talking at me...

It is something that I fucking detest.

So, our quiet night out, wasn't.

Christ! I'm depressing myself thinking about it.

Opposite and above, I've tried to get Jenny and her dad interacting.

Has it worked?

Not really how I wanted it to be it's not bad.

What I need to be looking at is collecting voices so I can tie it and embed it to a character, as Mason Green in the above animation, sounded nothing like Mason Green - hence why I muted him.

I've not uploaded any voice characteristics yet, but it something that I'm looking forward to.

Anyway...

(Series 1) Gaynor Mellor spending a sunny afternoon on King Henry's Mound inside Richmond Park, south-west London.

21 August 2026

Good morning.

I was up at 6:40 am on hearing the back door slam shit - Julie opting to take the hound for her walk through the woods.

Well, that's only part of the story.

Yesterday, evening I looked out of the front window to see how the lawn has sprung back to life with the cooler weather and the recent downpours and noted a fairly immobile pigeon (flying rat) on the grass.

I nipped outside and picked it up.

It was alive but either a vehicle had hit it or a cat had had it - not sure which, but there was bruising on the back of its head and neck.

It was flapping round a bit when I picked it up and brought it on to the patio to give it some cover under a tree.

To cut a long story short, the animal lover that Julie is, brought it inside before she went to bed and put it on a blanket in the utility / laundry room only to up this morning to find it dead.

"I've put it on one of the patio chairs," she said. "You can dig a hole a bury it."

"Just put in in a bag and stick it in the dustbin," I told her. "That's what I generally do."

"I'm not doing that," she said. "It's cruel."

Christ knows how she'll be when the dog goes!

We are out tonight. Just The Red Lion.

We'll probably cop a shit curry from the Tandoori on the way home.

(Series 2) Anita Pallenburg and her husband in the underground car park

20 August 2026

Good morning.

I was up at 6:30 am... very tired.

The dog woke me up barking at 11:40 pm.

I was flat out.

I went downstairs to let her out and check around the periphery of the house.

Nothing.

There were two owl's in the silver birch tree on the rear drive that were hooting to one another, which set the dog off howling.

I must have been disorientated as at getting-up time Julie heard the dog barking... from outside.

"You left the dog out," she said.

I thought she'd come back in.

And last night, it hammered it down.

All I heard from downstairs was:: "As dad left you out all night?"

The dog was absolutely drenched.

I wonder if she'll wake me up to go bark at the owl's in the tree tonight?

Anyway, Julie did this morning's dog walking duties and I did the making the bed, the emptying of the dishwasher and getting the coffee's on...

I should have really emptied the washing machine as I put some darks in before I went to bed.

I'll do that in a bit.

(Series 2) Anita Pallenburg picking up her husband from Heathrow Airport, Terminal 2. He has just flown in from Lisbon.

19 August 2026

Good morning.

I was up at 6:50 am and out through the woods with the hound.

It had rained through the night and it was quite fresh out.

I got back in to a strong coffee and some pikelets (crumpets)... Warburton's thin ones, which are much nicer and aren't as doughy...

I received another couple of emails from my brother, Shaun.

Very nice, actually, as was speaking with my cousin, Tracy, last night.

Totally different conversation, but both good.

After speaking to our Trace, I created a character based on the comedian Roy Jay - who's dead now.

Roy was a friend of our Trace's dad, and she told me a tale, and one that she has never told her parents.

I told her: "That's a right story, our Trace."

And with that, I created a minor character for Series 2.

We traded ideas on names and this morning I came up with Roy J Seaman - Spunker.

Fairly appropriate considering what our Trace told me.

I have a couple of ideas but nothing is written down as yet. I'll probably have him linked to Greenford Geotechnical & Piling, once I firm up some ideas.

As for our Trace - I have used her as a character, using her own name - Tracy Westcott.

I have said a few times before - she is headmistress at the Christ Is King All Girls School.

(Series 2) The Pallenburg's

18 August 2026

Good morning.

I was up at 6:50 am, Julie opting for the walk through the woods with the hound.

Great decision as I was knackered - having been tossing and turning half the night.

My mind has been racing.

Since his mum's funeral, I've been speaking to our Shaun - my half brother from my dad, and it has brought a lot of stuff up that I'd not thought about in years.

Does it bother me?

Absolutely not, as it's good to think back.

Did I have a good childhood?

No, it was shit, but the weekends I had with my dad up to his kids being born, I remember quite fondly.

So, there have been a few emails back and forth.

At first, he appeared pedantic - as though he'd written a letter and let AI have its way with it.

The emails thereafter weren't too bad although there is an insecure and cynical edge to a couple of them.

Very humorous at times, though.

Yesterday, was a nothing day, therefore I did more work on The A's - the Series 2 rewrite.

I have to admit, I am totally enjoying it...

A damn sight more than I am, the animation software, which has really been testing my patience.

Therefore, I have rehashed some old animations of Anita and her parents.

Music.

I've just added another Ladytron track to the music player / widget.

(Series 2) Jenny Mellor and her proud dad, Mason Green

17 August 2026

Good morning.

I was up at 6:10 am and out through the woods with the hound.

It rained last night and cleared the air.

As I walked the dog between a field of freshly cut wheat and a field full of potatoes it really did smell like the beginning of autumn.

What is strange, that in all the time that I've lived on the Isle of Axholme, I've never seen potatoes planted in any of the fields. It is generally barley, wheat and rape. Sprouts are perhaps the most exotic thing that I've ever seen growing and I've only seen those once or twice.

Weird.

Yesterday, I worked on the Series 2 rewrite and kept on coming up with ideas, which I couldn't write down quick enough.

Once I get back into it I can go on for ages.

The house in Cyprus is a great outlet.

I'm not sure when we are going back as our Jamie and Lianne are due to go out there for 10 days on 30 August.

When we first got the house in Levanda Hills, Jamie hadn't been to Cyprus in years.

Now, and after a few holidays, their bedroom is well stacked, with spear guns, diving gear, inflatables for the pool, and holiday clothes which fill the wardrobe.

They really enjoy it.

Opposite and above is Mason with his daughter.

Jenny speaks quite frankly about her mum and dad in the Series 3, narrative, as she does about Anita (Neeta).

Mason had just been Mason, a relative that picked her up on the odd weekend when he was in the country and who along with his wife, totally spoiled her.

Then Granny Maureen played her Ace card and everything changed, not at least for Jenny.

It was then Jenny got told the truth, not at least by her dad... however, one thing he never went into detail about, was why he and her mum had split up.

She would find that out for herself.

(Series 2) Mason Green in Laos. The Alpha Wolf.

16 August 2026

Good morning.

It is 5:25 am and I am in the study with a cup of sweet tea and looking out the window at the dawn breaking.

Even though, this has easily been the nicest summer on record since 1976, and the days are have been hot, the nights are now starting to close in.

In two and a half months it will be Halloween.

The weeks and months are flying by.

We got in the house around 12:30 pm yesterday, after an uneventful drive up the M1 from Luton Airport.

As I keep on saying: These are very long days.

I had a Tesco shop come five minutes before 3:00 pm and replenished the fridge.

With our Jamie stopping at the house to look after the dog, my 330 ML cans of lager on the second shelf appear rather depleted, with six missing.

Peroni, Asahi and Czech Budweiser...

The lad has taste.

Never mistake the Czech drink for the piss that is the American brand.

Czech Budweiser officially known as Budweiser Budvar, is a traditional lager brewed by the state-owned national brewery of the Czech Republic. Located in the historic South Bohemian city of České Budějovice (historically known by its German name, Budweis), it has been locked in a famous, century-long trademark battle with the American brewing giant Anheuser-Busch InBev over the legal rights to the name "Budweiser".

And don't get me going as regards Bud Light.

As soon as I saw them push transsexuality in your face with the twit that is Dylan Mulvaney being its poster-boy/girl, that was it.

No chance.

Ultimate boycott.

I'm an alpha male. I don't do the I don't knows.

Failed male's, mentally ill, whatever.

I totally get it that people have choices, and I'm no different.

So, yesterday evening and to stay up we took the hound up to The Red Lion and called in at the Tandoori for a shit curry on our way home.

I slept like a baby.

The A's.

I did quite a bit of work on the script whilst I was away and even wrote a scene yesterday evening.

Opposite and above are some shots of Mason Green - this time from Series 2, when he visits Laos.

This is all part of the Series 2 rewrite.

Mason is the ultimate Alpha male.

(Series 1) Gaynor Mellor in the Speedibar diner by Astrid Karcherr

15 August 2026

I would say Kaliméra, but it is not yet morning as it is 12:35 pm (GMT+2).

The swimming pool lights are still on and the taxi is due to take us to Larnaca Airport at 2:30 am.

This has been a short break away - just 6 days.

There are some new arrivals on the Levanda Hills estate and in the bigger houses on the next street, and as ever, there are lads trying to outdo one another to see who can be the loudest.

Yesterday was another hot one, with one of Julie's connections on Facebook posting that it had been 49°c.

I said that it had been hot...

In Series 1, the Speedibar is no different from the original, and is a hang-out for the scooter crowd - the likes of Leoni Middleton, Joanne Lynskey, Chrissy K, Kiki Dee Moran (when she's in London) and even Anita Pallenburg towards the end...

As with the Vespa dealership, just 100m away - the Hammersmith Rifles, it is owned by Rod The Mod.

We never get to know Rod's real name.

I based the character - not so much on Rod Stewart, as he does look like him, but on my mate Johnny Welsh, who is an absolute nut when it comes to (Rod Stewart &) The Faces.

The music that gets played there isn't really stated although there is a reference to Jenny Deal and the band, Feeder, when Rod is talking with both Leoni and Anita towards the end of Series 1.

I always thought that it would be a 1960s type garage rock, so who knows.

Therefore, I have added a 1960s track to the music player that I suppose could be played there.

I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night) is a song written by Annette Tucker and Nancie Mantz which was recorded in late 1966 by the American garage rock band the Electric Prunes.

Released as the band's second single in November of that year, it reached number 49 in the UK and peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100.

It was produced by Dave Hassinger who was chief engineer on The Rolling Stones' Aftermath (1966) album.

(Series 1) The 46-year old Maureen Mellor in the bathroom, getting ready for a shower

14 August 2026

Kaliméra...

It is 2:45 am and I've been tossing a turning for the last hour.

We had something of a Goannese Vindaloo with around 20 green chilies and for as nice as it was - and it was, it is certainly telling.

I've just got an ice-cold Schweppes soda water out of the fridge and replied to an email that my brother has sent me.

As I've said, it was his mum's funeral yesterday.

According to our Shaun, it went well.

I have known funeral's that haven't - my mum's for one.

Still, it gives me stories to tell.

Although it is the middle of the night and it's dark outside, it is 27°c.

Yesterday, I worked on the Series 2 re-write until 2:00 pm, before we drove over to Vrysoulles for a few beers.

All the time we have been here it has peaked well over 40°c each day, hence why we have not gone to our local, which is the beach bar on Agia Triada, and which is less than five minutes away.

Opposite and above is some more Maureen Mellor.

At the moment, I have Maureen animating perfectly, which wasn't always the case.

The worst asset was and still is easily Anita Pallenburg, who even now, still frustrates me to hell.

I can get her looking absolutely brilliant and very lifelike one minute, and the next time she's like some crappy mannequin.

Series 2 is getting interesting, but getting the ideas down on paper before I forget them is a constant pain in the neck.

Anyway... I'm going to do some more writing.

(Series 1) John Mellor getting ready to go to work, with his wife Maureen attentively looking on, circa December 2022.

13 August 2026

Kaliméra.

I was out of bed at 6:40 am (GMT+2).

I have a strong cup of coffee in front of me and the door is open, and we are looking at yet another hot day.

It is already 29°C.

Lots of thoughts are going through my head at the minute.

It's the day of my dad's wife's funeral.

There's no love lost on neither mine nor her son's part, but I can't deny that she was part of my life.

I woke up thinking of the new state-of-the-art Hi-fi that my dad paid an arm and a leg for in 1972, and was scratching my head trying to remember the brand.

It was a record player with an integral radio constructed within a wooden cabinet - possibly a teak body, with two tall similar wooden speakers.

The brand? Ferguson (Below).

I listened to countless of my dad's Country & Western records on it, and God knows how many football commentaries.

The first commentary was probably Manchester City 2, Arsenal 0 in March 1972, when my dad told me that Arsenal would struggle to score as Manchester had a giant in goal.

One of my dad's tall stories. The goalkeeper was Joe Corrigan. He was big, but no giant. He was 6'4.

It's weird what you think of.

Opposite and above, I used the 8 Marquis Gardens hallway vignette again - however, this time I put both John and Maureen in the frame.

8 Marquis Gardens.

This is the Doncaster address, where my dad and his wife actually lived, and what I have reproduced as a fictitious home of the Mellor's in Chiswick Green.

John gets up at 6:00 am, has his breakfast and is in work over at his firm in West Acton before 7:00 am.

Maureen tells her youngest daughter... regularly: "Your dad likes his eight hours (sleep)."

When Mason stops, however - he rarely gets it.

"Don't you two ever sleep?" John asks his youngest daughter.

"I woke up at three this morning to the sound of The Sweeney coming from your bedroom."

Gaynor has the TV on loud so Maureen can't listen at the door.

Does Maureen do that?

Yes.

When Gaynor moves in with Mason in spring 2023, her dad enjoys the quiet... initially... then he realises just how empty the house is without the constant noise.

"Just think what it'll be like when they have kids," Maureen says.

John laughs: "Australia might be a good idea,eh?"

John moans and groans but he never means it.

Music.

I've added another track to the music player.

Luna Reign is a UK-based underground gothic rock / doom metal solo project (sometimes presented as a band) from Cornwall.

The track is originally from the 2021 Ghost Train album; the 2026 version is a remaster/remix (listed on Spotify as Further from the Truth – 2026 Remix, with an unnamed female vocalist.

(Series 1) Angie Mellor removing her shoes in the hallway of her parents home at 8 Marquis Gardens

12 August 2026

Kaliméra.

I was out of bed at 8:30 am (GMT+2).

I have a strong cup of coffee in front of me and the door is open, and we are looking at another hot day.

According to Julie it is already 29°C.

Yesterday, Nicos the auto electrician, came up trumps, and fitted the mechanism for the electric passenger side window of the FTO without any minor catastrophes. €50.

It gave us chance to have a couple of beers in the Lionheart bar opposite, where Gorgeous Geoge had his shit music on full blast.

I said to Calvin - one of his regulars - an American who has lived in Cyprus for over 30 years, that this - the loud shit music, is why the English are staying away...

"You're his mate - tell him."

"He won't listen to me," he replied.

Ah - but he did.

The volume was immediately lowered.

"We have bingo tomorrow," George told us 10 minutes later. "Are you coming?"

I told him straight: "I'd rather have my fucking teeth pulled."

There are a couple of chancers from Liverpool doing the Expat circuit who move between Dave's Bar, the Roadhouse and what used to be the Corner Pin in Kapparis, offerering their services at filling the pubs with wankers. Bingo with prize money being the carrot to tempt the donkeys.

Glenn and Sharon. Both pieces of shit. They had their bars and lost them for some reason or another.

I remember their first bar and how they skanked the customers. I've seen it loads of times, not just with them, but also at the Curry Leaf.

Imran the head waiter was doing ours and Big Scott's bill on a regular basis until he was pulled up about it. Scott had been meticulously adding things up as we ate and drank.

He had overcharged us by £20.

That was nothing.

Julie had her birthday meal there one evening, and Nigel Rush, one of the guests threw £100 in.

That £100 never got took off my bill, Imran kept it.

He was confronted about it and we got a free meal, from the owner, Omar - but that is NOT the point.

And if he's going to skank us; he'll be fucking doing it to everyone.

As for Nigel Rush, he was a character.

He's currently doing six years inside for his part in a £20 million VAT fraud.

A few years ago, Nigel had six years inside for his part in illegally importing of £6 million cannabis from Morocco.

It's good to know these kind of characters as they give you some background when you are creating fictitious ones - and The A's is no different, although there is zero mention of drugs in it.

Opposite and above is more Angie Mellor from Series 1.

The 23-year old who marries Pat Marshall in Episode 2 and not so much immediately regrets it, but cannot come to terms with the responsibility that comes with owning your own house.

There is also sibling rivalry with her younger sister, as she often looks at Gaynor, who, in her mind, just seems to just get everything.

And then there's The Spat...

(Series 1) Gaynor Mellor after hours at the Crawdaddy Club in Chelsea

11 August 2026

Kaliméra.

It is 7:50 am (GMT+2), the door is open, and we are looking at another hot day. According to the temperature gauge it is already 29°C.

The downside is that Freddie Mercury is biting the dust on Cyprus' PIK radio.

Makes a change from doing a Jeremy Thorpe and biting the pillow I suppose...

Overrated shite!

I'm on my second strong coffee and will be taking the FTO up to the auto electrician to install the mechanism for the electric window.

Hopefully, that sorts it.

So, after I've written this up, I'll stick the battery back on the poor man's Vespa, and follow Julie up.

She absolutely hates riding pillion, but it's either that, or an half an hours stroll back down Protaras Avenue.

At the moment she's cursing her mobile phone.

Don't ask me why.

Mmm. Seems that she has decided that she fancies a walk.

In other news, the hound appears to be enjoying her time at home, between our Jamie sleeping at the house and walking her, and our Lianne taking her to work at R&R Country over in Hemingbrough, where she has immediately sussed out what being nice to the customers gets you.

She is extremely popular - and more than she is in The Red Lion, as apart from being an equestrian clothing and equipment shop, R&R has a huge section for dogs... including treats.

Hit the button to check it out.

Yesterday, was a nothing day, really.

I booked in the FTO, helped Julie in the garden, washed the scooter, and we went to the supermarket and bought some prawns for an Indian, some ham and ravioli and tortellini for an Italian and some salad, as there's a Salmon en crout in the freezer that needs shifting.

So, three days meals that are sorted.

Yesterday's was calling at Delicious - on Kapparis Avenue, who are not only very nice people, but they do the best burgers and certainly Doner Kebabs in the area, if not Cyprus.

"Did we eat, yesterday?" Julie asked.

"Yeah - you had a burger."

"Aw, I wish we wouldn't go there after a drink."

Unfortunately, we are on holiday and everywhere we go, we have a drink.

Anyway... the FTO beckons...

(Series 1) Around the time of this photograph, Gaynor would have been pregnant with Jenny

10 August 2026

Kaliméra se ólous apó tin Kýpro.

That's Good morning from Cyprus.

I was up at 8:00 am (GMT+2).

The back door is open and it is hot... and when I say hot, I mean very.

We landed on time, yesterday evening, and got in the house before 6:00 pm.

Things of note was that the feral cats have been using the garden. Dirty gits. There's cat shit everywhere. I've absolutely no idea why they do it as there are fields everywhere around us.

I need to take the FTO up to the auto electrician today, as just before we left last time, the passenger side window was dropping as soon as it was raised.

I was told it could be the mechanism, therefore I bought one from some breakers in Scunthorpe that deal with parts from Japanese cars, and brought it over, which had the security in Luton Airport looking at me a bit funny, as when bubble wrapped it looked like a leg of ham.

We nipped over to the Coffee Shop in Vrysoulles up to see Fosis and had a few beers, then on our way back called in to see Svetlana and Ivan in the Bulgarian open kitchen - Mr Food.

As ever, their menu was sadly lacking what I wanted, mainly the best beef liver you will ever taste.

"Tell me what you have got then?" I asked.

"Chicken and pork."

I can eat chicken at home, and its a lot better than the articificial prepacked shite that she served me.

I can't understand that the best thing on the menu is never in stock.

Anyway, I'm moaning again.

Opposite and above is some more Gaynor Mellor in Series 1 - the video, being her coming out of Mason's Gran's floristry business just before the engagement party that wasn't.

Julie had some mini obsession with her sparkly three-quarter Gucci trousers, therefore, I changed them, and she is now wearing a sparkly Gucci skirt.

(Series 1) Maureen Mellor doing the laundry

9 August 2026

Good morning

It is 2:40 am and I am in the study with a strong cup of coffee looking through the window, and all I see is the dark.

This is a place that I have been time and time again.

We fly out to Cyprus this morning and a trip down the M1 beckons.

Yesterday, we cleaned both cars, we meaning Julie as well, as she got involved, and I nipped down to to petrol station to put some juice in the car.

I've just backed up the script for The A's onto an external hard drive. What I never realised, is that it is over 2.1 GB in size.

I can't wait to get working on it again.

Opposite and above.

More Maureen Mellor.

I had to laugh at something Julie said regarding Maureen.

"She doesn't work, she's always rigged out in designer clothes and all she seems to do is go shopping, boss everybody about and gossip to Felicity Pike and that Father Maloney... I wish I had her life."

So, here she is doing some housework... washing.

I have, at some point, mentioned that she did have a job. This was with a firm of Insolvency Practitioners in the city that specialised in corporate restructuring and business recovery.

That was before Co-vid.

When Jenny complains about Anita not picking her up from school one afternoon, after she promised, Maureen tells her: "All our families work, that's why we can afford nice things."

Jenny immediately smells a rat.

"You don't work."

"I might not do now, but I did."

The story of why she didn't go back to work was two-fold, and in one of the instances - quite sad.

Maureen may sometimes come over as overly emotional, but she is also a strong woman.

Anyway...

(Series 1) Maureen Mellor having her cup of tea in the rear courtyard / patio area of 8 Marquis Gardens

8 August 2026

Good morning

I was up at 7:40 am and through the woods with the hound on what looks like being a lovely day.

I walked past the garden centre which is now completely devoid of stock and resembles a Russian supermarket from the 1980s.

They have sold out to a developer.

In its place we are supposedly getting a new garden centre, doctor's surgery and supermarket.

I say supposedly, as developers don't do people favours, they develop to make money and there is a lot of unused greenbelt behind the garden centre where the developer has found it in there wisdom to undertake a ground investigation - by boreholes and trial pits.

You could fit a 250-300-unit residential development on that land, which given a ballpark figure is worth £40 million. A section 106 payment - which is a legal form of bribery, which would be given to the North Lincolnshire Council, will see that phase of the project go through.

I see it all the time, and the council will rip the developers arm off for a £1 million backhander to waste on DEI projects, and such.

In this day and age, the normal man and woman doesn't have a voice as money always overrides emotion.

Opposite and above is some more Maureen Mellor - this time doing her Tesco shop out in the sun, sat at the patio table doing an online shop with a cup of tea - and in the video, speaking frankly about both her daughters.

Maureen is an extremely good character and can be very emotional.

Music.

I thought I'd add an instrumental track to the music player, as at present there is only one in there.

The track is best known as the theme for the BBC1 medical drama series Owen, M.D. (1971–1973).

Pearson was a prolific figure in British light music for television.

He led the Top of the Pops orchestra for about 16 years, was involved with the group Sounds Orchestral and composed other well-known themes, including for All Creatures Great and Small, 3-2-1, and contributions associated with News at Ten and sports shows such as Superstars.

(Series 2) Dawn Penn, Assistant Chartering Manager with the London office of Salveson Shipping (Limasoll)

7 August 2026

Good morning

I was up at 7:20 am, Julie opting for the walk through the woods with the hound, the latter of who came into a breakfast part-consisting of bacon.

I fried a kilo of the stuff last night, and what was left over she had with a couple of sachets of Winalot.

It was hardly high end surf and turf, but it was appreciated.

When we fly out to Cyprus on Sunday, our Jamie says that he 'sstopping at the house to look after the dog.

That should be interesting, as the dog expects three walks a day, milk after her breakfast, and taking out to The Red Lion three times a week, where she has her regular seating at table 31 and wolfs down a plate of fish goujons.

Somehow, I can't see any of that happening.

The reasoning is that after 5 days, the dog gets depressed at their house, and Jamie's youngest dog, isn't the most sociable of creatures, and he doesn't do depression. He's hardcore and eats blankets, socks, stones and rope.

Yesterday, Julie had a day off work.

The idea was to go down to the Dearne Valley and sort of kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. Although, I think multi task is a better description...

She had some lunch with her sister and dropped off some flowers and a card at her Auntie Margaret's. She also picked up her mum's ex-next door neighbour, Linda - who had lunch with them, which I thought was quite a lovely gesture. But then again - that is just Julie being Julie.

As it was, she got an emotional phone call from Linda around 8:30 pm last night profusely thanking her for the gesture, which was really nice.

Opposite and above is Dawn Penn.

Shipping is a very strange business and Dawn works very long hours.

---

Dawn, the eldest daughter of June - who works for the Greenford Group in Series 2, and just like her mother is a peripheral character in both Series 1 and 2.

Dawn and her mum are part of the many arc's that make up The A's - however, theirs is quite a sad one.

Mason first met Dawn before the series starts, and bumps into her again during Series 1, when he is in a relationship with Gaynor.

And as Kiki Dee Moran would tell you, Gaynor absolutely hated any female competition where Mason was concerned.

So, did Dawn and Mason have a thing?

It is never stated.

June isn't the easiest person to get along with and can be quite hard work, which is the complete opposite of her daughter.

Music.

I've added a track by The Raveonettes to the music player.

The band built their sound on close Everly Brothers-style harmonies over noisy, fuzzed-out garage/noise-pop/shoegaze guitars, with simple 50s/60s structures meeting darker Velvet Underground edges... or that's what they say.

Most of their tracks are very listenable.

Critics generally liked it - some called out the chiming, almost Lush-like or surf-tinged quality on this track specifically, and the album’s late-summer-sunset mood overall.

Lush... one of my favourite bands!

(Series 1) Angie Mellor in the park at Chiswick Green

6 August 2026

Good morning

I was up at 5:20 am after a bit of tossing and turning.

After signing of this month's magazine, yesterday became something of a non-entity as I just did some indexing and a bit of animation.

In personal news, there was another death in the family... not mine, but Julie's. The lady that she referred to as her Auntie Margaret.

Not an auntie in the true sense, but a lifelong friend of her mum's - Julie and her elder sister and Margaret's two - Gary and Karen, all growing up together.

Karen was the one who kept in continual contact with Julie all through her mum's Alzheimer's and whilst doing so, she ended up becoming a full-time carer for her own mum, as although she was 100% in her head, her body was failing.

A generation that will never be seen again all coming to an end.

It is all very sad.

So, opposite and above we have some more of The Mellor's: three generations worth.

What is strange is how they all look like one another... well, in my head, anyway.

I did the school photograph of Jenny, yesterday, as I needed her in 4K with her hair off her face so as to get the detailing right... a school photograph.

Before Easter in Series 2, her best friend Dottie West (Dorothy Westerman) - who is in Year 11, is part of the school swimming team that will be competing in the London All Girl's Under-16's swimming competition.

The school have got there mainly, as one of the girls - Christa Paffgen, is an excellent diver. And that is understating it.

So - as the school looks forward to competing at the London Aquatics Centre in East London, there is disgruntlement in the ranks as a couple of girl's are on about dropping out, which was something the head of P.E was overheard saying to the head of French, Mrs Faubert.

Cue Jenny Mellor.

"I'll swim if you want," she tells Mrs Faubert.

Mrs Tomley - the head of P.E laughs it off.

Why? Jenny is just seven-years old - and those she would be competing against are 14-16 year-olds.

It's quite a nice story, as Jenny has become extremely popular at school - and after pressure from the headmistress, Mrs Westcott, Jenny is used as something of a mascot, and made reserve - hence the photograph.

What isn't known at the time, - is just how good she is.

In this arc, Anita Pallenburg, is extremely good.

Jenny often has friends at the house - her history group and of course, Dottie, who forms something of a bond with the family.

Half a dozen of the girls from the swimming team are going to the 25m pool in Chelsea (I think), and they ask Jenny if she'd like to come.

Jenny knows this is an absolute no-no, but she mentions it all the same.

Anita's motto, is if you work hard, you deserve to get treated, and if you act like a big girl you deserve to be treated like one.

The Gotleib's live in Chelsea, so Anita sorts it, that all the girls go there straight from swimming... and as the Gotleib's have a pool, Christie lets them all have tea round it... A pool party? Not quite.

And on the Monday at school, all the teachers are talking about it - as Christie Gotleib, is on the school's board of governors.

Anyway - a morning dog walk beckons.

(Series 2) The perfect wife?

5 August 2026

Good morning.

I was up at 4:50 am with a cup of sweet tea and in the study, just giving the August issue a kind of once over prior to me uploading it to the printers.

The missing full page advert didn't hit my desk until 5:01 pm yesterday, although it was actually sent at 4:53 pm.

Yesterday was a torturous day as the work computer was towing its rag out with all the placing of the images along with an external drive full of photographs, that was sucking the life out of it.

The upshot is that it is coming to the end of its life and needs upgrading. Not with something as powerful as the 3D / animation computer that I'm on at the moment, but something with maybe 75% of the power.

Anyway, it's something to think about.

So, this month's workload just needs signing off and I can create the template for the September 2026 issue, which is as much as I will do this week, as we are flying out to Cyprus on Sunday morning.

Opposite and above, some photographs of Anita Pallenburg... and her car... and home...

"She's done well," Maureen Mellor tells her youngest daughter.

"Yeah - she's dead clever is why," snaps Gaynor.

And as you will hopefully see in the series - that statement wasn't really true.

Gaynor was/is much more clever.

What she is, is a loving wife and best friend to her husband's daughter... and the worry that comes with being the former is immense.

However, that is Mason - full stop.

It is Jenny that gives Anita normality, and that doesn't really happen until Gaynor returns to London.

Anyway... Music.

I've just added a track to the music player.

Primal Scream are a Glasgow band that were formed by Bobby Gillespie (vocals) and Jim Beattie (guitar) and were a key part of the mid-1980s indie pop scene before taking on a more psychedelic and garage rock-influenced sound.

The track?

...If you could see what I can see, feel what I feel; When my head is on fire, when I’m a burning wheel; Through my bleeding eyes, I’m filthy, fly, I crawl with insects; I’m anaesthetized, I’m demonized, caught in the vortex...

Seven minutes of slow-build psychedelic dub-rock. Sitar/tabla-ish textures, heavy low-end drone, then the groove locks in.

Jim Beattie was with The Jesus and Mary Chain.

(Series 1) "It's only me, mam!" either Gaynor or Angie would shout on getting home.

4 August 2026

Good morning.

I was up at 6:55 am and out through the woods with the hound.

Did I want to?

Absolutely not - however, Julie asked nicely if I would do it, therefore I did.

Before she left for work, she also mentioned that the tyre sensor on her car had come on last night and would I check her tyres.

Did I want to?

Absolutely not - however, Julie asked nicely if I would do it. I moaned like fuck about having to do it, therefore, she said that she'd take it to the petrol station and do it herself.

Total emotional blackmail!

I've just been round the car with the portable tyre pressure / inflator thing or whatever they call it.

The driver's side front tyre was down at 22 psi when it should be 29.

It needs keeping an eye on.

Today, I'm waiting for a full page advert coming in so I can insert it in the magazine and get the thing uploaded to the printers and the job signed off.

It has been quite an enjoyable month.

It's a teatime drink at The Red Lion and a shit curry tonight - all being well.

Opposite and above is the hallway of 8 Marquis Gardens. In both Series 1 and 2, this will be seen regularly.

The front door would be heard followed by: "It's only me, mam!" and shoes would be heard getting kicked off, before one of the girls would show their presence in the kitchen.

Music.

I've just added a track by Ladytron to the music player who are a British electronic band formed in Liverpool in 1999.

The group consisted of Helen Marnie (lead vocals, synthesizers), Mira Aroyo (vocals, synthesizers), Daniel Hunt (synthesizers, guitar, vocals) and Reuben Wu (synthesizers).

The band's name was taken from the song Ladytron by Roxy Music.

The track - High Rise, is from the bands third album Witching Hour - released October 2005 on Island/Rykodisc.

It is a dark, propulsive electronic rock/synth-pop statement built around a relentless, industrial-tinged snare, gnarly bass, treated guitars (including EBow drones), and cold, detached synth textures.

(Series 1) The 23-year old Angie Mellor on her way to work.

3 August 2026

Good morning.

I was up at 6:40 am after a much interrupted sleep.

Yesterday, I knocked off at 1:30 pm had a bath and we went to The Red Lion for lunch, and around 4:30 pm left the pub, took the dog around the churchyard, dropped her off back home, and called into the Curry Leaf where Omar - the owner was absent - watching Scunthorpe Utd play Manchester United (Legends) and where we had a curry.

A good afternoon by anyone's standards - however, neither of us are used to eating two large meals a day, and it told...

This morning, Julie opted for the morning's dog walk through the woods, which was greatly appreciated... by me that is.

Yesterday, I received an email from my (half) brother Shaun, regarding his mum's passing.

It was nothing that I didn't expect, but it gave me a chance to have a conversation with my cousin Tracy over WhatsApp, which lasted a good half-an-hour.

It was our Trace who let me know.

"I knew you didn't like her, but I thought it best to let you know," she said.

The reality of our Shaun's mother was that I never had a cross word with her, it is just that after both her kids were born, she didn't so much change - she just showed me who she really was, and that was enforced just after my dad's death when she cut off all ties with me, and it was left to our Shaun - a 15-year old kid, to come and find me, which he did.

As for our Shaun and his mother, it was there in black and white: "I severed ties as I truly could not bear being in the same room as her. I cannot claim to have felt upset at all in fact. The whole experience seemed more surreal than upsetting," he told me.

As our Trace said: "Families, eh?"

They are something you get saddled with as opposed to chose...

In The A's, families are prevalent, be it The Mellor's, The Green's, The Pallenburg's, The Gotleib's, The Harrington's, and indeed The Soukthala's... the latter of where the story is heading.

Opposite and above I thought I'd do some Angie Mellor from Series 1, which is a busy time for her as she gets married and moves into her new house and is forever coming to terms with the responsibility; she also has a mega-fall out with her sister, Gaynor, and still finds time to switch jobs.

A very interesting character.

So, today, I'll look to sign off this months magazine...

(Series 2) The 27-year old Gaynor Mellor back in the hairdressers and beauty salon in West London

2 August 2026

Good morning.

I was up and through the woods with the hound at 5:40 am.

We were supposed to be nipping up to The Red Lion yesterday evening... well, we did go up, only to be met by security barricades on the courtyard and a thumping noise coming from the empty room which was once a nightclub / bar attached to the hotel.

Fat Fred's grandson, Alfie - was putting on what he referred to as an "Event".

A rave, God damn you!

Fat Fred is of course the owner / proprietor of The Red Lion.

Alfie is just an awkward and overweight kid who is trying to be popular by having his older mates use his granddad's pub.

I text the head barman Alex and told him to cancel our table. "I can't be sat listening to that shite," I told him.

Julie did the same with Fat Fred's partner - Bev, the latter who was quite apologetic without actually saying it.

Other people cancelled, so it was certainly noticed.

Placating your kids to the point of bullshitting them, is never ever a good idea - and here was a case-in-point.

Losing your customer base to keep the fat kid happy.

That last sentence was probably a bit uncalled for.

So... yesterday, after being sat in front of the computer all day completing the magazine, I didn't get to go out, so I had a few bottles of Asahi lager at the breakfast bar, followed by a Chili Con Carne and half a bottle of red wine, which Big Scott bought me at Christmas.

And today?

I'll place a few photographs into the magazine including the front cover and see how I feel around 1:00 pm.

Opposite and above...

Last year, I had both photographs and animations of the Gaynor Mellor character in the hairdressers and beauty salon - both walking and answering her phone.

At the time, I thought they were great.

And now... at 27 years old.

As I have often said, the preconstruction phase - now 578 days, has given me time to learn the animation process... I'm also 12-18 months behind schedule, due to the rewrite of Series 2 and the additional Series 3, narrative...

And as that is the case, I am getting a consistency with both the image generation and indeed the animation... It's still not brilliant, but I'm getting there.

It was quite funny last night as Julie was on about the Gaynor character's Dolce & Gabbana mini dress and Leoni Middleton's Prada shoes from a day or two before... you know, that she liked them.

"How much do they cost?" Julie asked.

"The dress - an original... about three and a half grand," I said. "No idea about the shoes."

Plan A - The Dandy Warhols (2003)

---

I've just added a third track by one of my favourite bands - The Dandy Warhols...

This was from the 2003 album Welcome to the Monkey House.

Released as the third single on 24 November 2003 (Capitol). It peaked at No. 66 on the UK Singles Chart.

Plan A is a sleek, slightly detached electro-funk shimmer with that classic early-2000s Dandy Warhols cool: repetitive, hypnotic, a bit blank and clever at the same time

The track was written by Courtney Taylor-Taylor (who I based the character Volkswagen Rolf on) and produced by both him and Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran. In fact, Simon Le Bon even sings additional backing vocals on it.

(Series 1) Gaynor Mellor posing for the camera on Abbey Road in North West London

1 August 2026

Good morning on the first day of a new month.

It is 5:20 am and I am up.

The back of my legs are aching and the pain behind my eyes is something fucking else.

I've been like this for the past few days.

It is work related of that I am sure. The intensity of writing and setting the magazine and the posture of my arse on my very unergonomic chair staring at the huge 43" monitor, which I have managed to set back a couple of inches, this morning.

It seems a bit better.

Julie managed to get us on a plane out to Cyprus on next Sunday (I think), but only for six days.

As I said yesterday, flights are not only expensive during the school holidays, they are hard to get.

Whilst booking our seats yesterday, the payment kept getting declined on the WizzAir site...

"Well, all the details are right," Julie exclaimed. "And there's certainly enough money in the account."

The problem?

Someone had bought our seats a few minutes earlier, therefore, payment had been cancelled.

Julie books the flights on her phone, so what you can view is minimal, but I could see on the monitor that there was a notice saying: These Seats Are No Longer Available.

Seats 1A and 1B. Gits.

Anyway, we are booked.

Today, I'll probably finish the magazine.

I was intending on doing some 2D Extras yesterday, but I never got around to doing it.

I may do some later.

Stopping the traffic?

---

Opposite and above is more Abbey Road photographs - this time of the Gaynor Mellor character.

Very 1960s.

I always said that Matthew Weiner's Mad Men had nothing to come compared with the style of The A's.

I do have some good animation of this.

Music.

I've just added another track to the music player, which sort of goes with yesterday's addition.

It's not really my type of music - hip hop / house, but there is no denying, that both today's and yesterday's tracks are quite good, and hopefully, at some point, I may be able to use them.

Possibly a scene in The Metropolitan (The Met) in Hammersmith or The Knight's Templar in Notting Hill.

Dark, busy and noisy, eh?

Unfinished Sympathy - Massive Attack (ft. Shara Nelson)

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Unfinished Sympathy (not Symphony as I said yesterday) by Massive Attack — is the classic 1991 trip-hop landmark track from their album Blue Lines.

The title is a deliberate pun on Schubert’s unfinished Symphony No. 8.

Robert Del Naja has said it started as a joke during a jam but fitted the track perfectly, so they kept it.

It was released 11 February 1991 as the second single from the debut album (under the temporary name “Massive” to dodge potential Gulf War radio bans).

Written by the core three (3D, Daddy G, Mushroom), Shara Nelson and co-producer Jonny Dollar.

The song, although it only got to No. 13 on the UK charts, is widely regarded as one of the defining tracks of early-90s British electronic/soul crossover and a foundational trip-hop piece.

The contrast between the lush, classical-leaning strings and the chilled hip-hop/trip-hop foundation is what makes it hit so hard. It still sounds way ahead of its time.

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© JAMES DUROSE-RAYNER 2026