Lance Greenfield's Blog, page 23
December 26, 2019
Book Review: Forgotten Bones by Vivian Barz
Forgotten Bones by Vivian Barz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Police officer Susan Marlon is first on the scent of a car accident. The body of a child is found buried at the scene of the accident and it is believed to be that of a child who disappeared many years before, Lenny Lincoln, aka ‘Overalls Boy’ due to his normal mode of dress.
Subsequently, many other children’s bodies are found on the nearby farm and they are believed to be the victims of the owner of the farm, Gerald Nichol, a recently paroled sex offender.
Due to the enormity of the crime, the FBI are brought in to run the investigations and Susan is taken off the case by her boss and mentor, Police Chief Ed Bender. She feels personally and emotionally attached to the case and, no matter how many times Ed warns her off taking an interest in the case, she just cannot let go.
In the meantime, Eric Evans, a divorced college professor with mental health problems, including schizophrenia, moves into the area. Shockingly, his own brother was the third party in the adulterous affair that led to his divorce which results in his natural, fiery resentment. He is a great musician and soon hooks up with the band of one of his students to fill in for the absent drummer.
At a gig, Eric and Susan meet and become involved in each other’s affairs.
Eric is troubled by visions, which are very scary and seem to be connected to the cases of the missing children. The tension builds.
The main plot and sub-plots are character-driven and the writing is powerful. Unexpected historical connections between the characters are revealed throughout the book, The story sucked me into its vortex. I wondered how the main protagonists would ever escape and relief from the tension didn’t come until the final pages.
This is a great crime thriller and I particularly liked that Eric, the character who was afflicted with mental illness was actually a good guy. That is unusual in a crime thriller and it is not a spoiler, because it is fairly obvious from an early stage.
Perhaps I am too easily irritated, but there were a few minor niggles that detracted from my enjoyment of the book, which meant that it fell just short of a five star rating for me. For example, “… the relaxed feel of the soft, baggy pajamas that hugged her skin …” I had to re-read that passage, wondering how the baggy clothing could cling to her skin. Silly, I know.
Nevertheless – Bravo, Vivian Barz!
I look forward to the second book in this series, which is due to be published in August 2020.
December 23, 2019
Book Review: Death Comes Knocking by Graham Bartlett
Death Comes Knocking: Policing Roy Grace’s Brighton by Graham Bartlett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The author draws upon his personal experiences during his thirty-year career that took him police cadet to Divisional Commander of the Brighton and Hove police force to show us every aspect of policing. His account gets very personal at times and often draws parallels between real cases and incidents and the stories and characters that we can read in the novels of prolific crime fiction writer, Peter James.
Graham Bartlett and his predecessor, Dave Gaylor, have advised Peter James on police procedures and authenticity. In fact, Mister James modelled his main protagonist, Roy Grace, on the career path of Dave Gaylor.
There are many anecdotes, revelations, insights and confessions in this book. When I say “confessions,” I am talking about mistakes that Graham and his colleagues made, especially early in their careers. Let’s face it, without mistakes, we would never learn and we would never improve. Life is cruel, and some of our errors will follow us to the grave thanks to the thoughtfulness of our closest friends and colleagues. There is one such instance in this book which particularly amused me. One of Graham’s colleagues missed a most obvious cause of death and was reminded of it by the Chief Constable on the occasion of his dining out from the force many years later. You’ll have to read the book to find out about that one.
Graham also reveals much about his family, which tells us how he was inspired by previous generations to become a police officer in the first place. His emotions come to the fore as he describes the torment that he and his wife went through as they strove to produce a family. Their eventual success is very emotional. A career in and service puts huge strains on family life and Graham’s strong love shines for his wife and children shines through his account of all that goes on around him in his job.
There were many aspects of policing which resonated with me and my own career in the Army. I could understand what he was going through, especially the need for black humour to take one through dark episodes.
The chapter which lends itself to the title of the book describes what the author believes to be probably the most difficult situation for any police officer: informing a family of the death of one of their nearest and dearest and the many ways in which that news is received. It is awful. Graham describes it so well that it is impossible for the reader to escape from the emotion of that moment.
The only reason that I awarded this book four stars rather than five, is that, for me, there were far too many references to Peter James’s books, comparing real police incidents to “… just as in by Peter James.” Sometimes, I had to read back to figure out whether I was in James’s land of fiction or in Bartlett’s world of reality. As I haven’t read any of James’s books, I found this to be a bit irritating. However, if did have the desired effect of making me want to read some of those stories.
I highly recommend this book to all lovers of crime fiction and non-fiction.
December 22, 2019
Blessings on Winter Solstice
This is powerful and atmospheric poetry. The sap rises!
The Oak and The Mistletoe
To the ancient druids the oak tree was sacred. An English oak was more sacred, and if it was an English Oak that had accepted mistletoe, that was the most sacred of oaks.
Ancient druids gathered in the grove of oaks on Winter Solstice when a special ritual was performed. The chief druid climbed the oak and lopped the mistletoe which was caught in a white cloak by the other druids. During the ceremony two white bulls were sacrificed and mistletoe was later presented at the altar to the earth goddess to bring ‘fertility to the spirit of the earth’(Paterson, 1996). The white berries signified the sun god’s semen.
*
On this Winter Solstice it seems like the perfect time to share my poem ‘The Sacred Tree’. ‘The Sacred Tree’ forms part of my collection about myth, folklore and legend around trees which I plan…
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December 19, 2019
Dear Boris Johnson, I’ve Had A Couple Of Thoughts…
… And I’d like to I share them with you. I don’t know much about running a country, or how to get out of the EU, or what to do about the NHS. But I do know a few other things which I think you might find useful.
One of the things I know about is hats and what a remarkable force for good they can be. Very often when I go out and about in my best hats, people stop and comment on how nice they are and ask where I got them. A good hat is an excellent conversation starter between perfect strangers and also offers marvellous opportunities for polite discourse. Not only am I able to pass on details of my milliner – an independent trader, thereby stimulating the local economy – I am able to return a similar extolment to my new friend, perhaps complimenting their…
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December 8, 2019
Green Momentum in NW Hampshire
[image error]I am amazed by the number of people who are approaching me in the street and emailing me to tell me that they are voting for me and the Green Party. A lot of them are breaking their voting habits of a lifetime.
A vote for the Green Party is definitely NOT wasted this time. It is going to have a huge impact.
Not voting is wasting a valuable vote.
Voting for any of the main three Parties is a vote to continue with politics as usual: traditional politicians yelling at each other and getting nothing done.
A vote for Lance Mitchell, Green Party candidate in North West Hampshire, is a vote for:
the only truly local candidate having lived in the area for 44 years
collaborative politics: agreeing on common goals and forming cross-party teams to work out how to accomplish those goals and then implement them
immediate, collaborative action on the CLIMATE EMERGENCY to make the planet safer for future generations
addressing the awful UNFAIRNESS and painful POVERTY that exists in UK today
a people’s vote on any proposed EU withdrawal agreement so that both Leavers and Remainers have a fair say on Brexit
PLEASE RE-BLOG AND SHARE ON ALL YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS
December 3, 2019
Hustings in NW Hants – Part 2
The evening went well and I had a lot of very positive feedback. I even had people telling me that they had voted one way, particularly Conservative as you would expect in this constituency, all of their lives, and that they were going to switch this time and vote for me!
[image error]People really are fed up to the back teeth with the main three Parties and their continual bickering, never getting anything done on the issues that matter most to the people. If everybody in the country had the courage to vote for the values and policies that most closely matched their own, we would return a substantial number of Green Party MPs.
I realise that it is very unlikely to happen, but there is a groundswell of support for our priorities and I would love to be pleasantly shocked by the electorate at the polls next week.
Here is my Closing Speech
In just ten days’ time, as you go to the polling stations, you will have a very simple, binary choice.
You can vote for the perpetuation of politics-as-usual, with plenty of bickering and name-calling and very little progress on ANYTHING that really matters for our futures, by voting for any of the other three Parties.
OR
you can have the courage of your convictions and vote for what most of us REALLY want.
You can vote for a REAL change in British politics.
You can vote for IMMEDIATE, collaborative action on the global climate emergency, with the United Kingdom leading the world in our battle to save the planet and to make it safe for future generations.
You can vote for a politician and a political Party who will address the awful unfairness and painful poverty that exists in British society today.
You can vote to ensure that both Leavers and Remainers have their fair say in the acceptability of any EU withdrawal agreement and plan that our new prime minister proposes.
You can vote for the local candidate who will stand up for OUR local people and OUR local issues.
If you are one of the millions of people in this country who say, “I support the Green Party agenda and would vote for them if they stood a chance,” take your courage in both hands, pick up the pencil in the polling booth, and vote for Lance Mitchell, your Green Party candidate.
IT IS TWENTY-NINETEEN.
IT IS TIME TO VOTE GREEN.
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Hustings in NW Hants – Part 1
St Mary’s Church, Andover
Monday 2nd December 2019 was a landmark moment in my life. It was the first time that I had attended a hustings event as a general election candidate. The event was very well hosted by St Mary’s Church in Andover.
Although, as many people know, I have spoken to a huge variety of audiences all over the world on topics related to technology and statistics and data, I have never been as nervous as I was as I approached the church. However, I soon got into my stride and I am pleased to say that my opening speech was met with rapturous applause. It really resonated with the audience, who, like me, are fed up with British politics as usual.
Here’s my Opening Speech
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Good evening ladies and gentlemen. My name is Lance Mitchell and I am proud to have been selected as the Green Party candidate for North West Hampshire in this election.
Having moved to the area when I was posted to Barton Stacey as a military surveyor in the Royal Engineers in 1976 and having met and married a Longparish lass in 1979, I’ve been connected to the area for over forty years. I am well and truly locally connected.
I am the candidate who is best qualified to represent local people and local issues.
Why am I standing for Parliament?
This may seem like a huge paradox, but I am standing for Parliament because I am fed up with politics. I am fed up with politics-as-usual. I am fed up with all the bickering and squabbling and name-calling between people who are supposed to be running this country.
I am not alone. Millions of us are fed up with politics-as-usual and with the media who report it. We don’t trust either.
British politics is well and truly broken. The country is in a mess.
Green politicians ARE different and we CAN be trusted. When other parties have twisted and turned with every change of wind direction, WE have always been consistent in our messages.
I am passionate about building a fairer Britain, tackling the enormous poverty problem that is causing suffering for so many millions. We have to work TOGETHER on resolving this rather than witness further squabbling among the elite politicians while ordinary people continue to suffer.
Official ONS figures show that 4 million children are currently living in poverty. Those children are unlikely to leave school with 5 GCSEs, girls are taking days off school because their families cannot afford menstrual products and they are forced to share PE kit. There are now more foodbanks in the UK than there are branches of MacDonalds.
We need politicians who will work TOGETHER to mend our broken country.
As you know, the Green Party have always led the way in taking action on the climate emergency. I am really happy that most of the other Parties have joined us in getting serious about THE most important issue facing mankind today. If elected, I will be delighted to work with them to take immediate action. It is not going to happen unless we all collaborate, working TOGETHER on our common goals.
Finally, everyone is fed up with the huge amount of time and public money that has already been spent on Brexit, achieving nothing. I don’t want to waste any more of your time or mine talking about that this evening.
The policy of the Green Party has always been that we should retain our membership of the EU and lead the way in much-needed reform.
To be fair to both Leavers and Remainers, we should put whatever withdrawal agreement our new prime minister comes up to a People’s Vote so that we can either approve it or deny it.
At the end of this evening, if you agree with me that decades of doing politics in the same old way, haven’t worked and that we need a totally new approach for a better Britain, please consider voting for me on the 12th of December.
November 19, 2019
5 GOOD REASONS TO VISIT BOTSWANA BY DR BOIKANYO TRUST PHENYO
5 Good reasons to visit Botswana by Dr Boikanyo Trust Phenyo –
Director Botswana Community UK
I invite you to visit one of the jewels of Africa, my beautiful Botswana; sparsely populated –
the size of Texas with the population of Wales.
1. If you want to meet the origins of humankind, the spirit of your ancestors, then visit
the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans in the north-eastern Botswana. Recently BBC news
published this article titled “Origin of modern humans traced to Botswana”
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-
50210701?fbclid=IwAR3yFdDXKfoVthEAhlxdjocjKApRU6Am0DTb-
XzuPkXGjHk6z1FHiBzsaTY
2. Botswana is the world’s largest producer of diamonds, the trade for which has
transformed it into a middle-income nation
3. We protect some of Africa’s largest areas of wilderness – experience the safari
diversity. The Okavango Delta is one of the last remaining unspoiled wilderness areas
of Africa. Don’t leave without experiencing the ancient San paintings at Tsodilo Hills!
4. Botswana is one of the…
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November 5, 2019
Tuesday Guest Feature – Meryl Lawrence
Meryl Lawrence is not only a Psychotherapist and Hypnotherapist, but a great friend who I met at Swanwick a couple of years ago. She has come along today to demystify the world of hypnotherapy for us: Without further ado, over to, Meryl.
Hypnotherapy Demystified
Meryl Lawrence
When I offer hypnotherapy to clients, a sceptical comment often follows….’hmm I’m not sure, they get you doing funny things on telly.’
Hypnotherapy has sometimes been associated with the strange and mysterious, or television shows that make people do silly things for an audience. But in truth, it isn’t in the least bit mysterious or supernatural and even more interesting, is that you’ve probably been in a hypnotic state many times, but didn’t notice because it seemed a natural state of mind.
To explain further, do you ever remember driving a familiar route and wondered how you got there? Rather unnervingly you can’t remember…
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October 8, 2019
Book Review: The Vine Witch by Luanne G Smith
The Vine Witch by Luanne G. Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The story is set in France in the early days of the motor car. The story opens with Elena, having been cursed by a wicked spell, in the form of a toad. She has spent a few years languishing in a stinking swamp, using her magical knowledge and power to regain her normal, witchly form. She walks back to her home vineyard to be welcomed by her Grand-Mèr, who brought her up after she was orphaned.
In these days, there are witches to help their mortal friends to be better at everything they do: wine fermentation, brewing of beers, baking of fine pastries, production of magical perfumes, to name a few. There are huge rivalries involved, some of which are quite deadly. Why can’t the vine witches collaborate for the success of the whole region rather than battle, valley against valley, vineyard against vineyard? Because, without those vicious conflicts, there would be no story.
There is plenty of high tension. There are lots of twists and turns. I was continually wondering how Elena was ever going to get out of a very challenging, life-threatening situation only to be delighted by the creative magical device or guileful ploy that secures her escape. Right to the very end, there are unexpected twists.
I was left wondering if Luanne Smith is, herself, a witch. She certainly appears to have great knowledge of witchcraft, which she imparts with great integrity. I wouldn’t risk crossing her for fear of the consequences.
I recommend this book. It kept me gripped from beginning to end and was thoroughly entertaining.
