Philip Gwynne Jones
@pgjonesvenice
Author of the Nathan Sutherland Venetian mysteries. Currently investigating "The Magus of Sicily" with Nedda and Calogero. Here for Italy, music, old horror films and prog rock!
Montague Rhodes James, #BOTD 1862. Thanks for all the nightmares, Monty!
As you can see by the cat-shaped dent, Mimi is considering spending the rest of the summer on the back of the sofa. #Caturday
#NowPlaying "Ellington in Order, volume 8". It's been an absolute pleasure working my way through this series. You just start playing in the secure knowledge that pretty much everything for the next 2.5 hours is going to be brilliant. Sadly, having only reached 1937, it seems to be on hiatus now.
....elsewhere, I take a deep dive into the Welsh version, whilst Cev takes a look at conspiracy theories and emerges unimpressed.
@jmcobleyauthor.bsky.social 's "Wake Up in Music" arrived in Venice yesterday. On the surface it's a novel about growing up with Marillion but there's so much more to it than that. It's a lovely book full of all the things that are wonderful and horrible about being a kid.
Mimi’s been keeping the office chair warm for me. Thing is, now she doesn’t want to give it back.
Team Venice! Suzy Lishman, Philip Gwynne Jones, Erin Kelly, Anna Mazzola, David Hewson, Catherine Fletcher, Tim Rideout.
And came across these as well. I think they were both Christmas presents to me, as mum and dad knew I was into this sort of thing.
Having a final pass through books. I think mum might have a library book 70 years overdue!
#NowEating I have made a spicy shredded chicken pie of such dimensions it practically has its own gravitational field. I think it might be lunch tomorrow as well.
Going through dad's things and turns out he had quite a collection of ties. Amongst which I found my old school tie. Don't quite know what to do with it. Obviously some sentimental value there but I'm not going to wear it and it's not something I've thought about in forty years...
There's a heads-up for this year's Venice Noir in the Gazzettino...and if you turn up at Harrogate next week, you'll find out even more!
Having a clear-out and came across dad’s Swansea City scarf. This goes on the “to be kept” pile.
Mimi’s back in Venice, but here’s a photo of her wanting a big cwtsh last week.
#NowWatching Recording the Proms for later...but tonight has to be the mighty Horst Janson buckling swashes and fighting vampires as Hammer stream the 4K of...Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter!
#NowEating Red Thai curried salmon on a bed of coconut jasmine rice. Bit of an odd recipe - parboil the rice and then finish it with the salmon under the grill, but it did actually work.
#NowEating A steak, but not just any steak. Lombata di Sorana. Heat pan to blazing-heart-of-the-sun-heat. Make sure your steak is as dry as it can be. Then into the pan for three minutes a side. Rest for three. Steak sandwich coming up tomorrow as well!
#NowPlaying Duke Ellington, "Ellington in Order vol 4 (1932)". There's about 3.5 hours of music on here, including plenty of alternative takes and the like. I'm having such a good time with this series!
#NowPlaying "Ellington in Order, Volume 1 (1927–28)". The Duke from the Cotton Club period. Over two hours of music and, as you might expect, pretty much all of this is brilliant. Just a shame there are no liner notes to speak of. There are 8 volumes so far. I feel A Project coming on...
That golden moment when you have a 100% 5* rating (and my thanks to whoever left it.)
#NowPlaying Robert Johnson, "King of the Delta Blues Singers". Kind of a Johnson Best Of, immaculately remastered from the 1961 original. That voice and that sinuous guitar playing is never going to sound better... '..you knocked upon my door And I said, "Hello Satan, I believe it's time to go"...'