Last night, I got dewey-eyed and very nostalgic watching a retrospective show on BBC4 about the children’s TV show, Jackanory. For those of you not in the know, the premise is simple: a leading actor of the day sits in front of a camera and tells a story, which is serialised over 5 daily episodes. It’s a simple idea, but I remember it being very powerful and engaging as a young child. Watching the clips last night, I was surprised by just how good my memory was. It also reminded me that I’ve watched far too much TV during my life. But it was a simple pleasure and there’s something about the oral tradition of story telling that I really enjoy. With Dead Rock Star, the unpublished novel that I wrote last year, I spent most of the writing process telling the story verbally to The Missus while walking the dog. It’s a shame that the likes of Jackanory are consigned to the trash bin because its uncool or unhip. If it doesn’t move at a million miles an hour your days are numbered, my friend. But watching the documentary ran parallel with something I am working on at the moment and seeing how engaging storytelling is, it gave me new impetus to continue.
For Valentine’s, The Missus was happy with her obligatory flowers/chocolates/teddy bear combination and I received a much-appreciated bottle of aftershave. Remember, a little dab of aftershave can cover a multitute of sins.
Meanwhile, loads more crap on eBay…the links over on the right somewhere…

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