"Permission to leave Sir"

That is a reference to one of the last posts by silvertoe, the member who joined last year and left at the beginning of this one. He went off on a rant about (amongst other things) how the half-dozen or so (at the time) regular posters were only interested in talking to each other and hadn't sufficiently 'engaged' with him ... he branded us a 'sad little clique'.

We might have 'engaged' with him more if the vast majority of his contributions hadn't been fucking drivel. Still, it was funny to have a man in his early sixties whining like a petulant teen.

Verily, good Bond posters are hard to find.

I always miss the drama and as for drivel that's all I post. Something stupid pops into my head and I'm typing lol

if I ever don't respond to any of your posts it means I didn't see it

I liked silvertoe but yes, the exit was most dramatic.

Well lads, next Monday I'm moving to Portsmouth for university to do a masters. Probably pointless but I might be away a lot longer than I've been lately. I've been sorting out my flat, packing etc otherwise I'd be about more often. Sadly, I'm leaving my Bond boxset behind so no feverish commentaries. However, I'll do my bit once down.

Good show, Hilly. What will you be reading?

I will be doing Creative Writing so right now, I'm sure what I'll be reading :)

Though I harbour faint hopes of a novel or two, I'm hoping to get work in publishing or something. My tour guiding and retail work was peanuts salary wise. The uni claims they get 95% of students into work so we'll see. At my age it feels a last gasp.

Still, I look forward to classes where I mention the likes of Ian Fleming, Clive Cussler et al as writing inspirations :D As I dare say I will have woke types as classmates.

All the best with your studies, Hilly.

Don't trigger those campus commies too much, they are sensitive souls after all.

Hilly wrote:

I will be doing Creative Writing so right now, I'm sure what I'll be reading :)

Though I harbour faint hopes of a novel or two, I'm hoping to get work in publishing or something. My tour guiding and retail work was peanuts salary wise. The uni claims they get 95% of students into work so we'll see. At my age it feels a last gasp.

Still, I look forward to classes where I mention the likes of Ian Fleming, Clive Cussler et al as writing inspirations :D As I dare say I will have woke types as classmates.

Have you looked at the classes that are offered in that degree program and the profs who will be teaching them? This will indicate the NQ--Nausea Quotient--you'll encounter. But perhaps you'll luck out and it won't be too bad. At any rate, it will be worth it if it helps you land a decent job on down the line.

I've looked at classes but not so much staff. I had to do some of it on the fly. When I attended an online open evening no one came to me and so I had to chase up. So long as I'm "well read" I'm in apparently.

Hopefully it pans out but I feel a little unsuited to it all as I've not been 'educated in writing' before (not in a specified degree). Not since my secondary school (98-02) and that wasn't 'proper' education in creative writing.

I might well adopt a Lazenby-eseque attitude in facing the odds no matter what.

Afraid I would probably fall short on the 'well read' bit ... Dracula may well be regarded as a classic, but on reading it last year I found it to be an overlong and quite dull plod of a thing.

Hilly wrote:

I've looked at classes but not so much staff. I had to do some of it on the fly. When I attended an online open evening no one came to me and so I had to chase up. So long as I'm "well read" I'm in apparently.

Hopefully it pans out but I feel a little unsuited to it all as I've not been 'educated in writing' before (not in a specified degree). Not since my secondary school (98-02) and that wasn't 'proper' education in creative writing.

I might well adopt a Lazenby-eseque attitude in facing the odds no matter what.

I imagine you'll be one of their better students, Hilly. Have confidence and be of good cheer.

Blunt Instrument wrote:

Afraid I would probably fall short on the 'well read' bit ... Dracula may well be regarded as a classic, but on reading it last year I found it to be an overlong and quite dull plod of a thing.

I'm something of an aficionado of Dracula movies. I really do need to read the book.

Perilagu Khan wrote:

Hilly wrote:

I've looked at classes but not so much staff. I had to do some of it on the fly. When I attended an online open evening no one came to me and so I had to chase up. So long as I'm "well read" I'm in apparently.

Hopefully it pans out but I feel a little unsuited to it all as I've not been 'educated in writing' before (not in a specified degree). Not since my secondary school (98-02) and that wasn't 'proper' education in creative writing.

I might well adopt a Lazenby-eseque attitude in facing the odds no matter what.

I imagine you'll be one of their better students, Hilly. Have confidence and be of good cheer.

My humbled thanks, PK.

Perilagu Khan wrote:

Blunt Instrument wrote:

Afraid I would probably fall short on the 'well read' bit ... Dracula may well be regarded as a classic, but on reading it last year I found it to be an overlong and quite dull plod of a thing.

I'm something of an aficionado of Dracula movies. I really do need to read the book.

Just be prepared for the likes of Van Helsing taking 4-odd pages to say something that he could easily have said in 1-2. It's ... unusually florid (if that's the right way to put it) for something written in the Victorian era, or at least that's how I found it to be.

Blunt Instrument wrote:

Perilagu Khan wrote:

Blunt Instrument wrote:

Afraid I would probably fall short on the 'well read' bit ... Dracula may well be regarded as a classic, but on reading it last year I found it to be an overlong and quite dull plod of a thing.

I'm something of an aficionado of Dracula movies. I really do need to read the book.

Just be prepared for the likes of Van Helsing taking 4-odd pages to say something that he could easily have said in 1-2. It's ... unusually florid (if that's the right way to put it) for something written in the Victorian era, or at least that's how I found it to be.  

Right. I wonder if it reads anything like Poe.

Dracula takes effort to get through but the intent is worth it. They do talk endlessly at times but the characters do become charming in their own ways and no film to date has really gotten all of that across.

hegottheboot wrote:

Dracula takes effort to get through but the intent is worth it. They do talk endlessly at times but the characters do become charming in their own ways and no film to date has really gotten all of that across.

Given that I'm swotting up on poststructuralist theory right now--specifically, Georges Bataille--I imagine Drac will feel like a salubrious stroll in the park. At any rate, I'm certainly going to give it a go. It's just a matter of finding the time to do so.

Gents'all, signing in from the home of the Royal Navy. Hopefully for the next week or so I'll be on a bit more until things take root. Top floor with a good view out over the navy base and beyond.

I asked for a studio flat being a postgrad (they're meant to be prioritised for PG's) but seem to be sharing with a bunch of kids. Starting to feel like Sir Roge with a bunch of Bibi's. Minus them flinging themselves at me. Anyway. New Bond film coming out soon etc

Sharing with how MANY kids? And do you have any privacy?

I have privacy, the top two floors are all studio flats. The only bit where you can join others is a kitchen but the flats have their own kitchen/bathroom (and are of course effectively only a bedroom). As there's 20 flats on my floor I wouldn't like to say. I've only encountered three of them so far but judging by noise from time to time, there's a few more.

I say kids, late teens/early twenties but as I'm now inching into the late 30s, it feels like kids, ha.

Lap it up, Hilly. You're practically Rog- circa AVTAK. Go find your Tanya Roberts.

'Pony will be in any moment with some pointers...

Hilly wrote:

I have privacy, the top two floors are all studio flats. The only bit where you can join others is a kitchen but the flats have their own kitchen/bathroom (and are of course effectively only a bedroom). As there's 20 flats on my floor I wouldn't like to say. I've only encountered three of them so far but judging by noise from time to time, there's a few more.

I say kids, late teens/early twenties but as I'm now inching into the late 30s, it feels like kids, ha.

Ah. The grand old man of the dormitory, then. You may have to invite one of the lasses over to listen to your Barry Manilow collection.

I'm useless at multi-quoting so I'll do this the old fashioned way:

Fields: I should be so lucky. I'm not exactly blessed either side of the aisle, ha. I apparently, from previous events, told I'm old fashioned but I suspect this crap can wait until I start my course.

CJB: I hope not. I've suffered enough in life, ha

PK: Lumme, I've Sinatra, the Monkees and a sprinkling of others otherwise my main collection is John Barry :) Still...this old man of the dorm rode up in the lift with some of my floor and was introduced to all. It's kind of a poor man's version of when Laze is introduced to 'those girls'. Minus the looks (girl wise), Barry score and the witch off to one side: "You are feeling the altitude?"

I came down here with some books including three Fleming's. Sadly I seemed to have left Moonraker behind. However, there's my well worn copy of OHMSS, the recent old PAN copy of DAF I brought and that QOS short story collection they put out when, er, QOS came out. As I say I await my first lesson and the prospect of being asked who I've read...Fleming, Cussler and a couple of others might have me scoffed at.