Hi folks!,
"Who the heck is he?", I hear most of you whisper. Well it's like this, I know Nigel because I have been hanging about the outskirts of British Science Fiction Fandom since 1978. We met at Mexicon 1 in 1984, partly thru the auspices of a common friend Glen Warminger, and discovered we shared a slightly cynical outlook on life. Later we were to be united forever, along with Glen and Steve Higgins, in THE CHICKEN BROTHERS, but that's another, much more sordid, story.
Anyway, things what I like include online communication, The Worldwide Web, Orbital, and orgasms (not necessarily in that order!); and things I can't abide - Normski, Janet Street-Porter, Terry Christian, swedes (the vegetable), carrots, broccoli, and Take That!
Reads - "Smila's Sense Of Snow" a novel by Peter Høeg. Mostly thriller, tho' with skiffy overtones, this was pointed in my direction by Linda Krawecki, and is a right rivetting read. Anyone read his second novel "Borderliners"? I've also been reading some Robertson Davies, starting with "The Deptford Trilogy", any opinions on his others gratefully received.
Listens - I was browsing in Sam Goody (a decent discount music outlet in Wimbledon's unimpressive shopping mall) when I realised I really liked the track they were playing; it sounded a bit like "Blue Monday" on speed and is the sort of thing I imagine 19 year olds were throwing themselves around, up to their eyeballs on 'E', at warehouse parties a couple of years back. I asked at checkout desk & it turned out it came from a compilation "Trance 6" which I bought. Luckily it turned out was by far my favourite track on the album, which probably releases me from having to investigate the other 5, tho' there is a compilation of compilations in "Transcend The Best Of Trance". Oh, the track was "Octopus" by The Art Of Trance.
I work as a freelance computer programmer (boring main-framey & Coboly sort of things) which means I own my own limited company and take short term contracts supplied by agencies. (This also explains why I spent nearly a year in Glasgow between 93 - 94, and I still won't be going to the Worldcon there this year).
Finished my last contract at end of March determined to have a good break and do some things around the flat, of a maintenance & decorative nature, that have been put off for last few years. Of course I have done f.a. (to which Pam, who has been staying with me off and on over past months can certainly attest).
However, I do know all there is to know (practically) about Windows 95, which I have got a beta of, and 32 bit Netscape 1.1. Tho' quite what good that's going to do me in the winter when the roof leaks I dunno.
Actually, have not been totally idle. For instance went to Eastbourne to see Linda Krawecki, Dangerous Dave Carson & their crazy dog Scooter. Now, must admit found Eastbourne a strange place, not so much quiet as kind of terminal. Think people only go there to die. The council will not allow any development on the front so there are no amusement arcades, funfairs or shops selling kitsch. That's the whole point of being by the seaside for me! Whereas Eastbourne is the sort of place full of junk/antique shops, charity shops, and fusty old bookshops full of the sort of musty tomes you just know no one is ever going to buy.
We did go up to Beachy Head mind. Which is impressive. Suicide capital of South East England, and it is sort of hard to drag yourself away from the sheer hundred feet chalk cliffs falling vertically onto pebbly shore and English Channel.
You can get probably get a pretty good impression of my visit from fact that highlight was trip to car boot sale on Sunday morning. It's all there is to do there on a Sunday! There I was forced to buy toy car consisting of Jerry (of Tom and fame) sitting before pile of cannon balls and large cannon.
I've been unfair, as actually I had fine weekend, it is not a part of the country I know well, and it was great to see Linda & Dave again. They wanted to move somewhere quiet, and by God they've found it. They seem very happy though, and that's what's important.
Cheers!,
Alun Harries