June 2026 | James Durose-Rayner's website

JUNE 2026

The A's

All Images Open in Technicolour

30 June 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 7:20 am waiting for Julie to make the first move to take the hound out for her walk through the woods.

I can't believe we've passed halfway point of the year and tomorrow it'll be the start of another month.

The days are flying by.

Yesterday, I collated some marketing and distribution information for the magazine and created it as a pdf file.

I didn't particularly want to do it - but we keep getting asked for it along with other questions which are basically, can we do all their work for them.

It is maddening at times as you sometimes deal with some of the most useless people imaginable - mainly university grad's... you know, the over-pontificating educated idiots.

My take?

"I wouldn't be too bothered about it, as he/she'll be out of a job in six months."

And that has happened time and time again.

There's a lot to be said for common sense. It's just a pity they don't do a degree in it.

Yesterday evening we did The Red Lion, which is going downhill fast.

The owner (leaseholder) - Fat Fred, needs to get his backside in gear and sort the place.

On Saturday it didn't open until 5:00 pm and on Sunday it was shut at 2:30 pm...

And this place is supposedly a hotel - and the only one on the Isle of Axholme.

It should be open from 10:00 am until the last person leaves, and you should be able to order food from it opening until 9:00 pm.

The people we've seen come in the place after 3:00 pm on a Sunday and ask for food and be turned away is unbelievable.

Fred won't let go of the reins just in case somebody takes it on and makes money out of it...

Anyway, enough moaning.

Opposite is more Astrid Karcherr with the two sisters, Angie and Gaynor, as her models.

What I don't think has really been said, is that they love attention - both of them. Especially male attention. And some of Astrid's photo's generate exactly that.

In Series 2, little Jenny can't believe the person who her mum was and it wasn't until her dad went into her granny Maureen's loft and brought the carrier bags full of secrets (photograph albums) down, that she found out.

"Who's that then?" Mason asked her.

Jenny became obsessed.

The overweight, Gaynor with the washed out clothes and hair-for-shit, at one time had a life...

And she lost it.

"Why?" was the question at the forefront of Jenny's mind when she first arrived back in West London.

"Why did mam and dad split up when they had me?"

"I'll tell you everything when you're a big girl," her dad initially told her, as did her mum.

It was something Gaynor certainly wasn't relishing.

29 June 2026.

Good morning.

I was up to an empty house at 6:20 am as Julie was already out through the woods with the hound.

My job - making the bed, getting the dog's breakfast and putting the coffee's on.

I'll have to check the dishwasher as we had pots last night, and I don't think Julie emptied it...

Just checked, and no - it hasn't been emptied.

I'll do it when I've done today's journal.

Yesterday, was a pissy-offish day, hanging around waiting for the Iceland delivery.

We saved some money as we would have only gone to The Red Lion and ended up copping a curry.

As it was, Julie knocked us up a healthy-ish salad with Chicken Kiev's (Tesco Finest) and some southern fried chicken (Again, Tesco Finest).

I knocked back about six bottles of Asahi dry Japanese lager at the breakfast bar, and we watch an episode of The Twilight Zone starring Jack Kluger.

Jack Kluger was known for Quincy M.D, and playing Oscar Madison in the TV Series The Odd Couple (1970-75) opposite Tony Randall, which was a spin-off from the brilliant Neil Simon-penned 1968 film of the same name.

That starred Walther Matthau and Jack Lemmon, with the also brilliant theme music by Neil Hefti, who also wrote the theme music to the 1960's Batman series.

Opposite and above is a character in The A's - Frankie Blum.

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Frankie is the 31-year old elder brother of Maurice - who are known locally as Frankie Senior and Morris Minor.

Maurice is a Notting Hill-based bookmaker and owner of The 214 Casino in Crystal Palace.

As for Frankie, it is never really specified what he actually does for a living... an enforcer for his brother perhaps?.

In the photographs he perhaps looks black - possibly due to his hair, but that isn't the case as both brothers have Jewish parents.

In the story, it's mentioned that he has been married before, but that's about as much personal background information that is stated.

Nevertheless, this character and his brother are integral to the story, both in Series 1 and in Series 2.

Music.

I've just added Sweet's only No. 1 to the music player widget.

28 June 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 7:15 am and out through the woods with the hound on what is another lovely morning.

Yesterday, I reneged on the jet washing as we had a barbecue and instead I tried to salvage part of my new lawn by dangling from some stepladders with the Stihl chainsaw and lopping off a substantial part of the silver birch tree.

The sun has been so intense it's creating a hot sap from the leaves, which has been dropping on to the grass.

I blamed the dog... or cat...

Anyway, it is down so let me see if the water logging of the grass brings it back.

I hate gardening with a fucking passion.

I also altered the setup of my study and shifted the internet modem or whatever they call them now. It was on my desk interfering with the Wi-Fi signal from both my Logitech wireless keyboard and mouse... Not quite to the point of distraction - but just pissing me off enough for me to move it.

To be honest, the set up isn't too bad, and much better than it was with just the main works computer and the 43" Dell Ultra Screen is indeed, the dog's bollocks.

Opposite (and below) is Julie Kingdom KC, or Auntie Julie, if you're Jenny Mellor.

Jenny tells Kiki Dee's little boy Joel... "All mam and dad's friends are like auntie's and uncle's so my mam will probably be your Auntie Gaynor and I'll be like your cousin..."

(Series 1) The fearsome Julie Kingdom K.C, working in her chambers

(Series 2) "Auntie Julie's right nice..." That's if you happen to be Jenny Mellor

(Series 2) "Didn't you want any kids," Jenny asks her Auntie Julie.

"Christ no - I'd rather have a nail in my boot... Anyway, why would I? I have you, now."

Julie Kingdom KC.

One of the most powerful lady's in the UK.

In Series 1, she is main defence barrister at The Old Bailey as lead defence barrister on very high-profile case that was in the news - The Amersham Murders, and one evening takes a break to visit one of West London's police stations where the UK Security Services are interviewing one of Mason and Gaynor's fellow pupil's at 40 Martyrs College... and rather strangely, Teddy Layne.

---

As it is with Julie Kingdom, she is not only a very good friend, but the second cousin of Mason Green.

In Series 1 she is a King's Counsel barrister - her father being Israel Kingdom - Senior partner of the Hammersmith law firm, Kingdom, Temperton and Price.

In Series 2 - and on 1st of January, she becomes the The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) meaning that she is the head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the third most senior public prosecutor in England and Wales.

The years in between the two series' the 2028 Kingdom Act is enforced and made law, whereby part of this means that Legal Aid is abolished all across the board.

Julie was responsible for helping push this (the 2028 Kingdom Act) through the House of Lord's.

In Series 2, it is Julie who takes time out with her niece, Jenny.

"Auntie Julie is right mint," Jenny tells her mum.

She is, as she never hides the truth and tells Jenny stories of not just her mum and dad, but of her Granny and Granddad Green... but more importantly for the story... of her Great Granny Ana.

Because that, IS the story.

If You Don't Want Me to Destroy You - Super Furry Animals (1996).

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Super Furry Animals are a Welsh Alternative neo-psychedelia rock band comprising Gruff Rhys (lead vocals, guitar), Huw Bunford (lead guitar, vocals), Guto Pryce (bass guitar), Cian Ciaran (keyboards, vocals), and Dafydd Ieuan (drums, vocals).

An absolutely brilliant band.

If You Don't Want Me to Destroy You is the fourth single, and the last to be taken from the album Fuzzy Logic, and reached No. 18 on the UK Singles Chart.

27 June 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 6:15 am and out through the woods with the hound.

It looks like it's going to be another hot one.

I'll jet wash around the house today. It certainly needs it.

Whilst Julie was making some toast I nipped into the study and made an Iceland order - five 24-packs of water (max order) and six 40 packs of Winalot pouches for, along with some Dolce Gusto coffee pods for our Jamie.

Well, not really for our Jamie - more his mum, as it's she who drinks them when she goes down there.

The pricing of the Winalot pouches goes up and down all the time, which is really annoying.

Home Bargains is always the cheapest - two for £20 in the New Year, when Tesco were selling them for £14.

Iceland have them at two for £24.

Talking about dog meat... How fucking sad...

Opposite is Astrid Karcherr.

If you recall, I sort of named her after The Beatles' photographer whilst they were over in Hamburg - Astrid Kircherr, but gave reference to the brilliant yellow vacuum on wheels that I have for hoovering my car.

As it stands, Astrid is the only character in The A's that smokes.

The Astrid, our Astrid was modelled on, with Stuart Sutcliffe - the fifth Beatle - who she was romantically involved with.

As well as taking literally hundreds of photographs of the band, Astrid was credited with giving The Beatles - their mop-top hairstyles.

---

In The A's the chain-smoking Astrid lives the Bohemian lifestyle.

Born in Leizpig to Tobias and Lisbeth, Astrid is a sharp, restless 20-year-old with a fierce, almost magnetic presence that immediately draws the eye on set.

She has a striking platinum-blonde pixie cut that she runs her fingers through when agitated or deep in thought, high cheekbones, and piercing eyes accentuated with bold, smoky makeup that gives her a slightly dangerous, film-noir edge even in daylight. Her look is effortlessly cool and a touch rebellious and more often than not she has a cigarette held with theatrical elegance between her fingers.

Openly gay and completely unapologetic about it, Astrid has developed a consuming infatuation with one of the characters.

This isn’t a quiet crush — it’s intense, restless, and frequently crosses lines. Astrid finds every excuse to be near her.

And her crush isn't Gaynor.

Music. Seeing as The Beatles have been mentioned - I've added the Christmas No. 1 of 1964, which doesn't get as much airplay as it should.

It was No. 1 for five weeks.

Music

26 June 2026.

Good morning.

It's nearly 9:00 am and we have had a downpour of rain to clear the air.

It was certainly needed as yesterday was one of those days when you do a trivial task which turns into nothing short of a catastrophe.

Feeding the dog - I dropped part of her dinner down the side of a cupboard. I opened some salmon fillets - I got stinky fish residue everywhere. The back door has been constantly open, so we have been getting flies in the house - I went to zap them, no fucking spray in the can.

I hate near-empty cans being put back in the drawer as much as toilet roll only having one or two sheets left on it and still on the holder. It drives me fucking insane.

By 7:40 pm I'd had enough and went to bed.

The heat in Cyprus is a lot more intense, but 1. You're on your holidays; and 2. There's absolutely no humidity.

I've just brought the fan downstairs for the dog as the heat must be really pissing her off.

Anyway, I was up around 7:00 am, just in time for Julie getting in with the hound.

She seemed in good spirits for an hour but before she got a shower / bath I had morphed into a "lazy bastard" as all I do is sit in front of the computer.

Load of bollocks. I got a kitchen roll out of the utility room, dried some pots and made a couple of coffee's.

What does she want from me - blood?

She had her pre-assessment for her operation yesterday.

The nurse who did it was standard NHS and mentioned the removal of any fat from her liver prior to going under the knife by... yeah, you've guessed it - dieting.

"She was younger than me but about four stone heavier," Julie told me.

"You ought to have told her - practice what you preach, fatty," I replied.

Would I say that?

Too fucking true, I would.

Anyway, aside from the high blood pressure, brought on by Julie's white-coat syndrome, everything was sort of okay.

I'm totally looking forward to her having the operation, me wondering what she'll have to moan about after...

Me probably...

Music.

I've added a track by the Welsh alternative rock band Feeder, to the music player / widget.

Cement was the third track on their 1997 debut album Polythene, which is an extremely good album that never did anything chart-wise, but got certified Gold after many years.

I've used the song before on some shitty animation that I did last year of Gaynor coming out of the Poodle Parlour in White City, that is owned by Nadine Box - the wife of Henry Bocianowski.

In the story, Nadine and Henry are great friends of Mason's gran, Ana Reung - and the so-called Poodle Parlour (Beauty parlour and massage) is where Gaynor and Clara Margieson frequent.

As for Feeder.

They are one of my favourite bands and very underrated...

25 June 2026.

Good afternoon.

A short late post today.

The reason?

Aspects of my day job needed completing, which was a sort of continuation of the work that I left hanging yesterday evening... if you understand that.

We have just had a Tesco online shop delivered - 12 bottles of Casillero Diablo wine (25% odff), 36 bottles of Peroni and 24 bottles of Asahi - Japanese lager amongst other things.

Julie is enjoying herself over at Scunthorpe Hospital having some pre-assessment for her gall bladder removing.

If we'd been living in Cyprus she would have had it out 12 months ago at the LITO private hospital.

The NHS. Totally Thomas (Tank) - wank.

Anyway, it's now 3:05 pm and I've jumped onto the big computer system, which is reserved for animating The A's.

I was up at 7:50 am this morning following a lousy sleep.

When it's this hot - I generally have the air-con on all night... that's at the house in Cyprus.

So, I've almost completed this months magazine...

Opposite a shot of Gaynor Mellor from a batch of professional photographs taken by Astrid Karcher.

I'll do a longer post tomorrow.

24 June 2026.

Following an early morning wake-up call I was up at 6.40 am.

The trouble-and-strife was at the gates of the rear drive wanting me to come out and unlock them.

I was up until around 12:30 am, just making sure that the kids were up and ready for their taxi to Larnaca Airport.

Julie phoned them at daft o'clock this morning and they were just boarding the plane.

Julie's currently running round with the Dyson and hoovering up all the dust and dead flies.

The perils of having the back door open all day and half the night.

I've been like Quick-Draw-McGraw with the fly spray - however, yesterday, and due to temperatures in the mid-thirties, they've eased off a bit, thank God.

Yesterday, was a work day in which I did plenty but could have done more. I'll make it up today.

It's going to be another hot one and with Julie being home - The Red Lion and a shit curry beckons. Alex not being there will be missed, as he makes sure that there's decent background music coming through the speakers.

I'll text him in a bit.

Yesterday evening Julie called in with some crusty rolls and some fresh salmon slices, which I had with Mascarpone cheese and a bit of rocket for my tea... Top sarnies.

I gave the front lawn a cut yesterday evening and drenched it with the sprinklers until I went to bed.

I'm not happy that it's getting marked already. The pigeons in one of the trees and what I'm assuming is the dog marking her spot - the latter of which means she's now grounded in the house.

Julie says that it'll be the resident cat pissing on it as opposed to the dog, nevertheless, the dog is now inside the house and grounded to barracks.

Opposite are Anita Pallenburg and Angie Mellor sat on the step of a 1960s London bus.

I have quite a humorous animation to go with this.

Anita has always known Angie, mainly through Teddy and Alice Layne who live next door to the Mellor's.

Alice is Anita's mum's cousin.

Anita also grew up with Gaynor and attended 40 Martyrs College and grammar school with her - however, Anita was never as academically as clever as Gaynor, and certainly not as spoilt.

In Series 1, and whilst at college, Anita has a part-time job in Waitrose. I say Waitrose, but I'll probably use another name... so lets just call it a supermarket for the time being.

Angie - struggling financially, often calls in to pick up bits and pieces for her and Pat, and Anita sort of looks after them by dropping in end of shelf-life items etc... and also let her use her discount card.

It was a blossoming friendship, which between both series' got stronger as her parents Olaf and Louisa moved to Norfolk - the idea being for Anita, who was with Greenford Group as a trainee quantity surveyor, to lodge with one of her elder sisters until she found a flat.

That never happened.

She stayed with Angie and Pat for a few months and ended up with Mason.

Now, you can probably understand the strained relationship between Gaynor and her elder sister.

Music

Rescue Me - Fontella Bass (1965)

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Fontella Bass was an American and Blues and soul singer-songwriter best known for her hit Rescue Me in 1965.

The song got to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at No. 11 on the UK Singles Chart.

History. Minnie Riperton provided background vocals on the song.

Minnie is best known for her 1974 single Lovin' You and sadly died aged just 31-years old.

As for Rescue Me, Fontella Bass recorded the song in three takes at Chess Studios in Chicago with Maurice White and Louis Satterfield, later of Earth, Wind & Fire, as session players.

23 June 2026.

Following an early morning wake-up call I was up at 7.10 am.

I can't believe how well I've been sleeping!

Julie came in, said: "Get the coffeee's on bitch!" and proceeded to take the dog for her walk.

You think I'm kidding?

Nope.

The weather this morning is glorious and it looks like I'm going to have to stick some more water on the lawn before Yorkshire Water implement a hosepipe ban.

Would that bother me?

No.

I'd water the garden anyway.

The kids went out on Caroline's (Julie's friend) boat yesterday which is berthed in Ayia Napa.

It's called Scubacat, and generally anchors off Cape Greco (Kavo Greko), and Jamie goes skin diving.

Yesterday's dive was a bit different as he went down 7 or 8m as he saw something shiny at the bottom.

It was a £400 Apple watch, which he retrieved.

I doubt if it works, but he brought it to the surface anyway.

They travel back home in the early hours tomorrow.

I said that they should have extended as 7 days (with the travel) isn't really enough when you're only having two or three holidays a year.

He often tells his mum, that locking up the hous and the taxi ride back to Larnaca Airport is very depressing.

I've been there - many times.

My cousin, Karen Rowland - a character in The A's who is the Head of Year 11 at Christ Is King All Girls school where Jenny goes, is over in Ayia Napa at the moment.

It's a shame that we aren't there at the same time as I would have liked to have met up for a drink... and my family... they can drink!

Opposite is some more Anita Pallenburg.

Anita blows hot and cold when I animate. She always has done.

The reality is that she never looks right in a dress, therefore I try to dress her down, which sometimes goes a bit too far, therefore she looks like she has been dragged through a hedge backwards.

I need to find a happy medium and here I have it.

High necklines and cropped trousers or big jackets / coats, short skirts and opaque tights with boots.

So, I need to keep that in mind.

With her nemesis (Gaynor, In Series 1) she is 19 years old and slim, so you could stick anything on her and it would work...

As for Anita - this is the Series 2, version and she is 26-years old, therefore I have to be more practical and conservative.

Music. I'm adding the track At Last by the American blues and soul artist Etta James to the music player - Playlist No. 3.

It was released on Argo Records in November 1960.

The song is much older than that and was written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the 1941 musical film Sun Valley Serenade, which starred Milton Berle - who played J. Russell Finch in the brilliant 1963 all-star madcap comedy It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World - and which had Dorothy Dandridge performing the iconic Chattanooga Choo Choo, which was another song penned by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren.

Etta recorded an arrangement by Riley Hampton that expanded on Warren's original melody - and it's perhaps the best known version.

Some more history: Etta also co-wrote the massive hit I'd Rather Go Blind.

That song - covered by too mant to mention, reached number 14 on the UK Singles Chart in 1969 in a version by the British blues band Chicken Shack, featuring Christine Perfect, later to become Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac.

Music history, eh? Brilliant.

22 June 2026.

Following an early morning wake-up call I was up at 7.00 am.

Julie outside the locked gates on the rear drive.

"Are you still in bed?" she asked

Not now, I wasn't - obviously.

She'd been up since daft o'clock with Jamie's dogs.

She got the lead out and took ours for her mile-hike through the woods.

I'm knackered and under-nourished.

Yesterday, I had some pikelets and a couple of Magnum ice cream-type lollies as I couldn't be arsed cooking for just me.

I've got some minced steak out. I'll do a chili-con-carne later, as we've got some mascarpone cheese, basil and some freshly procured garlic nan breads.

My reason for not cooking?

I didn't want another wank salad and I certainly didn't want to clean the cooker / hob afterwards.

Jamie's back on Wednesday, thank God.

The Red Lion and a shite curry from the Tandoori beckons.

Today it is ALL my day job and it is something that I need to smash - however, I've got some fucking foreign object in my right eye which is driving me bats.

I woke up with it and I've still got it and it's now 11:18 am.

Opposite are a couple of images of the Gaynor character in orange, which is undoubtedly the best colour when I use the Chiaroscuro-type photography (noir).

Blacks and navy blue's are also quite good.

The book she has, is in the story, and she's reading it whilst supposedly sitting Robbie and Annie Coulthard's two kids, which when her mum, Maureen comes in gives her a ticking off.

She's just plonked them in front of the TV watching The Vikings.

"That's far too violent - bet you wouldn't do that with your kids," her mum tells her.

It is true.

In Series 2, Gaynor is very strict with Jenny when it comes to the TV.

Jenny tells her: "It's pointless having a telly if I can't watch it."

Cue: Uncle Pat.

When she's at her Auntie Angie's and her Uncle Pat comes in from work they veg-out and watch Fargo... "But don't tell yer mam," he tells his niece.

Music.

I've just brought Playlist / widget No. 3 into play.

On this widget, I'll keep the music similar.

21 June 2026.

Following an early morning wake-up call I was up at 7.00 am and out through the woods with the hound.

It's 22°C outside but very muggy.

Julie called round for some breakfast and a coffee... and a bath... and cleaned up before returning to the two dogs that she is sitting.

She's been renting the use of a field near the big wind farm facility off the A18 old Doncaster-Cleethorpes Road.

The reason being? They eat everything in sight from dead rabbits to dead badgers to whatever else they can find, and the younger dog can be quite anti-social at times. As for the older one - he gets a sniff of a rabbit or deer and he's off.

Yesterday, was Music Day in the town and as expected, it was mad outside - with people hauling their musical instruments up and down the High Street.

On the teatime dog walk things were still booming and I copped some Jazz quintet or whatever loading their shite into the back of a van on the grassed over car park in St Andrews Church.

Even at 10:00 pm the music hadn't let up and there was music still playing.

The reason?

The predicted rain never came and everybody was happy.

Lovely.

20 June 2026

I was up at 5:45 am and out through the woods with the hound.

It is very muggy, out - humid.

Today, is what they term as Music Day in the town, so I'm bracing myself for it absolutely hounding it down.

It is a popular event, where all the wankers who think they can play instruments and sing have a captive audience and have various plots in and around the town... most notably, Jubilee Park and all the pubs.

Alex and his appendicitis timed it well, as The Red Lion today, will be heaving... especially if it rains.

Yesterday, I finally got my desk in the study sorted.

I am now running two computer systems through the 43" monitor and what was interesting is the difference between the two.

The lad on my works computer is horrendous in comparison, and yesterday, after it had updated all the Adobe software, I took it to task and deleted over 10 GB of programmes that I don't use as well as that fucking pain in the arse AVG anti virus software that has purposely been slowing me down and absolutely didn't want to be fully removed off my system.

Well, it's been removed.

I managed to cut the lawn - again, and drenched it with the sprinklers... talk about high maintenance!

I'm jumping back into the script today, as I know that on Monday, I will be back into my day job as we are back out to Cyprus on 9 July.

The weeks are flying by.

Music. I've added another to the Facchetti's playlist.

Rhythm of the Rain was released in November 1962 in the US and in January 1963 in the UK.

It was written by band member John Claude Gummoe and made the the Top 5 in the UK charts.

Interestingly, Glen Campbell was a session player for this track - obviously, that was before he got to Phoenix (sic).

19 June 2026

Day 2.

I was up at 6:15 am and out through the woods with the dog on what looks like it's going to be a lovely day.

The new lawn needs another cut with the new mower and the edges trimming with the new Stihl FSA 60R Cordless Strimmer, which DPD failed to deliver on Wednesday, and slung over the rear garden gates yesterday.

Sat in the study, all I heard was a bang.

I can't see anything as the 43" monitor fills the bottom half of the window.

I got outside to see it laid on the drive and a white van just driving off.

Wanker!

I also need to empty The Beast (the dog's car) down at the recycling centre as it's currently rammed with rubbish that needs dumping.

It'll be a two-journey-job as there's some more rubbish that's been accumulated including the massive boxes that the strimmer was in along with 24 Regina Blitz 3-ply Kitchen Towel Rolls and 45 Nicky Elite 3-ply Bathroom Luxury Toilet Roll.

Yes, we buy our kitchen and bog roll in bulk.

You buy it from Tesco or Home Bargains and it fills the boot of the car before you start!

I did a bit on The A's yesterday, and by bit, I mean a bit as in not very much.

However...

I did render my first proper 4K animation on the new system last night at 5:50 minutes in length.

For a 3.5 GB file, the speed was absolutely unreal. In fact, I thought I'd not done it right as it was that quick...

And the size of the new screen gives you, not just clarity, but far more control.

Will I put the animation on here?

No.

As I've said, I'm only doing short animations and photos.

Music.

I've added a track by The Faces from their 1973 album of the same name - Ooh La La.

I can't say much about it as it's part of the story, only that the River Thames is prevalent in the story.

I wrote a few scenes while this song was in my head. Mason and Gaynor on a boat on the River Thames.

The Faces formed after Small Faces lead singer and guitarist Steve Marriott left to form Humble Pie, and the remaining Small Faces - bassist Ronnie Lane, drummer Kenney Jones, and keyboardist Ian McLagan - recruited lead singer Rod Stewart and guitarist Ronnie Wood, both formerly of the Jeff Beck Group, and shortened the band's name to Faces.

Personally, I thought the Small Faces were a much better band.

18 June 2026

I was up at 6:30 am and through the woods with the hound some 15 minutes later.

Yesterday was Day 1 on my own.

Julie called in from work to pick up three bags of shopping to take down to the kids' house, but aside of that, it was a case of just me and the dog.

The kids sort of live on-the-fly.

Outside interests. Jamie with the gym and his photography; Lianne with her horses and her animal feeds / pet shop off the A18.

They both have full-time jobs too, therefore their house... Well, it's a house that is basically a base.

Therefore, when Julie stays there, she makes sure that it's cleaned and liveable.

Me? I make sure that they are stocked up with what you could call base foods, which included 16 bags of pasta and tins of tomatoes.

Lianne likes pasta!

So, yesterday Julie replenished their pantry amongst fully cleaning their (highly compact) kitchen.

We always try to help them whilst we are here.

Julie's motto: We can't take it with us, so I'd like to see them enjoy themselves now.

Hence, the reason Julie pays for their flights out to Cyprus, and makes sure that they don't have to spend their money on consumables when they are there - you know, by us stocking up the cupboards and freezer.

Do we spoil them?

Sure, we do.

I have always said: Life is hard enough as it is.

The A's.

Maureen says to Gaynor in Series 1: "I like to spoil you."

And Gaynor replies: "And I totally like being spoiled."

And that was part of the problem with Gaynor, as it was with Angie, in that they knew nothing else... Only how easy it was until mam and dad weren't there.

As I've said, post-marriage, Angie struggles, but by the end of Series 1 is seen to have adapted.

Maturity in that she is 23/24 years-old does help.

Gaynor, however, is spoiled even more by Mason, which leads to huge problems. However, that is a big part of the story... In how spoiling (your loved ones) can lead to problems.

Yesterday evening, I texted the head barman at The Red Lion - Alex.

He got took in to hospital for his appendix whipped out, which I'm assuming is a shitty operation.

So, there were a few texts back and forth. Music, football... that kind of thing.

He's a nice kid. A sort cross between Attilio Lombardo - the cultured Italian midfielder who played for Sampdoria FC, and Ronnie Kray... mainly due to the bespectacled gaze that peers through his signature browline frames... and hence why I often refer to him as Ronnie...

Music.

Last night I knocked Radio Caroline off, and listened to Real Estate's 2025 album Daniel, a couple of times.

I have to admit. This album is very underrated and reminds me of Wolf Alice's The Clearing (2025).

They are both very good, as you can listen to all the album without skipping a track, which is most unusual.

Anyway...

17 June 2026

It is 7:00 am and I've been up half-an-hour.

I'd say Good morning but it isn't.

I was up half the night, Julie checking the email just to make sure the kids flight hadn't been cancelled.

It has happened once for them before as it has with us. The perils of travel, as Julie's uncle from Australia one told us.

They should be in a café bar at Luton Airport now - their flight is on time and is due out at 10:25 am.

Julie is down at their house now - feeding the two dogs.

She also walked ours this morning and came in drenched as it's hounding it down and then complained like hell as I wasn't up.

No, my sleep had been interrupted and I was knackered.

"I thought we pulled together?" she said.

We do... generally.

But this morning I was tired.

"Well, you can pull together by doing the hoovering - and the dog needs a clean blanket as that one's wet," she added.

She's a hard taskmaster. All that was missing was a whip.

My new lawn mower got delivered yesterday - a Mountfield SP41, which meant that I had to put it together fill it with oil and petrol and mow the new lawn.

There was a lot of grass, much of which that didn't fit in the brown bin even though I was jumping up and down on it.

I'm still waiting for the new garden strimmer being delivered. That's a Stihl FSA 60R Cordless.

The one I currently have, is a petrol one, and which is fucking noisy, aggressive and very temperamental, therefore, I didn't want to let it loose on the new lawn.

Electric, generally = wank, but I have a Stihl garden blower which runs off a AK30 battery and it's been quite good... So, let's see.

Last night's rain has made the front lawn look great, and that is after I had the sprinklers on for a couple of hours.

Right.

Opposite is Anita Pallenburg doing some shopping.

Anita tends to dress down, which is the complete opposite of Gaynor.

Outside of work, Anita leads quite a solitary life... or so it would seem.

Music

16 June 2026

Good morning.

I was up at 7:30 am, Julie opting for the morning dog walk, which was a great result as she bumped into Boasting, Bullshitting Peter on her way around.

I've not seen him in a while, which from my end is another good result.

I told Alex - head barman in The Red Lion, a few weeks ago, that I'd never met anyone who lied as much.

"I have," he said. "Rob Hill."

"Well, outside of Rob Hill, then," I replied.

I'd forgotten about him.

Possibly because I've not seen him in 12 months.

Lee Holloway - one of our brilliant Royal Mail postmen told me that the-Peter gadgy, came into The Red Lion through the back door one Friday evening, looked at the table where we generally sit for 60 seconds, sort of noting that we weren't there, and just walked through the pub with his dog and left through the front door.

"It was really weird," Lee told me.

"He is really weird," I replied.

As I've said - liars make great characters, but in real life they just make you want to lose your manners.

Anyway...

The kids fly out to Cyprus tomorrow, so Julie's stopping down at their house to look after their two dogs - the younger problematic one, who has just come out in loads of lumps... and I mean loads of lumps... Some allergic reaction.

Not content with eating three yards of rope or half a blanket, the kids took the both to some form of dog-field-stroke-paddock with a man-made pond in it.

Bad mistake as he was gulping at the water.

The owner is currently checking the pH levels - however, I think it's a bit more than that.

It's obviously fucking stagnant, made worse by all the recent hot weather.

Yesterday, I managed to work on a few scenes in Series 2. Not much, just trying to make it flow a bit better.

15 June 2026

Good morning.

I was up at 7:00 am and out through the woods with the hound.

It's looking like it could be a lovely day.

Yesterday was the day I managed to get my new computer system fully up and running.

That means downloading all the software on to it and creating all the shortcuts on my taskbar.

I even managed to write up some scenes for The A's.

I also ordered some more hardware / accessories from eBay - mainly to facilitate the file transfers via the new 10GB USC C's on the system.

A new black multi-socket and on/off switch / toggles for the cables.

What is pissyoffish about that is the fact that I'd just bought five of the things along with numerous USB A extensions for the old system.

Anyway.

Opposite is Jenny, when she first meets her new born sister.

And above (and opposite below) is in the Series 3, narrative, when the 15-year old Ana visits her big sister.

Jenny had left West London 18 months prior and had permanently set up residence in the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Laos).

Ana missed her big sister, as did her mum, Anita - however, it had been Jenny's calling from her first visiting the country when she was seven years old.

It was never said, but Anita blamed Mason's gran - Rochana (Ana), who the younger sister was named after, for putting ideas into Jenny's head.

However, that is one of the many, many parts to the story.

14 June 2026

Good morning.

I was up at 7:40 am on hearing the back door slam shut - Julie opting for the morning dog walking duties... again.

A bit of history today as this is the first input into the journal / blog off the new computer system.

I'm still not up and running properly - and as I said yesterday, the amount of software that needed downloading on to it, is nothing short of immense.

As is the new 43" Dell Ultra Screen Monitor that I'm looking at now.

Everything seems... well bigger.

The new system needed Windows 11 uploading on to it as well as getting it to recognise the said monitor and the wireless mouse and keyboard.

And all the passwords... Christ...

I played back a few animations yesterday and they really looked the business.

So, I'm still on with sorting out my study - and at the moment, everything is all over the place.

The great thing about the new system is that there is virtually zero lag.

So, a short one today as I'm mega-busy getting everything sorted.

Opposite is the lovely Anita Pallenburg washing her car.

One thing you will see in The A's, is that although there is plenty of affluence flying around, the characters throughout the series and that means Series 1, 2 and the 3, narrative, are very self-sufficient and always do the work themselves.

And in the Series 3, narrative - you wouldn't see that as being feasible - but it is the case.

"All my family had a great work ethic," Jenny says. "And that was passed down."

Jenny looked at Neeta (Anita) as a great role model.

Anita spoiled Jenny absolutely rotten... however...

"You work extremely hard at school, so you deserve to be spoiled," Anita told her.

Anyway...

Music. I've added a late-1950s track to the Facchetti's Playlist / music widget, which is quite a nice tune.

13 June 2026

A very Good morning to you.

I eventually got up at 6:30 am after waking two hours earlier and contemplating whether to get up... or not.

As it was, Julie got up and did the morning's dog walking duties and I made the bed, emptied the dishwasher and got the breakfast ready for the hound, who is extremely happy at being back home.

Seven days at our Jamie and Lianne's - the fat camp, Julie refers to it as, must seem like an eternity.

We got back in the house just after midday with a Tesco's shop less due than three hours later.

I generally don't cut it that fine as anything can happen this time of year with delays etc.

I booked the shop on Wednesday and was debating the available slots. These were the 3:00-4:00 pm or the 7:00-8:00 pm slot; the first costing £7 and the latter £3.

A total rip-off, but it is what it is, and I didn't fancy having to wait for a delivery coming that late - me knowing that I'd not get all the shopping put away until 8:30 pm, and I'd be even more tired than I already was.

On a good note, the constant rain whilst we have been away has done a great job on the new lawn. It looks quite brilliant, and it will be a shame to give it its first cut as it is proper green.

So... today.

I'm debating whether or not to rig up my new computer system, which I know will take me a good few hours as the amount of both software and hardware that I have, and which needs both loading up and attaching to it is fucking immense.

And the reality is that there is no other word for it.

Immense!

Aside of my day job, which is very time consuming and the files I make - very large, I am now 528 days into The A's.

I say that, however - 528 days is when I first started journaling the process, but it is easily twice that as I was drafting ideas at the kitchen table over in Levanda Hills (Cyprus) maybe 30 months prior.

Since then, Series 2 has needed a total rewrite and the idea of a Series 3, narrative - which overruns Series 1 and 2 has since come into play.

This means even more time and much larger files.

So, here I am, sat in my study, thinking of my next move. Do I disconnect the existing system to make room for the new one, or do I just continue as I am?

Decisions, decisions.

Over the past few weeks, the software lag on the animation process has been driving me fucking insane.

Julie has snapped a few times: "I thought you were supposed to be enjoying this?"

My stock reply: "I press a fucking button and it should work."

That's been my sole response about everything computer related since I first started in publishing.

Some of the animation I've done - none of which has really been put on here, has been first class, but the trial and error throughout these 500+ days has been unbelievable and the files I've dumped... again, immense.

Creating the 2D, 4K Extras has been brilliant fun, and seeing Ronnie C., Trigger and DLT come to life (Day 524-526), was a great feeling, which will become even better when I start cataloguing different voices to animate, and which is another one of my million jobs that I'll have to do.

Remember, at the moment, there is just me, and the time everything takes, is immense and none more so than learning the process.

Julie? She complains, but she's great...

"All I seen for the past five years is you either sat in the study in the house, or at the kitchen table over in Cyprus, both with your back to me and not speaking."

Sacrifices. Very much so.

Very few women would put up with it.

Fred Perry Alan - the ex-Mod geezer with the fringe over in Cyprus only said on Tuesday: "Can't you work from over here?"

We have always sort of blown everyone's mind coming backwards and forwards every month. I think it's the financial aspect more than the travelling. But people talk and often inquire.

"Yeah," Julie told him. "We could work from anywhere."

"Then why don't you sell up and move over here full time?"

"Because we have a great life at home," I told him.

And we do

The life we live is a huge plus, as we literally have everything, but sometimes you have to separate yourself so that you can do both. And working is all part of that.

Neither Julie nor myself could ever retire and do nothing.

What - gardening, DIY... watching TV?

I'd rather blow my fucking brains out.

12 June 2026

Well, it's not really Kaliméra nor Good morning as it's the middle of the night.

The time is 12:15 am (GMT+2) and we have one of those long days ahead of us.

The lights on the swimming pool are still on and the taxi picks us up to take us to Larnaca airport in just over two hours and I'm sat at the table with a strong cup of coffee at the side of me.

Outside of the dispenser drawer on the washing machine breaking and the high-frequency noise from the swimming pool pump driving us insane, it has been a lovely week away.

The noise, however - was sorted yesterday.

It was the water in the pool being forced through one of the jets on an angle and was rectified in less than a minute by the Bulgarian electrician. Simos, I think they call him.

Yesterday, we had a couple of beers at Fosis over in Vrysoulles and I copped a haircut and shave at Tony the Barber's next door.

We then called down to the beach bar for a couple and dropped in up at Daves Bar and I copped a couple of Cornish pasties.

I got in and received a few texts on my phone from Cuban Pete who I've heard absolutely nothing from in weeks.

The last few times we've seen them out he's been a bit strange. Quiet.

Nothing to do with us, and everything to do with his wife - Broken Arm Sue, airing their business in public.

It is good to get things of your chest, but some things are better off left at home.

Opposite are a couple of animated stills of Anita in one of Greenford's trucks.

As I've stated previously, she drives a white MC20 - mainly on a weekend.

Yesterday afternoon, I'd just been writing up a scene with Anita in a split CAM scene and speaking to Jenny on the telephone, with the former in her truck and the latter at her Granny Maureen's.

The subject?

Shopping for clothes at ສາວງາມ - spelt Sauangam in English.

It's basically the same name as Kerry Adamcyk's hairdressers in West London, that being Beautiful Girl.

And the fact that Anita enjoys spoiling her.

When Gaynor is on about saving up for a car Jenny tells her mum: "What do we need a car for? Them underground trains are mint and if I need taking anywhere, then my granny or Neeta will take me."

Anita generally picks Jenny up from school a once or twice a week.

In the Series 3, narrative Jenny speaks of her family life growing up and how close she was with Anita. It's quite nice really.

What is also seen is the strained relationship between her and her mum.

They speak, but you know that something has happened.

As for Anita, she always remained clear on on that point.

"We make mistakes, and it's just me thinking here - that we shouldn't give our mam's too hard a hard time."

That was said when Mason brought Jenny and Gaynor back to London and Jenny had been angling to the whys and wherefores of her parents splitting-up.

It's Only Make Believe - Conway Twitty (1958)

---

This is perhaps better suited to the Fachetti's Restaurant playlist - however, there is history with this track.

This was Granny and Granddad O'Hara's song and the song they met to, and it comes into play at the night-do at Angie Mellor and Pat Marshall's wedding.

Remember me saying that Granny O'Hara was in a care home with Alzheimer's and couldn't speak

Well, someone knew what she was saying - hence the title of the said Episode 2: Sixth Sense.

11 June 2026

Kaliméra

It's 7:00 am (GMT+2) and I am at the table on my laptop with a cup of strong coffee, the door is open and we are looking at another hot day.

Déjà vu?

You better believe it.

Today will be one of those non-days.

Washing the bedding, cleaning up and getting ready to leave in the early hours.

Yesterday, the dispenser drawer broke on the Hotpoint Ariston washing machine, which was a bit pissy-offish.

Julie managed to put it back together so it looks okay, but for now we have to use the Ariel tabs and just sling them inside the drum.

I've got the spec number on my phone, therefore, I'll bring a new one over when we come next month.

We called in a Litsas (Waitrose Cyprus equivalent) supermarket in Vrysoulles yesterday, and stocked up with water and some other stuff for when the kids arrive here next week.

They tend to eat out all the time but there's stuff in the fridge / freezer and cupboards.

I wish I hadn't said that, as Julie's just come downstairs gone in the cupboard pulled out a dozen-pack of Lays prawn crisps and smashed an unopened jar of Douwe Egberts Hazlenut Coffee on the floor.

Now, she's tidying the cupboard's out... not so much under my supervision, but she's moaning about my OCD and telling me that it's like living with Patrick Bergin's horrible character in the 1991 American psychological thriller film Sleeping With the Enemy.

The scene with the lined-up tins in the cupboard and Julia Roberts being the obedient wife making sure all the cans of tuna, tomatoes, beans, mushrooms etc. are in their respective rows.

Patrick Bergin would have strangled Julie by now as her can-stacking prowess leaves a lot to be desired. I did mention it to her and she threatened to sling a couple of tins across the kitchen.

Better than my head, I suppose.

All good fun!

I managed to write up a few complex scenes yesterday morning.

"Complex" meaning that it has had to be heavily researched for it to make sense.

Anyway... Opposite is another one of my many 2D, 4K Extras.

This was an idea I had way back, to provide a bit of narrative to let the viewer know what is happening in and around London at the time, as well as giving us some background music.

Obviously, if you're of my generation you'll know who the DJ in question resembles - and here he is getting ready for his morning show and holding an album titled Resolver (2000) by the American alternative rock band Veruca Salt.

So... Music.

I'm adding a track to the music player by the said band, but one from their Ghost Notes (2015) album, that being - I'm Telling You Now.

10 June 2026

Kaliméra

It's 7:40 am (GMT+2) and I am at the table on my laptop with a cup of strong coffee, the door is open and we are looking at another hot day.

Yesterday, was a strange day.

Since we have been here there has been a continual high frequency noise that for the life of us we couldn't understand where it was coming from.

We didn't have it on a night - just through the day.

Julie reckoned it was the water pump on the roof which was replaced the other year, but no.

That is a totally different sound and you can hear it switch itself off after the tank fills up... say after you run a sink full of water, or flush the toilet.

We've had the Bulgarian electrician around and as ever - the noise wasn't there when he came.

Soon as he left however, it was back.

I opened the electric box in the house and started flipping the breaker switches.

No. 9 was the culprit.

The electric to the swimming pool's pump, timer and lights.

The pump isn't making the noise, however - it is the water being forced through the jets by the pump.

After stop-starting it a few times it went off, and at the moment everything is quiet - thank God.

We called in to see Fosis up in Vrysoulles and dropped in at Daves Bar, where it was rammed with Expat's playing bingo, therefore, we lasted about 20 minutes before moving on to the beach bar down at Ayia Trias.

There is a price for tranquility.

A round of drinks at the beach bar costs €11 whereas at Dave's' it is about €6.

I'll gladly pay the €11.

Dave's is good, for one reason only - that being the pastry chef.

We have also been feeding the feral cats around the church... I counted 13 last night, but the night before we fed 26 of them.

It's getting to be an expensive business.

We called in the supermarket near Kapparis roundabout and blew over €40 on cat food... and tins of mackerel.

Anyway...

Opposite is another of my 2D, 4K Extras - sitting on the Tube and sipping his coffee.

Do you recognise him?

Music.

I'm adding yet another to the Facchetti's restaurant playlist.

This is Sonny James' version of Young Love (1956)

Ric Cartey and Carole Joyner (his girlfriend at the time) wrote the song. And Ric Cartey with the Jiva-Tones, recorded it in November 1956, and it was released on Stars Inc. (later picked up by RCA).

It didn't chart significantly.

Sonny James' version was Recorded 30 October 1956, at Bradley Studios in Nashville.

It was released on Capitol Records in late 1956 and got to No. 1 on Billboard's country charts for 9 weeks.

It topped the US pop charts too, peaking at No. 2 overall and was ranked as one of the biggest songs of 1957.

9 June 2026

Mia polý kalí méra gia esás.

That means a very Good morning to you all.

It's 5:40 am (GMT+2) and I am at the table on my laptop with a cup of strong coffee in front of me.

The back door is open and you can hear the birds in full song.

The sun hasn't reared its head yet, but it will do.

Yesterday, was another scorcher made more comfortable by the breeze.

Great weather, if I'm being honest.

Julie did a bit of running around yesterday. She paid the insurance for the car and went to the shop where we bought the scooter from as the log book still needs sorting.

Nothing here is like in the UK.

At home you do shit like that online.

Here, you have to make an appointment at their Eastern Cyprus-sort of regional DVLA in Derynia - however, and is always the case, there is never no-one to see you.

It takes me back to when we first had the FTO shipped over and we wanted it registering on Cypriot plates.

We were back and forth to Larnaca - Christ knows how many times, as we had to pay duty on it. However, no-one could make a decision. I think, in the end we paid around £2,000.

There was a fine in with that, as we were driving around in it on UK plates for about three years, that was until the police pulled up Julie in Ayia Napa and seized the car.

Exciting, eh?

Hardly. Her mum and dad were in it at the the time and her dad was the ultimate worrier.

It always boils down to money. Nothing else, however - and as stated, no-one can make a fucking decision.

So, I am currently on with The A's.

I've just had a look in one of the files where I am creating my 2D, 4K character assets and I now have nearly 300.

I am morphing three or four different photos of well-known people at various stages of their lives and have indexed them using their real names.

Why?

So, I know who they are if I have to use them again.

The reality on some of these Extras is scary, yet there are others who you look at and think. "No - don't know who that is!"

Anyway, I've chucked one up opposite.

What do you reckon?

The possibilities with these character assets is endless and Ronnie C... Well, he looks the fucking biz.

Music.

I've added a track by Oxford-based Indie band Ride. These have been recognised as one of the key pioneers of shoegaze, an alternative rock subgenre that emerged to prominence in the UK during the early 1990s.

My favourite track by them is Leave Them All Behind - however the one I've uploaded would work better with The A's as it's not as long.

8 June 2026

Kaliméra

It's 9:30 am (GMT+2) and I am up.

Late night's or just laziness?

A bit of both I reckon.

Anyway, the back door is open and the sun is doing the business.

Yesterday was hot. And I mean very hot.

We went shopping - mainly to make sure the kids have got what they need when they fly out from Luton next Wednesday.

We went down to the beach bar around 4:00 pm and the beach was rammed.

We ordered around eight starters to make it look like a Tapas. Fish, mainly.

And later on we went to the church on Ayia Trias and fed the feral cats. I counted 10.

After that we called up at Dave's Bar, where Fred Perry-Alan (wearing one of the shirts I gave him) and his wife were there, along with a cracking Glaswegian by the name of William who swears more than I do.

He's a big Rangers FC supporter too.

I've got an autobiography of Rangers' ex-captain, John Greig upstairs. I must remember to leave it behind the bar for him.

Opposite is Jenny Mellor donned in the Christ Is King tracksuit, which was bought for them by JSG Merchant Bank.

Here she is visiting the London Aquatics Centre in East London.

---

This is a great segment in Series 2 as her school is competing in the Under-16's All Girls London Finals (Swimming and Diving) and Jenny offers herself as reserve.

"What - you can swim?" asks the coach and PE Teacher, Mrs Tomley.

"Yeah, course I can," Jenny replies.

She can. Christie Gotleib - who is on the school's board of directors, gives her swimming lessons every Saturday morning, therefore, Mrs Tomley can't really say no.

And always remember - Jenny, an immaculate student, is just seven-years-old.

This in itself creates a huge interest and Mrs Tomley has to deal with a huge amount of outside pressure... especially when the local media find out how clever she is...

Remember, she has been moved up three years and is even sitting her GCSE's in French as well as being the Head of French - Mrs Faubert's, pet project.

Music.

I've just added another track to the Facchetti's playlist opposite.

This is one by an American singer and songwriter, Dion (Francis DiMucci), who was an extremely talented generational artist.

Anyway, until tomorrow.

Stephanis. A great shop.

It has since become two shops around 50m apart. The above is now computers and mobile phones, the other TV's and electrical goods.

---

From there, I called in at the DIY shop on Protaras Avenue, which is possibly the best one on the island and reminds me of the DIY shop on Scunthorpe's Frodingham Road, back when I owned the Section 18 Gym and Fight Club in the town.

I needed some U-nails to better secure the bamboo partition / screen. A stplegun would be better, but I persevered with the hammer!

I then sought Fred Perry-Alan out and found him sitting outside Dave's Bar just down the road. I'd promised him... yeah, a couple of Fred Perry T-shirts..

After that we hit the beach bar and had some Kalimari and a few beers.

Very hot.

We came back in and after I went in the pool for about 60 seconds, I stuck my headphones on and indulged in a power nap, before nipping over to Vrysoulles to see Fosis.

This was nice as he had his first grandchild in... the one who Julie buys clothes for.

So, after an hour there, we drove past Dave's Bar, and who was still sat outside was none other than Fred Perry-Alan and his wife... They had been there nearly ten hours. Okay, they maybe don't drink as quick or as much as we do, but ten hours is some going.

His wife is quite interesting as she is the only person I know who goes to the toilet with her sunglasses on...

I wear them in the car when it's sunny. The end.

Anyway, I managed a couple of Keo's and the owner - Tony, boxed us up four pies and some sausage rolls to take home.

Their chef is very good and pastry is his thing.

So, we got in and had pie and peas whilst watching a DVD - Lost in Translation (2003) starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson, which if you've never seen it is a very good film.

Bill Murray... a very underrated actor. If you want a really good film with him in it try watching St. Vincent (2014). The title can lead you to think it's shit, but it is anything but.

Julie's just come down stairs and said that she can't be having any more pies otherwise she'll end up looking like a house side...

...or words to that effect.

6 June 2026

Kaliméra apó tin Kýpro.

And if you didn't know, that's Good morning from Cyprus.

I was up at 6:00 am (GMT+2) and the sun is just coming up and for some unknown reason my left eye is hurting.

I'd been tossing and turning for an hour or so before that, and now I'm up and at the kitchen table on my laptop and with a strong coffee at the side of me... a Nescafe Black Roast - with two heaped spoons in my cup.

Possibly one of the reasons why I don't sleep!

The journey over was good, flights on time etc.

The only downside being that we had to pay for breakfast is the Priority Lounge was full and they were only accepting people who had booked and not those who come in on a Priority Pass.

It is done this month, anyway as Julie has cancelled her American Express (Amex) Platinum card.

Why?

The £600+ annual fee.

Aside of the Priority Pass card (for two,) we /she had it because of the travel insurance cover, which when she first got the card was very comprehensive.

Since then, Amex have knocked lots of things off it... and I mean lots of things, which means it's not really worth having.

Yes, it gives you great spending power, but here is the other thing. For some reason, they treat it as a kind of debit card, meaning that if you run up a £2,000 bill - they want it paying by the end of the month and for the last 12 months, aside of buying flight tickets - so we are insured, it doesn't really get used.

So...

We got in the house around 6:00 pm (GMT+2) yesterday evening, and the outside was/is a bit of a shithole.

Paul - our painter and decorator-cum-handyman had been replacing some bamboo screening and there are flakes of white paint (from the old screening) everywhere as well as bird shit from the pain-in-the-arse doves that live on the roof beneath the water tank and solar panels.

So, that's a job for Julie to do when she gets up.

My job? I encourage her and take the sacks of garden waste down to the bins when she's done.

Today, I'll continue the re-write of Series 2 and will put some scenes towards the Series 3 narrative.

Music.

I've retitled the No. 2 music player / widget to reflect the music that you will hear in one of the sets - that being Facchetti's Italian Restaurant & Trattoria which is located on Hammersmith's high street.

The song - I Only have Eyes for You by the The Flamingos (1959) was actually written in 1934 by composer Harry Warren and lyricist Al Dubin, which ewas something I never knew until this morning.

Al Dubin also wrote the song Keep Young and Beautiful, which if you're interested in TV trivia is a song that Timothy Spall's character - Barry in Auf Weidersehen, Pet (Series 2), sings whilst dancing under a dartboard in a Newcastle-on-Tyne pub for a bet.

5 June 2026.

Good morning.

It is 3:00 am and I am sat in the study, with my first strong coffee of the day, looking through the window into the dark.

As I've often stated, it is a place that I've been many times before.

A drive down the M1 to Luton Airport beckons.

Our flight to Larnaca is at 10:25 am.

Around this time last year, we had a seven-hour delay. Touch wood, that is not the case today.

Yesterday evening Julie dropped the dog off with our Jamie and Lianne whilst I stuck some petrol in the car. That was before the pump started continually clicking.

This is a bugbear down at the petrol station in the next village... a thousand clicks to get a spit full of petrol.

Julie reckons it's my car.

I never have any problems filling up apart from at the local stations... And both are owned by the same owners - who just happen to be Asian.

They are either too tight to maintain the pumps or they are scamming you.

It is either one or the other.

Draw your own conclusions.

Jamie sent me this last night via WhatsApp.

He took the photo last year.

The Mitsubishi FTO that was imported from Japan and which has recently had almost all its cooling system replaced... with parts I had to import from... yeah, you've guessed it... Japan.

Looking good to say its 31 years old.

---

So, still on with age, opposite is Jenny Mellor at 22.

Alone in a strange country?

Hardly.

From first going to Laos with her Great Granny Ana (Rochana Reung), Jenny knew exactly what she wanted.

What of her mum, Gaynor?

That is an interesting question.

And Anita?

Well, as you will find, Anita was heartbroken as one of the things that I can tell you, is whilst Jenny was studying at London's Imperial University, she had lived with her dad, Anita and her younger half-sister, Ana.

There's much more to it than that.

Much more.

However - that is all part of the story.

Converging in the Quiet - Crystal Stilts (2005)

Music.

I've added a song by American post-punk band from Brooklyn, New York - Crystal Stilts to the music player. This one is Converging in the Quiet (2005).

This track was in my head when I first started writing up Series 1.

The crowd walking from The Metropolitan to The Hammersmith Vaults on a Friday or Saturday night whilst the traffic moves back and forth.

Crystal Stilts' sound blends noise pop, neo-psychedelia, post-punk, and lo-fi garage psych. This song captures their signature vibe perfectly: Dreamy yet noisy - layers of reverb -drenched guitars, fuzzy distortion, and a driving rhythm section.

4 June 2026.

A belated Good morning.

It is 11:30 am.

I had a lie-in and got out of bed at 7:45 am.

All those early mornings catching up with me.

I have another early morning tomorrow, as we will be Cyprus-bound and travelling down the M1 around 4:45 am.

I'm very ready.

Yesterday, after completing some work-related stuff, I dropped back on to The A's and tried some animation of the narrative third-series and had the Bell 429 helicopter (pictured above) flying down the Mekong River in Laos.

Any good? Not bad.

I'll see how good when I actually try landing the thing.

I also recommenced with the creation of my 2D character assets, which is quite time consuming but very interesting.

My aim is to generate around 3-4,000 as I'll need to fill the scenes with Extras to make it all look real.

There was a pile of shite British psychological crime thriller television series titled Luther starring Idris Elba. This is actually mentioned in The A's.

Apart from it being badly written and filled with crap acting, the scenes in London don't make any sense. Why? It is one of the biggest cities in the world and there is little or no traffic and hardly any people.

Take a flashback to the iconic Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) starring Mike Pratt and Kenneth Cope and which was aired from September 1969 to March 1970, and that was the same. Empty streets.

It is a gripe with me - as is not respecting the seasons... Christmas films with trees full of leaves etc...

For me it has to make sense, hence the research that I've been doing to provide the narrative third-series that will overrun1 and 2.

Anyway... check out two of the Extras opposite and get in there, Albert!.

Music.

Being that I kicked up a No. 2 playlist on the music player / widget, I'll try to keep a similar theme going with another one that would be probably be played inside Facchetti's...

3 June 2026.

Good morning.

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

Yesterday, I had everything signed off by 4:30 am, and had a bath and a few beers sat at the breakfast bar before dinner / tea Bacon, sausage, burgers (finest), mushrooms and tomatoes.

After that I took the dog out for her night walk (last walk of the day) and made a point of watching a DVD, my son Jamie bought me.

The British American crime drama thriller film Out of the Furnace (2013) starring Christian Bale, Woody Harrelson and Willem Dafoe.

Two of its executive directors were Leonardo DiCaprio and Ridley Scott.

So, name-dropping aside, was it any good?

The cinematographer Masanobu Takayanagi, shot the feature in anamorphic format on Kodak 35mm film and parts of it were very neo-noir...

Therefore, I learned something else.

So...

Today, I have some bits and pieces to do for my day job and I'm done, and on Friday morning we fly out to Cyprus...

The A's.

As I've stated, the last couple of weeks have been one of thoughts and deep research. Thoughts of how to integrate the final part of the arc across the whole story. The idea is good, but whether I can make it happen as it appears in my head is quite another thing.

We now have three series... Series 1 and 2 which are seven years apart, with a "sort of" Series 3 running all the way through it and giving the story... not just some narration, but also some depth.

As has I have often said, the younger sister is a complex character and if I'd let it run as just Series 1 and 2 you wouldn't appreciate just how complex.

That aside... Whilst waiting to sign off on the magazine, I created a total of 14 external shots in 16:9, 4K widescreen for the so-called third series. And in my humble opinion they look awesome.

So, music.

Opposite, I have referenced Facchetti's restaurant and trattoria, so I will therefore add some music to a second music player / widget, which will sort of emphasise the type of music you will hear inside it.

Music

2 June 2026.

A belated Good morning.

It is 12:27 pm but I'm not being lazy.

I was up at 4:15 am and took the hound for a walk through the woods around 6:30 am.

It wasn't through an interrupted sleep that I was up early and had everything to do with my day job.

I'm running 6 days late.

My fault?

Probably.

The size of the magazine doesn't help. Not the amount of pages, but the content. It's crazily researched and packed full of (often sensitive) contract information - so it takes time.

This is No. 301 and is the biggest one yet as information goes. The previous issue is the second biggest.

We are supposed to slow down as we get older, but that is not the case and I can't see it ever being the case.

Julie and I work hard. We always have.

Anyway, I uploaded everything up to the printers before 10:00 am and hopefully, I'll get everything signed off by the end of the day.

My new computer system has still not been set up yet - the box is behind me on the floor in the study and the monitor is still in the box in the dining room.

So, that is a job I need to do.

Opposite is one of an old batch of photograph's where our highly-complex heroine-stroke-femme fatale-stroke-Venus Man Trap gets herself handcuffed to the staircase, which is something that actually happens in Series 1.

Music.

I've just uploaded Terry Hall's Sense (1994) on to the music player / widget.

For those who don't know, Terry Hall, who died a few years ago, aged 63, was the vocalist with The late-1970s-early -1980s Ska band - The Specials, and co-wrote the song with Ian Broudie of The Lightning Seeds in 1992.

I am led to believe that they were great mates.

If I can, I'd like to use it in Series 2 as there is a segment where it would go very well.

1 June 2026.

Good morning on the first day of June.

It is 4:45 am and I am at work in the study with a cup of strong coffee in front of me.

It is going to be a busy day. My day job.

I worked solid and knocked off around 4:00 pm yesterday.

The weather wasn't as hot as it has been but I still fired up the barbecue, regardless.

Three fillet steaks soaked in Cointreau, four quarter pounders, two smoked trout fillets (in foil with butter and lemon), and a carton of mushrooms... pointless doing a barbecue if you're not going to stick any meat on the thing.

At one point, we were often getting invited to them - barbecue's, especially when we had the house in Avgorou. Now if we are asked, which is very rare, we just turn them down.

One thing that I always noticed, was the shite that people put on them. I'd be fucking embarrassed inviting someone round just to give them a sausage and/or a burger.

We had a couple of mates, Big Phil and his wife - Hayley, a.k.a The Hogster.

Had, meaning exactly that.

The former died quite a few years ago, whilst the latter was recently bedridden following a major back operation.

Obviously, bearing in mind their nicknames, they aren't small people.

However, this is the thing.

Whilst out in a restaurant they'd eat the table top and devour everything in sight.

Then they'd invite you round for a barbecue or a meal and fucking boom!

A food fest it definitely was not.

The last time was when Julie went round for a girlie night. Wine and a meal of sorts. The menu? A pulled-pork sandwich with stuffing.

And the other guests?

They were huge - including her daughter, each one weighing in at around a ton.

"Ooo, I can't eat anymore," is what you always get - and that was exactly the case.

Personally, I like to air my thoughts, but just end up getting an elbow in the ribs from Julie - as was the case post-one of their barbecues.

"Don't say anything, we'll have something when we get home."

"But they're fucking massive," I'd say.

Again. Pointless doing a barbecue if you aren't going to put any meat on it. It is much the same as inviting someone round for some Ethiopian Hors d'oeuvres and a jug of tap water.

Weird.

Christ - I'm in a shit mood this morning.

On a lighter note, those two no-name beers I bought from Home Bargains were Tuborg Fıçı (or Fici) - a 5% ABV Turkish lager, and Lucky Buddha - a 4.8% ABV Asian-style lager brewed in the Qiandao Lake region of China. The internet, eh?

Any good?

Not bad.

The Chinese one was the better drink.

Opposite and above are photographs and an animation of the lovely Anita Pallenburg. She's supposedly wearing a Christian Dior Tartan Grey 100% Wool Lining 100% Silk dress. Personally, I think it looks a bag of shit and needs an iron running over it.

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© JAMES DUROSE-RAYNER 2026