Most of the way through 'The Bingo Hall Detectives' by Jonathan Whitelaw.
A humorous, warm story in the cosy crime style with rich likeable characters.
I particularly liked the main character, Jason's mother-in-law, Amita, a stereotypical women of Indian origin: strong, principled, opinionated and the loved matriarch of the family.
The ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle with a tower pointing precariously to the sky, little apparently holding it in place.
Thursday, 8 October 2026 at 4:14 PM
Bitter Old Men, take notice...
If I ruled the world Every day would be the first day of Spring Every heart would have a new song to sing And we'd sing of the joy every morning would bring.
If I ruled the world Every man would be as free as a bird Every voice would be a voice to be heard Take my word, we would treasure each day that occurred.
My world would be a beautiful place Where we would weave such wonderful dreams My world would wear a smile on its face Like the man in the moon has when the moon beams.
If I ruled the world Every man would say the world was his friend There'd be happiness that no man could end No my friend, not if I ruled the world.
Every head would be held up high There'd be sunshine in everyone's sky If the day ever dawned when I ruled the world.
Round here we pay to have the gardening waste bins emptied. This week the bin police rejected ours because it was 'contaminated' with soil.
Yes, it's true, there was some soil around the few clods of grass that we'd placed in the bin. They left us with a full bin and a big red notice telling us of our crime but without detailing the specifics.
So I called our waste disposal operative chief who told me about the contamination and that I had to remove it before the next collection. Apparently, the expensive recycling contract North Yorkshire Council placed can't handle soil (or gravel).
The last thing he said when I told him how displeased I was, was that I would know for next time.
