tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-280390802024-03-18T17:27:52.487+00:00BRIAN SIBLEY : his blogmy world and welcome to itBrian Sibleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02395103557170474777noreply@blogger.comBlogger2217125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28039080.post-22004079946886024052024-03-18T12:23:00.004+00:002024-03-18T17:27:17.912+00:00"THAT'S THE WAY TO DO IT!"<div dir="auto"><div class="x1iorvi4 x1pi30zi x1l90r2v x1swvt13" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id=":r35:"><div class="x78zum5 xdt5ytf xz62fqu x16ldp7u"><div class="xu06os2 x1ok221b">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There are days when I totally
despair of the rank bonkerness with which our media is now infested!</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A display currently on show at
the V&A (Victoria and Albert Museum) 'mentions' (as a historical fact,
please note) that the popular seaside entertainment, the Punch & Judy Show,
has – over the years – opted to substitute the play's original 'Devil' puppet
with one modelled on the features of hated public figures including Adolf
Hitler, Margaret Thatcher and Osama bin Laden. <br /></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="font-family: inherit;">So?</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <br /></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Well, that story has <i>now </i>been
re-presented as the V&A promulgating the monstrous proposition that
Thatcher was as evil as Hitler and bin Laden and, as a result, that the museum
ought to have its funding taken away and that those responsible for
exhibition-label-writing should be flogged, naked, through the streets of
London! <br /></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What utter whiffle and piffle!
You can't possibly learn from history if you hide or deny it! <br /></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Anyway, here's Mrs Thatcher (or,
rather, her 'Spitting Image' alter ego) as I accounted her at the Tate Gallery
at their 2010 exhibition, 'Rude Britannia'.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</span></font></style><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq57nedLDj3_JjTx0Plcw66ecX84rd7QTWw0KO-NP44AM1gra3H__h_zVP1gXxp9tvhAu0ZOVZ_wCDZSUa1AQcYKv21T5-pkqJEdybyxsVolrfTkR06bbwBfmDq31boAScSW3Bb5prGuK2m3soitTusxEEq3s9GKkLl4gqKOAJRaSUbXLu5aUjww/s3831/4699430049_3ec91f6a4e_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2692" data-original-width="3831" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq57nedLDj3_JjTx0Plcw66ecX84rd7QTWw0KO-NP44AM1gra3H__h_zVP1gXxp9tvhAu0ZOVZ_wCDZSUa1AQcYKv21T5-pkqJEdybyxsVolrfTkR06bbwBfmDq31boAScSW3Bb5prGuK2m3soitTusxEEq3s9GKkLl4gqKOAJRaSUbXLu5aUjww/w547-h384/4699430049_3ec91f6a4e_o.jpg" width="547" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">[Photo: Brian Sibley]</span></div></div></span></div></div></div></div>Brian Sibleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02395103557170474777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28039080.post-63154432226171801222024-03-10T12:25:00.006+00:002024-03-18T12:34:16.893+00:00MOTHERING SUNDAY 2024<p><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"> </span></b></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span><b><span style="color: #800180;">Even when they're no longer with us, our Mothers are ever-present in our memories...</span></b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"> </span></b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhapLX7SlAWyV881pRCpu3fh_s42iI8ADYJNzdZNR9d9lkDtdWb5ny4SsekS5xvglQ__zdQwGqiYsuwFj9PqUtx86u2k4fHegCvaQz1ac12iUm_UlOXS46T_ir5x9l4yvIFa1RkdDZHasn80mNp3O79gemGsrJVjmgkyXYEn5gjNIfhnrhn0U7MKA/s1313/Screenshot%202024-03-09%20at%2011.23.29.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1313" data-original-width="931" height="759" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhapLX7SlAWyV881pRCpu3fh_s42iI8ADYJNzdZNR9d9lkDtdWb5ny4SsekS5xvglQ__zdQwGqiYsuwFj9PqUtx86u2k4fHegCvaQz1ac12iUm_UlOXS46T_ir5x9l4yvIFa1RkdDZHasn80mNp3O79gemGsrJVjmgkyXYEn5gjNIfhnrhn0U7MKA/w539-h759/Screenshot%202024-03-09%20at%2011.23.29.jpeg" width="539" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: small;">[Photo: David Weeks]</span></span></span><p></p>Brian Sibleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02395103557170474777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28039080.post-12015018893142267842024-02-18T12:50:00.007+00:002024-03-18T12:24:36.918+00:00ARF! ARF!<p><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">18 February: <b>HAPPY PLUTO DAY! </b></span></p><div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5AnEIu2o5POGWN3OFAGI5iq8tYMQcGGA8xm-TqL-YK0V-6iVnqJmdIlbICnf2ipJEfHAIn9gHQWdN3jh9-4B8raSZKtSo3kQvPXXIMiruYO1PfzFKwGFLAqDEk6-QgNW71tJJfd4poEqsAlU0ESAjqrO9N7NVO-gXmk67weuRBZGRdUiRcBc6Uw/s1207/Screenshot%202024-02-18%20at%2011.56.57.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1148" data-original-width="1207" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5AnEIu2o5POGWN3OFAGI5iq8tYMQcGGA8xm-TqL-YK0V-6iVnqJmdIlbICnf2ipJEfHAIn9gHQWdN3jh9-4B8raSZKtSo3kQvPXXIMiruYO1PfzFKwGFLAqDEk6-QgNW71tJJfd4poEqsAlU0ESAjqrO9N7NVO-gXmk67weuRBZGRdUiRcBc6Uw/w454-h432/Screenshot%202024-02-18%20at%2011.56.57.jpeg" width="454" /></a></div><b></b></span></div></div><p></p><div dir="auto"><div class="x1iorvi4 x1pi30zi x1l90r2v x1swvt13" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id=":r1c1:"><div class="x78zum5 xdt5ytf xz62fqu x16ldp7u"><div class="xu06os2 x1ok221b"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="text-align: center;"><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>MEET THE PLUTOS...</i></span></b></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: red;"> </span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red;">PLUTO 1: GOD</span></b> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In ancient Greek mythology, Pluto (Greek: Πλούτων, Ploutōn) was the ruler of the underworld. In Greek cosmogony, Pluto was given charge of the underworld in a three-way split of sovereignty over the world with his brothers Zeus and Poseidon: Zeus ruling the sky and Poseidon being sovereign over the sea. Pluto's central narrative in myth is of his abducting Persephone (daughter of Zeus and Demeter) to be his wife and <span></span>queen of his realm; a scenario that would inspire Walt Disney's 1934 'Silly Symphony', <i>The Goddess of Spring</i>.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: red;"> </span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red;">PLUTO 2: PLANET</span></b> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">On 18 February 1930, (94 years ago today) Clyde Tombaugh of the Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff, Arizona discovered a ninth planet in our Solar System and named it ‘Pluto’.</span></div></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red;">PLUTO 3: DOG</span></b> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In May 1931, Mickey Mouse’s pet dog (previously known as ‘Rover’) was renamed ‘Pluto’ when he appeared in Walt Disney’s short cartoon, <i>The Moose Hunt</i>, likely inspired by the huge publicity surrounding the then recent discovery of the planet.</span></div></div></span><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red;">PLUTO 4: DWARF PLANET</span></b> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In 2006, the International Astronomical Union reclassified Pluto as a ‘Dwarf Planet’. Pluto’s ‘demotion’ caused considerable outrage. Pluto the Pup, however, was unconcerned! In 2023, NASA shared images captured by its spacecraft including a photograph of a glacier on Pluto’s surface, which was shaped like a heart. Others have seen the shape as a silhouette of the head of Mickey’s doggy pal seen in profile!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT2oP_Ye6XjzwL0mRmtB92l6rqJUXaMVkMzDbyidmMwYS2QPlI8Zgg0nIb5cz7hwgj8KztrlC60N7VlGjKuLRY8yzApV92hsRE2EVd94RF7zD55HDDI0t77n7y55_mMUNOUsFCTAWB0hvJUtUxP7y402xqwxxBXU5NWAHMu1FP05Q9PeO1mlzITw/s912/Screenshot%202024-02-18%20at%2011.30.12.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="912" data-original-width="903" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT2oP_Ye6XjzwL0mRmtB92l6rqJUXaMVkMzDbyidmMwYS2QPlI8Zgg0nIb5cz7hwgj8KztrlC60N7VlGjKuLRY8yzApV92hsRE2EVd94RF7zD55HDDI0t77n7y55_mMUNOUsFCTAWB0hvJUtUxP7y402xqwxxBXU5NWAHMu1FP05Q9PeO1mlzITw/w434-h438/Screenshot%202024-02-18%20at%2011.30.12.jpeg" width="434" /></a></div></div></div></span></div></div></div></div>Brian Sibleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02395103557170474777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28039080.post-21563606965929492432024-02-14T14:05:00.014+00:002024-02-22T14:20:25.555+00:00LENTEN DAYS<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">It's Lent!</span></span><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"></span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">So, here's a little Easter book for the kids...</span> <br /></p><div class="" dir="auto"><div class="x1iorvi4 x1pi30zi x1l90r2v x1swvt13" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id=":r190:"><div class="x78zum5 xdt5ytf xz62fqu x16ldp7u"><div class="xu06os2 x1ok221b"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"> </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOZMETqwEya0KW8i2qCL8jZSdUDlt7seRYqCl7e_JsmGORRJLzqtthVBORso7K0hO-6GV8LlHPNH000XMi8wi6Bmw4DnOsZwEU454gg4fX_qMUS29IGSwmFAZ4VMbrSzWjBWQflXxzW_y0enqnmNiTyV0-rqvpOhkv1V1aLVaC1Gafk0xUm18lig/s3265/IMG_2045.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3265" data-original-width="2858" height="596" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOZMETqwEya0KW8i2qCL8jZSdUDlt7seRYqCl7e_JsmGORRJLzqtthVBORso7K0hO-6GV8LlHPNH000XMi8wi6Bmw4DnOsZwEU454gg4fX_qMUS29IGSwmFAZ4VMbrSzWjBWQflXxzW_y0enqnmNiTyV0-rqvpOhkv1V1aLVaC1Gafk0xUm18lig/w521-h596/IMG_2045.jpeg" width="521" /></a></div></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"> </span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"> </span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><span style="font-size: medium;">(Not quite a follow up to <i><span class="x193iq5w">The Fall of Númenor</span></i>
– but, occasionally, I can still be unpredictable!)</span></span><br /></div></div></span></div></div></div></div>Brian Sibleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02395103557170474777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28039080.post-11682340318253299722024-02-14T13:18:00.008+00:002024-02-14T13:18:38.356+00:00VALENTINE'S DAY<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>A Short Note on the ART of LOVE</b>…</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The brilliant American artist, J. C. Leyendecker (1874-1951), celebrated for his memorable poster and advertising illustrations, spent his career depicting idealized images of the sexes that were redolent of the spirit of the 1920s. That imagery, for his generation, served as archetypes of heterosexual masculinity and femininity. But while a nation adored his work – and sought to emulate the style and glamour of the Leyendecker men and women – the creator lived a closeted life common to so many gay men and women of that era. </span><br /><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Today, his work has undergone a process of homoerotic decoding and, on this Valentine's Day, I'm sharing three of his classic paintings: 'The Butterfly Couple' (1923) and its romantic usage as a magazine advertisement for Kuppheimer Good Clothes, and two covers for <i>The Saturday Evening Post</i> (March 1913 and 1934)...</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgx9aTRGolnBjA-XtZKoAvLjN9bxVkcmTTRTDeTWn8KsmLzyJVM3Jbaub_5IjL2f4ckpZkKpR8lVN9m8J2tb0jSPtOzdnH2A8WDTDcL9hUZWgE_ZH8yoTTXYcB5w5ruy4e99fi-JHXPq3f52x8QPbgbxF1_BXReyWKSxXWw6a1L0aoXQIa6I_sywQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="990" data-original-width="794" height="660" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgx9aTRGolnBjA-XtZKoAvLjN9bxVkcmTTRTDeTWn8KsmLzyJVM3Jbaub_5IjL2f4ckpZkKpR8lVN9m8J2tb0jSPtOzdnH2A8WDTDcL9hUZWgE_ZH8yoTTXYcB5w5ruy4e99fi-JHXPq3f52x8QPbgbxF1_BXReyWKSxXWw6a1L0aoXQIa6I_sywQ=w528-h660" width="528" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4sW3I1erPkJ-2WdWJWZagMmPjEClTJiUkfRuF_SK6Sflo1fmWoJ6jIIlsRr1kgeR-cSV7qsDOS3OtIVLgqRBJqaETpQyTcHZW-yazwiRThcMA8_PZDBZGV_ef8hzPfCTMaGOdW5XSnBfiWz_f4lgn96Hn5lnVG1c22xI_XSUtVxns-Q6fRh-yJQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1006" data-original-width="780" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4sW3I1erPkJ-2WdWJWZagMmPjEClTJiUkfRuF_SK6Sflo1fmWoJ6jIIlsRr1kgeR-cSV7qsDOS3OtIVLgqRBJqaETpQyTcHZW-yazwiRThcMA8_PZDBZGV_ef8hzPfCTMaGOdW5XSnBfiWz_f4lgn96Hn5lnVG1c22xI_XSUtVxns-Q6fRh-yJQ=w364-h470" width="364" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGaBILgg__14xttYi1jRcolvyuo7DvpzMy8nCUUFak2CeZjNDdA7l7bZN9mOuI8ErO6yWVrpm3Yt21HzxQn7S_uHPS5gcOtu0ZuXhlvQILE4YO8H0CTQy7y-4f9NJiyYCiBygTLm5EIAgjh4_3NPjsBJL6bhcZoorm1KkXabHQQOjsxRmJM1CtKg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1010" data-original-width="778" height="673" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGaBILgg__14xttYi1jRcolvyuo7DvpzMy8nCUUFak2CeZjNDdA7l7bZN9mOuI8ErO6yWVrpm3Yt21HzxQn7S_uHPS5gcOtu0ZuXhlvQILE4YO8H0CTQy7y-4f9NJiyYCiBygTLm5EIAgjh4_3NPjsBJL6bhcZoorm1KkXabHQQOjsxRmJM1CtKg=w519-h673" width="519" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiLx2163q38dqyJ8n5R_ozqpuPEomxjDBCZyAz6j8a1a_uPXqEu5u4-ExZ2Pzu7nxx3JFP7WFp_6euWfAkaS6DZ6SyQbpPClWr3p1vdjI8NIuJ9YBuKIWi7a9tYyFzwfKrXyHBrDfLHcWWbiW4y05S4L_HG92003UQ1lLXc9l7TDqXNFciHmYaK5A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="996" data-original-width="789" height="635" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiLx2163q38dqyJ8n5R_ozqpuPEomxjDBCZyAz6j8a1a_uPXqEu5u4-ExZ2Pzu7nxx3JFP7WFp_6euWfAkaS6DZ6SyQbpPClWr3p1vdjI8NIuJ9YBuKIWi7a9tYyFzwfKrXyHBrDfLHcWWbiW4y05S4L_HG92003UQ1lLXc9l7TDqXNFciHmYaK5A=w503-h635" width="503" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Alongside these </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">ladies and gents, </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I give you a re-imagined amalgamation of </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Leyendecker's craft </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">(together with appropriate <i>Evening Post </i>lettering) made in 2010 by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/james.blah" target="_blank">James Blah</a> as a Valentine’s Day card for his boyfriend.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgm5nd-wMMZTJz2s6dV8tUqQReEMVcEmZWOKHUebTvS1Lk3OW9a8ccLQRVg3GQfAr5ZxzbKaaacezfCasXVc3yg20jc2Srgu9u0vVKY6ENm0MNtV_vmHIvAYZPBAtqoKYhBahwRM0k9GZ3_a-n-Ynu4kheO-KPrYtSwpqBQ9eIUTCMUvSAUnHR6tg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1034" data-original-width="760" height="741" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgm5nd-wMMZTJz2s6dV8tUqQReEMVcEmZWOKHUebTvS1Lk3OW9a8ccLQRVg3GQfAr5ZxzbKaaacezfCasXVc3yg20jc2Srgu9u0vVKY6ENm0MNtV_vmHIvAYZPBAtqoKYhBahwRM0k9GZ3_a-n-Ynu4kheO-KPrYtSwpqBQ9eIUTCMUvSAUnHR6tg=w542-h741" width="542" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /> <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">As the Bard neatly observed:</span><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,</span><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind." </span></span></p><p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">– <i>A Midsummer Night's Dream</i>, Act 1, scene 1</span><span style="color: red;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Let's remember J. C. Leyendecker for his astonishing art while celebrating the fact that we live in a time when, for the benefit of all humanity, Cupid is increasingly – and thankfully – being "painted blind". </span></span> <br /></p>Brian Sibleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02395103557170474777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28039080.post-47462107201302505952024-02-02T19:07:00.093+00:002024-02-22T12:47:11.088+00:00CHRISTMAS ISN'T JUST FOR CHRISTMAS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Today, </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">the feast Candlemas, traditionally marks the 40th day of – and conclusion to – the Christmas-Epiphany season; but, maybe, it doesn't need to be... Charles Dickens certainly thought that was an option, as evidenced by Ebenezer Scrooge's declaration towards the end of in <i>A Christmas Carol </i>(1843):</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><br /></div><h1 class="quoteText" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">“I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year."</span></h1><h1 class="quoteText" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> <br /></span></h1><h1 class="quoteText" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZRgwcgyxFO6IayCivR_vr-Eust84I35f7GbFteEfnf2poh5y6cYfu0b9wJFJfxpZsMUD2tefupAwKd4syZTjytnBPyZq0h9IYo9IsCtI16t49eHXb2NBhsv87Odm93XHR2z5p10nfUPF_ndd76M6Xg74kkYYgIG-oi-s9niHgF6q0KuZ_0xTM5Q/s1424/Screenshot%202024-01-30%20at%2011.52.28.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1424" data-original-width="957" height="765" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZRgwcgyxFO6IayCivR_vr-Eust84I35f7GbFteEfnf2poh5y6cYfu0b9wJFJfxpZsMUD2tefupAwKd4syZTjytnBPyZq0h9IYo9IsCtI16t49eHXb2NBhsv87Odm93XHR2z5p10nfUPF_ndd76M6Xg74kkYYgIG-oi-s9niHgF6q0KuZ_0xTM5Q/w514-h765/Screenshot%202024-01-30%20at%2011.52.28.jpeg" width="514" /></a></div><br /> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">[Illustration: </span><span class="rush-component s-latency-cf-section" data-component-id="4" data-component-type="s-search-results"><span class="a-declarative" data-action="puis-card-container-declarative" data-csa-c-func-deps="aui-da-puis-card-container-declarative" data-csa-c-id="e97clb-2n8hl8-tbrgsj-x1lex5" data-csa-c-type="widget" data-render-id="rt6tmdnc2hq931yu8kgwl1hasg" data-version-id="v2laelakto18k82o7cy47f2sjt0"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span class="a-size-base" style="font-weight: normal;">Roberto Innocenti, <i>A Christmas Carol</i> (1990)]</span></span><span class="a-letter-space"></span><span class="a-size-base a-color-secondary"></span></span></span></h1><p></p>Brian Sibleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02395103557170474777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28039080.post-3452009478039828322024-02-01T11:58:00.001+00:002024-02-01T11:58:08.955+00:00PINNED TO RIGHTS<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrLMbZDqhBVNJSOp-YDG_wU4LBtlIisQUeg6gphcOqkXLTQA7pbKZCWFcWUm2E2o6sATv78ppm9uwNY7Bfm92JkuoE89DuG9Ox3pMJ08j35zn9duPwfC_kwvVuT_S1Xkjl9P9w67GQ1QHHUShKpkTPy7u9sp0MBuPN2OqoLAm0-ybJ3D7X8XFMKg/s1342/Screenshot%202024-02-01%20at%2010.39.28.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1342" data-original-width="876" height="701" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrLMbZDqhBVNJSOp-YDG_wU4LBtlIisQUeg6gphcOqkXLTQA7pbKZCWFcWUm2E2o6sATv78ppm9uwNY7Bfm92JkuoE89DuG9Ox3pMJ08j35zn9duPwfC_kwvVuT_S1Xkjl9P9w67GQ1QHHUShKpkTPy7u9sp0MBuPN2OqoLAm0-ybJ3D7X8XFMKg/w458-h701/Screenshot%202024-02-01%20at%2010.39.28.jpeg" width="458" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yes, I admit it: I am a Disney-geek. And, yes, I love Disney's 1959 animation masterwork, <i>Sleeping Beauty</i>, now celebrating its 65th Anniversary – <i>Blimey!</i> Was I really 10-years-old when I first saw it? – but I am more than a tad appalled by this particular merchandising money-spinner... </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The marketing pitch runs thus (my bold italics for emphasis): </span></span></span></p><p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">"True love of pin-collecting conquers all with this series of mystery pins celebrating the 65th anniversary of Walt Disney's 'Seeping Beauty'. Each box contains t<b><i>wo randomly selected</i></b> pins from a possibility of ten different designs featuring the classic cast. Collect them all to assemble a Maleficent dragon silhouette."</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now, the price for <b><i>two</i></b> "mystery pins" is £14, or £7 each, meaning that the cost for a complete set of ten would be £70 – except that, since you have to buy the badges sight-unseen, there's a strong likelihood that you'll end up with at least a few (and possibly quite a lot) of duplicates before being able to assemble your 'Maleficent dragon silhouette.'</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC-xx3bJUR0eDh5XMZofUugTfol5efEVR13mVtfcB4L2NdrgJ5n0jFzcFsxe70IzA12fvjl4oCQ33VW9dEq1eGPQ3w4CYpyrNQgpXMRt50hACUQMeNQstIFlXSmzXvTp-NQ2LvJFArRiN9u8yHkGs439srks6RKpy-nQF4SW1Cqjva9oK15gjEDA/s1369/Screenshot%202024-02-01%20at%2010.39.02.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1369" data-original-width="1346" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC-xx3bJUR0eDh5XMZofUugTfol5efEVR13mVtfcB4L2NdrgJ5n0jFzcFsxe70IzA12fvjl4oCQ33VW9dEq1eGPQ3w4CYpyrNQgpXMRt50hACUQMeNQstIFlXSmzXvTp-NQ2LvJFArRiN9u8yHkGs439srks6RKpy-nQF4SW1Cqjva9oK15gjEDA/w492-h500/Screenshot%202024-02-01%20at%2010.39.02.jpeg" width="492" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Maybe all pin-badgers are in swapping-circles or (perhaps more likely) will sell them on eBay for in excess of £7 apiece; but to my mind, "Once Upon a Dream" could very easily turn out to be an expensive nightmare! </span><br /></span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, yes, the set is a clever design and, indeed, looks pretty cool, but I really hope those crazy Disney pin-punters will, in this instance, consider choosing abstinence over collector's obsession!</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">But, hang on... I've just remembered: when <i>Sleeping Beauty</i> was first released, it proved an expensive box-office failure, so maybe Disney are still trying to recoup those 65-year-old losses! </span></span></span> </p>Brian Sibleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02395103557170474777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28039080.post-84540877317436625882024-01-26T22:30:00.008+00:002024-01-27T13:31:39.065+00:00THE TRAITORS FINAL (UK, Season 2)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhen4nP6utwB9dH2nX_DjxgadpQujFkVni4MtgS3lAESDElKOb-OAhRT5XZHxTA7jwFPh5CkoTyVOe0in2WUNNdBvOm5LEcnTxWjJgWmg8OxTKg3U6j6yJ3jiyQ18rK2UfbjIyINRTiBZ-4ooWaC59j2AiaTzKwQnEJ9feJWy_5N51O6jT2vZMTsA/s1236/Screenshot%202024-01-27%20at%2011.32.36.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="824" data-original-width="1236" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhen4nP6utwB9dH2nX_DjxgadpQujFkVni4MtgS3lAESDElKOb-OAhRT5XZHxTA7jwFPh5CkoTyVOe0in2WUNNdBvOm5LEcnTxWjJgWmg8OxTKg3U6j6yJ3jiyQ18rK2UfbjIyINRTiBZ-4ooWaC59j2AiaTzKwQnEJ9feJWy_5N51O6jT2vZMTsA/w519-h345/Screenshot%202024-01-27%20at%2011.32.36.png" width="519" /></a></div><div dir="auto"><div class="x1iorvi4 x1pi30zi x1l90r2v x1swvt13" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id=":rq6:"><div class="x78zum5 xdt5ytf xz62fqu x16ldp7u"><div class="xu06os2 x1ok221b"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div><div style="margin-left: 120px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">"Our doubts are traitors, </span></div><div style="margin-left: 120px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">And make us lose the good we oft might win, </span></div><div style="margin-left: 120px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">By fearing to attempt."</span></div></div></span><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="margin-left: 280px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">– William Shakespeare </span></div><div style="margin-left: 280px; text-align: left;"><i>Measure for Measure</i> </div><div style="margin-left: 280px; text-align: left;">(Lucio to Isabella, Act I, Scene IV)</div><div style="margin-left: 280px; text-align: left;"> </div><div style="margin-left: 280px; text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto">The <span></span>Final
of <i>The Traitors</i> (UK, Season 2): I'm not sure whether I was more
depressed by the Traitor's ruthless brutality or the Faithful's sadly
misplaced trust. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto">Brilliant TV, no question... but, ultimately, painful for its savage uncloaking of the worst aspects of human nature.</span> </span><br /></div></div></span></div></div></div></div>Brian Sibleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02395103557170474777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28039080.post-18256864714025979732024-01-24T10:26:00.005+00:002024-01-24T10:26:53.813+00:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1whT1vg4q_UerySvYsH4C7CDbM61gAMG3lYPGYcrZXkFmYkfLdmAGZob8P1tVk5gLjh8lqbXEI1AdTPiPCtt3SyGkMTsnt0UVjMtnwi8UHHdZXpZVpjil90Kisv_yVx55rHVRUPJIHoTw7Fq2ghTrbCsUXotS65ymx2kvSaAI91XPnxtBt_HOtg/s1449/Screenshot%202024-01-22%20at%2011.26.07.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1431" data-original-width="1449" height="493" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1whT1vg4q_UerySvYsH4C7CDbM61gAMG3lYPGYcrZXkFmYkfLdmAGZob8P1tVk5gLjh8lqbXEI1AdTPiPCtt3SyGkMTsnt0UVjMtnwi8UHHdZXpZVpjil90Kisv_yVx55rHVRUPJIHoTw7Fq2ghTrbCsUXotS65ymx2kvSaAI91XPnxtBt_HOtg/w499-h493/Screenshot%202024-01-22%20at%2011.26.07.jpeg" width="499" /></a></div><p></p><div class="" style="text-align: right;"><div class="x1iorvi4 x1pi30zi x1l90r2v x1swvt13" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id=":Rlataul9l9aqqd9emhpapd5aqH2:"><div class="x78zum5 xdt5ytf xz62fqu x16ldp7u"><div class="xu06os2 x1ok221b" style="text-align: left;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Today, my American friends are celebrating National
Peanut Butter Day!</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I became hooked on this sticky, nutty, product when
I was, maybe, six or seven years old and I pestered my mother into letting me
try it solely because the jars from Sun-Pat then being sold in the UK came with
a picture of this Walt Disney icon on the lid and a label carrying the
sing-song mantra: <i>SUN-PAT DONALD DUCK CRUNCHY PEANUT BUTTER</i>.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Surprisingly, I succeeded in getting it added to
the regular grocery shopping-list – remembering my Mother, I'm not sure how I
did that! – and it became a much-loved breakfast spread long before I
discovered the additional pleasure derived from a second topping of jelly – or,
as we say, jam.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Mind you, if I'm honest, I'm no longer certain
whether, back then, I actually really <i>LIKED</i> peanut butter that much, or
whether it was totally down to the compelling marketing powers of the Disney
Duck! I suspect the latter and, of course, I was – then and now – a 'Walt-nut'!</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Anyway, I really wish I'd kept the empty jars:
those selling on eBay (all of them with bashed, battered and rusty old lids)
change hands for surprisingly toothsome prices.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"> </span></p>
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aria-label="Comment by Sharon Mail 32 minutes ago" class="x1n2onr6 x1swvt13 x1iorvi4 x78zum5 x1q0g3np x1a2a7pz" role="article" tabindex="-1"><div class="xqcrz7y x14yjl9h xudhj91 x18nykt9 xww2gxu x1lliihq x1w0mnb xr9ek0c x1n2onr6"><span class="xt0psk2"></span></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="xv55zj0 x1vvkbs x1rg5ohu xxymvpz"><div class="xmjcpbm x1tlxs6b x1g8br2z x1gn5b1j x230xth x9f619 xzsf02u x1rg5ohu xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x193iq5w x1mzt3pk x1n2onr6 xeaf4i8 x13faqbe"><div class="x1y1aw1k xn6708d xwib8y2 x1ye3gou"><span class="xt0psk2"><a aria-hidden="false" class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz x1heor9g xt0b8zv" href="https://www.facebook.com/sharon.mail.1?comment_id=Y29tbWVudDoyNTIzNTM4MDU4OTQxMDYwNl8xMTExNzU0NTcwMTgzMTQ5&__cft__[0]=AZWEUkTNkhtT2F-RbsYsBvV_FPAcHHl9ZV9gyF3AyCIZ_VFqRfY063jKO8qOqupknjBixTNk5b8AGJPHDA0XW4XmSqQnvEpI270YJtljJ8hCdwOf2hnID1aKM8zN6CHJhH8EJeI0iriv5o4kEt2QJG680yNOvgc0EDS8u-EpJLTeVw&__tn__=R]-R" role="link" tabindex="0"><span class="x3nfvp2"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x x4zkp8e x676frb x1nxh6w3 x1sibtaa x1s688f xzsf02u" dir="auto"></span></span></a></span><br /></div></div></div></div><p> </p>Brian Sibleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02395103557170474777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28039080.post-35823938286310328792024-01-17T11:36:00.006+00:002024-01-17T11:53:36.740+00:00LETERS FROM THE MARTIAN CHRONICLER<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvYv44T1kZcS4JSHcVVrkrEk4gIKfZ-EnIEmnco1pRqTxemytxZWhvP2hiemwlciaBdgOAfQw6IhuYZ438hoQRGpBsvdiu1l5GIMVhgRf0fDlGtCuBAiIImwBknamdZ9pwckaMENW4szv_4EYIOsa7bbgwkSz3HqA9qIURAQ5YXuBpOKxBkx_zjw/s3693/IMG_1772.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3693" data-original-width="2956" height="605" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvYv44T1kZcS4JSHcVVrkrEk4gIKfZ-EnIEmnco1pRqTxemytxZWhvP2hiemwlciaBdgOAfQw6IhuYZ438hoQRGpBsvdiu1l5GIMVhgRf0fDlGtCuBAiIImwBknamdZ9pwckaMENW4szv_4EYIOsa7bbgwkSz3HqA9qIURAQ5YXuBpOKxBkx_zjw/w484-h605/IMG_1772.jpeg" width="484" /></a></div><p></p><div dir="auto"><div class="x1iorvi4 x1pi30zi x1l90r2v x1swvt13" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id=":Rlataul9l9aqqd9emhpapd5aqH2:"><div class="x78zum5 xdt5ytf xz62fqu x16ldp7u"><div class="xu06os2 x1ok221b"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> <div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a" style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I am very honoured to be among recipients of letters included in R<i>emembrance: Selected Correspondence of Ray Bradbury</i>,
edited by Jonathan R. Eller; recipients such as Grahame Greene, Arthur
C. Clark, Federico Fellini, Gore Vidal, Carl Sandburg, Francois Truffaut
and Bertrand Russell.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I
first exchanged letters with Ray in 1974 and we continued to write to
one another and, later meet up in London and L.A., until his death 38
years later. That first letter of Ray's, in response to an enquiry from a
supremely confident 25-year-old admirer, was a small but exquisite
masterpiece: a fireworks display of words, thoughts and images: an
explosion of stimulating ideas, questions and challenges. Over twice my
age and an international literary superstar, he replied as if to an
equal with such vigorous engagement and indulgent charm that, however
unlikely it seems to me now, could only ever be read as an invitation to
begin a friendship... </span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">What
I couldn't have known was that it would be a friendship would bring me,
across nearly four decades, letters, notes, postcards and doodles, an
annual Christmas poem (and, no surprise, zany Halloween greetings);
articles, cuttings and clippings; play-scripts and hand-bills; signed
books and an endorsement for the cover one of <i>my </i>books – and an opportunity to dramatise <i>The Illustrated Man</i> and more than half-a-dozen of his short stories for radio.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The
letter itself and two of my mine to Ray (which I hadn't seen since I
wrote them!) are chiefly concerned with a conversation about Walt
Disney's use in his theme-parks of 'Audio-Animatronic' technology – or,
to put it in non-Disney speak, 'robots'! It seems that, half-a-century
ago, we were already debating the pros and cons of what we would now
refer to as 'AI': Ray, obviously and unashamedly 'pro'; me anxiously,
'con'. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;">In
a few months time it will be fifty years since that wonderful letter
arrived and almost twelve years since Ray's death and yet I remain as
moved and eternally grateful to have received it, not just for the
content, but for all the memories of which it was but the first... <br /></span></div></div></div></div></span></div></div></div></div><div class="x1n2onr6" id=":Rlataul9l9aqqd9emhpapd5aqH3:"><div class="x1n2onr6"></div></div><div><div class="x1n2onr6" id=":Rlataul9l9aqqd9emhpapd5aqH3:"><div class="x6ikm8r x10wlt62"></div></div></div><div><div class="x168nmei x13lgxp2 x30kzoy x9jhf4c x6ikm8r x10wlt62" data-visualcompletion="ignore-dynamic"><div><div><div><div class="x1n2onr6"><div class="x6s0dn4 xi81zsa x78zum5 x6prxxf x13a6bvl xvq8zen xdj266r xktsk01 xat24cr x1d52u69 x889kno x4uap5 x1a8lsjc xkhd6sd xdppsyt"><div class="x6s0dn4 x78zum5 x1iyjqo2 x6ikm8r x10wlt62"><span aria-label="See who reacted to this" class="x1ja2u2z" role="toolbar"><span class="x6s0dn4 x78zum5 x1e558r4" id=":Rlataul9l9aqqd9emhpapd5aqH5:"><span class="x6zyg47 x1xm1mqw xpn8fn3 xtct9fg x13zp6kq x1mcfq15 xrosliz x1wb7cse x13fuv20 xu3j5b3 x1q0q8m5 x26u7qi xamhcws xol2nv xlxy82 x19p7ews xmix8c7 x139jcc6 x1n2onr6 x1xp8n7a xhtitgo"><span class="x12myldv x1udsgas xrc8dwe xxxhv2y x1rg5ohu xmix8c7 x1xp8n7a"><span class="x4k7w5x x1h91t0o x1h9r5lt x1jfb8zj xv2umb2 x1beo9mf xaigb6o x12ejxvf x3igimt xarpa2k xedcshv x1lytzrv x1t2pt76 x7ja8zs x1qrby5j"></span></span></span></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><div class="xv55zj0 x1vvkbs x1rg5ohu xxymvpz"><div class="xmjcpbm x1tlxs6b x1g8br2z x1gn5b1j x230xth x9f619 xzsf02u x1rg5ohu xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x193iq5w x1mzt3pk x1n2onr6 xeaf4i8 x13faqbe"><div class="x1y1aw1k xn6708d xwib8y2 x1ye3gou"><div class="x1lliihq xjkvuk6 x1iorvi4"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto" lang="en"></span></div></div></div></div></div>Brian Sibleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02395103557170474777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28039080.post-64859533147222090492024-01-12T07:38:00.003+00:002024-01-12T07:38:29.265+00:00"AS YOU WISH"<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUuAVNA0-ns9rMN2xxeW3goiR1Z9IOHyjMvZSYC_Mz_Fq4gGlxezXKxPx5sUfNPlvX4Ib6GvTn9z2YO7zBczcF37dr4CeeqfmE1wTNa40BAS6pckXjqZmdk4u-uP1UiOpcLSmqkmtHRDMeOpMTZ5Y_Kkp2RPeHPaKBi8mT0d7HqR4-fSr66hmSvg/s1310/Screenshot%202024-01-11%20at%2017.18.12.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1310" data-original-width="915" height="706" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUuAVNA0-ns9rMN2xxeW3goiR1Z9IOHyjMvZSYC_Mz_Fq4gGlxezXKxPx5sUfNPlvX4Ib6GvTn9z2YO7zBczcF37dr4CeeqfmE1wTNa40BAS6pckXjqZmdk4u-uP1UiOpcLSmqkmtHRDMeOpMTZ5Y_Kkp2RPeHPaKBi8mT0d7HqR4-fSr66hmSvg/w494-h706/Screenshot%202024-01-11%20at%2017.18.12.jpeg" width="494" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Goodness
only knows what took me so long! Only 37 years after its release, I
finally watched (and loved) Rob Reiner's 1987 film of William Goldman's
book, <i>The Princess Bride</i>! </span></span></p><p><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><i>"WHAT?"</i></b> You say.<i><b> "INCONCEIVABLE!"</b><br /></i></span></span></p><p><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Well, there it is: life is a successions of possible discoveries: some are made early on, others made rather later than we might have wished and, of course, quite a few get missed altogether. So, I'm never ashamed about making discoveries that fall into the 'Better Late Than Never' category. <br /></span></span></p><p><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">And what's not to enjoy about this magical film? As (probably) most people reading this will know, it features Robin Wright and Cary Elwes
as the pretty young lovers – the latter also demonstrating a formidable talent
for swashbuckling Errol Flynn-Doug Fairbanks-style swordsmanship in that
exhilarating sequence in which he and his well-matched duelist, Mandy Patinkin, demonstrate their fencing skills – right-handed <i>and</i> left-handed! A truly heroic episode.<br /></span></span></p><p><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">On the 'Boo-Hiss' side of things there's an delightfully odious Prince-portrayal by Chris Sarandon and succulent,
sneering villainy from Christopher Guest that is reminiscent of Basil Rathbone as Sir
Guy of Gisbourne in <i>The Adventures of Robin Hood</i> or the Lord Ravenhurst in
<i>The Court Jester</i>. </span></span></p><p><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Then there are glorious Pythonesque comic turns from Wallace Shawn,
Billy Crystal, Carol Kane, Mel Smith and Peter Cook; and we really mustn't
forget the (literally) larger than life presence of Andre the Giant (French-born
wrestler, André René Roussimoff, popularly known </span></span><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">at the time </span></span><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> as 'The
Eighth Wonder of the World') playing... well... the Giant... Nor can we overlook the smaller, more intimate companionship of Peter Falk, whose endearing and reassuring performance as
the storytelling grandfather holds the whole narrative together and, in so doing, 'sells' the film. Oh,
yes... <i>and</i> there's also a lively medieval-cum-'Eighties score by <i>Dire Straits</i>' Mark
Knopfler! </span></span></p><p><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">How can I have I denied myself all these rare and fine pleasures for so many years? Never mind, now (time willing) I will be able to enjoy them <i>some</i>... <i>several</i>... possible <i>many</i> times more!</span></span></p>Brian Sibleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02395103557170474777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28039080.post-70762980384510467822024-01-11T09:00:00.015+00:002024-01-11T09:35:46.959+00:00STILL LIFE WITH SUNLIGHT<p><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"></span></p><div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Thursday 9:00 am: </i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">Early morning winter sunlight through the kitchen window-blind...</span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYaILVuOemU7uW0WajeDaaJ1JiE6IvGLhgufl9mCTmeGxXhs-gJP5Rg4CwxHHMHQZebM4q5kC-vrDzubBi6YnlQgdSbawyd9c4OZ7nOUxcJ_9bm0FVi2BMHZyn4uWandessaipj07wZYAfYbeMkwAog2YbtOAiB1UvyouHPD0UUKBHc1aURtyCwQ/s3780/IMG_1704.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3780" data-original-width="2289" height="804" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYaILVuOemU7uW0WajeDaaJ1JiE6IvGLhgufl9mCTmeGxXhs-gJP5Rg4CwxHHMHQZebM4q5kC-vrDzubBi6YnlQgdSbawyd9c4OZ7nOUxcJ_9bm0FVi2BMHZyn4uWandessaipj07wZYAfYbeMkwAog2YbtOAiB1UvyouHPD0UUKBHc1aURtyCwQ/w487-h804/IMG_1704.jpeg" width="487" /></a></div></div></div><p></p>Brian Sibleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02395103557170474777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28039080.post-48144029201856449462024-01-11T05:40:00.008+00:002024-01-11T05:53:17.458+00:00DOT-DOT-DOT DASH-DASH-DASH DOT-DOT-DOT<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGHHAw6uNlxlX29jEWQSSDZZACQQcWx0sPZs_wfijA64gIgZVdHDyLffnT9dIbe8ntFAOrpb50uhCOagPT9UZT0A1enmInYQPzfjTFecBbseeTm-wSupxS3KXTpKvMJNxEIoUM9Akw1bDa9zLuNptWy_I0f8rE8lzxDqQ74GYZHPY2AAAtCZgw9A/s1460/Screenshot%202024-01-11%20at%2005.23.46.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1460" data-original-width="1123" height="698" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGHHAw6uNlxlX29jEWQSSDZZACQQcWx0sPZs_wfijA64gIgZVdHDyLffnT9dIbe8ntFAOrpb50uhCOagPT9UZT0A1enmInYQPzfjTFecBbseeTm-wSupxS3KXTpKvMJNxEIoUM9Akw1bDa9zLuNptWy_I0f8rE8lzxDqQ74GYZHPY2AAAtCZgw9A/w537-h698/Screenshot%202024-01-11%20at%2005.23.46.jpeg" width="537" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><div dir="auto"><div class="x1iorvi4 x1pi30zi x1l90r2v x1swvt13" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id=":r1bc:"><div class="x78zum5 xdt5ytf xz62fqu x16ldp7u"><div class="xu06os2 x1ok221b"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;">It's January 11th and I wish you a very happy "Learn Your Name in Morse Code Day". In case you ever need it, here's mine... </span>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="background: rgb(252, 255, 1); color: black; font-family: "inherit", serif; font-size: 28pt;">-... .-. .. .- -. / ... .. -... .-.. . -.--</span></b><b><span style="background: white; font-family: "inherit",serif; font-size: 28.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"></span></b></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></div></span><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"></span><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I</span><span style="font-size: medium;">f you want to translate <i>your </i>name into Morse Code, <b><span style="color: red;"><a href="https://morsedecoder.com/">CLICK HERE</a></span></b></span></div></div></span></div></div></div></div>Brian Sibleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02395103557170474777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28039080.post-33370584354601411332024-01-08T17:11:00.005+00:002024-01-08T17:11:32.694+00:00THE ELUSIVE ZORRO<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;"> </span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">TODAY! COMIC-BOOK COVER ART: </span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">ZORRO – [Part ONE]</span></b></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i></i></b></span><p></p><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIFtdlXOpq283BM1oOYcBwGFx2CB2LnH6zZ0tLCBwwmAxyEEG02FyX1A7_GjWO-1_eSvVzbeSmsmGotlf9UNi_fQ_E8EFE6lKqKIv2xv1GBrBKPMGiqlFGZogsnYURcOgvbqKwul56CpMCNrgG-Of73O0MyTCZ0CmTZBGwWVdW-Jrm8xEfLXBBfQ/s1246/Screenshot%202024-01-08%20at%2011.34.51.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1246" data-original-width="818" height="788" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIFtdlXOpq283BM1oOYcBwGFx2CB2LnH6zZ0tLCBwwmAxyEEG02FyX1A7_GjWO-1_eSvVzbeSmsmGotlf9UNi_fQ_E8EFE6lKqKIv2xv1GBrBKPMGiqlFGZogsnYURcOgvbqKwul56CpMCNrgG-Of73O0MyTCZ0CmTZBGwWVdW-Jrm8xEfLXBBfQ/w517-h788/Screenshot%202024-01-08%20at%2011.34.51.jpeg" width="517" /></a></div></i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Totally stunning red, black and white cover for <i><b>Zorro: Man of the Dead</b></i> #1 (J. Albuquerque Variant). If you'll forgive the sloppy critique: <b><i> </i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i> </i></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i><span style="color: red;">WOWEE!! </span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></i></b></span></div></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i> </i></b></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ</span></b><b><span style="font-size: medium;">ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ</span></b><b><span style="font-size: medium;">ZZZZZZZZZZZZ</span></b></p><p><br /></p><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><div class="" dir="auto"><div class="x1iorvi4 x1pi30zi x1l90r2v x1swvt13" data-ad-comet-preview="message" data-ad-preview="message" id=":rdl:"><div class="x78zum5 xdt5ytf xz62fqu x16ldp7u"><div class="xu06os2 x1ok221b"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">TODAY! COMIC-BOOK COVER ART: </span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: #800180;">ZORRO – [Part TWO]</span></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><br /><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn24MmU64eLEP_k4GGCSoEsK7ygoFbyUlXiT1x0r05KCF-DrgB5GZINzUZWxIcCfRV_OYsI-5DklG6D6G_ElGpryGKzgJUUbQp5wmgu1ieZcCGlLCWpiW1e-QCGo9-jdIcaROZqbf_yDEOaIB1K1f7RXzl_lN2qm8KzjvdajwdLr9HwRXoDT5R3w/s1250/Screenshot%202024-01-08%20at%2011.34.21.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="828" height="802" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn24MmU64eLEP_k4GGCSoEsK7ygoFbyUlXiT1x0r05KCF-DrgB5GZINzUZWxIcCfRV_OYsI-5DklG6D6G_ElGpryGKzgJUUbQp5wmgu1ieZcCGlLCWpiW1e-QCGo9-jdIcaROZqbf_yDEOaIB1K1f7RXzl_lN2qm8KzjvdajwdLr9HwRXoDT5R3w/w532-h802/Screenshot%202024-01-08%20at%2011.34.21.jpeg" width="532" /></a></div><br /><div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Surprising (if somewhat vacant) off-white cover for<i> <b>Zorro: Man of the Dead</b></i></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b> </b>#1 (Cover 'I' Blank Sketch Limited Edition) <b>Pre-Order: <i>ONLY 2000 PRINTED</i></b></span></span> </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">BUT, beware... The website at Forbidden Planet carries the following curious caveat: </span></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">"COVER SUBJECT TO CHANGE"</span></b></div></div></div></div></span></div></div></div></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i></i></b></span></div>Brian Sibleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02395103557170474777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28039080.post-59350882166173143562024-01-06T18:40:00.001+00:002024-01-06T18:42:12.837+00:00DAVID SOUL (1943-2004)<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcck7RnyswWVKO1PSvLUA1shezQOzNgbixEm2IX5QCCIa_lVEZnxYH2X-mH0hYLhDIougtziKLmR3LZpKHG2dd8v4hmEmNCX8VoRBWaYzQtUDVTkBNCeKIp9MFdfXoGnUwomNVlgTwpMgEvhayTXGJeHeqHlPcK_d8DSwKzVI5yLdqAdCNHlhykQ/s1022/Screenshot%202024-01-06%20at%2015.20.31.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1022" data-original-width="808" height="663" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcck7RnyswWVKO1PSvLUA1shezQOzNgbixEm2IX5QCCIa_lVEZnxYH2X-mH0hYLhDIougtziKLmR3LZpKHG2dd8v4hmEmNCX8VoRBWaYzQtUDVTkBNCeKIp9MFdfXoGnUwomNVlgTwpMgEvhayTXGJeHeqHlPcK_d8DSwKzVI5yLdqAdCNHlhykQ/w524-h663/Screenshot%202024-01-06%20at%2015.20.31.jpeg" width="524" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Goodbye, Hutch! </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ah, dear, sweet David Soul... </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here he is, on
the left (looking, as ever, cool in black and tan) as we knew and loved him,
before he scared the bejesus out of us with <i>Salem's Lot</i>. By his side: trusted
fellow crime-fighter, Starsky – co-star in <i>Starsky and Hutch</i>, Paul Michael Glaser, surprisingly hip in a
previous year's Christmas jumper. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thus passes another of my boyhood crushes from
those innocent days before they'd invented phrases like 'homoerotic tropes'... </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mind you, on Instagram, a couple of years ago, Glaser posted this 'other' photo of himself
and his chum from a time gone by; "Everyone needs a Hutch to their
Starsky," he wrote – so who knows...</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfYsXiTtuhulDBYLWfoG01vYzZgCZcZ5NM2xBZjhx-HgunFLPb3pCb3HihLQUhbKroaKhPj70w-A3SnBu4MqOTDnhgyZxsmDb_3GN8CRQiFHQGtQiQCW4dpmhLpy-5Q7Oblm_5pRPRX3XUkKBIfor43VeFG6LlP5owS3OKfccmyDAv0iXZIZgRg/s1397/Screenshot%202024-01-06%20at%2009.55.27.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1397" data-original-width="1014" height="712" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGfYsXiTtuhulDBYLWfoG01vYzZgCZcZ5NM2xBZjhx-HgunFLPb3pCb3HihLQUhbKroaKhPj70w-A3SnBu4MqOTDnhgyZxsmDb_3GN8CRQiFHQGtQiQCW4dpmhLpy-5Q7Oblm_5pRPRX3XUkKBIfor43VeFG6LlP5owS3OKfccmyDAv0iXZIZgRg/w516-h712/Screenshot%202024-01-06%20at%2009.55.27.jpeg" width="516" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span><p></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Brian Sibleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02395103557170474777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28039080.post-74684406292654791492024-01-06T10:00:00.015+00:002024-01-08T17:51:38.043+00:00ON THE TWELFTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS...<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><b>TWELFTH NIGHT</b>... And the arrival of the last – or, maybe, the<i><b> FIRST</b></i> card of Christmas!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"> </span> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis2W1ykSTBoFRoJ69MPHvJc404_SNxdEj30I0BBirSlYm8nDqh-QqFVld-Yiq8jHq6klWzWMAFw0QKqBz-XF9_upjgUSjPsLGxmMb3ADhZj8YoG5pHxKvU0CmV0OLIh2DNbGRy0H6k25UXrosGEEF4oy3yLt6K9ubrxjwcu8yhuJRgmUNV7xkZPw/s3652/IMG_1620.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3652" data-original-width="3005" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis2W1ykSTBoFRoJ69MPHvJc404_SNxdEj30I0BBirSlYm8nDqh-QqFVld-Yiq8jHq6klWzWMAFw0QKqBz-XF9_upjgUSjPsLGxmMb3ADhZj8YoG5pHxKvU0CmV0OLIh2DNbGRy0H6k25UXrosGEEF4oy3yLt6K9ubrxjwcu8yhuJRgmUNV7xkZPw/w526-h640/IMG_1620.jpeg" width="526" /></a></div>Brian Sibleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02395103557170474777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28039080.post-68511498339140789532024-01-05T12:33:00.004+00:002024-01-08T17:14:37.769+00:00GLYNIS JOHNS (1923-2024)<p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga8Nahr4kUlxbVyLQsb5HcvUJq2Cm5ybk_05A3pjdq1ro1tQ3sPIG5IcXvDNLNNlSaUQ4aNXrnuBvTlmz-N453yxaY0UJmFe0QiPO3ZqnTl5R9dBAwgB-hOeujm2DzWgjCiVxge56c6V55v4tqEw3wabWDheXg2Npmv33I0C6Fgu3LzvXWP1x8-w/s1370/Screenshot%202024-01-05%20at%2009.50.52.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1370" data-original-width="1228" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga8Nahr4kUlxbVyLQsb5HcvUJq2Cm5ybk_05A3pjdq1ro1tQ3sPIG5IcXvDNLNNlSaUQ4aNXrnuBvTlmz-N453yxaY0UJmFe0QiPO3ZqnTl5R9dBAwgB-hOeujm2DzWgjCiVxge56c6V55v4tqEw3wabWDheXg2Npmv33I0C6Fgu3LzvXWP1x8-w/w485-h540/Screenshot%202024-01-05%20at%2009.50.52.jpeg" width="485" /></a></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium; white-space: pre-wrap;">Farewell to Glynis Johns, aged 100: beautiful lady (with amazing eyes) and exceptionally talented actress, equally skilled at playing dramatic, romantic or comedic roles. Daughter of veteran Welsh actor Mervyn Johns (himself a considerable talent), Glynis was at home on stage or in front of the camera, but it was the movies that elevated her career to star status. </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Glynis made her film debut in 1938 in <i>South Riding a</i>nd success was quickly followed with<i> </i>Powell and Pressburger's 1941 war drama <i>49th Parallel</i><i> </i>in which stepping into a role vacated by Elisabeth Bergner in a very starry cast (Leslie Howard, Laurence Olivier, Anton Walbrook and Raymond Massey) </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: medium;">and for which she won a National Board of Review Award for Best Acting. In 1948 she had a triumph as the titular mermaid in the screwball comedy, <i>Miranda</i> which also featured<i> </i></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">David Tomlinson with whom she would later co-star in <i>Mary Poppins</i> as Mrs and Mr Banks.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijqM3RddoSQ5YpqFWSOUzAWJ-s59pcORBmrRocAls2qVfGwE1LIVZ8WExqAPvmuBnixFiZjeNVVYZl11-Ap27yZxHv4Raymdw39e_fE7Zpu2o358Cufy4C1PntTwLi0Fq9JR3dDzO0Am7EoxcMJsrhNys4I5DJjdJmSXWYzIio5WI-HUXncNxPQg/s1826/Screenshot%202024-01-05%20at%2010.00.00.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1432" data-original-width="1826" height="431" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijqM3RddoSQ5YpqFWSOUzAWJ-s59pcORBmrRocAls2qVfGwE1LIVZ8WExqAPvmuBnixFiZjeNVVYZl11-Ap27yZxHv4Raymdw39e_fE7Zpu2o358Cufy4C1PntTwLi0Fq9JR3dDzO0Am7EoxcMJsrhNys4I5DJjdJmSXWYzIio5WI-HUXncNxPQg/w549-h431/Screenshot%202024-01-05%20at%2010.00.00.jpeg" width="549" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Other films that followed included<i> </i></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>The Card</i> second-billed to Alec Guinness and </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Flesh and Blood</i> co-staring alongside Richard Todd; Walt Disney would subsequently cast Johns and Todd in two historical pictures:</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i> The Sword and the Rose</i> and <i>Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue.</i> She provided a glamorous foil to Danny Kaye in his glorious medieval musical-romp, <i>The Court Jester</i>; and co-starred </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">with Deborah Kerr, Robert Mitchum and Peter Ustinov in </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>The Sundowners</i>, with <span style="font-family: inherit;">Dan O'Herlihy in<i> </i></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The Cabinet of Caligari</i></span><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and with Peter O'Toole, Burton and Taylor in <i>Under Milk Wood</i>.<br /> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9aGDKn9dz5v-08sl5tCNaL7UDtjgtUzoqFyorGxE7a3O1ZFyrZsBMz5J-wMMX3SjQkKVdrCRD5k_mpVJq0aLzNzwI-5Y13zxHpBjOJC30QLoeRToxrotNDrGKNGBcTZguEe-bWivf_b78nymst-Pf1dO1bzdCGE51xFbwMEzPBnaYUleY7MAagw/s1976/Screenshot%202024-01-05%20at%2011.59.16.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1443" data-original-width="1976" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9aGDKn9dz5v-08sl5tCNaL7UDtjgtUzoqFyorGxE7a3O1ZFyrZsBMz5J-wMMX3SjQkKVdrCRD5k_mpVJq0aLzNzwI-5Y13zxHpBjOJC30QLoeRToxrotNDrGKNGBcTZguEe-bWivf_b78nymst-Pf1dO1bzdCGE51xFbwMEzPBnaYUleY7MAagw/w546-h400/Screenshot%202024-01-05%20at%2011.59.16.jpeg" width="546" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">On stage, Glynis was the first actress play the role of Desiree Armfeldt in Stephen Sondheim's 1973 Broadway hit, <i>A Little Night Music</i>, in which she introduced – in her hallmark, husky voice – what would become one of Sondheim's most best-loved and enduring songs, 'Send in the Clowns'. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjztWcAzh1jO3veTDnf0Oj_hPpO44HO7mvhWYCxpYF-s7Gvvc7td6Ta-7MaFzqI94I1IUI6TZ-I45YaGL5KApfXzSKKAig9gBatbBXa_VZRnJtBpsQkuWxL8Hv42hyphenhyphenta1mnmUh5RDPQNh8tAmKcsJRfZ8GqBfcFb2mvQ0DhfsV3rmvX84YhUKu46A/s2002/Screenshot%202024-01-05%20at%2010.07.31.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1388" data-original-width="2002" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjztWcAzh1jO3veTDnf0Oj_hPpO44HO7mvhWYCxpYF-s7Gvvc7td6Ta-7MaFzqI94I1IUI6TZ-I45YaGL5KApfXzSKKAig9gBatbBXa_VZRnJtBpsQkuWxL8Hv42hyphenhyphenta1mnmUh5RDPQNh8tAmKcsJRfZ8GqBfcFb2mvQ0DhfsV3rmvX84YhUKu46A/w541-h376/Screenshot%202024-01-05%20at%2010.07.31.jpeg" width="541" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /> </span><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">This performance won Glynis a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical and Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical. Sondheim likened her voice to a "rumpled bed", which is less of an insult than an acknowledgement of her seductive delivery. </span><br /></span><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
song's construction (now so famously known) was solely dictated by
the musical ability of his leading lady. As Sondheim once described the
structure: </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">"Isn't it rich (breathe-breathe),</span></div><div style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Are we a pair (breathe-breathe),</span></div><div style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Me here at last on the ground (breathe),</span></div><div style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You in mid-air (breathe-breathe),</span></div><div style="margin-left: 80px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Send in the clowns."</span></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Writing in <i>The New York Times</i>, music critic Anthony Tommasini perceptively said of the song: "Stephen Sondheim composed his most famous song, 'Send In the Clowns,' for an actress with virtually no voice ... and few genuine singers have performed it as effectively." Which is unquestionably true. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Of course, Glynis had already sung a roistering number in Walt Disney's 1964 film triumph, <i>Mary Poppins</i>, delivering 'Sister Suffragette', a militant battle-cry for women's rights in Edwardian England in the role of Jane and Michael's mother Mrs Winifred Banks. As the story goes, Walt invited Glynis to the studio, planning to offer her the role of the mother of the two children, Jane and Michael; however, the actress (already a Disney leading lady) assumed she was going to be offered the film's title role. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">To sell the supporting role and mollify the disappointed star, Walt called <i>Poppins</i> composers, Richard and Robert Sherman, and told them that he was taking Glynis to lunch and, afterwards, would be bringing her to the music room so they could play the new song they had composed for her. The Sherman Brothers, decoding Walt's unexpected call, worked through their own lunchtime and rewrote an abandoned song for Mary Poppins – 'Practically Perfect in every way / In ev'rything I do and in everything I say...' as a suffrage mission statement that now began, 'We're clearly soldiers in petticoats / Dauntless crusaders for women's votes!' The ruse (and the song) worked the necessary magic and Miss Johns accepted the role. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiAOf93Ew37KXZxdlqI2m4reGON8-PDgS3bt_24iblqt6SyTeyJDOjzlQXDEGRrTMvLQGlPW-k5sbZ_buCAhzGPvGemd-d1HV9ucNOQzqa5hJBVcp-WuQCZ4z61QLuK516Si3eNcQHuR0k9tNYYno7gi6TFMyxFA3Ft-W1mLVOjmLXfxdNWSHM5w/s1302/Screenshot%202024-01-05%20at%2010.20.57%202.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1302" data-original-width="1048" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiAOf93Ew37KXZxdlqI2m4reGON8-PDgS3bt_24iblqt6SyTeyJDOjzlQXDEGRrTMvLQGlPW-k5sbZ_buCAhzGPvGemd-d1HV9ucNOQzqa5hJBVcp-WuQCZ4z61QLuK516Si3eNcQHuR0k9tNYYno7gi6TFMyxFA3Ft-W1mLVOjmLXfxdNWSHM5w/w516-h640/Screenshot%202024-01-05%20at%2010.20.57%202.jpeg" width="516" /></a></span></div>Brian Sibleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02395103557170474777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28039080.post-38030750401034221882024-01-01T08:00:00.001+00:002024-01-02T17:13:18.755+00:00COMIC-BOOK COVER ART: NEW YEAR SPECIAL EDITION! <p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">In celebration of the Latest New Year, here is a selection of comic covers marking New Years from 1938-2024, featuring comic-book characters past and present from Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Bugs Bunny through to Batman, Spider-Man and Dare Devil...</span></span></p><p><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH2-0sGOIdxUA78ENBEz-HliNsIc1xgvVp6lzU6i8kn_gCJhXy29wmeYiPSQ-J5XeGIvbMN0xlxmHx7LctVcyJZdRGDODuUVqO5IDRE9XX0s4CWYCY7rAI8vIauuJjLmFPJN-3DxnvDjGVOOK2sjfvF7KFmFPTJfZ72-JfrLLt1xtVJHoHvA5LEQ/s1467/Screenshot%202024-01-02%20at%2015.50.36.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1467" data-original-width="1063" height="708" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH2-0sGOIdxUA78ENBEz-HliNsIc1xgvVp6lzU6i8kn_gCJhXy29wmeYiPSQ-J5XeGIvbMN0xlxmHx7LctVcyJZdRGDODuUVqO5IDRE9XX0s4CWYCY7rAI8vIauuJjLmFPJN-3DxnvDjGVOOK2sjfvF7KFmFPTJfZ72-JfrLLt1xtVJHoHvA5LEQ/w513-h708/Screenshot%202024-01-02%20at%2015.50.36.jpeg" width="513" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgopWzrzA3sE4htqR-ykIdvBjF_chi7n4E1xtKq6UQSO8PdxVAVDKWydhrL9x0_GdVaIIWVQTVxNA2kmnZB6RFFydQTEXY5BRhcHtxYKMNS2b_y0LPsv4RktTKdNZjeaxuI9TmlcmR9rmzrVGGajBk2Ukfro_wFX7X8hIHYMHhd2iHFf4rnAaAv6w/s1181/Screenshot%202024-01-02%20at%2015.04.18.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1181" data-original-width="847" height="722" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgopWzrzA3sE4htqR-ykIdvBjF_chi7n4E1xtKq6UQSO8PdxVAVDKWydhrL9x0_GdVaIIWVQTVxNA2kmnZB6RFFydQTEXY5BRhcHtxYKMNS2b_y0LPsv4RktTKdNZjeaxuI9TmlcmR9rmzrVGGajBk2Ukfro_wFX7X8hIHYMHhd2iHFf4rnAaAv6w/w519-h722/Screenshot%202024-01-02%20at%2015.04.18.jpeg" width="519" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBG6p5xnY4l0k-SB5I41HzL_sCQDDQbruSAWFJFsK9ZVF4bpZZlvcBiHxyicCHllO9LhEEuiZWEwnAECRs5s_TonCzPwAiWC3KHmYliKT__FYU6tQaBluyaWLgjm-d-jN6mwAU2yoOilKabWyCEFBWsmV9MFFq920srPh3W0uhcJK9BxBugybGGw/s1162/Screenshot%202024-01-02%20at%2015.07.34.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1162" data-original-width="796" height="762" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBG6p5xnY4l0k-SB5I41HzL_sCQDDQbruSAWFJFsK9ZVF4bpZZlvcBiHxyicCHllO9LhEEuiZWEwnAECRs5s_TonCzPwAiWC3KHmYliKT__FYU6tQaBluyaWLgjm-d-jN6mwAU2yoOilKabWyCEFBWsmV9MFFq920srPh3W0uhcJK9BxBugybGGw/w521-h762/Screenshot%202024-01-02%20at%2015.07.34.jpeg" width="521" /></a> <br /></div></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1281" data-original-width="827" height="807" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOhTru4xovVam8yAnTejNH8fOCtVh5fKyEYKwAZS_irJibyZXylLQhQJKBrZHrudw5mXNJZefDXy_wlRx_Gwn4Ws3ClIdBBSQqaAMCKX_yLBzDbN_yk7DHxY10u11o-fxUCMjk5DIkYAqdrkPsp8uBVh_cXbLVyPokszPJdyiFRYUPSuLTob8mtg/w522-h807/Screenshot%202024-01-02%20at%2015.06.49.jpeg" width="522" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqcN2uUJHJeHy4aTmPiPtJtzNI0uSvVH80JsDEt7b4IzS1zDnovrhKkq4uZup49V-Y0kOhX8dHiI8mCOeepqp3QBXo0lzSCeWe-GjZ72_9dxXHDDxwpGt3x9OqJk8OvKHbSVo0MgkptZGrYX9eKzXcMcZJP6qQSsWIxn26_zOBX6adr9-59wOv1w/s1179/Screenshot%202024-01-02%20at%2015.02.48.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1179" data-original-width="793" height="765" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqcN2uUJHJeHy4aTmPiPtJtzNI0uSvVH80JsDEt7b4IzS1zDnovrhKkq4uZup49V-Y0kOhX8dHiI8mCOeepqp3QBXo0lzSCeWe-GjZ72_9dxXHDDxwpGt3x9OqJk8OvKHbSVo0MgkptZGrYX9eKzXcMcZJP6qQSsWIxn26_zOBX6adr9-59wOv1w/w514-h765/Screenshot%202024-01-02%20at%2015.02.48.jpeg" width="514" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC1C_WWhZhzm-BZ_3SlaIC3WW0gZi_LRF7cyLXc_8YfJHB9v21eDhVLp6MH5XTs9poIW2RhnzzHcin6NGsRduZCqrV9V_XRFm1sZn3g9lNlwONgZVPwjby02MLPQBLf_1M1X4uH5wf26wGCfedUnWeGyQUEiqTTHcGLZk0NrbZKtNU95BwVJsEWQ/s1289/Screenshot%202024-01-02%20at%2015.05.07.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1289" data-original-width="832" height="822" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC1C_WWhZhzm-BZ_3SlaIC3WW0gZi_LRF7cyLXc_8YfJHB9v21eDhVLp6MH5XTs9poIW2RhnzzHcin6NGsRduZCqrV9V_XRFm1sZn3g9lNlwONgZVPwjby02MLPQBLf_1M1X4uH5wf26wGCfedUnWeGyQUEiqTTHcGLZk0NrbZKtNU95BwVJsEWQ/w532-h822/Screenshot%202024-01-02%20at%2015.05.07.jpeg" width="532" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil3swJTooqbHe-4IE2J1svpt0a_29ofcwot4GyEAXMgjLA9AuEI0ccXircDpa5MQ6Ir3Ng3_t_fPzuNcsTq_ipM9LhfHnsZrg29fqAn5XCGhrk7SRiEVvH87oDI489Lz1OXoK0UrzPfZqPJqpV1xctNQKtGy8s-JwhIadeBHimUVpfRv1YzPJ-4Q/s1520/Screenshot%202024-01-02%20at%2015.19.21.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1520" data-original-width="1033" height="791" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil3swJTooqbHe-4IE2J1svpt0a_29ofcwot4GyEAXMgjLA9AuEI0ccXircDpa5MQ6Ir3Ng3_t_fPzuNcsTq_ipM9LhfHnsZrg29fqAn5XCGhrk7SRiEVvH87oDI489Lz1OXoK0UrzPfZqPJqpV1xctNQKtGy8s-JwhIadeBHimUVpfRv1YzPJ-4Q/w537-h791/Screenshot%202024-01-02%20at%2015.19.21.jpeg" width="537" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBjHnYA1xboORy9dVxnzzsrIoXQvGh6usZ1K96pgU1T_RqBLiRZ_zWdxQqp7u6uhwiLyJypZ7PeCu4a9Op1Jf5TV_juOOhWoz5YSCHyXX5rNW7bs-2VRNw1GBk52D8YqcKbczjj6_pkdwYX_1WPMSRdTtFUjhnLiXZyx4Jq2Ozw0LOROx-qZbosQ/s1506/Screenshot%202024-01-02%20at%2015.19.54.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1506" data-original-width="1051" height="783" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBjHnYA1xboORy9dVxnzzsrIoXQvGh6usZ1K96pgU1T_RqBLiRZ_zWdxQqp7u6uhwiLyJypZ7PeCu4a9Op1Jf5TV_juOOhWoz5YSCHyXX5rNW7bs-2VRNw1GBk52D8YqcKbczjj6_pkdwYX_1WPMSRdTtFUjhnLiXZyx4Jq2Ozw0LOROx-qZbosQ/w546-h783/Screenshot%202024-01-02%20at%2015.19.54.jpeg" width="546" /></a></div></span><p></p>Brian Sibleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02395103557170474777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28039080.post-63654655558231477482024-01-01T00:00:00.001+00:002024-01-01T10:35:22.223+00:00ON YOUR MARKS!<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>OK! </b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><b>So, here we go again...</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><b>DAY ONE!</b></span><span style="color: #1fdb22; font-size: x-large;"><b> <br /></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1fdb22; font-size: x-large;"><b>GOOD LUCK, EVERYONE! </b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #1fdb22; font-size: x-large;"><b> </b></span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><b> <br /></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWlDYk7n1e1gOQdDNJEVpm-wkUPZgtmwF0wc-eADlU0h9oxHTjR-n_YOZJbYD4dGV76ZczmP6uir-tIcmd_6K_h1i5BUlpa23qqVHvm-SM6abnxyt6hqXPY6mwSIigt31dGmRW-uxNleZtXPXf6lzLRu2RjIz66e6xgsH-vm8y4nRj31DYmVs85A/s2348/IMG_1563.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2348" data-original-width="1619" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWlDYk7n1e1gOQdDNJEVpm-wkUPZgtmwF0wc-eADlU0h9oxHTjR-n_YOZJbYD4dGV76ZczmP6uir-tIcmd_6K_h1i5BUlpa23qqVHvm-SM6abnxyt6hqXPY6mwSIigt31dGmRW-uxNleZtXPXf6lzLRu2RjIz66e6xgsH-vm8y4nRj31DYmVs85A/w442-h640/IMG_1563.jpeg" width="442" /></a></b></span></div><p></p>Brian Sibleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02395103557170474777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28039080.post-30235022968790619272023-12-27T18:19:00.008+00:002024-01-06T18:39:01.831+00:00THE MONSTER IN THE SMALLEST ROOM<p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">All
I did was put out an additional air-freshener because the one in use
was running low and –– SHOCK-HORROR!! –– I unleashed this Miserable Loo
Monster!</span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzgW6WUr_0vwR9cmJmJplF499x-4Lr84wtOSvgaeZ9vFI8atL1kzbOnqGTw_OyIfror7TlLKge9k5jDZ8IthLjVAx-GIysnESk3NtFZf_uQbOuAWfUQqY3CFnzKb-b40eMhxYDh06WjKOGf0izCRy6eRHhw0r3WYVRd3j3rz44u7avTKwThedQQ/s3702/IMG_1513.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2544" data-original-width="3702" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzgW6WUr_0vwR9cmJmJplF499x-4Lr84wtOSvgaeZ9vFI8atL1kzbOnqGTw_OyIfror7TlLKge9k5jDZ8IthLjVAx-GIysnESk3NtFZf_uQbOuAWfUQqY3CFnzKb-b40eMhxYDh06WjKOGf0izCRy6eRHhw0r3WYVRd3j3rz44u7avTKwThedQQ/w524-h361/IMG_1513.jpeg" width="524" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span><p></p>Brian Sibleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02395103557170474777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28039080.post-42636557717822273262023-12-25T01:17:00.003+00:002024-01-08T17:24:15.640+00:00PEACE ON EARTH GOOWILL TO MEN<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"></span></span></p><div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3crKY_gCYut_zIY5zQ83FMvfnExS6OvTqFd5ImAZEi9edjeEXr7rmFckJZZDKWVIvm8nLUSnlD79DbSGcUjAnDlV1tBs0Qrt1Pv_8ADRkZ18heGgbxNz7P1fiu9A9AiH3ohV5zbTfZzcP38oxKSwZvmNcXwUw3iPFsdXHmXc9n-OEwc3n5DVoDA/s1338/Screenshot%202023-12-24%20at%2014.16.55.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1338" data-original-width="960" height="736" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3crKY_gCYut_zIY5zQ83FMvfnExS6OvTqFd5ImAZEi9edjeEXr7rmFckJZZDKWVIvm8nLUSnlD79DbSGcUjAnDlV1tBs0Qrt1Pv_8ADRkZ18heGgbxNz7P1fiu9A9AiH3ohV5zbTfZzcP38oxKSwZvmNcXwUw3iPFsdXHmXc9n-OEwc3n5DVoDA/w529-h736/Screenshot%202023-12-24%20at%2014.16.55.jpeg" width="529" /></a></div></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">CHRISTMAS BELLS</span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I heard the bells on Christmas Day</span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Their old, familiar carols play,</span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And wild and sweet</span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The words repeat </span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Of peace on earth, good-will to men!</span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And thought how, as the day had come,</span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The belfries of all Christendom</span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Had rolled along</span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The unbroken song</span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Of peace on earth, good-will to men!</span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Till ringing, singing on its way,</span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The world revolved from night to day,</span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A voice, a chime,</span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A chant sublime </span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Of peace on earth, good-will to men!</span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Then from each black, accursed mouth</span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The cannon thundered in the South,</span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And with the sound </span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The carols drowned</span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Of peace on earth, good-will to men! </span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It was as if an earthquake rent</span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The hearth-stones of a continent,</span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And made forlorn</span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The households born</span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Of peace on earth, good-will to men!</span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And in despair I bowed my head;</span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">"There is no peace on earth," I said;</span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">"For hate is strong,</span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And mocks the song </span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"</span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:</span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;</span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Wrong shall fail,</span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Right prevail,</span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 108pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">With peace on earth, good-will to men."</span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 120px; text-align: left;">
</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 120px; text-align: left;"> </p>
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{page:WordSect</style><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div><div style="margin-left: 240px; text-align: left;">– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)</div></div></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">'Christmas Bells' was written on December 25th, 1864 (some sources place its composition a year earlier) as a reflection on the American Civil War of 1861-1865.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">[Artist: Anton Pieck (1895–1987)]</div></div></span></span></div>Brian Sibleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02395103557170474777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28039080.post-42595128561292324902023-12-23T03:22:00.008+00:002023-12-23T03:22:54.120+00:00WHY IS IT SUCH A WONDERFUL LIFE?<div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Being now almost now that eve of eves, means it is time to watch, yet again, my
favourite Christmas films<i> – in fact one of my all-time favourite films whether it's Christmas or not! –</i> Frank Capra's eternally satisfying and
edifying 1946 masterpiece, <i>It's a Wonderful Life</i>.</span></span><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span>
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Supposing you agree with my estimation of the film's worth (and, if you <i>don't</i>,
kindly stop reading and go and do something more satisfying!), it's not
difficult to see why it works so powerfully on the heart and mind; it
does so – not accidentally – in the same way as does Charles Dickens' <i>A Christmas Carol</i>: by touching on a restless sense of longing and a haunting fear of loss that is universal to humankind. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">
And if James Stewart – an actor too easily pigeon-holed as being a
charming but lightweight player – ever gave a more nuanced performance
than his portrayal of George Bailey, then I don't know of one, not even
his barnstorming performance as the benign Jefferson Smith, </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Capra's All-</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">American Everyman, </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">in <i>Mr Smith Goes to Washington</i>.</span><br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCPZ5VVxY-D3nfYoRYFnqOZgbSSxWYZJyr2VdKGVO4CztQ3YL8wJpN0MT2JWoAvqAm8usfj66A-drkTQBNNA3jFkQ36-uq0yGqvmGp-f4W-MN-YWVY4aGFjGV9DToK4Ocky4FnQg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-12-21+at+16.18.50.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="948" data-original-width="1600" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCPZ5VVxY-D3nfYoRYFnqOZgbSSxWYZJyr2VdKGVO4CztQ3YL8wJpN0MT2JWoAvqAm8usfj66A-drkTQBNNA3jFkQ36-uq0yGqvmGp-f4W-MN-YWVY4aGFjGV9DToK4Ocky4FnQg/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-12-21+at+16.18.50.jpg" width="540" /></a></div>
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">At the beginning of the film, Stewart is all wide-eyed optimism and
energised hope; filled with a desire to shake off the dust of the
archetypical American small town, Bedford Falls, and see the world. But
as the story progresses, he registers disappointment and disillusionment
not in a melodramatic way, but in a subtle – often unspoken –
portrayal of a man forced to accept the burdens of duty, the need to
trade-in his dreams in order to be able to stand by his family, friends
and neighbours.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">
From that turning-point onward, Stewart shifts his performance through a
state of happy resignation with his lot in life to one of uncontrolled rage and nihilistic despair. That is when the heartwarming, some might
say hokey, portrayal of small people nobly and courageously living out
their small lives against all odds takes a darkly dramatic turn and the
hero becomes a haggard, worn-down, tragic figure, ready to believe he
would be better off dead.</span><br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfIBn-Seditpw7ZMp88sx8pNMTqa8qEwDzSXEq5BC_ARdSu-unN7BE-fgRmq8sqe52ApPd3riPr4OhZMNvs-4AMVI11Rpl6MJjIT0QzmIoQZM1yoL027JpOG7OBbY8H60pm16WZA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-12-21+at+16.32.16.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="816" data-original-width="1226" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfIBn-Seditpw7ZMp88sx8pNMTqa8qEwDzSXEq5BC_ARdSu-unN7BE-fgRmq8sqe52ApPd3riPr4OhZMNvs-4AMVI11Rpl6MJjIT0QzmIoQZM1yoL027JpOG7OBbY8H60pm16WZA/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-12-21+at+16.32.16.png" width="540" /></a></div>
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What is, perhaps, most surprising about the film – and is evidence of
Capra's genius as an auteur – is the shape of the narrative, with
two-thirds of the running-time devoted to establishing the characters, major and minor, and ensuring that we, as viewers, have an emotional
investment in them all. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So it is that when George is given the gift of
being able to see what the world would have been like if he had never
been born, we care not just about George's own reactions to the
terrifying revelations, but also about all the other, by now beloved,
characters whose lives have been embittered, shriveled or destroyed by influence and interventions of this man who has come to sees his life as futile and valueless. <br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
Stewart's central role
is surrounded, supported and enhanced by his fellow players: Donna Reed
as the ever-loving, ever-caring wife, Mary, and Lionel Barrymore – famous for
years for his annual radio portrayal of Ebenezer Scrooge – perfectly
cast as that other "squeezing, grasping covetous old sinner", Henry
Potter.</span><br /></div><div>
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<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Then there's Thomas Mitchell as the absent minded Uncle Billy; Beulah
Bondi as George's mother; H. B. Warner as the town druggist, Mr. Gower;
and, of course, Henry Travers, as Clarence Oddbody the "angel second
class" who is a heaven-sent emissary determined both to prevent George
from committing suicide, and helping him see – despite all the vagaries and
setbacks – that it truly<i> is</i> a wonderful life, and, by so doing, win his angel's wings.</span><br /></div><div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmGGLG32-xB6Bpd50xGxKAkJnoHnDwkadkkJeeuD1r7p0IU4P9BgIYk9hTBJYgPQArYQTT4kGjPPSJIHK-_pr3J2kyMaXYcNqFKnoXwbw53S5dchUWh52dcv4KZy90kRBfdrBGmg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2018-12-21+at+16.19.31.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="980" data-original-width="1256" height="411" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmGGLG32-xB6Bpd50xGxKAkJnoHnDwkadkkJeeuD1r7p0IU4P9BgIYk9hTBJYgPQArYQTT4kGjPPSJIHK-_pr3J2kyMaXYcNqFKnoXwbw53S5dchUWh52dcv4KZy90kRBfdrBGmg/s400/Screen+Shot+2018-12-21+at+16.19.31.png" width="540" /></a></div>
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">With its visions of Past, Present and a shockingly revisionist glimpse
into the future, along with the spirit of goodwill to all men, we are
definitely within the territory of Charles Dickens' celebrated "ghost
story of Christmas".<br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><i>A Christmas Carol</i> has inspired – or, if you prefer, spawned –
hundreds of derivatives, but none has been more enduring
or more deserving of celebration than <i>It's A Wonderful Life</i>.</span><br /></div><div>
<br />
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was always a showcase for the work of some of the finest graphic and
illustrative artists of the age and examples of their work is showcased
in this very personal selection of classic covers from before-my-time,
but by artists whose work I love – John Gilroy (he of the classic Guinness posters), Rex Whistler, Edward Ardizzone and
Eric Fraser;<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> from my childhood and adolescent years – C. Walter Hodges, J. S. Goodall, Ronald Searle, Rowland Hilder, Victor Reinganum and, again of course, Eric Fraser; and, lastly, from more recent years – the impeccable art of Tony Meeuwissen and a wonderful cavalcade of Santas and Snowmen by my friend, Mick Brownfield. </span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Among the later are his Father Christmas and Dalek cover and the alternative variant <i>Strictly Come Dancing</i> version for families with tiny tots who were scared of Doctor Who's inter-galactic, mechanical nemesis!</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoydduvehzcwTA-mdxfnSo_vNAM0pBcPW8uVT40CUudhgqQJswCbgpof0q7qd7Y4iJ1J9576HL43K1oY54OxrQkJdlYu3qbqaX45wh_kw073W0oD4rRh3R-J10x5ErhYmkM3kg2z8GNy1QT1IgtzLz-Q0980geKEGT9IkdB3tjjKzc5y1WUh45SQ/s1487/Screenshot%202023-12-24%20at%2015.48.19.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1487" data-original-width="1153" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoydduvehzcwTA-mdxfnSo_vNAM0pBcPW8uVT40CUudhgqQJswCbgpof0q7qd7Y4iJ1J9576HL43K1oY54OxrQkJdlYu3qbqaX45wh_kw073W0oD4rRh3R-J10x5ErhYmkM3kg2z8GNy1QT1IgtzLz-Q0980geKEGT9IkdB3tjjKzc5y1WUh45SQ/w496-h640/Screenshot%202023-12-24%20at%2015.48.19.jpeg" width="496" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Rex Whistler, 1931</span></span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDD6YpiPZcepdHjZkEjiLYP2zYJLyvDlQYBQIPxRFeG6QJe9GTF9Lyb-HE80Nncmr0vtomJ32nJnk7nB6PW34R-B70lddUWhgPg0U6wFdVl28qTex5mrgLqsP1m2YEC3iA0ly1q2u0pTrbV2IkNdiXRWJMjlw9simaJLFgYxYqzqT-BynRPRRziQ/s1194/rt1932_orig.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1194" data-original-width="917" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDD6YpiPZcepdHjZkEjiLYP2zYJLyvDlQYBQIPxRFeG6QJe9GTF9Lyb-HE80Nncmr0vtomJ32nJnk7nB6PW34R-B70lddUWhgPg0U6wFdVl28qTex5mrgLqsP1m2YEC3iA0ly1q2u0pTrbV2IkNdiXRWJMjlw9simaJLFgYxYqzqT-BynRPRRziQ/w492-h640/rt1932_orig.jpeg" width="492" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Edward Ardizzone, 1932</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq77JLqiUV2aZIjB8GOXfpPA47Epuqn2QFxIWrojBm0hZ_oov9DW1rvMgrGaxYXdqrmA8yN8Z-gHTIlEbCSgYvxfnul4vxcUxvuUg_k7FD8GPmiBm-f8oCYdaN1ewbfGtaJnvheScoyHmy7H0XMcEYbnxbn5F8LClZrx6h3M-NckAwv6r23TkP7A/s1189/Screenshot%202024-01-03%20at%2021.42.26.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1189" data-original-width="923" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq77JLqiUV2aZIjB8GOXfpPA47Epuqn2QFxIWrojBm0hZ_oov9DW1rvMgrGaxYXdqrmA8yN8Z-gHTIlEbCSgYvxfnul4vxcUxvuUg_k7FD8GPmiBm-f8oCYdaN1ewbfGtaJnvheScoyHmy7H0XMcEYbnxbn5F8LClZrx6h3M-NckAwv6r23TkP7A/w496-h640/Screenshot%202024-01-03%20at%2021.42.26.jpeg" width="496" /></a></div>John Gilroy, 1940 </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGWYyXz0MyC8IvSEm7armXp1txeIKji3pJeVGv5q2o7Wl8BwnbCv7IzG8iQ9hNlxTWjdAo2Aqw3I8U3xyqF5TkFOBb-gcX7gMcwBR9Dh5o9r12eMStvbpj4hNAOH9MiD1obBnlWJNURjYmFcCGziM5kI6JxZ0xxzU80HJe-_rWENgNxllJYyx_zw/s1143/Screenshot%202024-01-03%20at%2021.45.08.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="881" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGWYyXz0MyC8IvSEm7armXp1txeIKji3pJeVGv5q2o7Wl8BwnbCv7IzG8iQ9hNlxTWjdAo2Aqw3I8U3xyqF5TkFOBb-gcX7gMcwBR9Dh5o9r12eMStvbpj4hNAOH9MiD1obBnlWJNURjYmFcCGziM5kI6JxZ0xxzU80HJe-_rWENgNxllJYyx_zw/w494-h640/Screenshot%202024-01-03%20at%2021.45.08.jpeg" width="494" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">J. S. Goodall, 1946<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm43yJ9U7NzkZhoWrvrFeQoqA-Ut2gih5X5DKx3o3MSfV5YwPPhjMSQkiFjCoIJ1M6eN3_917WyTbeOe_cg2TuGL5QAs7Z9A-5eHhd7mDm0XNXQGJp-9SxAg5k8QZ9IFWFDxgL1msr93oIj26Ee_-Q2xybIm2bakeZSpNR4NvOQctMD2_AiJf7tA/s1289/Screenshot%202024-01-03%20at%2021.46.36.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1289" data-original-width="1046" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm43yJ9U7NzkZhoWrvrFeQoqA-Ut2gih5X5DKx3o3MSfV5YwPPhjMSQkiFjCoIJ1M6eN3_917WyTbeOe_cg2TuGL5QAs7Z9A-5eHhd7mDm0XNXQGJp-9SxAg5k8QZ9IFWFDxgL1msr93oIj26Ee_-Q2xybIm2bakeZSpNR4NvOQctMD2_AiJf7tA/w520-h640/Screenshot%202024-01-03%20at%2021.46.36.jpeg" width="520" /></a></div>Ronald Searle, 1947</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Ct5zvWuxZJgoQCt-bt6_97y48IpbAfgEbc5J42dXS82HwM92mDbYK_iAfqAuJMMGVRAYWNSkTU4VhioItZNFcDUT9_ihDq05-3J5UfMj_ZbddtPrD-VCXYHUjsUjM7xFzP46t54PQi8Yidgh9h_yheaxXsNa-eQhKv6jlIvhmDlVvnrDvyGvmg/s1277/Screenshot%202024-01-03%20at%2021.50.31.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1277" data-original-width="1007" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Ct5zvWuxZJgoQCt-bt6_97y48IpbAfgEbc5J42dXS82HwM92mDbYK_iAfqAuJMMGVRAYWNSkTU4VhioItZNFcDUT9_ihDq05-3J5UfMj_ZbddtPrD-VCXYHUjsUjM7xFzP46t54PQi8Yidgh9h_yheaxXsNa-eQhKv6jlIvhmDlVvnrDvyGvmg/w504-h640/Screenshot%202024-01-03%20at%2021.50.31.jpeg" width="504" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Edward Ardizzone, 1948</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYckDQbLWOPLjGsh1-OqBNeox9FaLpY379Fc0EabdLmhmVfPvKteTzgsQ9X2nf8hlqHXAFfc_iSQDMAGE0CEMyksh7utKnWz99PHNrLnWt5-qT5drjj4eVheIMVekoljdg1xWdQiasvjCAXgrFGCztvx6Gqv_i0aqmap-W_AWZU5Cqwi22yDyhTA/s1214/Screenshot%202024-01-03%20at%2021.51.17%202.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1214" data-original-width="917" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYckDQbLWOPLjGsh1-OqBNeox9FaLpY379Fc0EabdLmhmVfPvKteTzgsQ9X2nf8hlqHXAFfc_iSQDMAGE0CEMyksh7utKnWz99PHNrLnWt5-qT5drjj4eVheIMVekoljdg1xWdQiasvjCAXgrFGCztvx6Gqv_i0aqmap-W_AWZU5Cqwi22yDyhTA/w484-h640/Screenshot%202024-01-03%20at%2021.51.17%202.jpeg" width="484" /></a></div> Eric Fraser, 1949<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-LgJXm3iGxMKbEDgGxh5qCvyoRUkxqxmeeFu8MHUX3ipp5GFdcoMHoYJ_SCgsnwXMGJSYJAOvjEkBx60JYNRTSonmNJhdUSXlqGDwtnTCub3WAbjdxgJyNA1VigiRtKBw7Kex9fb7QYP1qG16eC9x1yCNHEB4TJvosJljPUepSnMv0nJOdSCYYw/s1278/Screenshot%202024-01-03%20at%2021.52.15.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1278" data-original-width="1002" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-LgJXm3iGxMKbEDgGxh5qCvyoRUkxqxmeeFu8MHUX3ipp5GFdcoMHoYJ_SCgsnwXMGJSYJAOvjEkBx60JYNRTSonmNJhdUSXlqGDwtnTCub3WAbjdxgJyNA1VigiRtKBw7Kex9fb7QYP1qG16eC9x1yCNHEB4TJvosJljPUepSnMv0nJOdSCYYw/w502-h640/Screenshot%202024-01-03%20at%2021.52.15.jpeg" width="502" /></a></div><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">C. Walter Hodges, 1950</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqkJhmkxyj_uFsmf6PB1UHrXBgw_bsqfPTre4ZfQze3Bm-O8gZ8u4FFtQSo7Y46_Wck3Fx8HxteziV8R2393x2jKGp_IsfEuxGwo8SzsEOwUAjZHxXb0GO1kPVPdR5lE0GmaEuXS-g1Hvj4wHxfXoaVrlfYEjEPUdllNkQdWdAqCLfbmch93ICKQ/s1238/Screenshot%202024-01-03%20at%2021.53.31.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1238" data-original-width="940" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqkJhmkxyj_uFsmf6PB1UHrXBgw_bsqfPTre4ZfQze3Bm-O8gZ8u4FFtQSo7Y46_Wck3Fx8HxteziV8R2393x2jKGp_IsfEuxGwo8SzsEOwUAjZHxXb0GO1kPVPdR5lE0GmaEuXS-g1Hvj4wHxfXoaVrlfYEjEPUdllNkQdWdAqCLfbmch93ICKQ/w486-h640/Screenshot%202024-01-03%20at%2021.53.31.jpeg" width="486" /></a></div></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Rowland Hilder, 1951</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">(inspired by <i>The Hunters in the Snow </i>by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1965)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVT5f-egxzTne_iYZhliEiAUKg3LTSgzFKxipx6hQfW_INj1YXlh8nOmP5ZVpAh_Eqhf1dH_mP45bPfkegk35Un1h-vGHYnwFBcwEY2SlGaFUymDDXABdyJOxqslI-G1rhwvMFGSEOIPjIH_q4qlMoU5DR4XB8vYXJ_QVKrtOvyeQ_GqT5S44dhQ/s1228/Screenshot%202024-01-03%20at%2021.56.20.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1228" data-original-width="940" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVT5f-egxzTne_iYZhliEiAUKg3LTSgzFKxipx6hQfW_INj1YXlh8nOmP5ZVpAh_Eqhf1dH_mP45bPfkegk35Un1h-vGHYnwFBcwEY2SlGaFUymDDXABdyJOxqslI-G1rhwvMFGSEOIPjIH_q4qlMoU5DR4XB8vYXJ_QVKrtOvyeQ_GqT5S44dhQ/w490-h640/Screenshot%202024-01-03%20at%2021.56.20.jpeg" width="490" /></a></div></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">J. S. Goodall, 1953 </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7VrTyjeclBg7KHI9yjQoPSvFwgrd64vn-vTpEPaeRFwuuaEk5ixRpolbRvflLOiapIzz7qXOUtOG5RpYDtT97phO3pnODZ0GalZFwIyePpG66KqkD4bpcLKmFQREWpn99zVoA3IvxBuX_mwhZNa5ldh8hkGtryy-F7QAgucrNSQ01BilI4PBgQ/s1211/Screenshot%202024-01-03%20at%2021.59.46.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1211" data-original-width="947" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7VrTyjeclBg7KHI9yjQoPSvFwgrd64vn-vTpEPaeRFwuuaEk5ixRpolbRvflLOiapIzz7qXOUtOG5RpYDtT97phO3pnODZ0GalZFwIyePpG66KqkD4bpcLKmFQREWpn99zVoA3IvxBuX_mwhZNa5ldh8hkGtryy-F7QAgucrNSQ01BilI4PBgQ/w500-h640/Screenshot%202024-01-03%20at%2021.59.46.jpeg" width="500" /></a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Monica Walker, 1956 </span><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHc9bxPDBUuYUPqFuwd_su2JnZBGfday4xDxxmVorcwB1yReDu38WzrOV0EjgJl36cXS7GzcuaT3b4piD3SjgsAZpAOnBGkaRI0fwKdiCNZkjQBggiv9gXAhg7TXWc6Ql7k84ttDUtMqfuVzLRpvTNFWh1Og9z05LAHobPvYoAFaH5wwKhvSXA4g/s1213/Screenshot%202024-01-04%20at%2004.14.24.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1213" data-original-width="955" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHc9bxPDBUuYUPqFuwd_su2JnZBGfday4xDxxmVorcwB1yReDu38WzrOV0EjgJl36cXS7GzcuaT3b4piD3SjgsAZpAOnBGkaRI0fwKdiCNZkjQBggiv9gXAhg7TXWc6Ql7k84ttDUtMqfuVzLRpvTNFWh1Og9z05LAHobPvYoAFaH5wwKhvSXA4g/w504-h640/Screenshot%202024-01-04%20at%2004.14.24.jpeg" width="504" /></a></div>James Hart, 1957 </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSKf-rscRO1ZTSpuV0UUBHLRfqBG_oRTmHiAoNW0hD3cRwIZIpaxgsKmvlRKMpUEQop9lU3fbwZcL-g40vzNPcs6jsqTUN28SYM219-YFsTFq1k8VVOpXmQPFreHhjuiLe6ujkHSzM8PGKJJin_iMsOLvM9u6WQ5xPDduUQe1FvCibYWTXvSd_TA/s1275/Screenshot%202024-01-04%20at%2003.41.46.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1275" data-original-width="998" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSKf-rscRO1ZTSpuV0UUBHLRfqBG_oRTmHiAoNW0hD3cRwIZIpaxgsKmvlRKMpUEQop9lU3fbwZcL-g40vzNPcs6jsqTUN28SYM219-YFsTFq1k8VVOpXmQPFreHhjuiLe6ujkHSzM8PGKJJin_iMsOLvM9u6WQ5xPDduUQe1FvCibYWTXvSd_TA/w500-h640/Screenshot%202024-01-04%20at%2003.41.46.jpeg" width="500" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></div><div><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto"></span><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto"><span style="font-size: small;">Eric Fraser, 1958</span></span><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto"><span style="font-size: small;"> <br /></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto"><span style="font-size: small;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhElxmhEjLE3Y14oJ0G-XFPA9OcmpjVmRZca8k3TiVD-amkQjHH4sJD0FWcxp0RGjSn9Wob_MOXm1kebz0yJ6TNEsiXZuaXj1GDKRn2UmCFeyIjbwiM5yfknmU-U6LeFy7waeTqIto9FUEda715mt7ZUcf2KGeUwfB4aj9m85PrOOoufsChSwAisA/s2492/16034468102_acb9909d12_o.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2492" data-original-width="1927" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhElxmhEjLE3Y14oJ0G-XFPA9OcmpjVmRZca8k3TiVD-amkQjHH4sJD0FWcxp0RGjSn9Wob_MOXm1kebz0yJ6TNEsiXZuaXj1GDKRn2UmCFeyIjbwiM5yfknmU-U6LeFy7waeTqIto9FUEda715mt7ZUcf2KGeUwfB4aj9m85PrOOoufsChSwAisA/w494-h640/16034468102_acb9909d12_o.jpeg" width="494" /></a></div> </span></span><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto">Victor Reinganum, 1959<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto"><span style="font-size: small;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiouphkEjKkC90aE32o9udkRuza7WAnWFSXWmipk6BX6FV_x4kKCCqj2e5PzaornVtfULAIYFyZ7ffaCfm754gehyl4FLhjNwNFPgYxAAmDxF_e9HNfI-_y4SdWA39RufVFxrFbqtuW52lFQOwncjMZG_p6o1L7BcnDA7Bsd4KhFyeACsZrU6tWyQ/s1974/Screenshot%202021-02-26%20at%2001.38.23%202.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1974" data-original-width="1562" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiouphkEjKkC90aE32o9udkRuza7WAnWFSXWmipk6BX6FV_x4kKCCqj2e5PzaornVtfULAIYFyZ7ffaCfm754gehyl4FLhjNwNFPgYxAAmDxF_e9HNfI-_y4SdWA39RufVFxrFbqtuW52lFQOwncjMZG_p6o1L7BcnDA7Bsd4KhFyeACsZrU6tWyQ/w506-h640/Screenshot%202021-02-26%20at%2001.38.23%202.jpeg" width="506" /></a></div><br /></div></span></span><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto"><span style="font-size: small;">Eric Fraser, 1962</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto"><span style="font-size: small;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsL5G1Ld3icdiuvIiY7V4XPCxxbKzwudP5KT2vymXtLYwxZv4BTC5gTDl9Id-hJk0usi_BeFqVVZoFwyY0aR4l_-LILTvtj2frVsgedV55r-9yS5xQbkhOYb5RNJytvwIm1MXYVViFDpFfVEI5cCUprRS6nfe4YEzM1ea5g-d2ygrx7J6JaDjN6w/s1490/Screenshot%202023-12-24%20at%2015.44.13.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1490" data-original-width="1155" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsL5G1Ld3icdiuvIiY7V4XPCxxbKzwudP5KT2vymXtLYwxZv4BTC5gTDl9Id-hJk0usi_BeFqVVZoFwyY0aR4l_-LILTvtj2frVsgedV55r-9yS5xQbkhOYb5RNJytvwIm1MXYVViFDpFfVEI5cCUprRS6nfe4YEzM1ea5g-d2ygrx7J6JaDjN6w/w496-h640/Screenshot%202023-12-24%20at%2015.44.13.jpeg" width="496" /></a></div></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Tony Meeuwissen, 1970</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWA6nAJqGD77tEMol5qM5GDjVhJvIcVr7-v6JznctqWPvuN910ejD0EiBgdPmfKhHtpspHWcs0lnLzoYdSkGE_rQk_E9Gz3OXLgxIpbbzns6O7u2_gtzOtrOO9IXxHxYbedW26PSEcYFeZU9l4tJ_08MrWWXKt8h6cwpi-igbcaEv6TpT9VU7qdw/s1233/Screenshot%202024-01-03%20at%2021.36.36.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1233" data-original-width="952" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWA6nAJqGD77tEMol5qM5GDjVhJvIcVr7-v6JznctqWPvuN910ejD0EiBgdPmfKhHtpspHWcs0lnLzoYdSkGE_rQk_E9Gz3OXLgxIpbbzns6O7u2_gtzOtrOO9IXxHxYbedW26PSEcYFeZU9l4tJ_08MrWWXKt8h6cwpi-igbcaEv6TpT9VU7qdw/w494-h640/Screenshot%202024-01-03%20at%2021.36.36.jpeg" width="494" /></a></div></span></span></span><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto"><span style="font-size: small;">Mick Brownfield, 1991</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXtSmJvMgJucCEhw9BWOCwXZvSICqwLxW_lmpdbGHti3WGhjzysUxNCkwW11LSvrvXdXp80BXgs0X5Mf1ZEwMh24DCOTCCiAW10imvkhpThZtpw-dFyKurgiiK8Krqtx-vnAl-IFX0AlAEtGllY3XWdwtDnuo_-sLWD-GI8Rulf7fyqeGRu-PzsA/s1238/Screenshot%202023-12-24%20at%2016.02.16.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1238" data-original-width="945" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXtSmJvMgJucCEhw9BWOCwXZvSICqwLxW_lmpdbGHti3WGhjzysUxNCkwW11LSvrvXdXp80BXgs0X5Mf1ZEwMh24DCOTCCiAW10imvkhpThZtpw-dFyKurgiiK8Krqtx-vnAl-IFX0AlAEtGllY3XWdwtDnuo_-sLWD-GI8Rulf7fyqeGRu-PzsA/w488-h640/Screenshot%202023-12-24%20at%2016.02.16.jpeg" width="488" /></a></div></span></span></span><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto"><span style="font-size: small;">Mick Brownfield, 1993</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto"><span style="font-size: small;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfMLcqfa3DzVwy7TIz9mprU4iHCGeetFfz_adz74Mc8u7RtiRdaKqrCmtrgsLS7RZEPus9qccsg6rufvVItQ3TyiAOe-tHpBFeQCUSOtsS3zTkEaH4BEmRxOO26T6_gNz2R3U-XL-eEQkohQbVd9ErrEjhZgoo1uuOVxG2KnC-lPIO8yppvQKGlg/s1305/Screenshot%202024-01-03%20at%2021.04.39.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1305" data-original-width="970" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfMLcqfa3DzVwy7TIz9mprU4iHCGeetFfz_adz74Mc8u7RtiRdaKqrCmtrgsLS7RZEPus9qccsg6rufvVItQ3TyiAOe-tHpBFeQCUSOtsS3zTkEaH4BEmRxOO26T6_gNz2R3U-XL-eEQkohQbVd9ErrEjhZgoo1uuOVxG2KnC-lPIO8yppvQKGlg/w476-h640/Screenshot%202024-01-03%20at%2021.04.39.jpeg" width="476" /></a></div> </span></span><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto"><span style="font-size: small;">Mick Brownfield, 1993</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></span><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjifPbh3d1UPmjZhuAAw7urS14nGYWHlZvhQJ1U_KMv0c1uF3fyRx0YtVyAEeUMDZU088FTLgXnn5lK_Ao8rj5-okqLumCSZPlJwEYsDSYupHAY4TWC6sbE3ea1SKBz2zoXgyFIujlGNaZKOMEReB1V5HAqmzz78M-szbyepz7gAmIRup5VPyaPQA/s1243/Screenshot%202023-12-24%20at%2016.01.15.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1243" data-original-width="942" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjifPbh3d1UPmjZhuAAw7urS14nGYWHlZvhQJ1U_KMv0c1uF3fyRx0YtVyAEeUMDZU088FTLgXnn5lK_Ao8rj5-okqLumCSZPlJwEYsDSYupHAY4TWC6sbE3ea1SKBz2zoXgyFIujlGNaZKOMEReB1V5HAqmzz78M-szbyepz7gAmIRup5VPyaPQA/w486-h640/Screenshot%202023-12-24%20at%2016.01.15.jpeg" width="486" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;">Mick Brownfield, 1995</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto"><span style="font-size: small;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzeyY1R28zydzx5c4h7Os_yLiL1bdsiygcVE6AjAcNwsdBIg2ygbZjK_piRPOoD1ZAkuSAazHl1fXCmBWQ5knHNPQnaqmBXLFZxgw8NMEpSrYvsyAttcJdxTz0WI1p8KXg4rjMHXMkmpY5Wpyg-jDXfhqA0D-VHBdLjZprvza0U3UEQU0GkURzBg/s1269/Screenshot%202023-12-24%20at%2016.02.27.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1269" data-original-width="918" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzeyY1R28zydzx5c4h7Os_yLiL1bdsiygcVE6AjAcNwsdBIg2ygbZjK_piRPOoD1ZAkuSAazHl1fXCmBWQ5knHNPQnaqmBXLFZxgw8NMEpSrYvsyAttcJdxTz0WI1p8KXg4rjMHXMkmpY5Wpyg-jDXfhqA0D-VHBdLjZprvza0U3UEQU0GkURzBg/w462-h640/Screenshot%202023-12-24%20at%2016.02.27.jpeg" width="462" /></a></div></span></span><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto"><span style="font-size: small;">Mick Brownfield, 1997</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto"><span style="font-size: small;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Ta7PILmXZwRG3UFNPuOtqz-kpJAUIrRUncJ9SMM7m4h5UqHiOxY0qtRVelkXlofjx37RO7vUidzf5Yba8jh6VnQ1CBO5xYcYnNdbdFTh_LGIr5FWknCs9xq0orn85lN0MFGkiFncbfsgqo1-FUhWqamXK0wEGwVaRpT-XFCgnXtTYXUB8faoUw/s1494/Screenshot%202023-12-24%20at%2001.49.53.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1494" data-original-width="1120" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Ta7PILmXZwRG3UFNPuOtqz-kpJAUIrRUncJ9SMM7m4h5UqHiOxY0qtRVelkXlofjx37RO7vUidzf5Yba8jh6VnQ1CBO5xYcYnNdbdFTh_LGIr5FWknCs9xq0orn85lN0MFGkiFncbfsgqo1-FUhWqamXK0wEGwVaRpT-XFCgnXtTYXUB8faoUw/w480-h640/Screenshot%202023-12-24%20at%2001.49.53.jpeg" width="480" /></a><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /> </span></span><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto"><span style="font-size: small;">Mick Brownfield, 2009</span></span></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto"><span style="font-size: small;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX7zzx9v8nWV7SqiW0yeDMNmSD4qG5PZadjF7h-OyMVyGM_B_lEiWZJWxuGT_xD8z129NXasXRAWrykye3TGCII2LomHlIUEdLpxIpumXi_RaN6jLm-M2W6RnXYZl782iEUXhHUo6cSzDr4EUnw86Hr4DsBdGiNHUx7utExNdWtIg_Xam9Ydtg8A/s1400/Screenshot%202024-01-03%20at%2020.48.14.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1400" data-original-width="1055" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX7zzx9v8nWV7SqiW0yeDMNmSD4qG5PZadjF7h-OyMVyGM_B_lEiWZJWxuGT_xD8z129NXasXRAWrykye3TGCII2LomHlIUEdLpxIpumXi_RaN6jLm-M2W6RnXYZl782iEUXhHUo6cSzDr4EUnw86Hr4DsBdGiNHUx7utExNdWtIg_Xam9Ydtg8A/w482-h640/Screenshot%202024-01-03%20at%2020.48.14.jpeg" width="482" /></a></div></span></span><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto"><span style="font-size: small;">Mick Brownfield, 2009 (variant)</span></span></span></span><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto"><span style="font-size: small;"> <br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto"><span style="font-size: small;"> <br /></span></span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u" dir="auto"> </span><span class="x193iq5w xeuugli x13faqbe x1vvkbs xlh3980 xvmahel x1n0sxbx x1lliihq x1s928wv xhkezso x1gmr53x x1cpjm7i x1fgarty x1943h6x xudqn12 x3x7a5m x6prxxf xvq8zen xo1l8bm xzsf02u x1yc453h" dir="auto"></span></p><div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a"><div style="text-align: left;"></div></div><p></p></div>Brian Sibleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02395103557170474777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28039080.post-56936767056923542662023-12-15T00:30:00.213+00:002023-12-15T14:17:47.510+00:00THE DAY WALT DISNEY DIED<div><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRfzvZXoHbzYKS9o8QQ0cFOxuBUUajqVOFqYA6j-NjnHcpKqTTS63pH9kC8CRXxzb9hxSGkeFVs2om1h6hyaG3Gwr_imQ9HHL0Wyz8e7KGS6PMX-sHRuj6HK09Tw2lff7dKXRQ2PLJi84WT06XQhPForxaIVfNjdrQ5eN2wLnvKnRPvcOYcj3OQ/s3517/IMG_1315.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3517" data-original-width="2941" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRfzvZXoHbzYKS9o8QQ0cFOxuBUUajqVOFqYA6j-NjnHcpKqTTS63pH9kC8CRXxzb9hxSGkeFVs2om1h6hyaG3Gwr_imQ9HHL0Wyz8e7KGS6PMX-sHRuj6HK09Tw2lff7dKXRQ2PLJi84WT06XQhPForxaIVfNjdrQ5eN2wLnvKnRPvcOYcj3OQ/w536-h640/IMG_1315.jpeg" width="536" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">When my friend, French Disney scholar Christian Renaut, visited me last month, he gave me a very special gift: a copy of the famous</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">24 December 1966</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"> issue of the </span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">French magazine <i>Paris Match</i></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"> featuring a grieving Mickey Mouse to mark the death of Walt Disney, nine days earlier. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">The iconic cover painting was by French comic book artist, </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Pierre Nicolas, <span style="font-weight: normal;">and the magazine contained a lengthy appreciation of the American filmmaker under the title, 'Adieu a Walt Disney - Il a Bati Un Empire Sur Une Souris'. Although very aware of this image – one that spoke to the global shock with which people received the news of Uncle Walt's death – I had never owned a copy.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></p><h1 id="item-title" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">It was a gift that brought back some powerful memories and, today, I am </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">recalling an event that happened fifty-seven years ago today...</span></span></h1><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
I am twelve years old and I'm getting ready for school and, suddenly, there is my father calling up the stairs: <span style="font-style: italic;">'Brian... Walt Disney has died!' </span><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
Downstairs I can hear the murmuring drone of radio voices as my father –
busy brewing early-morning tea – listens, as he does every morning, to
the BBC Radio news programme, <span style="font-style: italic;">Today</span>.<br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
Maybe I should have have dashed downstairs to catch the reports, absorb
the details, gather up the tributes. After all, Walt Disney was my
hero. A strange idol for a young lad, maybe – but that is what he
was.<br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
I collected every book, magazine and trivial snippet that I could find
about Disney and his studio. I was forever copying pictures of Disney
characters in my sketch-books – in fact my youthful ambition was to be a
Disney artist, to animate those fabulous beings that appeared in his
films. I longed to be a part of that mystical process that created
characters out of pencil, ink and paint and then imbue them with a power
to move people to laughter or tears. I was, I admit, obsessed by the
man and his movies.<br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
Later that morning, on my way to school, I would buy the daily
newspapers and – in a corner of the playground at morning break – pore
over the obituaries; but, at the moment of first hearing the news, I had
only one response: I sat on the edge of my bed and, like <i>Paris Match</i>'s Mickey Mouse, I cried.<br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2YTGZObqU-VZSkc1HQHEwcCRpKuuiiWhBCXHrZYhm2gZkl2Iy6f5RhxddXgAGtU5txz1taCAB_einPWFxU1jNgI_XC_OHaa49O1J9VWfrqRenMJ_f3r0-u2B-XdDh4wdqeBYB/s1600/walt.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5548766141580458354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2YTGZObqU-VZSkc1HQHEwcCRpKuuiiWhBCXHrZYhm2gZkl2Iy6f5RhxddXgAGtU5txz1taCAB_einPWFxU1jNgI_XC_OHaa49O1J9VWfrqRenMJ_f3r0-u2B-XdDh4wdqeBYB/s400/walt.jpg" style="float: left; height: 400px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 318px;" /></a><span style="font-size: medium;">For
the first time in my young life I experienced that bizarre phenomenon: a
feeling of overwhelming grief at the death of someone whom I did not
really know. Not only had I never met Walt Disney, I had – rather
surprisingly – never even written him a fan-letter. Yet, I felt, as
many others have felt on hearing of the death of some public figure,
president or pop-star – that I had lost a friend, been bereaved of
someone who held a unique place in my affections. The loss felt
achingly huge; a void had yawned open in my life that I doubted could
ever be filled...<br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
In the four-and-a-half decades since that day, I have continued to study
– and occasionally write about – Disney's life and work. I have also
had the privilege of meeting many of those who knew, worked with, loved
and (sometimes) loathed the man. Such encounters have brought me very
close to feeling that I understand at least something of the unique
personality and character that was Walter Elias Disney.<br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
But I have never been – never shall be – as close to him as I was on
that morning when my father called upstairs to tell me the news that
Walt Disney had died...</span><br />
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T<span style="font-size: medium;">hat memory triggers another from six or seven years later... <br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
My early fascination with Disney movies had been suddenly intensified when I borrowed R D Feild's book, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Art of Walt Disney</span>
from my local library. Here was someone who, unlike my Mum, didn't
think of 'cartoons' as kid's stuff you ought to have grown out of by the
time your voice breaks.<br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
I <i>wanted</i> a copy of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Art of Walt Disney </span>more
than anything else in the world and began scouring the second-hand
bookshops, which is how I stumbled on Fred Zentner. He later became The
Cinema Bookshop in London’s Great Russell Street, but when I first met
him he was selling film books, stills, posters and other gems –
including a copy of the much-lusted-after<span style="font-style: italic;"> Art of Walt Disney</span>
– from the basement of the Atlantis Bookshop, in Museum Street, just
round the corner from the British Museum. Once found, I began, bit by
bit, buying up Fred's stock of Disneyana.<br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
Then came the day when he placed into my hands a copy of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Story of Walt Disney</span><b>
</b> by Walt's daughter, Diane Disney Miller, as told to Pete Martin. It was
a first edition American hardback, published by Henry Holt & Co
(New York) in 1956. It still had its original dustwrapper with a
portrait of Walt by studio artist, Al Dempster... </span>
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<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And what's more, it was ––– <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">SIGNED!</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">
There, on the half-title page, in green biro, with that distinctive bold handwriting was the inscription...</span><br /><br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> </span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">It was his very signature – including the little circle
over the 'i' in 'Disney' that I emulated in my own signature. This man –
whom I had never met but who exercised an obsessive fascination over me
– had held this book, opened it and inscribed his name inside.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">
'How much is it?' I whisper, holding my breath.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">
'Forty pounds,' he replies.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">
All those years ago, yet I remember the conversation as if it were yesterday.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">
It was an <i>awful</i> lot of money!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">
I wanted it! No, I craved it! But, <span style="font-style: italic;">FORTY POUNDS</span>...</span><br /></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
Forty pounds for a book? My mother would go bananas! Besides, I couldn't afford it. I didn't <span style="font-style: italic;">have</span> forty pounds. I didn't know when I ever <span style="font-style: italic;">would</span>
have forty pounds. But, right there and then, I desired that book with a
passion that, call me eccentric if you will, I have scarcely felt about
anything since.<br /></span></div><div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
But, how was it possible? <span>FORTY POUNDS</span>!
It was way beyond my meager means. Then Fred Zentner showed himself to
be a man who understood the full anguish of desire, because he made me
an offer. If I paid him ten pounds a month for the next four months, he
would keep the book for me until I had paid the full forty.</span><br /></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
So, month on month, I made my pilgrimage to the Atlantis Bookshop,
looked at the swirling green signature and paid another ten pounds.<br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
Then, one day, it was mine.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">
Fast-forward thirteen years. I am standing in the Archive at the Walt
Disney Studio in Burbank, California, talking with Archivist, Dave Smith. I
am there researching a television documentary about EPCOT Center and I
mention, in conversation, that the prize of my Disney collection was an
autographed copy of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Story of Walt Disney</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">
Dave Smith laughs and asks a question that almost brings the universe crashing down around my ears.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">
'Are you <span style="font-style: italic;">sure</span> it's actually signed by Walt Disney?'</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">
'Of course! It <span style="font-style: italic;">says </span>so, in green biro: ‘Best Wishes Walt Disney’!'</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">
'That may be,' he replies, 'but many people at the Studio, some of them
distinguished animators, signed books and pictures on Walt's
behalf.'</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">
I look stunned. But, Dave goes on: 'The Disney signatures by these other
artists are more like the famous logo signature that appears on Disney
movies and merchandise. Walt's personal signature, however, is quite
distinctive. Would you like to see a <span style="font-style: italic;">GENUINE</span> Disney signature?'</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">
Nothing could be simpler: within seconds I could know whether or not I
owned the real thing. Or, I could leave things as they were. Except, of
course, that now I couldn't. Dave Smith had sowed a terrible seed of
doubt...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">
I hesitate for no more than a second: 'Yes, let's see a <span style="font-style: italic;">GENUINE</span> Disney autograph…'</span><br /><br /></div>
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<br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Then, relief and joy! 'It is just like mine!'<br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
When, a few years later, I got to know Diane Disney Miller, I asked her
about the book and she told me that her father used to sign copies for
sale in the bookshop at Disneyland, which was very probably where my
copy had originally been purchased.<br /></span></div><div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
She also explained that whilst <span style="font-style: italic;">The Story of Walt Disney</span>
carried her name as author (and, indeed, included many of her own
reminiscences) it had been Walt himself who had collaborated directly
with Hollywood biographer Pete Martin on the book. However, her father
had decided that it would be better if his life-story were presented as
if told by his daughter, partly because he felt that to tell it himself
might appear arrogant, and partly because he wanted the recently married
Diane to earn some money.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">
A decade passed and I found myself in San Francisco working with Diane
in co-presenting a radio series for the BBC about her father. On this
occasion, I had carried the treasured volume with me and I asked her to
add her signature to the book’s title page.</span><br /></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
Diane was modestly reluctant – since, as she had already told me, she
didn’t consider herself in any sense the book’s ‘author’. However,
eventually, she graciously relented and inscribed the book...</span><br /></div><div>
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A few more years down the road, I had acquired a British edition of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Story of Walt Disney </span>published by Odhams Press (London) in 1958...<br /></span></div><div>
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<br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I decided to take it with me when I attended the Los Angeles premiere of the documentary, <i>Walt Disney: The Man Behind the Myth</i><b><i>, </i></b>in which I appeared (albeit briefly) as an interviewee. At the party
afterwards, chatting with Diane and her husband Ron, I produced this
volume and asked whether the book’s Non-Author would oblige with another
inscription!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">
Appreciating the joke, she unhesitatingly agreed. Beneath the printed
sub-title – ‘An intimate biography by his daughter, Diane Disney ,
as told to Pete Martin’ – she wrote: 'Actually, Brian – we know better,
don’t we? Warmest, warmest regards, Diane.'</span><br /><br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Nowadays, the autograph business is big business: copies of the recent reprint of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Story of Walt Disney</span>
with Diane's signature sell for several hundred dollars and someone, in
a recent American auction, paid over three thousand dollars for a copy
of the original edition signed (also in green biro!) by Walt.</span><br /></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
So, all in all, I think that original – and seemingly astronomical – forty pounds of mine was money incredibly well spent!<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
It is not, however, for any financial value that I treasure these
volumes, but for the even more valuable memories and associations that
they hold…</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="color: red; font-size: medium;"><b>Envoi</b></span></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This blog post is based on an earlier posting from December 2012, since when David R. Smith and Diane and Ron Disney have passed away. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">For the story of the making of the Paris Match cover-painting see this interview with artist Pierre Nicholas by my colleague, Didier Ghez on his blog, <a href="http://disneybooks.blogspot.com/2008/05/this-is-by-far-most-famous-magazine.html" target="_blank"><b><i>Disney History</i></b></a>.<br /></p></div>Brian Sibleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02395103557170474777noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28039080.post-40454316319877708992023-12-13T12:59:00.001+00:002023-12-13T12:59:24.817+00:00THE ART OF THE COMIC-BOOK (CHRISTMAS SPECIAL!).<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWdhJ3Gu5OIUBg1INNcjUsSeJ5g_82B8BewHikeokkxutBPla28gU7tTd2vgV0ImU_wHPQf98lSXFEoxhBxyhQ-5b0jwwRMAnyMX7-Z1Y0sPJEHFbrmiv1jABWAxHWEOl_54oMQfJjUpUkc80TbrgjwjTVTQcvBf4o3jOq5FCeFc2Z333pSu1WyQ/s923/large-8719172.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="923" data-original-width="600" height="840" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWdhJ3Gu5OIUBg1INNcjUsSeJ5g_82B8BewHikeokkxutBPla28gU7tTd2vgV0ImU_wHPQf98lSXFEoxhBxyhQ-5b0jwwRMAnyMX7-Z1Y0sPJEHFbrmiv1jABWAxHWEOl_54oMQfJjUpUkc80TbrgjwjTVTQcvBf4o3jOq5FCeFc2Z333pSu1WyQ/w546-h840/large-8719172.jpeg" width="546" /></a></div><p> </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Dan Mora's art (Cover A) for<i> </i></span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i>Batman/Santa Claus: Silent Knight #1</i></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">. <span>Published, DC Comics, December 2023.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I'm still waiting for my copy, but here's what we know about the comic: <br /></span></p>
<p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial;">SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN!</b></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The four-part crossover event of a generation begins when a
not-so-jolly St. Nick hits Gotham City to investigate a brutal crime in
the days leading up to Christmas… What manner of man or beast could have
committed such atrocities?!</span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">With the help of his former student, Batman, Santa will team up with
the heroes of the DC Universe to right this wrong or the world wakes up
to coal in their stockings!</span></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;">
</div><p style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A brutal, two-fisted holiday tale of hope, wonder, and monster
hunting is the perfect treat to ring in the holidays it’s Claus in
canon! <br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">And here's a scattering of preview pages, </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;">written by <span>Jeff Parker with art by</span><span> Michele Bandini. </span></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1h29J5x_FmJUjZINaQDgTv1PFZHol3ldd1nnoeVBmSqqJwYKlN6m5iodkhptVhmlLOHsAZfL7S9SpvDkxXnY9ZIwvW5wun5N9cdSJIs2Vi5yW3Y_3D6pY8UnEiemuGNVTekhQKwVtXQC2IxRmDpwkGCvJ5I9pytjRePaC9xs-ycXCYxQPkvBOg/s1516/Screenshot%202023-12-02%20at%2008.16.18.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1516" data-original-width="993" height="829" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1h29J5x_FmJUjZINaQDgTv1PFZHol3ldd1nnoeVBmSqqJwYKlN6m5iodkhptVhmlLOHsAZfL7S9SpvDkxXnY9ZIwvW5wun5N9cdSJIs2Vi5yW3Y_3D6pY8UnEiemuGNVTekhQKwVtXQC2IxRmDpwkGCvJ5I9pytjRePaC9xs-ycXCYxQPkvBOg/w544-h829/Screenshot%202023-12-02%20at%2008.16.18.jpeg" width="544" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSU7djH34T7A2uOFLUinMi0wqxREWM5ooZ_BC33yyw0cpMKhATm67MfIL8RqHPd9PCleY6JG1rFNIbdxYyXCeEHF6V4RfQM-qYifNuQwfWV1YRJ2pkziAkf9lq80ILGn1lh8KRudH_nnoN7OXuYS2XfpGqEaAjNNlQS8mc-zkln_-w76SysJG9Tw/s1968/Screenshot%202023-12-02%20at%2008.18.17.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1525" data-original-width="1968" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSU7djH34T7A2uOFLUinMi0wqxREWM5ooZ_BC33yyw0cpMKhATm67MfIL8RqHPd9PCleY6JG1rFNIbdxYyXCeEHF6V4RfQM-qYifNuQwfWV1YRJ2pkziAkf9lq80ILGn1lh8KRudH_nnoN7OXuYS2XfpGqEaAjNNlQS8mc-zkln_-w76SysJG9Tw/w540-h420/Screenshot%202023-12-02%20at%2008.18.17.jpeg" width="540" /></a></div></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTe5HZ9FskvEsnOkybSy6Z4ukBki3OSUDx2IlHF2kviNDavliC4xYRNZuQHrTILVTg9JiFr4ssu2WwoaUey4x6c8uibj5LmSRVNQOUpZFk3oM8npCOBpxUts7PJmD-zJ14wRyZYkxR0ITy8gl5cjs6-CMGtmaXLP95YYAZ5ysisDeLZRwjvVEhLA/s1502/Screenshot%202023-12-02%20at%2008.19.11.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1502" data-original-width="986" height="815" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTe5HZ9FskvEsnOkybSy6Z4ukBki3OSUDx2IlHF2kviNDavliC4xYRNZuQHrTILVTg9JiFr4ssu2WwoaUey4x6c8uibj5LmSRVNQOUpZFk3oM8npCOBpxUts7PJmD-zJ14wRyZYkxR0ITy8gl5cjs6-CMGtmaXLP95YYAZ5ysisDeLZRwjvVEhLA/w534-h815/Screenshot%202023-12-02%20at%2008.19.11.jpeg" width="534" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXA_UZ18QVCThsAssMl5lRdDfxjNhrCB-l30l9EOS3hhUc-E_n49dIBgyMBFNbIrmV3C6awpqTV9WlH53me0ttEr8m9Gkfp7by1UTVwRSaD8jNH0oTKbyqUwXIf4RjpmxoE_Rgm6A4QPO_WGGTqbIjvsZ5ZLL-4gCd9hION4zozm26Zs3XOKnD9A/s1515/Screenshot%202023-12-02%20at%2008.19.23.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1515" data-original-width="979" height="820" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXA_UZ18QVCThsAssMl5lRdDfxjNhrCB-l30l9EOS3hhUc-E_n49dIBgyMBFNbIrmV3C6awpqTV9WlH53me0ttEr8m9Gkfp7by1UTVwRSaD8jNH0oTKbyqUwXIf4RjpmxoE_Rgm6A4QPO_WGGTqbIjvsZ5ZLL-4gCd9hION4zozm26Zs3XOKnD9A/w530-h820/Screenshot%202023-12-02%20at%2008.19.23.jpeg" width="530" /></a></span></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">And to add a little Christmas nostalgia, here's a seasonal <i>Batman</i> comic cover from days of yore, beginning with <i>Batman</i> # 27 from (curiously) Feb-March 1945...</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ke_yxkLZ-2WFwua49po9Bfx2zpRvQDktmGaznBcAv3_IFDIydhX2vdOVAV25GpWnND1H62MTGN9yhE7mAK_59uZDO5oKwk4YDTnAPFZYJmgFzlGExkDt0s6U_Lowf8Kj-TGr7B6REPs2XjaolKY5NyEaNIlEf_8sxPhZcOcaakXL3p05vF1Yiw/s1489/Screenshot%202023-12-02%20at%2008.29.30.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1489" data-original-width="1040" height="792" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ke_yxkLZ-2WFwua49po9Bfx2zpRvQDktmGaznBcAv3_IFDIydhX2vdOVAV25GpWnND1H62MTGN9yhE7mAK_59uZDO5oKwk4YDTnAPFZYJmgFzlGExkDt0s6U_Lowf8Kj-TGr7B6REPs2XjaolKY5NyEaNIlEf_8sxPhZcOcaakXL3p05vF1Yiw/w554-h792/Screenshot%202023-12-02%20at%2008.29.30.jpeg" width="554" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span><dl class="vert-list ord--03 owlq"><dd class="vert-list__item">
<br /></dd></dl>Brian Sibleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02395103557170474777noreply@blogger.com0