I don't read a crime novel in a while and suddenly three come along at once. The Night She Disappeared is the second book I've picked up from the "Richard & Judy Book Club" in WHSmiths and once again is an author I am already familiar with having read her major seller The Family Upstairs which according to the blurb is to get a sequel in July next year. That'll be on my list.
This is a story about a young couple who go missing after a party in the "Dark Place and leave their baby behind in a mystery that gradually builds as the tale is woven through time by the author. Tualulah's mother Kim is distraught and despite a police search nothing is ever found.
Then a year or so later Sophie, a young author joins her boyfriend at the local private college. It is here that the story really beins as an arrow that points to the ground reveals a clue which leads to the meeting of writer and grandmother who gradually co-operate to work out the mystery.
There's plenty to to keep the reader occupied with a jealous boyfriend, a strange set of snotty students and then a sign appears. Dig Here a note says. What does it reveal? Why now and why does the finder lie about how she saw the sign.
There's also a missing husband. They all seem to have disappeared in the woods. Why? And are they actually connected. Love, sex, betrayal and disappearances that need resolving as this mystery picks up pace to a crescendo of an ending. And more......
Rating: 5 Stars (Recommended)
Just in time for Christmas comes a worthy compilation album from the ever productive Hawkwind, This two CD set covers their work over their entire history from when they formed in 1969 to today. Hawkwind have released 34 studio and seventeen compilation albums plus a dozen live performances over the years.
Like many people of my generation I first came across the band with their second album released in 1971 In Search Of Space. I still have a copy of this though the cover has seen better days! It went Gold. For the general public it was probably their single Silver Machine (included in this compilation) that brought them attention. The follow up Urban Guerilla was withdrawn after an assassination of an Italian politician but remains a classic.
I first saw this band in Guildford back in the seventies and then again in the noughties where they seem to have two distinct groups of followers. Ageing rockers like me and a much younger crowd. Either way they continue to make good music.
Here's a selection of tracks to wet your appetite. I've avoided the obvious ones!
Paradox - Hall Of The Mountain Grill (1974)
Psi Power (Live Version 1984)
Angels Of Death - Sonic Attack (1981)
Available from: www.cherryred.co.uk
(Also available is a luxury six CD set with 81 tracks)
Website: www.hawkwind.com
It's been a while since I read let alone reviewed a paperback thriller and this despite wanting to pick this particular book up for a while. I've become a fan of C.J.Tudor since she started writing novels. Having read her previous three masterpieces The Chalk Man (currently being made into a BBC TV series apparently), The Taking Of Annie Thorne and The Other People I expected an equally good story in this tome and I was not to be disappointed.
Oddly this book caught my attention in WHSmith's as I waled past their "Richard & Judy Book Club section and just picked it up like a shot. And at half price I might add! This is a special edition with extras from the former TV hosts who both write short introductions and provide questions for Book Club members to discuss at the end plus a short interview with the author.
For once I was grateful for an introduction as Judy made it clear that "Jack" our main character was in fact a woman. Having just watched an old episode of Emmerdale where their Jack is in prison I'm sure I would have assumed Jack was a bloke at least for the first few pages.
Of course our maverick vicar isn't a bloke and is in fact a woman and single parent as well. Her daughter Flo will turn out to be very central to the mystery as it develops. Like all her novels there's a supernatural element element, the burning girls, little dolls made by some villagers to commemorate religious persecution some five hundred years past.
There's a mysterious death of her predecessor, apparitions for both our Jack and her daughter, some bullies, a weirdo, a fugitive and more in this continually twisting tale of lies, deceit, murder and lots of disappearances in the recent past. All this keeps the reader thinking right to the end as the tale weaved by it's author reaches a climax no one will have seen coming.
This novel is also due to made into a TV series.
Rating: 5 Stars (Highly Recommended)
Hot on the heels of the latest splits, resignations and squabbles inside the around the various groupies of LAW, LIE and the LPM (see articles below) it seems that Chris Williamson is entering yet another electoral arrangement with his tiny band of followers with that George Galloway character.
In his latest tweet Chris "Nosferatu" Williamson announces he will be sharing a platform with the gorgeous one at the Workers Party HQ building which is the rather unfortunately named Moseley Street. A wee bit too close to the truth methinks...
It seems the mash-up between Gerorge Galloway and the pro-North Korean Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist) known as the Workers Party is planning to run candidates in the 2022 local elections. Williamson is going to send his familiars to lend a hand or two with their campaign.
How his other alliance with the Trade Union & Socialist Coalition will react is not yet known, The remnants of the Socialist Party (Militant) backed Williamson's Resist candidates during the last election. No doubt the TUSC will be running what candidates it can and maybe Williamson hopes that getting the backing of both Trotskyists and Stalinists will double his chances of losing any contest.
Meanwhile the Greenstein faction reels from yet another court ruling that poor old Tony has lost. Greenstein was found guilty of harassing Labour Party employees and has been banned from contacting them or the Labour Party for two years (1). That comes on top the other court decision that he can be described as an antisemite because of his writings rantings on line and elsewhere (2).
Greenstein seemingly aims to link up with Williamson and form a new party, possibly with Galloway who gave Greenstein a platform on his RT TV propaganda chat show.(3). No doubt the major political parties will not be taking much notice of this ramshackle outfit of failed politico's though these extremists will target seats with high Muslim populations to push their grandiloquent anti-imperialist campaign riddled with so-called anti-Zionism.
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Notes:
(2) Notorious antisemite loses libel case
(3) www.youtube.com
Following yesterdays report on the antics of the overlapping memberships of Labour Against the Witch Hunt (LAW) and Labour in Exile (LIE) Jackie Walker and her Communist Party of Great Britain (Weekly Worker) supporters have issued a letter which I have reproduced in it's original entirety for your entertainment..
Further updates will no doubt be sent out for the benefit of their cheering masses (some 27 supporters judging by the vote) in the edition of Weekly Worker due out on Friday. This blog along with the working class awaits with baited breath....... well maybe not but this story of sectarian folly will no doubt continue showing how inherently useless these people really are.
The internal civil war between the really unsavoury hard left tyes around Labour Against the Witch Hunt (LAW) and Labour In Exile (LIE) has become a fascinating example of the hopelessness and navel gazing hatreds of the far left.
As previously reported there has been trouble inside these organisations as an ideological and personality fallout took place between the followers of Tony Greenstein and those around the Labour Party Marxists (LPM) (a front for the Communist Party of Great Britain/Weekly Worker) crowd.
It seems most members of both these organisations are now outside the Labour Party having recently been joined by a number of activists from the fake Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL) hate group likewise.. being expelled.
Greenstein & his charming ally Esther Giles proposed that LAW & LIE merge which even caused Tina Werkman to initially oppose what she saw even as an ex-member of the CPGB a "hostile takeover"
This causes a dilemma for the LAW Steering Committee majority dominated by the LPM (CPGB) who in advance of the vote wrote:
There are a number of problems with this proposal.
The most serious is that, despite the claim to have a “focus” on fighting the witch-hunt, that is precisely what will be ended - fighting the witch-hunt in the Labour Party. To produce a combined organisation for general political activity out of LAW and LIEN is to accept that there is no longer a need for a campaign focused on that priority. Remember that LAW is already committed to fighting to transform the Labour Party into a united front of a special kind - of all trade unions, working class partisans, socialist groups and parties. For unity to be worthwhile, for unity to be a net good, it would have to be on a serious basis that would supersede the otherwise separate existence of its components. That seriousness is partly a matter of immediate practicality and partly of principle.
Those of us from a certain generation will be familiar with Peter and the Wolf from our schooldays. This classical work was originally written by Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) in 1936 and uses a story to introduce listeners to the whole range of the orchestra. A wonderful piece still performed to this day by orchestras.
It should come as no surprise that it was adapted by "prog rockers" in 1975 and features a whole range of great musicians from that wonderful period of music including Manfred Mann (who "plays" Peter), Gary Brooker as "Bird", Gary Spedding the "duck", Gary Moore as "Duck" and Stephane Grapelli, Wolf.
Other musicians include Eno, Jack Lancaster, Julie Tippet, Bill Bruford, Phil Colllis, Cozy Powell. Aklvin Lee and many more. They are joined by the English Chorale.
Topped off with narration from the wonderful Vivian Stanshall this is certainly a "must have" for any record collection!*
*Yes I know it's a CD but I speak in an old fashioned way!
This was released yesterday (Friday 26th November). I pre-ordered a copy but it seems it's out of stock already. In case they do a second pressing here is the link: www.cherryred.co.uk
It seems that the deranged and duplicitous leftists in and around the hard left of the Labour Party are all starting to fall out with each other and even indulging in some of the strangest accusations against anti-racist campaigners that have been heard since the hey days of Gerry Healy's rantings in the pages of The News Line.
According to Chris Williamson the organisation Hope Not Hate (well known for it's anti-racist work over the years in everything from the media to football) is now accused of being racist for reasons best known to the nefarious one himself.
Talking of Jokers the various activists of Labour Against the Witch Hunt (LAW), Labour In Exile (LIE) and the Labour Left Alliance (LLA) have suddenly discovered antisemitism in the Labour Party probably at the behest of the treacherous Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL) that at least one of the signatories of the letter below. It seems it's only antisemitic to expel left wing Jews despite the Greenstiens of this world having spent years to proscribe the mainstream Jewish Labour Movement.
| Sign the petition |
The Past
One of my favourite blogs Tendance Coatsey recently ran a story about the fitftieth anniversary of the ultra-left newspaper Workers Vanguard published by the seemingly defunct Spartacist League. An article aimed at only the most dedicated of "Trot spotters" since the organisation has been absent from all the major politcal protests including the BLM especially sionce it sought (in the uSA where it originated) to build a revolutionary party around the balck community.
Of course it's no different to most of the far-left organisations and is white, middle class and higly educated though in a cultish format. I've never seen a black or any ethnic minority member in this country at least. Their founder died and we all suppose there is a massive internal faction faction over what's remaining of the group world-wide. The workers of the world await the outcome with baited breath...not.
Getting involved in politics back in the seventies I came across the far left funnily enough by meeting the Coatsey who sold Red Weekly (Paper of the International Marxist Group) at my FE's student union meetings and canteens. I found it fascinating and moving on came across the rest of the far-left as it was then organised. There was Workers Press a daily Trotskyist paper published by the infamous Workers Revolutionary Party.
The WRP was an organisation that both fascinated and appalled me. Full of thespians including Vanessa and Corin Redgrave, Frances De La Tour and Bill Bailey amongst others. It's internal and external behaviour was cultish and could be violent. It's leader we found out not only reguarly lashed at at his supporters but also was found to have abused the Young Socialists and eventually expelled in the eighties. A row that was watched with fascination by all and sundry.
Other groups that were prominent were the International Socialists (who later became the SWP), Militant who were buried in the Labour Party until purged by Neil Kinnock. Of course there was also the official Communist Party of Great Britain and it's paper the Morning Star. The hard Labour Left had Tribune. Of course there were a myriad of weird and wonderful sects out there like the very trendy Revolutionary Communist Party whose trajectory became shall we say more than controversial
The left were quite identifiable and differences between them to outsiders seemed almost religiously sectarian to outsiders. However at least they were out there and upfront with an agenda that was unachievable in it's revolutionary aims despite the likes of the WRP were always preparing for a military coup hence their frenzied activity around the daily paper.
The Present
Today's left is barely recognisable in form and content. Of the old left the SWP survives albeit smaller due to a sex scandal some years back (see The full appalling story of the "delta affair" in the SWP on my original blog). The IMG broke apart and barely a hundred people form it's successor Socialist Reistance whilst a handful went on to form Socialist Action who provided advisers to Ken Livingstone and it's main figure John Ross an apologist for the Chinese Communist Party.
Militant fell apart into numerous factions who themselves split continually over the years. Only the small Socialist Party and Socialist Appeal remain visible these days. The CPGB is now simply called the Communist Party of Britain and the CPGB name hijacked by a group of probably less than 40 individuals who publish Weekly Worker.
The most successful of these formations was the Revolutionary Communist Party which disbanded itself as they no longer believed a revolution was possible and went on to found Spiked! a website influencing the media and educational institutions. The fact is the hard core managed to stay together under Professor Frank Furedi and their by-lines are often found in the mainstream media. One of their number id now Baroness Cox and sits in the House Of Lords!
There remain a number of small sects such as the Alliance for Workers Liberty but the whole nature of the far-left changed particularly though the Corbyn experience.
The Future
Currently you can find people who would have previously been involved in such groupings taking a different course. Inside the Labour Party is Momentum a group with still much influence following the fall of Jeremy Corbyn., outside there are web based influencers who take a very media influenced approach. these include The Canary (which many of us consider a hate site), Novara Media home of luxury communism and the totally unreliable Skwawkbox.
Others remain in groups both outside and inside the Labour Party. Some of these groups are seeking to "work together even though despite having different names and some different members are all run by Tina Werkman a former plant from the CPGB who went "native" in the Labour Party along with PCS activist Lee Rock. These groupings held a conference on which "Andrew Kirkland" of the Labour Party Marxists (a front for the CPGB (WW) inside the Labour Party) commented:
The October 14 joint meeting of members and supporters of Labour Against the Witchhunt, the Labour Left Alliance and the Labour In Exile Network highlighted the confusion and desperation that exists in this corner of the left.
The meeting was called to endorse the plan for closer cooperation between the three groups, with the suggestion of a weekly meeting for their combined steering committees. There was some debate about a suggested goal of full fusion, though the technical and political obstacles raised in contributions meant that the emphasis in the short term will be on ‘pooling our resources’ and the ‘cross-fertilisation of ideas’.
Real differences emerged over the question of the future orientation to the Labour Party. All three organisations were established on the assumption that the class struggle was taking place within Labour. Yes, expellees were welcome, but the objective was to get them back in to resume the battle in support of the Labour left. But now the heightened purge under Starmer has changed all that - what about those who are unable stomach the hostile environment for lefties in the Labour Party, and who have jumped ship or are about to do so?
No doubt the faction fighting amongst the comrades will continue unabated on their forums of which they have established many to appear larger and more influential than they are.
So what of the extra-parliamentary newcomers to the scene? According to the hard-left website All That is Solid:
It was inevitable some of the left were going to decamp from the Labour Party with Keir Starmer's election as leader. But to do what? That was always the interesting question, and now it has a clear answer. Since Corbynism's defeat and the tightening of thumb screws on the left who've remained, several new left parties have come into existence. The best known and attracting the lion's share of media interest is the Northern Independence Party, but it is far from alone. The Breakthrough Party, self-identifying as a youth-led democratic socialist party, stood its first candidate in the Chesham and Amersham by-election. Joining it one would find the Harmony Party, the BLM-linked Take the Initiative Party, and Chris Williamson's Resistance Movement, which happened to hold a festival in Nottingham this Saturday.
Photo: By Bundesarchiv
It's been a while since I put "pen to paper" as they say even if this is an electronic form of writing. In order for a blog to build and retain a readership I am well aware that regular posts are the way forward and that although I no longer post every single day there has been an unforgivable gap in this humble attempt to comment on the world around us.
In part this has been due to my having a rethink about my political direction and therefore the aim of the blog in the current political climate and is also due to the fact I have been relaxing and indulging my hobby. My health also impacts on my output as I tire easily and sleep more during the day than perhaps I should.
That's not to say I have not indulged in some activity especially on Facebook and a to a more limited extent on Twitter. For the umpteenth time some woke little prat has reported me to the Labour Party in order to get me either disciplined or expelled for having "transphobic" views by which they mean I stand for women's rights and don't believe women have dicks or men have cervixes. I'm sorry but these are biological truths.
How we adjust to trans-women is a question that needs serious and unfettered debate but the loud mouthed mostly male trans activists in co-operation with Stonewall are determined to impose their views on the rest of us and refuse to acknowledge concerns. Stonewall has abandoned its original remit and abandoned homosexual men and lesbians in order to pursue gender politics which tries to over-write sex and sexuality.
Of course women's rights are likewise undermined as the definition of women and their bodies becomes transformed into a sex-less gender world where females can supposedly have lady-dicks. Lesbians are told they are "transphobic" if they refuse to sleep with individuals who retain their maleness. This madness is referred to as the cotton ceiling.
At the same time I remain appalled at the antisemitism that shows it's ugly face on Twitter mostly pretending to be anti-Zionism. When I see a tweet that says "Only Israel abuses human rights" I despair. That Israel is not perfect like every other country in the world the ignorance and prejudice behind that comment ignores the widespread abuse of human rights from China and North Korea to across the Muslim world.
This also became a bone of contention as another twitter user tried to claim minorities were safer in Muslim countries. The persecution of Copts in Egypt, the abuse of christian and Baha'i in Iran, the vile and murderous attacks on Christians in Pakistan let alone the position of women under Islamic apartheid is all ignored. These people live in a world where only Israel is a villain and underneath so many are hard-line antisemites.
Former Labour MP Chris Williamson was tweeting the genocidal "From the River to the Sea" slogan with vicious Rachel Swindon nodding in agreement with other equally bigoted and blinkered individuals claiming to be "socialists" of some sort or another, One thought it amusing I described her views as "National Socialist" not just because they think it's just an insult but cannot see the Strasserite nature of their politics.
Many of us referred to Corbyns followers as the new Blackshirts and it's a formulation that remains applicable to so much of the far left and their allies in today's politics. The battle against these creatures is far from over as they regroup and use social media to purse their nefarious aims.
It is the responsibility of those who care and are able to stand up and call for reason. Health willing I will now rejoin that fight wherever I can. My mobility may be limited but so long as I have a keyboard I have a voice that will not be silenced. Please join me in the fight against the threats to our freedom whether they come from the far-left, the far-right or religious extremism.
Shalom Aleichem
Ground-breaking EHRC Rule Changes Pass
Sunday was a hugely important day for the Labour Party. Our Party finally voted to reform its disciplinary processes by passing the EHRC rule changes to create a new system that will be more transparent, fair and independent. This is the culmination of years of work from JLM and we're proud that the Party has made this step. And it's not just for the benefit of Labour's Jewish members, but all members from minority communities who face harassment and discrimination.
These rule changes were legally mandated by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and passed with 74% of delegates voting in favour. JLM said the following:
Passing this rule change is a moral, legal and political imperative for Labour.
An independent disciplinary system was mandated by the Equality and Human Rights Commission following its report that the Party broke equalities law and discriminated against its Jewish members. It’s essential if Labour is to rebuild its relationship with the Jewish community and its wider reputation as a tolerant, anti-racist party.
From day one Keir Starmer has shown the real leadership Jeremy Corbyn never did, in taking concrete steps to tackle anti-Jewish racism, including supporting JLM in delivering training.
But passing this rule change alone is not enough to detoxify party culture. The reaction both inside and outside Conference today shows there is still a huge amount of work to do for Labour to become a truly safe and welcome space for Jewish people.
JLM Letter to Momentum
