A Visit To Ely on Carole's Birthday

It is my wife, Carole’s birthday today. We were up early and pottering about the place. It was my day off from work too. We went into March town first and had a breakfast. I bought her a blouse that she wanted and a hamster hut that she also wanted. She has acquired two new guinea pigs (Female) to be with the other two guinea pigs (male) that we already have. I’ve a strange feeling that there will be more of them soon. We got a few bits in March before driving out past Doddington to a farm where we get our potatoes. Carole always takes the lady some eggs from our chickens and in return the lady knocks the price of the spuds down. We came out of the farm and decided to visit Ely. We had not been there for some time. I put on Beth Orton in the car and drove along the Fenland road past Chatteris towards Ely. Once there, we had an amble about and even found a shop selling nut crackers. For some reason we have had a bit of a job finding this commodity, so we had a little result there. It was a pleasant afternoon. I took a few shot of the Cathedral on my mobile phone. After this we drove back to March along the back roads and stopped off again in March to pick up a few more bits of shopping. It has been a fine winter’s day today and tomorrow we set off for Burnham-on-Crouch to see Carole’s Dad. Then on Sunday we go to Hornchurch in Essex to see my Dad. It looks like  a Dad’s weekend ahead.

Giving Readers Titus Groan - Epic Fantasy story (Mervyn Peake)

I loved this story set in a fantasy world, almost like a prehistoric England trapped in a vast crumbling castle of nooks and crannies, where everyone has minor functions to serve the household of the vast Castle estate of Gormanghast. We have Steerpike, our conniving and wretched youngster who learns how to immerse himself into the fabric of the castle's day to day running, gate crashing into the time held and futile traditions of the decadent society. Flay the head servant to the Earl and Countess of Groan, Swelter the repulsive bully and head cook of the castle. This is the first book of a trilogy and it is a glorious read. The second book called; Gormanghast is equally as gripping. However, Titus alone was very difficult in my humble opinion, The consolation for me is; each of the first two books stand alone and make a wonderful story. The first book of Titus Groan has an splendid and very atmospheric climax as Mister Flay and the castle's head butcher, (Mister Swelter) have a duel amid the crumpling ruins during a stormy downpour. The mind's eye can see the confrontation in all its Gothic glory.