Nicks` Cabinet of Curios

Sandra Dorne and Maxwell Reed in `Marilyn` aka `Roadhouse Girl`  Marilyn  (1953). British B Movie. Directed and Written by Wolf Rilla, based on the play Marion by Peter Jones. Starring Sandra Dorne and Maxwell Reed.  Marilyn was released in the US under the title Roadhouse Girl The first part of this film was really not that engaging. Frivolous blonde Marilyn dreams of the high life but is stifled by her domineering garage-owner husband. She seeks comfort in the arms of his new employee, mechanic Tom Price (Maxwell Reed). Her husband catches the two together and threatens his wife. Reeds` character steps in to protect her and before we know it the husband is dead.  So far, nothing new.  Immediately after this things take an unexpected turn. With her husband lying dead upstairs and her lover standing watching, Marilyn flirts openly with a stranger who has called  to buy petrol. Once a  Coroner has accepted the death as the result o...

Not so long ago, we looked at the works of J S Fletcher and hopefully I convinced you that a writer not normally regarded as one of the greats was nevertheless capable of works that not only stand comparison with the works of others but also stand the test of time. Now, slightly reluctantly, I have to mention a writer often regarded as a master of his craft didn`t always get it right. Known in his lifetime as the `Prince of Storytellers`, E P Oppenheim is regarded by many, including myself, as a master of his craft. His short story collection The Human Chase in many ways anticipates more modern ideas about crime fiction, it contains a story which is a personal favourite of mine (The Great West Raid). Sadly, taken as a whole it fails to convince. The stories feature Oppenheims` sleuth Peter Benskin, a serving Police Officer.  Benskin is unlike other fictional sleuths of the time. He is small and slightly built, he is troubled by some aspects of his work and is qu...

Rogues` Yarn (1957) -  British B Movie - Directed by Vernon Sewell, Screenplay by Vernon Sewell and Ernie Bradford. Starring Nicole Maurey, Derek Bond, Elwyn Brook-Jones Very nearly didn`t stay with this due to a bout of wildly histrionic over-acting by Nicole Maurey in the early scenes. Fortunately this did not set the tone for the film as a whole. The film tells the story of a man`s murder of his wife at the behest of his lover. It takes the form of what used to be called an `inverted detective story` , a form invented by writer R A Freeman and popularised by the TV series Columbo, in which the audience learns early on who did it, how and why and the interest lies in the way in which the detective brings him to justice. While Nicole Maurey and Derek Bond received top billing as the murderous adulterers, undoubtedly it is Elwyn Brooks- Jones as their unflappable and incisive nemesis that is the real star turn.  In places it is like seeing a crime so...

Halifax man J S Fletcher (1863-1935) was a pioneer of mystery fiction, prolific and extremely popular in his day.  Like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle he also wrote historical fiction and non-fiction but is remembered chiefly (if at all) for his detective stories. His admirers say he is unjustly overlooked, his detractors say that he simply wasn`t very good. Who`s right ? I`ve read a few of his short stories lately.These would have originally been serialised in the magazines of the time. Naturally they seem old-fashioned now, but overall, they stand up well.  The Silhouette - a naive young man dreams of embarking on a real-life adventure like the ones in the lurid novels he reads. When he actually walks headlong into just such a case, the outcome isn`t what he expects. Blind Gap Moor - A bank manager makes his own enquiries when his assistant is found murdered on the Moors. Some of the financial transactions that lead to the unmasking of the killer are incomprehensibl...

I`ve always been fascinated by reggae label art, with a particular interest in small, independent labels. Particular favourites are the imposing eagles` head design used by Danny Ray and Sydney Crooks for releases on their Golden Age label, a lot of the labels of Trojan and its` subsidiaries, High Note and Treasure Isle and related labels. Here`s one from my own collection that I thought people might like to see. As you can see, this is for a very fine 7" single, Love Festival by Turnell McCormack and the Cordells (though the band name is mis-spelt on the label as Cordels)  on the Dottie label, produced by Joyce McEachron.  I`ve not found anything much online about either the Dottie label or Ms McEachron and I know that a number of collectors have tried to find out more about The Cordells without much luck.  I see that the same label released another single by Turnell McCormack and the Cordells, Don`t Take Your Love Away, with Joyce McEachron shown as...

A while ago self, spouse and offspring walked along Nottingham Canal from where it joins the River Trent to the junction of Great Northern Close/Station Street. Along the way I took some pictures of the underside of bridges. This is the one I`m most pleased with, the underneath of the first bridge we came to , with water reflected on to it.

Richard H Davis - In the Fog - Greenhill - 1985 In the Vintage Crime Classics series These days I mostly read short stories but I suppose In the Fog - not so much a story-within-a-story as a three-stories-within-a-story - could be seen as occupying a space half-way between a set of short stories and a full-length novel.  Just as I was about to start reading this I unfortunately read an article that gave away a key aspect of the plot of this book. I decided to carry on with it and I`m glad I did. One reason why this inadvertent spoiler didn`t really affect my pleasure in reading the book is that the aspect of the plot that was given away is pretty heavily telegraphed early on. The style of writing is quite old-fashioned, which didn`t bother me one bit as I am a fully-fledged vintage crime buff. If you can live with that, you`ll find that Davis was an adept storyteller and that the plot(s) whizz along with some pace, bringing hefty dollops of mystery and intrigue i...

Spotted these two painted signs on either side of  the doorway of a derelict building on Huntriss Row, Scarborough whilst on holiday there.

Deborah Shine - Haunting Ghost Stories - Octopus - 1984 (reprint) I don`t post reviews of books I`ve read unless they`re very fresh in my mind and unfortunately it`s a while since I finished this one. Still, a few general comments may be helpful. The `old guard` are well-represented here, with stories by Walter de la Mere, H G Wells, E F Benson, M R James, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, WW Jacobs and others. Speaking personally, I never get tired of writers like these.  The remainder of the 32 stories are presumably by more recent authors. For someone like myself, who consumes collections like this by the wheelbarrow-load, there are inevitably a couple of rather familiar tales, but not enough to take the edge off it. There are a couple of stories I personally wouldn`t have included; Fame by Michelle Maurois is an agreeable short story, but not particularly haunting or even a ghost story, and Colin thiele`s The Phantom Horses because it doesn`t really go anywhere, and ...

Blands Cliff is a cobbled street near Scarborough sea front and dating apparently to the 18th century. All I know about the murals is that they were done by artists local to the Scarborough area with work commencing in 2002. Some refer to World War One and these incorporate contain passages of prose from those who were there, apparently including some from an ancestor of one of the artists.  I`ve posted other pictures of the BC Murals on Facebook if anyone`s interested. 

Nottingham Industrial Museum is one of my favourite places to visit. The museum itself is fascinating, it`s located within the grounds of Wollaton Park and there is a very good chip shop nearby. On my most recent visit I had a quick look at the second hand book stall and was fortunate enough to pick up these fine items, IIRC for about 50p each. I`ve read a small number of the early science fiction titles. They seem a mixed bag, with a tale by Grant Allen being the front runner so far.  Richard H Davis, a new name to me,  was a popular and prolific author of the late 19th/early 20th century, though not primarily known for crime fiction. In the Fog, a story-within-a-story,   was first published in 1901 and was made into a film in 1911. It may be a while before I get round to reading it, but I`ll get there !

Aqueduct Cottage, as it is known locally, is a derelict lock keepers` cottage located on a bank of the Cromford Canal. A Member of the Friends of Cromford Canal told me that it has not been inhabited since 1974, that no utilities have ever been connected to the cottage and that after it fell into disuse it was damaged by a fallen tree, with no attempt to restore or renovate it since that time. Blogger Peter Daykin (pandy.me.uk) states that it now belongs to Derbyshire Wildlife Trust (there is a nature reserve backing on to and overlooking the cottage) and refers interested parties to Wirksworth Parish Records and the Friends of Cromford Canal, though presumably the Wildlife Trust may also be able to help. Recently the owners have had the building boarded up and commissioned local artists to do their thing to the exterior where possible. Before it was boarded up I personally did enter it and explore a number of times. I now realise that may not have been sen...

Some time ago (12 March to be exact), I posted a picture of Hyson Green scout hut and said I`d take more pictures next time I was nearby.  Slightly belatedly, it`s mission accomplished and here are a few more images. I`ll also be putting a few on Facebook.

Known locally as `The Folly` , this building is actually the remains of an ice house used by the inhabitants of the now-demolished Shipley Hall.  For anyone who doesn`t know, an ice house was a stone building used in those pre-fridge days to keep food fresh. There are the remains of many ice houses dotted around the country. This one is unusual in that it was built from `clinkers`, waste from a foundry which has taken the form of a stony residue.  I am told there is a house built from the same material somewhere in the area - West Hallam I think - and in Heanor there is a low wall alongside a tarmac footpath running from Ilkeston Road to William Gregg Leisure Centre along the edge of Heanor Memorial Park which I personally believe is also made of clinkers. 

These are the Tropic Shadows, one of my favourite reggae groups of the late `60s/early `70s.  They made a number of recordings during their existence - Anniversary (aka Our Anniversary),  Bangarang Festival, Do What You Want, You Can Believe and a couple of others. I believe they are the same band as Tropic Sunlight who recorded Labour Day  for producer D C Anderson (compare Labour Day and You Can Believe and see what you think). I notice Anderson also recorded two similarly named bands, The Tropicans and the Tropicsons but whether these were also The Tropic Shadows/Sunlight I don`t know.  Anyway, I tend to have a Lieutenant Columbo mind. Loose ends and unanswered questions bug me and it bugs me that I know almost nothing about this fine band. If anyone does know anything about them, I`d be very pleased to hear from you. 

Friar Gate Station, Derby was closed down during the `Beeching` cuts of the 1960s. As people and trains moved out, wildlife moved in. Various proposals have been made for development of the site, but not one has come to anything. While I`m not claiming that the area has existed in a hermetically-sealed bubble since that time - there are periodic complaints of fly-tipping, vandalism etc - you can readily see that nature has been gradually taking over for 50-60 years. Technically, this is a brownfield site - it`s previous use was industrial. It`s a half-truth at best that brownfield sites automatically have no environmental merit, but in this case, when the last train to run along the tracks did so decades ago, the `brownfield` designation is in any case meaningless. A number of rare/unusual species have been found there, and 23 species of butterfly have been recorded at the site.   A Facebook group has been set up "to promote the site, hopefully helping to conserve at ...

Heanor, home of the Gingerbread Duck,  is a small town in Amber Valley, Derbyshire, pretty much on the South Derbys/North Notts border.   Built in 1876, the Town Hall was during the early part of the twentieth century a cinema called Buxton`s Picture Palace. Bromley House. This former bank has been converted into flats and is owned by a charity called Aspire.  The date plaque at the top is dated 1895 with the lettering NJSB, which stood for Nottingham Joint Stock Bank. There are other interesting buildings in the area, but given my limited expertise with a camera, I`ve not been able to achieve a decent picture of them !  I`ll try again another time.  There is a local history group, Heanor and District Local History Society, and a Facebook page, Heanor Bygones. 

Situated at the junction of Cheapside and St Werburgh`s Churchyard (near Derby Museum and Art Gallery), this is one of Derby`s best-known ghost signs and a personal favourite of mine.  It would be interesting to know if any pictures survive showing T Gorman`s business as it was, or indeed that of previous proprietor R Howitt. 

Joan Kahn (ed) - Some Things Fierce and Fatal - Bodley Head Short stories by C S Forester, Edward H Smith, Ray Bradbury, H G Wells and others. This is the first collection compiled by Joan Kahn that I`ve read, and was part of a series ; Some Things Dark and Dangerous, Some Things Strange and Sinister etc. There are 14 stories by 14 writers. Three of the tales included are said by the editor to be factual, though my feeling is that one of these, A Tale of Terror by Paul Louis Courier, is really a short story, though it is presented as a reminiscence.  There is only one that I personally would not have included, which is David Hogan`s The Leaping Trout. It is clear to me that he can write, and tell a story in a way that holds your attention, but in this case his writing is mannered and at times pretentious ("the new moon rose above Mullaghcleevaun mountain like the diadem of a fairy queen walking upon its summit")  and in the end the story goes nowhere. Th...

This ghost sign appears on the side of a private house on the road between Langley Mill and Eastwood (North Nottinghamshire).  It`s size and position means it is very apparent to motorist driving along that road, but sadly it`s not so easy to get a decent picture of it. As you might be able to tell, it advertises a business called Nevilles` Garage, which it describes as being, IIRC, a mile further along the road.  I`ve only come across one other photo of it, which was posted on Flickr by someone called Claire, who had the good sense to take her shot from the other side of the road at a time when there was little traffic about.  It is captioned `Neville`s Garage, Eastwood` . It would be interesting to know whether the eponymous Neville lived there at some point and saw a chance to plug his business, or whether he perhaps paid someone to have his sign on the outside of their home.  If anyone knows, get in touch. 

I`m having a look through some old pictures to see if there any others might like to see.  This is a scout hut near Hyson Green, Nottingham, just by the Goose Fair site. I took this just because I liked the art work with no particular thought of sharing it with anyone else.  Next time I`m in the area I`ll try to find time to get some more pics as there is artwork all round it. Should you be interested, I gather the hut is called Trafalgar Lodge as the scout group in question were originally based at Trafalgar Street, Radford, Nottm  .

Looking at this blog you could be forgiven for thinking I only listen to vintage reggae, but that`s not the case. Here`s something else I like  .

As you may know, `ghost signs` are the remains of old hand-painted signs on buildings drawing the attention of passers-by to a business that either occupied that building or could be found nearby. Naturally, the businesses usually no longer exist but the sign has outlived them, at least for now. Walk from Nottingham city centre through Hockley towards Sneinton and you will find this advertisement for `Benleys`, purveyors of furniture, carpets and women`s and children`s clothing. Judging by the size of the building I would say it was a substantial enterprise, possibly quite up-market in it`s day. As yet we`ve not been able to find out anything about it. Perhaps others can help ?

Let`s return to our look at collectable reggae vinyl. Jackie Robinson - Sweet Sensation - Greenway - GW 1003 - 1978 Sweet Sensation was originally recorded by The Melodians for Leslie Kong`s Beverleys label.  For many  people, that original version remains a classic that can`t really be improved on, but this version by former Pioneer Jackie Robinson is particularly impressive in it`s own right. Greenway Records was an apparently short-lived reggae label from 1978 and seems to have released only a handful of discs. I`m no expert, but their releases seem to have been pretty much in the same vein as this, tracks by Winston Curtis, Jackie Robinson, Winston Groovy, The Pioneers. Well-crafted and tuneful reggae with a leaning towards cover versions.  One surprise is that no real attempt seems to have been made to credit the songwriter - it is simply noted as "Com. copyright", which means precisely nothing. While it`s true that some confusion may have exist...

I do like a good castle ! Took these and others on a recent family visit. the others will be appearing on Facebook some time soon.  I also like a bit of history so I shall tell you that there has been a castle on this position since Norman times, but as I understand it the surviving buildings date from the thirteenth century. The Castle has seen it`s share of rebellion, Civil War, treason and treachery. A colourful history that`s well worth reading about ! There is a Friends of Dudley Castle that can help you with that. 

Spotted at the side of a cafe on the road between Heanor and Smalley (Derbyshire) earlier today. 

My own attempts to get a useable picture of Wilford Gazebo have not worked out, so this time I`m using a picture taken by Jonathan Thacker which I found on Geograph. The Gazebo was built as a summerhouse for writer Henry Kirke White but came to have a slightly grisly alternative use as for a time the basement was used as a mortuary for those who had drowned in the Trent ! Once again, a building which others find too plain but which I rather like !

Another day, another dinosaur. This one can be found in the grounds of Dudley Zoo.

The British Waterways Building, adjacent to the Nottingham/Beeston Canal. Formerly the warehouse of the Trent Navigation Company, I believe it may now have been turned into apartments.  

Severn`s Building is a medieval merchant`s house located near Nottingham Castle. Originally it stood near the Middle Pavement area but was dismantled and rebuilt when the Broadmarsh Shopping Centre was built. There had been later additions to the building but only the original medieval structure was saved. If you`re interested, the Picture the Past site has a picture of it in it`s original location. I must admit I personally don`t find it an attractive building, but certainly it has historical interest. Should you be interested, it takes it`s name from John and James Severn who used it as the base for a wine importing business in the 1700s. As far as I know it is currently standing empty.  .

I took this pic of Ripley Hippodrome on a visit there two or three weeks ago. Some say it`s an original 1913 building, others say it`s actually a 1920 building that incorporates parts of a building dating from 1913. Still others say it has too much of a plain brick appearance to be really distinctive. I have no idea how old it is but I do know I like it. I gather it was under threat of demolition a couple of years ago but has since been reprieved. Unfortunately, it`s been standing empty for a while and it`s future must be uncertain.

Eugene, Sydney and Eddy ; `Wheel and Jig` Revisited In my last post we looked at the song `Wheel and Jig`. How it had appeared twice in 1974, once on a single credited to The Viceroys, and again on an LP, credited this time to Winston Groovy and The Pioneers. But there was to be one more appearance for this tune, albeit in altered form. The same year, Attack Records, a subsidiary of Trojan, released a single credited to Boy Wonder - All on the House/Cold Blood. Once again, Sydney Crooks of The Pioneers was credited as producer.  The `A` side is an agreeable enough slice of `70s pop/reggae, written and performed by Eugene Paul, an Antiguan-born singer who is still active in music today. The flipside is a track called Cold Blood, with the songwriting credit going to S Crooks/E Grant - obviously Sydney and Eddy respectively.    Singles produced by Sydney during this period often played host to pretty nifty instrumentals on the `b` side, and thi...

The Viceroys ? - Wheel and Jig - Harry J - 1974 Vinyl reggae single. With it`s tinkly piano motif and oddly dated words, `Wheel and Jig` is a quirky gem of a reggae single. But n othing is quite what it seems with this disc.  The track is credited to The Viceroys, A Jamaican vocal trio noted for their smooth harmonies and philosophical lyrics.  The songwriting credit, however, goes to Crooks/Agard/Robinson, the members of the most successful line-up of The Pioneers, and the production credit goes to Pioneers founder Sydney Crooks. It doesn`t sound like the Viceroys and the chorus backing vocals do sound a lot like The Pioneers.  This has led some collectors to regard this as an unacknowledged Pioneers outing.  In fact, this track also appeared elsewhere the same year. Check out the LP `Presenting Winston Groovy` and you find exactly the same recording on Side Two, credited to Winston Groovy and The Pioneers. Like the single this album was produced by...