Lockdown II Is Turning Out To Be The Disappointing Sequel

Is it just me or has Lockdown II become another one of those disappointing sequels?

Don't get me wrong, this is something we drastically needed. The coronavirus infection rates were rising, and it was obvious that we were in a second wave. But when Uncle Boris announced the second lockdown there just wasn't that same sense of urgency among the people of the United Kingdom. 

Back in March the country, for the most part, stuck to the rules and helped others out. We did everything, from helping people collect their prescriptions to getting their shopping and trying to make sure that those of us who were most in need got what they needed.

New Fiction Addition: The Valkyrie Chronicles: A Time Of Change

When Arthur Pendragon is promoted to captain and given command of the new Pegasus station in orbit around the Time of Legends Captain James Watt begins his search for a new first officer. Two high-profile candidates make their ambitions known, but will Watt promote from within or go elsewhere?

"A Time of Change", the 13th Valkyrie Chronicles story, is the beginning of a three-story cycle that saw a number of changes to the shared universe I had created, and ultimately it led to a massive story which....no, you'll just have to wait to find out what that story was. For now you can read the two chapters of this short story by clicking on the links below:

Chapter One

Chapter Two

New Fiction Addition: Anglo-Force: The Best of Both Worlds

As Captain James Watt and Red Sun finally tie the knot scientist Dr. Daniel Reid and wizard Dr. Phineas Magus discover that there are a multitude - or rather a multiverse - of possibilities they set off to explore what's on the other side of the portal. However, their discovery leads to some rather unsavoury characters making their own way from one London to another.

Originally written in 1994, Anglo-Force: The Best of Both Worlds, draws inspiration from the legendary DC Comics meetings between the Justice League and the Justice Society, and feature some characters of the characters I used way back when, before Anglo-Force was ever created, as well as borrowing a few from a few other sources.

You can read this short story in full by clicking on the links below:

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

The Two Sheds Mix Tape 27: Music From The Year I Was Born Volume 2

Today is my 49th birthday (happy birthday to me!), so it’s time again to journey back in time to take a look at the music of 1971 again. But this time around it’s going to be a little different. Instead of just looking at songs that made the UK charts I’ve chosen a few songs from albums that were released that year, as well as a few singles that only received recognition a few years later.

Who Do I Blame This Time?

So who do I blame this time around?

The government for not listening to the scientific advice?

The people who couldn't follow simple rules such as wearing a mask, social distancing and reading simple signs that tell them what side of the street to walk on and not to sit on benches?

Or should I just have a go at the overly-aggressive idiots who constantly post on social media about how we should just say f*** it, ignore the rules because coronavirus isn't that deadly? There's some absolute classics I could share with you, but the last time I did I ended up getting a message from one of their relatives that began with the charming phrase "oi dickhead!"

I began the week feeling pissed off and I'm ending it feeling just the same. I went for an interview today for a job that probably ceased to exist just a few hours later, and I'm meant to have a telephone interview on Thursday, but seeing as how that was for work in a non-essential shop that job probably doesn't exist anymore either.

So let's bring out the hashtag I first used on March 23rd: #fuckcoronavirus

The Two Sheds Mix Tape 26: Halloween Rock

So I’ve been thinking recently about Halloween, looking at what horror films are on television this weekend, that sort of thing. I was also wondering what to put on a Halloween-themed Mix Tape. You see, I didn’t want to go the usual route and fill it with songs such as Michael Jackson’s Thriller or Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Junior. I wanted to do something different. So I looked online at a few lists and decided to go down a slightly darker route, putting songs here that Satan himself would be happy to listen to.

I’ve put a few obvious ones here, but there are some here that you could easily sacrifice a young virgin on a fiery wicker alter to. Some of them may not make you think about ripping the head off a back-packer while rampaging through the Yorkshire countryside at night, but hopefully they’ll get your blood boiling.

No Offence Sheringham

I've got a job interview at Roys in Wroxham on Saturday. As I haven't been there in years, and as I've never been there on public transport before, I tried to plan my route on Google Maps. It's completely screwy. Here's the plan they gave me:

Walk from my house in Suffield Park to Halsey House so I can get the bus to Sheringham.
Get off the bus at Sheringham and walk to the train station. Get the train from Sheringham to Wroxham.
Get off in Wroxham, walk to Roys.

I've decided not to take their advice. Instead I'll be walking to the train station, getting the train to Wroxham, and then walking to Roys, cutting out Sheringham completely and taking ten miles off my journey.

No offence Sheringham.

The Two Sheds Mix Tape 25: Tribute to Marc Bolan

If you’ve been following these Mix Tape collections you’ll know that one of my earliest musical memories is listening to the late great Marc Bolan and T. Rex. I’ve gone into the reasons why Bolan is one of my all-time favourites before, and who was responsible for introducing me to his work.

So with the Mix Tapes hitting a quarter of a century it seemed kind of fitting to pay tribute to the man who was essentially my first musical hero, with a list that begins with Tyrannosaurus Rex days in the 1960’s through to his untimely death in in 1977, as well as a couple of tracks that hit the charts after his death.

The Two Sheds Mix Tape 24: Tribute To Eddie Van Halen

The music world lost one of it’s greats this week when guitar hero Eddie Van Halen passed away. He was 65 years old.

Eddie was a true pioneer, a self-taught player who had a glorious career with his band Van Halen, as well as appearing on one of the most recognisable songs in pop history when he teamed up with Michael Jackson for “Beat It”.

Rest In Peace Marina

A very sad day today. Marina, our youngest cat, passed away this morning. She was just two and a half years old.

The vet said it's possible that she had an undetected underlying health problem, and given that she was more or less the runt of the litter (she was the fifth of six kittens Tinker had, and the sixth one died after a couple of days) it's entirely possible.

Like our other animals she was always sweet and affectionate, and even though she was so young she was always a big part of our family.

Rest in peace baby girl.