Jim Webster's Blog, page 63

‘Nam’

It’s a long time ago now. The scars have healed, or mostly, and it’s been a while since I woke up in the middle of the night screaming ‘Charlie’s on the wire, Charlie’s on the wire.’ But still, if it does happen, I turn over and go back to sleep, telling myself that I’m probably …

Railroaded

Over the years I’ve done a lot of miles by train. My earliest memories are of steam locos, because Carnforth was apparently the last English depot to run Steam locos. I travelled the length of the country before the railways were de-nationalised (or whatever you call it) and I’ve done the same since. I remember …

The Horseman’s word

Every craft has its secrets, the tips it passes down through the generations. Now I’m the generation that never had to work horses, but my father had over twenty years of working them. Back then the big work horses were pretty well trained and as they were worked most days they tended to be used …

The third great lies.

You know the three great lies? • The cheque is in the post. • Of course I’ll still love you in the morning. • I’m from the government and I’m here to help you. And I’m sitting here waiting for the government ‘help line’ (No fantasy writer would have dared use the level of irony …

I was never terribly good at this modern culture thing.

When they explained that the lass I was to meet was a ‘Goth’ I saw blond plaits, thick as your arm, and the pounding hooves of a thousand horsemen. Black lipstick and white complexion was a shock. Mentally this was the equivalent of dropping from second into reverse without dropping the revs. But I managed …

The end of empire

Empires should end with a bang, not a whimper. Barbarians should pour through the gates and the circling carrion birds should be silhouetted against the flames of the burning city. If the job is to be done, it ought to be done properly You might ask why I was thinking about this. Well yesterday I …

Four Lesbians in a fast car

Over the years I’ve avoided equine entanglements. I used to boast that I’d eaten horse more recently than I’d ridden one, but now thanks to Tesco pretty well everyone can say that. Still I’ve avoided going into the whole ‘livery yard’ diversification thing. Not through innate conservatism or immense wisdom but basically because I’d heard …

Live and Learn

It’s funny what you learn as you grow older. I now know that a lady can wear a skirt when playing on a bouncy castle and still maintain both dignity and decency. I’ve also discovered that I’m not happen as young as I was. But it’s sort of been a busy few days. On Saturday …

Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!

I do a fair few things to earn a living. Admittedly I no longer sell firewater and cheap rifles to the natives, the government has an aid budget to handle that side of things, but I still do some freelance journalism to help keep the wolf from the door. They always say write about what …

Old Friend

A biography of a border collie. It was sixteen years ago that I decided we’d better get a pup to work alongside Boz who was our working dog at the time. Boz had reached late middle age and even border collies don’t work forever. It was probably Nancy who told me who had a litter …