In any other normal year, right about now we would be on our annual expedition to the quieter parts of Scotland, wandering around in the drizzle, engaging in some open-air therapy, visiting our favourite whiskey spots to test drams and hot cheese scones, and consuming my own body weight in lorne sausage. I say mine only because Phil is too unsophisticated to appreciate it. Or deep fried scotch pies.
Pffft.
But no, the plague continues to rampage and arrived literally next door to us last weekend. After coming down with symptoms in the week we went along for a test a couple of days back and how very dystopian it all feels. A university car park converted into a one way system and blokes in G4S jackets (which because of my history suggests security/prisons) barking orders at people, shouting “DON’T OPEN YOUR WINDOWS”. The first fella asked us if we were prepared to administer our own tests so, as nurses, we said yes and drove on to Station Two (a little security hut and gazebo).
After the second fella strapped two test kits to my wing mirror then retreated we were directed to Station Three (a parking bay) where a third fella shouted instructions at us through the window.
Shortly after this I was suddenly thinking of an old, schmaltzy and by moderns standards a bit weird cartoon called Love is…
Love is… laughing hysterically at your partner as she raucously gags and weeps trying to deep throat a swab for 20 seconds!
Fortunately I was able to return the favour as at my turn I proceeded to engage in exactly the same gagging and coughing, plus a sudden bout of uncontrollable sneezing, which she naturally found hugely satisfying.
What a palaver.
Anyway, the tests came back negative (SO HURRAH) but we’re still down with some bloody ‘normal’ bug (so hurrooh).
Meanwhile, Loz and I have done our homework for The Knight of the Swords Part Two and will be recording over the next few days. Hussein has got the taste for this online recording shiz and is gearing up with new kit for The Final Programme Phase Three and Phil and I have selected a book for a Halloween spesh that we’ll bang out next weekend.
Also Tash and I have settled on a subject for a new and occasional foray into… ONE SHIT BOOKS! Tash coined the phrase back in The Jewel in the Skull Part Three and we’re gonna run with it. Stand by to hear our rum-soaked musings upon DANNUS and the DARK STRAITS OF REGLATHIUM.
Coming to you in one fifth of an Ium or something (it’s been a couple of mygs since I looked at the glossary).
It’s true, it’s a whole year since we uploaded Episode 0 – An Introduction to Breakfast in the Ruins.
Baffling really.
As one gets older the years fly by ever more fleetingly but this one, for a variety of reasons, really has been a headlong flash of some weird combination of events that were hitherto unforeseeable. Politics, a pandemic, lockdowns, chronic lack of trouser wearing… it’s had it all!
In another way though last summer, when I first started gestating the podcast idea properly, seems half a lifetime ago. I’m so pleased I chose that specific time to kick all of this off, because if I hadn’t had this to escape into from time to time, and if I hadn’t had the positive social networks of like-minded folk that have sprung from this, it would have been a tougher year.
So listeners, thanks for listening.
Patrons, thanks for your support.
Simon P, thanks for all of your terrific work, including the above.
Take care, stay safe and I’ll see you on the moonbeam roads.
In 10 days this podcast will be a year old! In all honesty, it kind of crept up on me and had I been more prepared I’d have prepped something special. As it is though, managing to record Phase 2 of The Final Programme with Hussein after a nine month gap feels pretty special as it is, given the events he’s had to face this year. We’re committed to getting Phase 3 out there in the next month or so too.
Reading Jerry books again has made me realise just how much I love 60s/70s urban decay and societal collapse and griminess in my fiction. That’s even extended to my games (image above is the Copper Hill Estate from my Unknown Armies campaign of several years back – I really must bring that back some day).
This week we’re welcoming a new patron to the fold. Welcome Ben, we’re delighted to have you aboard. The Blind Steersman is hosting drinks and canapés on the poop deck at 7 sharp. Which 7 isn’t clear yet but be prepared either way.
We’ve also had some additional support from friend of the show Anthony Perconti. Anthony has been a great encouragement for us over the past year and he produces fab articles on a variety of books, most recently see http://threecrowsmagazine.com/turin/. Follow him on twitter @AnthonyPerconti.
In other news, Jim Kirkland is closing in on publishing his book on Elric collectibles and Simon Perrins has once again come up trumps with an ad for BitR to be included, but we’ll keep that under wraps for now (although if you follow us on instagram you may well have seen it already). We’ll keep you posted on progress and as soon as Jim has it out you’ll hear it here first.
Breakfast in the Ruins 