The Falling Leaves of Autumn #3

 

Hi everyone, it's me Dave, the furry pumpkin!

I thought I'd come and say hello to you and update you on what is happening around here. I'll be around through Halloween this year as my mum Chuckles has promised me full protection from the psychos and weirdos who like to celebrate the spooky season by trying to eat my pumpkin relatives! Snack on a pile of berries or carve a parsnip why don't you!!!

 

I'm sorry that my mum hasn't been around this week but she has been suffering from a mix of stress, insomnia and a lack of motivation to get anything done, along with a minor head cold. Nothing to worry about but I insisted that she take a few days off to relax and just read and watch DVDs. Basically the doctor is messing around my mum and grandpa's medication, the neighbour's dog is barking every minute of the day and driving us all mad and my grandpa has had more hassle with companies that his brother had been dealing with before he died. We sort of feel that we are going round in circles and not making much progress. Our area is also back in lockdown because of rising Covid 19 cases and we are trying to stay safe at the moment and not go out. It's all a bit depressing really.

 

My mum has been really hacked off with it all, and the ongoing insomnia has left her tired and lacking in motivation and concentration to get anything done on the blog. She has used the time to watch DVDs and get a small amount of reading done but I can also report a small book splurge which made her feel better-until it ruined her Tackling The TBR challenge! She has asked me to say sorry for being absent and that she hopes to do some catchup on your blogs and comments over this weekend and try and get back on track soon. She has also asked me to say that she isn't leaving the blog anytime soon (she would tell you if she was) and fully expects to be taking part in Halloween special posts all next month in spite of a few issues remaining on blogger. We'll just see how things go with that mob!

 

So no weekend post or reading catchup this week but she hopes to be posting again soon as she misses all you guys!

 

Cheers, Dave 

 

PS Since this post mum has had a nightmare doing two blog posts. See next blog post.

Authors Behaving Badly-Richard Brittain Update

We've all heard the stories about authors stalking those who didn't like their books, usually online, hidden behind their computers or getting their fans to abuse someone. It's the ugly side to being a book reviewer isn't it. But this story shocked me so badly that I had to write this post. It is the story of UK author and Countdown Champion (A tv show in the UK) who stalked a girl that he took a fancy to all over the country to her obvious alarm, then wrote disturbing blog posts about it and got himself into plenty trouble over it. He travelled almost 500 miles all the way up to Scotland to attack another young woman with a bottle to the head, leaving her with a head injury that required stitches-because she didn't like his book and said so online. This is the full shocking story, for those who did not hear about it last year when it happened.

Richard Brittain became obsessed with a young woman and started to stalk her, sending her gifts, love letters and messages, following her around the country and this is an extract from the creepy blog post he wrote about her. In the interests of fairness I should point out that he has amended the start and end of the story with an apology for his behaviour which I hope he means.

"In a first-person blog post titled "The Benevolent Stalker", which is quite widely doing the rounds at the moment, Richard describes his infatuation with and ensuing stalking of a young woman he went to university with. On the surface, it’s straight up weird and terrifying, but also a rare glimpse into the mind of a stalker who genuinely doesn’t know he’s a stalker. He just thinks he’s in an especially one-sided relationship.

https://www.vice.com/da/article/4w7pn...

"On Valentine’s Day 2014, I sent her another card, with an elaborate drawing of a wild scene. In it, she became the character Ella Tundra, and that is how The World Rose began. Seven months later, when it was complete, I decided to try to make my book known by getting into the national news. I found out that she worked in Glasgow, so I travelled there with a plan. I was going to tell her that if she came with me, and we faked a kidnapping, we would both become famous. We would go into the hills and camp out for a few days while the nation searched. I had brought the necessary supplies.

I would like to reiterate that I was not plotting to kidnap her. I was planning on asking her if she would be interested in pretending to be kidnapped, so that we would make the news and people would learn about our story. Yesterday, I saw her on the street and approached her, and called her name, but she freaked out. “How?” she said. “How are you here?” She turned and snapped me on her phone before hurrying away. I didn’t even get to tell her about my plan. I didn’t want to make a scene because people were staring. I also realised that I didn’t have the heart to ask her if she would like to be kidnapped.

The book he wrote based on this poor woman, The World Rose, was put on WattPad, Amazon and Goodreads and Paige, amongst others was not impressed by it and said so. I do not have access to her review so I can't say if her comments were just negative about the book or something unpleasant about the author. However I do not condone stalking and violence in any situation. He hit her from behind with a wine bottle and did this to her:

Nice huh? Paige tells her story here:
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/sco...

You don't think that writing a negative review of a book can put you in this kind of danger. This guy seems to have a thing about stalking people in Scotland so if you live there, I suggest you don't review his book... He has yet to be sentenced but pled guilty in court to stalking the first woman and assaulting the second. 

*****UPDATE*****

A Countdown champion who travelled halfway across the country to brutally attack a teenage girl has contacted her following his release from prison. Richard Brittain went 400 miles from his home in Bedford to the Asda store in Fife where Paige Rolland worked in order to smash the teenager over the head with a full bottle of wine.

The 2006 Countdown series champion used Facebook to track down the Fife woman, who was 18 at the time, after she criticised a book that he wrote, The Daily Record reported. Having been released after serving half of his 30 month sentence, Brittain has contacted his terrified victim again - despite being subject to an indefinite non-harassment order.

He sent a handwritten note to her home address claiming that nothing was real "except their love" and that he would love her "forever". Brittain also referred to Paige as his "Scottish thistle" before signing off "This page is torn because we are torn without each other.”

Paige, who has moved to a secret address for her safety, suffers from severe anxiety, takes medication for her mental health issues and has dropped out of university since the attack. She said: “I live in fear every day he’s going to track me down again. “I want people to know what this man is capable of – and nobody seems able to stop him. I was offered victim support at the time but ended up in private therapy. I just feel the justice system is geared towards the perpetrator and not the victim. It doesn’t take into account the long-term needs of a victim of an unprovoked attack. He obviously didn’t fear going back to prison or he wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to track down my home address again. Prison didn’t change him or rehabilitate him.”

Brittain, who was locked up in 2015, sent Paige a private Facebook message following his release. “I dreamed of you last night. Are you going to send me back to prison?" he wrote. “Maybe I need it – I’m bored out of my mind. How is the nursing degree going? I was quite surprised they revealed such information about you in court. I was tempted to get a bus ticket to Dundee and come visit you but I thought that might look weird. Any chance we could just become friends actually? We could keep our communications secret like we did in last night’s dream.”

The 32-year-old later sent a follow up message begging Paige not to tell anyone about the first one. He also penned numerous sick poems about her on his blog, which has since been deleted. One mentions a “Scotch tartan queen”, adding: “In the cereal aisle we made contact with one another.” When Paige, now 23, received the letter she contacted Police Scotland. Brittain was reported to the procurator fiscal, who decided not to proceed with charges due to the stalker’s mental health. It’s understood he is in a psychiatric ward in England.

Paige said that she "could have died" have she been hit any harder by Brittain. Despite the brutal nature of the attack and the mental issues she is dealing with, Paige was refused criminal injury compensation because she suffered no long term physical effects following the attack. “What about the mental effects?" she added. "My life has changed completely. I was going to be a midwife and should be almost qualified now. Instead, I’m fighting a battle every day because of what he did to me. “There needs to be greater emphasis on the mental well-being of victims of crime and support for however long they need it. “I might have coped a lot better if he hadn’t continued to stalk me after he left prison.”

Brittain attacked Paige in October 2014 after she left an online review of a story he had uploaded to the internet. The pair had never met. 

60 Years Of Coronation Street-Best Characters Of The 60's/70's

This image is my own and I use it to promote my favourite TV series. I make no money from this. Coronation Street is the property of ITV.

In December this year, serial drama/soap Coronation Street will celebrate 60 years on British TV. I have been watching it from the late 70's and remain a big fan. Between now and December I will be looking at the best bits from the Corrie years. This time I'm looking at my favourite ten characters from the 60's and 70's.

1) Deirdre Langton

I loved her personality and the way she stopped new husband Ray from being such an arsewipe all the time. I never liked Ray but he worked with her. She had to deal with a sexual assault, her husband having an affair, nearly losing her daughter in a lorry crash and trying to bring up Tracy on her own. 

2) Elsie Tanner

I thought Elsie was so beautiful and glamorous in the 70's and I loved how she took crap from nobody. Her disaster love life was always interesting to watch and she never had much luck. Loved seeing her rows with the factory people and Mike Baldwin, and the way she took in young female lodgers who needed guidance.

3) Renee Bradshaw

Renee bought the shop after the Cleggs, and had a run in with Annie Walker and a romance with a man who flitted in and out of her life. She married Alf Roberts which was a great on screen partnership, was friends with Bet Lynch and tragically died in a car crash just a few years after marrying. I was sad to see the end of Renee.

4) Betty Turpin

Betty was always famous for telling it like it is, her famous hotpot, taking no crap from those she worked with and being a friendly face behind the bar. Her best moments include the death of her husband, her battles with Annie and Fred, the story of her illegitimate son being brought up by her married sister. Betty's sarky put downs were always so funny.

5) Rita Littlewood

Another bold and brassy woman, nightclub singer turned shop manager Rita had memorable scenes with slob thug husband Len and jealous battles with Elsie over him. Rita was nobody's fool and I liked that. I also enjoyed her partnership in the shop with long suffering Mavis, a friendship that lasted to the late 90's.

 
6) Jack Walker

Watching the 60's episodes, Jack was my favourite. He was that kind grandfather figure with great humour but he could also handle any trouble at the bar. Best moments include confronting Len for hitting Elsie, the viaduct crash where you fear he dies and his general good humour in dealing with Annie's social climbing!

7) Valerie Tatlock

Val was a sweet girl who had to put up with the way Ken Barlow treated her as his wife-the cheating, leaving their twins home alone and needing rescue when a fire broke out, the way he talked down to her constantly. Val was bright and friendly, survived a hostage situation, and her tragic death had consequences for her children Susan and Peter Barlow.

8) Concepta Riley

The first Rovers barmaid, capable feisty Irish Concepta was cheery, friendly and tough. I really liked her attitude and she was loved by Annie Walker. Perhaps marrying her to Harry was premature as a new man in charge of Corrie promptly wrote them out by sending them to live in Ireland. A waste of a good character.

9) Irma Ogden

Embarrassed by the arrival of her family in the street, Irma tried not to be considered an Ogden. She was lively and pretty, with a mixed love life until she married David Barlow, despite interference from his brother Ken. Irma returns home to Coronation Street after David and their son are killed in a car crash in Australia. 

10) Maggie Clegg

Betty's no nonsense sister who ran the corner shop. She long suffered with her alcoholic husband and bought the Corner Shop to keep him sober but they divorced. Her romantic disappointments continued but she faced a crisis when people who wanted to buy the shop discovered that Betty was really Gordon's mother.  

Around The Blogs With Chuckles

We all enjoy snooping and lurking on other people's blogs right? Why not share those entertaining things you found with other readers and bloggers too! Welcome to Around the Blogs with Chuckles, where I take time out to show you some of my favourite blog posts from the previous seven days and link you up so you can check them out. 

It is vital that we all stick together online at this time. Do what you can to show some love to other blogs, to books and authors and let us all know that you are staying safe and well. Hearing from our friends will make it easier to deal with whatever is coming in the next few months. Stay safe everyone.

This week...

 

1) This Is Not My Fault 

Art projects with glue don't mix with fur...

https://thebloggess.com/2020/09/08/this-is-not-my-fault/ 

 

2) Book Review-The Bounty Hunter by PR Garcia

Sherry's review.

http://www.fundinmental.com/bounty-hunter-p-r-garcia/#.X1nx6It7ncs 

3) Book Review-The Line Between by Tosca Lee

Susan's review.

http://www.blogginboutbooks.com/2020/09/exciting-apocalyptic-novel-timely-and.html?utm_source=bloglovin.com&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BlogginboutBooks+%28Bloggin%27+%27bout+Books%29 

 

4) Book Review-The Barren Grounds by David Alexander Robertson

Lindsi's review.

https://www.doyoudog-ear.com/2020/09/the-barren-grounds-misewa-saga-1-by.html 

5) Book Review-An Inconvenient Woman by Stephanie Buelens

Heather's review. 

https://www.randomredheadedramblings.com/2020/09/Inconvenientwoman.html

 

 

Chuckles Weekend Roundup

Welcome to my feature Chuckles Weekend Roundup where I will be looking at what books I've received, anything interesting I've done or bought or watched and other random stuff. I'll be taking a look back at what happened in my blogging world too, sort of like The Sunday Post that some of you do!

Please note that I'll be visiting your STS/SP as normal, but I don't follow or leave comments on blogs run by Google Plus, or DISQUS as I refuse to join something just to leave comments, and I won't allow DISQUS to follow new people, update my profile or post tweets 'on my behalf'. I am the only one who does that on my social media! I won't comment on any blog that makes me sign in using another account. Sometimes, I have problems leaving messages on blogs hosted by Wordpress-they try to block me because I deleted my account with them but I will persevere as it only happens the odd time!

OK I'm constructing this post using the new Blogger to see if it has fixed the issues that have had me complaining so much and considering going elsewhere. I won't know how it is behaving until I get to the graphics bit later! It did allow me to remove a gap above my dog picture much easier than before so fingers crossed. I'm still struggling with the insomnia but gradually trying new remedies or altering doses of what I'm trying. It's frustrating but eventually I'll hit on the right combination. I need to be patient, which is not one of my virtues! Reading has again been slow as I can only read small bits at a time. At the moment spending time trying to sleep has been more important as you can imagine. I am reading a few behind the scenes books for Coronation Street which are good even if my reading of them is pretty slow.

Book buying has been steady as I've been snapping up second hand Coronation Street books from Amazon to add to my collection. I should have plenty to read and before the year is out I want to re-read the biographies I have of the Corrie stars and give them a better review. I've had to re-buy a couple but as I've already read them, they don't go on the TBR which is good! We are enjoying watching the antics of a group of squirrels that are using our squirrel feeder. They are cute and funny and one is becoming tame enough to come and say hello when we go out to fill the feeder. I find watching them very relaxing in these stressful times! 

Chuckles Buys

Here are the books that I bought this week. And I finally was able to cut out that annoying gap between headers and text. I can also say that changing text colour is easier than old Blogger. My text colours used to change themselves at random as I wrote!

 

Hurrah! It took a while but I did get them all lined up. I'm getting a bit more used to it but it's still a pain in the rear end. Anyway, on with the show!

 

 Chuckles Blogging World

Blogging has been sporadic this week I'm afraid with a lack of posts because I've been considering a full time move to Goodreads. So I've been setting up a group there and copying blog posts to store there. It will actually be a good back up to have if I stay with Blogger. Blogger seems to be sorting out a few of the issues and I've worked out how to get round a few issues too. I might end up staying here after all.

 

Book Reviews 

none this week

 

Regular Posts

 

Chuckles Friday Reading Roundup

https://chucklesbookcave.blogspot.com/2020/09/chuckles-friday-reading-roundup.html 

 

Around The Blogs With Chuckles

https://chucklesbookcave.blogspot.com/2020/09/around-blogs-with-chuckles_5.html 

 

Top Ten Tuesday

https://chucklesbookcave.blogspot.com/2020/09/top-ten-tuesday-books-from-childhood-i.html 

 

#SixDegrees of Separation

https://chucklesbookcave.blogspot.com/2020/09/6degrees-of-seperation-september.html 

 

Discussion Posts 

 

Falling Leaves of Autumn #1

https://chucklesbookcave.blogspot.com/2020/09/the-falling-leaves-of-autumn-1.html 

 

Falling Leaves of Autumn #2

https://chucklesbookcave.blogspot.com/2020/09/the-falling-leaves-of-autumn-2.html 

 

Leaving Blogger...What are the options for me?

https://chucklesbookcave.blogspot.com/2020/09/leaving-bloggerwhat-are-options-for-me.html 

 

Reading Challenges 

none this week, Tackling The TBR returns next week

 

Films & TV & Music 

I watched a bit of darts and a few documentaries about Coronation Street, avoided the news and watched a few films like A Bug's Life, Harry Potter and the original Jumanji. 

 

Book Tags/Blog Awards 

none this week

 

The Week Ahead

I'm struggling with concentration for reading fiction but I have a big pile of Coronation Street related books and biographies to get through so I'll stick to that for now and see how my sleeping goes. As long as I'm reading something!

 

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