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I should think anybody involved with that Diana film is embarrassed and needs a smack. Anyway it will have to be rewritten now to have SAS snipers shooting at her.

Poppyshake I just can't imagine you "blowing"! But I guess we all have our things that stretch us too far now and again. I wondered if you ever got mad over food failures, ie a cake not working out ...or is food something you are philisophical about and never get upset?

Only 47 Chaliepud! That's great going. If you teach the puppy to read then I will be really impressed

Just So Kylie! I also postulate that The Defender Of Books should take on an apprentice. I imagine that one day a half starved shoeless girl waif will wander in to your garden from the outback desert, scratched by thorns and covered in Dingo bites. She has obviously befell some terrible calamity but questioning her is fruitless; she has perhaps mercifully lost her memory of events. She does not speak or smile. Her eyes betray no inner life of any kind; The policemen and doctors scratch their heads and eventually take their leave to pursue matters of importance elsewhere. You give her a glass of milk and take her into your library where she is immediately lost in wonderment at so many thousands of books. It is the first time she has reacted to her surroundings. The air suddenly vibrates with destiny. You sense that her world is on a knife edge; your next actions could tip her one way or another. You pick a book at random and with the book between you begin to read a page, two pages. You are sure that the girl understands. At the third page she lifts a small hand and places it lightly on the open page, as if feeling the words and sentences. Her eyes look at you for the first time and she smiles a small sad smile. Very well then! Books shall be her therapy. The Defender Of Books has found her apprentice.

It's got lots of good reviews Little Pixie and what a nice cover picture.....I'm not helping am I ?

Partial to a bit of chocolate myself...welcome. Good nickname.What do you like to read?

Haha now you've done it. I always tell people to start off with The Blue World .....Poppyshake read it, her first SF book I believe..

Interesting! I know my Dr Who mad daughter will be watching for sure...

I watched A Funeral In Berlin and Alien Resurrection (Alien 4) last night.

You know, I don't believe I have ever seen that one.....I am gradually collecting TOS on DVD when I find them in charity shops..I will find it eventually

Cows milk, full fat of course

I read a good overview of Jack Vance on the Encyclopaedia of Science Fiction: http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/vance_jack I never knew that his particular genre had a name of it's own: Planetary Romance.

Yes you are right. And whatever works is good!

Hi Justin here you are at last. Welcome. You ever read any Jack Vance ?(everybody else here is groaning now it's my usual question).

Thanks Pontalba I read that review. I wasn't too concerned about spoilers . Interesting. I certainly do have an idea what she is talking about. As I don't do facebook or twitter or any of those social network things, I do notice how it affects peoples behaviour and how they quickly start worrying about how they are perceived on there above all else.

I could do it. I could honestly

That's excellent muggle not. Your GD is fit! Brian thanks for the support. You got some solid running times in there. Frankie don't give up keep at it. Athena how is your excercising going?

Ah, dex, now I understand what you were talking about on chat earlier. And my younger brother and I were also uncles while in primary school.

Had a quick count up 140 books on my TBR as of today. At average 8 books per month that is 19 months reading, or till FEBRUARY 2015. Don't know what to do about this. My real issue is space. I am overflowing all my bookshelves already. I could impose a ban on myself till I got my TBR down to say 50 books. But I keep finding lots of books at really bargain prices at the moment. So what I will do is only buy books that are 50p or less for the rest of this year. My big expenditure recently on Jack Vance I consider an investment as I will read them again and again.

I just updated my list of "books bought in 2013" on the first page, about 44 more books, all the ones not currently highlighted in red yet. Had to buy all the Jack Vance ones in August as they were on a special offer , but it has bumped up the total outlay on books to £161.71 in 8 months....I really DO NOT NEED to buy any more books this year I will put my foot down with a firm hand RIGHT NOW THAT's IT

I bought an album the Very Best Of The Doors. I listened to the whole thing but ended up skipping tracks they were a bit pretentious and samey. I only like 5 tracks off the whole 21, and that is their best known ones. Break On Through Light My Fire People Are Strange Riders On The Storm The End (Apocalypse Now version)

Last week was a really rough week. As week 3 was so easy, I thought that my body was ready to go up a step and add more load. So on monday I went to the gym and had a light weight session. I was wrong. the rest of the week I was completely drained of energy and very sore and stiff in my legs and back. Not like a normal soreness, more like being completely depleted. But I still had to walk as normal and was very tired all week until saturday, when the soreness lifted. Week 4 Monday 2 gym 20 mins cycling (12km) and weights plus 90 mins extra incidental walking during the day tuesday 3 walk 5 miles plus 45 mins extra incidental walking wednesday4 walk 5 miles this day was the worst thursday 5 walk 5 miles Friday 6 walk 5 miles Saturday walk 5 miles OK

That is an excellent resting pulse rate muggle not!

week 3 The walking is now completely effortless. So that's that stage completed according to plan. Next week I start adding the gym back in. Tuesday was a day off work so went to the gym instead of walking for variety. Tuesday 27 20 minutes cycle (12km) 50 sit up 76 pressup, 10 minute swim. Plus 90 minutes extra incidental walking during the day Wednesday 28 walk 5 miles 75 press up 60 sit up Thursday 29 walk 5 miles 75 press up Friday 30 walk 5 miles 75 press up plus 40 minutes extra incidental walking during the day Saturday 31 walk 5 miles 75 Press ups

I like the sound of this one Little Pixie! Since getting into Victorian and Edwardian stuff I have always been fascinated by the completely strange concept of the "Lady's Companion" a woman being paid to be the constant companion of a stranger.