Saturday, 13 September 2025

Calamity Chicks 1.2

 Here's a pivotal scene from Tina's Torment which sets up the entire series. Enjoy. 

    The following summer felt like a huge anti-climax. Pete and Simon spent the first three weeks on a football training scheme. They were too old and far too cool for antics at the den. We rushed down there on the first two days and re-lived old memories, but it wasn’t the same without them. On the third day, I had some errands to run so we arrived late, only to find two unknown boys, a little older than us, treating the place as though they owned it.
    The dark haired, stocky one seemed vaguely familiar – maybe I’d seen him at school. Taller than me, with spotty skin, the dark frown made him mean, moody and tough. The other one was taller still, slim and obviously in charge. The sun raised highlights in his blond hair, giving him the appearance of a young Greek god, and I felt a peculiar sensation inside.
    “Get out of here, this is our den,” he glanced at Chloe, “and no girls allowed.”
    “Get out yourselves, we were here first.” My defiance surprised the dark lad as I continued. “Where were you last year, or even yesterday?”
    “Well, it’s ours now, so beat it.”
    “What are you going to do about it?”
    Even before my challenge was out, he’d leapt across the stream knocking me to the ground. We rolled over as I struggled to get up, fending off his punches.
    “Leave her alone,” screamed Chloe.
    The other lad must have figured it out as he pulled his mate off me with a shout. “Stop it Justin, she’s a girl.”
    I’d been trying to land a few blows of my own, but was outraged by Justin’s next words.
    “Doesn’t look much like one to me.”
    Even through the hurt from his words I could see his point – he wasn’t the first to make that mistake, and it was even more marked than normal. Three weeks earlier, I’d discovered my little sister with a hoard of half-eaten sticky lollies. In my frantic efforts to get them away from her, one got tangled up in my hair, and I’d cut it out in a panic. Mum didn’t throw a fit as I expected, she simply marched me straight down to her hairdresser friend who chopped all my hair to the same length – ultra-short. So in my shorts and tee-shirt handed down from Simon, and with my height and build, I must have appeared more male than female.
    The dark-haired boy had a grim expression as he helped me up, but close up, I saw his eyes were kind. Chloe belatedly registered the situation, hugging me theatrically.
    “Come here, Danny,” commanded Justin.
    He complied with the resignation of one used to obedience. Justin whispered to him for a few minutes, and then planted himself in front of us with an implacable air. “If you want to play here you’ll have to join our gang. But first you must prove yourselves worthy by passing the initiation tests. If you fail any of them you’re out – no second chances. Are you up to it?”
    “Of course we are.” My answer was pure reflex. I didn’t stop to consider Chloe, who seemed doubtful.

    The next few days were tough as he devised new tasks for us: climbing trees and fences; standing one legged on the iron bridge for five minutes; jumping off the top of the stile – the list seemed endless. Each time he made me do it first, and then gave Chloe an easier option – a smaller tree, shorter time – even glancing away when she was at risk of failing. When I pointed out his injustice, he warned that if I wanted to be in his gang I must learn to take orders.
    I wanted so much more than to be in his gang. I wanted him to look at me the way he looked at her – or at least to like me. Lyrics about angels making a dream come true flitted through my head in Karen Carpenter’s velvety voice.
    The final test was to leap across the stream. This time Chloe was first, and he chose the narrowest part for her jump, which she managed easily thanks to previous practice. Then he walked down to where it widened out considerably and pointed to a place where the opposite bank was a foot higher. I took one peek and crossed myself, preparing to die.
    Chloe protested that no-one could jump there. I blinked back the tears of self-pity which sprang to my eyes.
    Justin saw them and taunted, “What’s up cry-baby? It’s easy peasy.” Then, to Danny, “Show her how it’s done.”
    Danny jumped across with ease and held out his hands. “Come on, Tina. I’ll catch you if you fall.” Not mean at all.
    I saw the scorn in Justin’s eyes as I walked away, but it was merely to get a longer run-up. I took a deep breath, counted down from five to psyche myself up, and started running. As I launched myself off the bank, Chloe screamed, ruining my concentration. My first foot landed safely, but the second hit the edge which began to crumble away. Chloe screamed again and hid her face in Justin’s shoulder, but Danny reacted quickly and grabbed my arm, hauling me up. The momentum was too much and we landed in a heap, gasping for breath.
    As we sat up, he touched my arm. “Well done. Knew you could do it.” A rare smile lightened his features.
    Justin sniffed. “Told you it was easy.” He walked away.

    So we were allowed to join, at first as honorary boys, taking the same identities: explorers; cops and robbers; cowboys and Indians – all the usual boys’ games.
    I had to admire Justin’s skill when it came to inventing new situations, making each one more authentic by the props he would provide – guns, swords, hats, even rope and handcuffs. As the days went on, however, Justin devised more and more games where Chloe starred as the heroine; a nurse trapped by the war or a kidnapped film star, and he played the hero who had to fight past Danny and I to rescue her.
    Eventually I got fed up with playing a man and being battered around – he didn’t pull his punches. At the end of one particularly rough game, I complained and surprisingly, instead of his usual sarcasm, he agreed.

    The next day, Chloe played a princess with me as her maid, he ruled as king with Danny a knight at court. Then they were highwaymen who captured us and tied us to a tree for ransom. Justin became a prince, leading to a spectacular fight before he could get to us. Exactly like in an action film, they leapt from bank to bank, up and down tree stumps and in and around the trees. Neither gave an inch as they fought with all their might – a real grudge match. Finally, Danny tripped on an unseen root and Justin made the most of his victory, crowing like Peter Pan.
    Then Danny became his squire and started untying Chloe when Justin stopped him with an imperious raised hand. “Wait – first she has to prove she’s the princess.”
    “How?” Danny seemed as surprised as we were.
    “She has to give me something.” His tone sounded dark.
    “But I haven’t got anything to give you.” Chloe’s expression emphasised her innocent tone.
    “Then you’ll have to give me a kiss.”
    “No,” I shouted. “Mum said you mustn’t.”
    “If you won’t give it to me, I’ll take it.” Justin delivered the line like a hero from a movie as he stepped up boldly and kissed her on the lips. Danny and I watched in a mixture of horror and fascination.
When he released her, his eyes slid over my body. “She’s only the maid. You may kiss her, Squire.” His lip curled as he turned away.     “But only if you want to.”
    This must have presented Danny with an awful dilemma. From what I’d seen of him so far, kissing any girl would be the last thing he wanted to do, but he seemed sufficiently sensitive to realise I would have been insulted if he declined.
    I closed my eyes and received his peck on the cheek with fists clenched against the humiliation of Justin’s stage whisper. “Ugh, it’s like two boys kissing.”

    That night, I cried myself to sleep, dreaming of being a slim, beautiful princess rescued by a prince. It wasn’t Justin, but a strong, handsome Danny who bent to kiss me.

Saturday, 6 September 2025

Calamity Chicks 1.1

Some of the books in this series are billed as fairytale, but the entire series is a Cinderella story, because it never got the send off it deserved, overtaken as it was by the Time Doctors.

Calamity Chicks: Endearing, coming-of-age romances with lashings of adventure and a hint of spicy danger. Set in 70's Britain, they provide an immersive experience of growing up in a world without mobile phones and computers, but with the best soundtrack everrr!
#1 Tina's Torment - Ugly Duckling
#2 Chloe's Chaos - Goldilocks
#3 Linda's Lament - Reluctant Rock Star
#4 Helen's Hazard - coming in 2025

The first book in the series is Tina’s Torment – here’s a little more about it.


Would you tell your best friend?
On Chloe’s hen night, Tina has a dilemma: does she reveal what a rat her fiancé is and ruin what should be her happiest day ever? Or stay schtum and let him ruin Chloe’s life?

Best friends since juniors, their bond is threatened when they meet two cousins. Built like a Greek God, Justin is every girl’s heart-throb, but both Tina and Danny suffer his cruelty. High school turns Tina from a frumpy swot into a svelte high-achiever, but revenge is sweet when her inner disco diva attracts Justin’s attention – and Chloe's jealousy.

Tina’s hard work brings rewards as a blast from the past reappears with a mission – to make up for lost time. Being overweight and spotty, Danny never had the courage to stand up to his cousin, but now the girls on the sailing course think he’s a dreamboat. Tina is thrilled as he teaches her far more than how to sail, but his spiteful cousin isn’t done with them.
As college brings new adventures, all four are linked by dark secrets, and danger ensues as the monster seeks his revenge.

She’s All That meets Never Been Kissed with elements of The Duff

This cheeky piece of 70s British nostalgia features no less than three Ugly-duckling transformations, girl-powered escapes from hairy situations, a couple of unlikely heroes and the nastiest of villains. Feel free to boo and hiss.

N.B. A version of this story was previously available (from May 2014-May 2017) as part of a short story anthology called Triple Jeopardy, published under the pen-name Rowanna Green. There are several changes, adding mystery and reinstating all the yummy 70s songs some harsh critic made me take out. Now it's part of a series, you get to spend time with some of the other characters and see the other side of the story.

Saturday, 30 August 2025

Back to School-itis

If you’re in England, you can’t fail to have noticed it’s back-to-school time, as evidenced by the plethora of ads for uniforms, stationary and the like.

For the rugrats, this is followed by the whole transition from long, sunny play-days to grey, rainy endless days of getting your soul sucked out by a bunch of thankless tasks. Or am I projecting?


For some kids, going back to school at the end of a long lazy summer can be traumatic. Anticipating a new teacher, classmates, grade, or school can trigger fear, anxiety, and depression - not to mention very real physical symptoms such as stomach aches, headaches, and insomnia. One doctor highlights various reasons for school-related anxiety, including fear of the unknown, academic pressure, social concerns, separation from family, routine changes, or past negative school experiences. He explained that while anxiety is a normal human response, it could affect sleep, appetite, mood, and school attendance if not addressed.

For some of us, this childhood pattern gets set and we never quite get over it, manifesting as weekend-itis, Sunday evening-itis, or my favourite, the Sunday scaries. I was surprised by how many articles I found on the subject, one blogger said "Mondayitis; back-to-work or school blues; the post-holiday comedown – these feelings snap at our heels on a Sunday night throughout life, whether children are in the picture or not."
Another said "Ever since I was a kid, I get a feeling of depression, emptiness and anxiety on Sunday nights. I think its pretty clear why, Monday, work and stress are coming the next day."

My own memories of Sunday evening go way back to being six years old, sitting under the hairdryer hood (which hung off the door because the stand broke), and definitely feeling unsettled. The thin-sandwich engineering degree had us alternating between terms at college and work placements, and I distinctly remember coming the closest I've been to anxious at uni, every time we swapped from one to the other. That is apart from taking exams, when I got so nervous I had to go in early to chuck up before it started.

I was okay through most of the 23 years writing software, apart from the three times I returned from a 6-month maternity leave. Now, of course, being retired means I'll never have to face those kind of stresses again.

Saturday, 23 August 2025

My Top Thirteen Anthem Songs

The top 4 are songs which spoke to me on a visceral level – they were telling the story of my life (thanks, Billy J). The next half dozen have similar resonance – but in later years – they didn’t move me so much at the time.
Most of the others are in the list because they’re songs which make you (yeah, it’s not just me!) want to punch the air and sing at the top of your voice in absolute agreement of the song’s sentiment – this, I think, is the definition of an anthem. Some of them were turned into anthems due to their use in popular culture [film/TV/sports].

1. Argent – Hold your Head Up 1971
2. Helen Reddy – Angie Baby 1975
3. Janis Ian – At Seventeen 1975
4. Billy Joel – My Life 1978
5. Journey – Separate Ways 1983
6. Styx – Renegade 1979
7. Tears for Fears – Woman in Chains 1989
8. Waterboys – Whole of the Moon 1985
9. Deacon Blue – Dignity 1994
10. David Bowie – Rebel Rebel 1974
11. Bon Jovi – Livin’ On A Prayer 1986
12. Queen – We are the champions/We will rock you 1977 [A Knight’s Tale]
13. Tina Turner – Simply the best 1991/We don’t need another hero 1985 [Mad Max Thunderdome]

And the didn't-quite-make-its - many of which are quite universal.
Simple Minds – Don’t you forget about me 1985 [Breakfast Club]
Kate Bush – Running up that hill 1985 [Stranger Things]
Neil Diamond – Sweet Caroline 1969 [Big Bang Theory/England Squad]
Status Quo – Caroline 1971
Gloria Gaynor – I will survive 1978
Dexy’s Midnight Runners – Come on Eileen 1982
Bee Gees – Stayin’ Alive 1977
Skinner/Baddiel/Lightning Seeds – Three Lions/It's Coming Home 1996 [England Squad]

For those of you expecting to see things like ELO's Mr Blue Sky, try the Epic list here.
Another work-in-progress post I’ll be adding to as I remember stuff.

Saturday, 16 August 2025

Time Travellers – Guess the Year #6

Famous Hatches, Matches and Dispatches from this year
Births:
Cielo Bublé (daughter of Michael Bublé and Luisana Lopilato), ?? (son of Tom Hiddleston and Zawe Ashton), Ilaria Baldwin (daughter of Alec and Hilaria Baldwin), August Cage (daughter of Nicolas Cage and Riko Shibata)

Marriages:
Ewan McGregor and Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Britney Spears and Sam Asghari, Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck

Deaths:
Queen Elizabeth II(96), Olivia Newton-John(74), Ray Liotta(68), Christine McVie(79), Meatloaf(75), Dennis Waterman(74), Angela Landsbury(97), Leslie Phillips(98), Sidney Poitier(95) Irene Cara(63)

Saturday, 9 August 2025

Time Travellers – Guess the Year #5




Famous Hatches, Matches and Dispatches from this year
Births: Lily-Rose Depp, Sabrina Carpenter, Brooklyn Beckham, Bailee Madison & Madison Bailey Kiernan Shipka, Morgan Turner

Marriages: Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe, David Arquette and Courteney Cox, Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Gladys Portugues, David Beckham and Victoria Adams, Helen Hunt and Hank Azaria, Fatboy Slim and Zoë Ball

Deaths: Ernie Wise(74), Oliver Reed(61), Dusty Springfield(60) & Curtis Mayfield(57)

Saturday, 2 August 2025

My Top Thirteen Epic Songs

It all began because I tried in vain to list my top 13 songs of all time – 130 would be nearer the mark. So then I thought of my top 13 acts and tried to pick one song. I started to write that these are probably the band’s one defining song (think Journey: Don’t Sop Believing, Billy Joel: Piano Man, Meatloaf: Bat Outta Hell), the one most people expect to hear if they go to a live show.
But then I realised those weren’t the ones I’d necessarily pick as a favourite – iconic, for sure, but not my go-to on my comfort-songs playlist – these tend to be longer than normal, usually a story song, huge arrangements bordering on operatic and when the last note dies, you need a pause because you’ve been put through a massive emotional journey.
A Magnum Opus.
I’d intended to call these “Opus” songs, but after a lively debate with my better half, decided on epic instead.

To my mind, these are the exact definition of a magnus opus – “a large and important work of art, music, or literature, especially one regarded as the best work of an artist composer, or writer.” The first one of those, for me, was Keith West’s awesome “Excerpt From a Teenage Opera” in 1967, ending poignantly with a bunch of kids singing:
“Grocer Jack, Grocer Jack, is it true what Mummy said, you won't come back? Oh no, no.”

After that, there were a bunch of standout songs, all the way to Queen’s unashamedly operatic offering in 1975 – which most people would have as their number one. But for me there were a couple which are more personal to me for one reason or another.
This post will be a work in progress as I remember more and more I can’t leave off the list.

1. Blue Oyster Cult – Don’t Fear the Reaper 1978
2. Disturbed – Sound of Silence 2015
3. Whitesnake – Still of the Night 1987
4. Thin Lizzie – Still in Love with You 1974
5. Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody 1975
6. Billy Joel – Scenes from an Italian Restaurant 1977
7. John Miles - Music 1976
8. Richard Harris – MacArthur Park 1968
9. ELO – Mr Blue Sky 1978
10. Ultravox – Vienna 1981
11. Slade – How Does it Feel? 1975
12. Styx – A.D. 1928/Rocking the Paradise 1981
13. Carpenters – Goodbye to Love 1972

Interesting that 8 of them were from my favourite decade – the 70s. And only one from this millenium!
As ever, I had so many, so here’s another bunch:

Journey – Change for the Better 2008
Spandau Ballet – Through the Barricades 1986
David Bowie – As the World Falls Down 1986
City Boy – Ambition 1979
Manfred Man’s Earth Band – Joybringer 1973
Meatloaf – Paradise by the Dashboard Light 1977
My Chemical Romance – Welcome to the Black Parade 2006
Foo Fighters – Everlong 1997
Wings – Live and Let Die 1973
Python Lee Jackson – In a Broken Dream 1972
Richard Marx – Hazard 1991
Hollies – Air that I Breathe 1974
Sad Café –Every Day Hurts 1979
Beach Boys – Good Vibrations 1966
Rush – Spirit of Radio 1980
Peter Gabriel & Kate Bush Don’t Give Up 1986
Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich – Legend Of Xanadu 1968
Keith West – Excerpt From a Teenage Opera 1967
Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballe – Barcelona 1987
Bee Gees – New York Mining Disaster 1941 1967