A to Z: B is for Badass Brits.
Now, when I think of Badass Brits, I think of the likes of Jason Statham and Vinny Jones. Men with humble, working-class backgrounds who’ve made good and have a reputation as hard men in films. The kind of men who, 100 years ago, might have worked 12-hour shifts down the mines and still come home and dug the garden over. Not like our present PM, Keir Starmer, who keeps trying to pass himself off as the son of a working-class toolmaker when, in fact, his father owned the tool factory. Now, I do believe Herr Starmer knows a lot about tools. (I’ve heard he still works with them on a daily basis.) In fact, I heard he was able to build a cabinet with his tools, which
A to Z: Age is for Ageism
So, I reckon we should start off the A to Z with a rant on ageism and generally being old (read f***** over for the less sensitive amongst you.) I know it’s hard to believe, but I started writing this blog in 2007 when I was 42. This makes me a dinosaur amongst the blogging community (i.e., I’m verging on the extinct), and last month, I turned 60. Now, I know the kinder amongst you will be saying, “How can that fetching red-haired woman in the picture above be anywhere near 60? She looks barely 25!” To which my reply is: 1. You have failing eyesight. 2. You are on drugs. 3. You are on drugs and have failing eyesight. 4. I was wearing a wig. 5. I took that selfie in
New Website
After 18 years on another CMS, I have moved my blog to a more versatile platform. However, it will take some time while I perform some jiggery-pokery to get it exactly how I want it. So please bear with me as things fall off the page, are posted upside down and so on. It has also beome apparent that I will have to edit hundreds of posts as importing them has screwed up all the post layouts, especially paragraphs. This will obviously mean: The consumption of large amounts of chocolate. The downing of copious G & Ts. Rapid onset of Tourette’s Syndrome. Hmm… Pretty much sounds like the last 18 years anyway. Oh and I will be back for the April A to Z. In the meantime, I am off
A Chicken Nugget A Day Keeps Justice Away
I have been forced. Yes, forced to come out of blog hibernation to comment on the latest scandal to hit the UK. God knows I have been tempted multiple times in the last few years to comment on some of the insane things happening in the UK and in the world, but sadly, life has just thrown too many curve balls at me. But today, I can take no more – I cannot keep my mouth shut any longer over the insanity that is rearing its ugly head in the UK. And what has been my breaking point? Chicken nuggets. Yep. Chicken nuggets. Apparently, British nuggets are so darn tasty that no chicken nuggets elsewhere in the world can compare (or specifically Albania), and that is a reason to prevent the deportation of a convicted
My Nominees for the US and UK Elections and Other Waffle
It’s the early hours of the morning, and I have had a large gin… Late-night alcohol is always a good recipe for writing gibberish. And I have not written gibberish for a while on my blog as I have been busy writing gibberish for my MA in Comedy Writing. Which I recently passed with a distinction. Yay! Yes, it transpires that even academics can be fooled into thinking gibberish is genius. Excellent. So anyway, I have written two sitcoms, a short film, a sketch show and a comedy-drama pilot for a series. Now, I have to see if I can get a producer or broadcaster interested in one or more of them. That’s the tricky part. Still, there’s a certain satisfaction in having written them and knowing that at least they made the examiners laugh.
Less is More (well that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it)
I’ve been practising my haikus, which you may recall, I’m not particularly good at. However, I wanted to address the woke issue in a concise, meaningful way as it is such a serious matter for discussion and particularly relevant to me as a comic writer. Which, if you know me, translates as: 1) I’m too lazy to write a long analytical post. And 2) I’d rather watch a movie and eat tortilla chips. However, I feel obliged to say my part. So here goes, and I am pleased to say that in the writing of the following haiku, I broke my own speed record! 45 seconds. Awesome. I might get 2 movies in tonight. Ok, here goes with the haiku. Man, I’m so fed up with this bat-shit wokey stuff head in the oven Now,
Sixteen Years On
So this post is just going to be a stream of possibly (wildly erratic) thoughts. So hang on to your breeches; we could go anywhere with them. Cripes, I only managed three posts last year. And I call myself a writer? Pathetic! Though, to be fair to me, almost everyone who was blogging with me in 2007/8 no longer blogs or blogs even less than I do now. A few later blogs are still going, so kudos to those writers because it is difficult finding time and inspiration when life gets in the way. I have actually now been writing this blog for sixteen years. Oh. Dear. God. Just think of all that crap out there on the Internet for my kids to read after I peg it. (Ho, ho, ho.) So you
Are You Having A Laugh?
An ex-secret service agent with a personality problem and a desire for imperial glory. An aged president who looks like he’s got a giant fork prong stuck up his arse to keep him upright. A floppy-haired bumbling classics graduate with a predisposition for crass decisions. A tinpot dictator who showcases his weapons like a movie trailer. A comedian who has found himself elevated to global status. If the world wasn’t on the brink of war this surely would be the cast list of a first-class situation comedy.
What Happened to My Wine Gums?
Since my post earlier last night, I’ve been sorting my books and CDs, which until recently have been still packed in my basement in my new home. The basement (or glorified cellar if you wish) was one of the attractions of my new home – providing a place where I could hoard all my crap. I don’t use the word “crap” lightly, as it would indeed be crap to most people. However, I rather like hanging onto my personal crap. Most of which is a multitude of books. Of course, my books were about the only things the Ex didn’t request in the divorce settlement, so I still have them. Then again, maybe that’s not surprising given his reading material mainly consisted of car manuals and supermarket receipts. God, I am so restrained. After 5
Timely Reflections
Contrary to my post last year saying I was back in the writing business, my time writing on my blog has been limited. Mainly that’s because after moving home, I started a new job with a national charity which subsequently sucked up all my time and energy. It left very little time for me to pursue my MA where I was not totally exhausted. So several weeks ago, I made the decision to leave so I could do myself justice in my MA. I was offered a part-time job in the cultural sector, which I accepted. The next day Russia invaded Ukraine. Several weeks later and 4 days into my new job, I’ve concluded I made the right decision even though a part-time job means I will have to live frugally at least until my
Birdsong to Wokesong
Many years ago, I read Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks. It’s a terrific, emotive book that now sits on school syllabuses alongside other past literary masterpieces. If you’ve not read it then you’ve missed out. Anyhow, a few years later, whilst at The Cheltenham Literary Festival (a very prominent cultural affair in the UK), I happened to see Sebastian Faulks close up. I was climbing the stairs to take my seat early for his forthcoming talk, and to my surprise, I saw him seated in a room off the stairwell. He glanced up, and we looked at each other for a moment, and then I carried on walking up the stairs. I suspect he was wondering if I recognised him and whether I was going to solicit his attention for an autograph. Awkward. In fact, I
And so I return…
The lights have been out on this blog for over a year, but now, at last, I return. I do so to remember what creative writing is like and unlock the key to my imagination. Where else better to do that than here, where my journey began 14 years ago. So, with a glass of gin in hand, let me begin. So first, there are two subjects to cover. Although I shall probably only cover them briefly here, it is almost impossible not to mention them. They are Covid 19 and my divorce. No doubt I will return to them again in due course. Fortunately, my immediate and extended family and I have been unaffected by Covid except in small, recoverable doses. But, regrettably, a number of my friends and acquaintances have lost relatives, and
Ebook of Fantasia is Free on Kindle
My short story Fantasia is free to download as an ebook on Kindle for five days. Please feel free to share with friends and anyone who might be interested. It’s already gone to no 1 in the free children’s environment with just a few downloads. It would be lovely to see it there a little longer. Any reviews would be most welcome!
Bad Poetry 2: A Tale of Terrible Misfortune
There was a buffoon called Johnson Who thought he was Charles Bronson But he fucked-up Brexit So attempted to exit Dressed as a woman in Labour Unfortunately for Boris No one was fooled by “Doris” So he pulled out a gun Broke into a run But was caught in the commons by Keir Starmer “But… but…. but, Boris stuttered “Brexit is oven-ready. And buttered!” “Don’t give me that clap-trap, You’re just a tabloid hack And as thick as a brain-dead lama” As Boris started to weep and plead Keir pulled out a writ and began to read “I don’t need no fancy prose Let’s pelt him with tomatoes And leave him for the Tories to dismember!” But out of the throng rushed Dom Fresh from his castle with aplomb “I’ll save
What’s in a name?
It is more than likely I will change my name in the very near future which will no doubt please my husband and his family. However, I will be probably be keeping Turley as a pseudonym for my comedy writing since I’ve been writing under it for over a decade. So, I am afraid my ex is just going to have live with the potential of my embarrassing him. Oh dear. What a pity! Initially, I plan to use my new name in my private life only, but it’s possible I might use it for my planned crime writing. It depends on how I feel at the time. Of course, I have thought about reverting to my maiden name or another family name which makes complete sense. However, I quite fancy to revert to total
