Deborah Shine (ed) - Haunting Ghost Stories - Octopus - 1984 (Reprint)

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 because the cod-German dialogue ("Now d`tub ve must fill mit vorter full up") will grate on the nerves of most modern readers.

In truth, not every story is in fact a ghost story but that`s not unusual with this type of anthology. For me anyway, there was a good mix of familiar and unfamiliar writers and I enjoyed it immensely. 

*Top *Of *The *Pops* 70s*-#35. Dave and Ansell Collins - Double Barrel

Blands Cliff Murals, Scarborough

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. 

In the Fog with H G Wells at Nottingham Industrial Museum

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 !