Ageist?

July 31st, 2008 |

At the beginning of last month I read an article in the Guardian by author Phillip Pullman about publishers’ decisions to place “age banding” onto books. His immediate response was to say, as vigorously as he could, “Not on my books, you’re not.”

Today I find that there is a web site, No To Age Banding, where anyone concerned with this can sign up to show support. So far over 3300 people have signed up including a certain Discworld writer:

When I was a child I read books far too old for me and sometimes far too young for me. Every reading child is different. Introduce them to the love of reading, show them the way to the library and let them get on with it. The space between the young readers eyeballs and the printed page is a holy place and officialdom should trample all over it at their peril. - Terry Pratchett

Personally I think that marking books with an age range is just ridiculous. My Albert series of tomes are ‘aimed’ at kids but from feedback given to me it would seem the greatest readership are in their mid twenties.

Blocked Tunnel

July 10th, 2008 |

That old phrase about “the best laid plans..” sprang to mind when this article in our local News Guardian caught my eye.

The new, £260 million, second Tyne Tunnel has been delayed by about four months. No doubt chaos will ensue from frustrated motorists being diverted even further and longer hold-ups will ensue. Why? Because a gull is nesting on the old Gaslight pub that has to be demolished.

Doesn’t really bother me though. No car. I shall continue to use the spooky ‘Longest Mens’ Toilet In The World’ - otherwise known as the, 900ft (274.5m) long, Pedestrian Tunnel.