Comic Cuts — 6 February 2026

Not much news is good news in the case of the ACTION: THE SEVENPENNY NIGHTMARE book. It means that I've been working fairly solidly on the layouts without huge interruptions. Last week I was about 70 pages in, and this week I've gone over the 100 page mark, about two-thirds of the way through the text. I'm still looking at a finished book of around 160-170 pages. Full colour. Expensive, but hopefully worth the cost.

I haven't been up to much else. Eating, sleeping and buying a few books. I sold a few books recently—mostly modern crime and romance that I pick up for my Mum—and thought I'd put the £30 or so towards buying a few things I wanted. 

I've been looking over my collection these past few months to see what I think is missing. There are some gaps in my reading over the years that I'll try to fill over the next few years because at some point I'm going to have to start getting rid of books and not just trying to squeeze more onto already overburdened shelves. 

My focus has always been on British paperbacks and I've built up collections a number of times. I've had to sell occasionally: once when I was skint, and once for space when I sold about 400 SF books and magazines to a dealer. Over the years I have refilled many of those gaps, sadly not always with books in the best of condition. I try to keep my books looking mint, so no spine or cover creases. The books have lived in boxes or on shelves, so I don't roll the spines, I don't put cups of coffee on them, and I don't dog-ear the pages.

Over the years I've had a scattergun approach to buying, and have picked up all sorts of books that some more sensible folks would choose as their core collection. So I have some Pan Books, some Penguin Books, some Corgi Books, some Digit Books, some Badger Books (lots of Badger Books, in fact), I have crime novels, war novels, mainstream novels, TV tie-ins (quite a few of them), a smattering of SF magazines, reference books, graphic novels, books for kids, etc., etc. 

Between those and the comics and the DVDs, what little spare money I've had over the years has been spread thin, so I've never been a completist. What I have been over the past fifty years is persistent, so there are authors whose works I have completed. I have one copy of every Agatha Christie crime novel, for instance, but they're a mixture of Penguin, Pan, Fontana (yellow spines), Fontana (Tom Adams covers) and whatever else I could lay my hands on to complete a run. Once completed, I haven't felt the urge to go back to upgrade or to specialise (i.e. get all the books with Adams covers or collect the "Penguin Tens" editions). I might pick up a cheap pre-decimal edition I like the look of, but for the most part I'm happy to say I'm done with collecting Christie. 

I need to do this in other areas. 

I've also started looking at a few authors and figuring out what I'm missing that I should have. I was watching Pluribus when Rhea Seehorn was wandering around in a frozen food warehouse and I jokingly said to Mel: "Soylent Green is people!" Which reminded me of the movie... which reminded me that I'd never read Harry Harrison's Make Room! Make Room!, which is the basis for the movie Soylent Green. Not only have I never read the book, I've never owned a copy.

This is precisely the kind of book that I need for my collection. Fortunately, I managed to track down a reasonably priced copy, imperfect but acceptable, for a couple of quid. The same deal also brought me a copy (NEL SF Master Series, 1976) of A Transatlantic Tunnel, Hurrah!, another Harry Harrison novel missing from my collection since the days of the "great sell-off" three decades ago.

The only negative to all this is that my Wants lists are growing bigger by the day.

Talking of books from the 1970s, I was sad to see that Bob Layzell died on Thursday, January 29th, aged 85. Robert G. Layzell was born in Brighton in 1940 and grew up on Eagle, Flash Gordon and Journey Into Space, although it was as a hippy in the 1960s, while producing watercolours on fantasy subjects, that he was inspired to draw a spaceship while listening to Pink Floyd's 'Interstellar Overdrive'.

He studied the works of Chris Foss and Bruce Pennington and eventually found favour with Pan's David Larkin, who said his work required tightening up and more detail. His first work was published in Science Fiction Monthly but I first remember him from a run of Mike Ashley's books: The History of the Science Fiction Magazine Volume 3, The Best of British SF volumes 1 & 2, and SF Choice '77. 

I've dug out a few covers that were close to hand. Typically, the Ashley anthologies are nowhere to be found! But I hope you'll enjoy these...

Rebellion Releases — 4 February 2026

Albion returns to print in 2026 with a new collection courtesy of The Treasury of British Comics!

Classic comic characters return in this six-part serial plotted by the legendary Alan Moore (The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen), scripted by the team of Leah Moore & John Reppion (Megadeth: Death By Design), with art by Shane Oakley (The Fall of the House of Usher). First released in 2005, the miniseries is back in print this year in a stunning new hardback edition which pays tribute to the cavalcade of British comics characters appearing across the story!

Born in the pages of much-beloved comics including Lion, Valiant, Smash! and Wham!, Albion remembers the glory days of familiar faces including The Spider, The Steel Claw, Grimly Feendish, and Captain Hurricane. Together, they are some of the most beloved characters in British comics fiction, with legions of fans across the country and internationall.

But… what if they were all real people?

Danny, a keen comics enthusiast, is left an orphan after his parents are killed in a bus accident. Left with no memories of his life before the crash, Danny pairs up with his new friend, Penny, who tells him that there’s been some kind of cover-up orchestrated by the Government which has kept the truth about superheroes a secret from the public for years. Together, they go on a mission in search of the long-missing heroes and villains from the classic comics of the past. Where have they been all these years? And what happens if they find them?

A wonderful tribute to the world which inspired comics to be bigger and better, and gave birth to the modern era of comics domination around the globe, Albion is a love-letter to the legends of the British comics scene, and finally returns to print this Summer!

Albion will be released on the 17th June, available in both standard and webshop-exclusive hardback editions. Pre-order your copy today!

And now, this week's release...

2000AD Prog 2468 (Motorway)
Cover: Cliff Robinson, with Dylan Teague.

JUDGE DREDD // DEATH OF A JUDGE by John Wagner (w) Mike Perkins (a) Chris Blythe (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
HERNE & SHUCK // POWER TRIP by David Barnett (w) Lee Milmore (a) Gary Caldwell (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
JUDGE DEE by Ben Wheatley (w) Simon Coleby (a) Jack Davies (c) Simon Bowland (l)
THARG'S 3RILLERS // MONEY SHOT: HIGH STAKES by Kek-W (w) Rob Richardson (a) Rob Steen (l)
THE DISCARDED by Peter Milligan (w) Kieran McKeown (a) Jim Boswell (c) Simon Bowland (l)

• 3 Feb. Blood, Biplanes, and Barbarian Mayhem! Garth Ennis has never been interested in playing it safe, and this conversation is a perfect snapshot of why his work still cuts deeper than just about anyone in comics. We dig into Babs from Ahoy Comics, his savage sword-and-sorcery riff that weaponizes absurdity, blood, and pitch-black humor to skewer genre clichés while still delivering the kind of brutal action Ennis fans crave. (video, 57m)
• 3 Feb. Charlie Adlard talks post-Walking Dead living, art, and his new graphic novel Altamont on Off Panel. Artist Charlie Adlard joins the show to talk about post-Walking Dead living and his new Image Comics graphic novel, Altamont. (video, 1h 18m)
• 3 Feb. Neil Gaiman has posted a message for only the second time since allegations of sexual misconduct were aired in 2024, all of which he denies. Comments on the case and the echo chamber that is the internet aside, one thing of note is that he has almost completed a new novel, although he offers no further details.
• 2 Feb. An exhibition of works by Barrie Mitchell is opening at the Monkton Arts  in Ryde (Isle of Wight). Comic Cutz will run between 5th and 28th February 2026, featuring art from Look-In, Roy of the Rovers and more.
• 1 Feb. Steve Winders announces the death of comic researcher, interviewer and writer Alan Vince. Downthetubes' John Freeman has penned an In Memoriam.
• 28 Jan. Peter Hogan delves into his Black Forests, says farewell to Resident Alien and celebrates Tom Strong with Forbiden Planet TV's Andrew Sumner. (video, 18m)

Comic Cuts — 30 January 2026

The opening pages of Action: The Sevenpenny Nightmare

You'll be pleased to hear that I've had a far more productive week thanks to a lack of distractions (working out my tax returns, writing a book introduction, ignoring the need to rake up leaves in the garden and do some tidying up in the house). I'm 70 pages into the layouts and I'm in the thick of the newspaper controversies that surrounded ACTION: THE SEVENPENNY NIGHTMARE, the latter, of course, being one of the headlines the paper was damned with.

I'm working my way slowly through the text. I've made some choices about how the book should be laid out and I've gone back to a two column format similar to the LION: KING OF PICTURE STORY PAPERS book—apt as Geoff Kemp was editor of both Lion and Action. I picked the two column format over the one wide and one slim column format of the COUNTDOWN TO TV ACTION book because of the sheer number of footnotes. Over 250. This is a book where I'm quoting as many of the people involved as I can to build up an accurate picture of what happened as events approached the pivotal date of October 6th, 1976. Someone should set up a petition at Change.org to have that declared a bank holiday by the government.

Footnotes: I didn't want to put them at the end of the introduction because there were so many and anyone reading the book would have soon become tired of flipping back and forth in case there was information at the footnote rather than just a source citation. (I find this very annoying, so I've assumed that other people do, too.)

I've spent hours trying to recreate the poster! 

Having so many footnotes at the bottom of the page is also dictating how I lay the pages out, as I don't want to have to raise too many of them off the bottom margin. I've had to in a few cases, but only when I've had no other option—when I want to include an illustration that relates to the text on that page, for instance. 

I'm also running the pictures around the same size they were printed. In the past I've often been able to shrink down a page and still have the dialogue and captions legible. However, unlike the hand-lettered pages of, say, Lion, ACTION used tiny type-set balloons and to shrink them down would have made them unreadable. No good if you're trying to give examples of the use of language as well as the action of the artwork.

So I've not run many full pages as I've done in the past. That decision was partly made because I know that Rebellion are publishing the full run of ACTION's pre-cancellation issues in three volumes over the coming months. The first volume is to be released on February 25th. Not cheap, but cheaper than buying the individual issues!

Despite the comic being mostly black & white, I'm going to be printing in full colour. It adds to the price, but, again, I can't talk about "More blood, more blood!" without actually showing the red on the pages of Hook Jaw, can I? At a rough guess, I think the new book is going to be about the same size as the BEYOND THE VOID book about Badger Books that I did a couple of years ago. So we're looking in the ballpark of 170 pages and a price around £25.00.

Hopefully that'll give you some idea of what to expect. I'm looking forward to getting this one out. I'm something like 40% of the way through the introductory text, and then we'll have indexes to the issues, the creators and the contents of annuals of specials. When I realised that we were coming up for the 50th anniversary, I worked out a plan that meant I'd get the book out mid-February. Of course, the last book I did took longer than expected and I didn't get started on the ACTION book on time. What with Christmas and New Year, I'm now hoping to have the book designed by about the time Rebellion have their book out. Proofs and more proofs will add another month, but I should have finished copies in my hands in time for the Glasgow Swap Meet, which I'm planning to attend on March 21st.

(Now watch my carefully laid plans slide into oblivion!)

Commando 5927-593

Featuring a return of Ramsey’s Raiders and Harrier Squadron, the next set of Commandos, issues 5927-5930, go on sale from today, Thursday, 29th January 2026. 

5927: Ramsey’s Raiders: Kubel Raiders! 
 
Captain Jimmy Ramsey’s Raiders are known for their fast hit-and-run tactics – going deep behind enemy lines, attacking their positions and blowing them to kingdom come before the Jerries even know what hit them! 
    So, it’s not surprising the Germans have decided to take the Raiders’ methods for themselves – using desert Kubelwagens to launch their own devastating raids on the British. And the only ones who can stop them? Ramsey’s Raiders of course!

Story: Ferg Handley
Internal and Cover Art: Carlos Pino

5928: Sky of Flame  
 
She was different from the other Lancasters, like a rogue elephant is different from the rest of the herd. She was a killer plane, and sooner or later she was going to kill Don Morgan and his entire crew ...  
 
Story: James O. Cornes  
Art: Jose Maria Jorge   
Cover: Ian Kennedy
First published 1971 as No. 597

5929: Harrier Squadron: Armistice Day!
 
The year is 1993. Across Battleground Europe, World War III rages as the invading armies of the ASBLOC (Asian Bloc) battle the defending forces of WESFED (Western Federation). At the tip of the spear are Harrier Squadron, an international allied task force of jump-jet pilots caught up in this desperate battle — but when the chance for a ceasefire lands in their laps, they must defeat a conspiracy hell-bent on continuing the conflict! 

Story: James Swallow 
Art: Esteve Polls 
Cover: Keith Burns

5930: Spaceman In A Spitfire  
 
When Ron Holmes enlisted in the RAF, he didn’t seem to be very different from the other recruits who wanted to be pilots. Yet all that changed once he started flying. Few could ever hope to match his superb skill.  
    Many wondered what the secret of this astonishing flyer was, but none would ever have believed his fantastic story...  
 
Story: Roger Sanderson  
Art: Gordon C Livingstone  
Cover: Ian Kennedy  
First published 1984 as No. 1855

Rebellion Releases — 28 January 2026

Garth Ennis and Colin Wilson’s acclaimed DC/Wildstorm miniseries returns to print this year in a lush new collection from The Treasury of British Comics!

One of the most fondly remembered characters from the Treasury of British Comics returns in a tensely told and lushly rendered tale of honour, duty, loyalty and sacrifice.

Originally published by Amalgamated Press and Fleetway in the 1950s, Wing Commander Robert Hereward “Battler” Britton was a member of the Royal Air Force, flying as part of the Allied Forces during World War 2. His adventures saw him take to the skies for a series of fondly-remembered stories – which led to the character returning to print decades later, courtesy of Garth Ennis (Preacher) and Colin Wilson (Rogue Trooper)!

A five-issue revival of Battler Britton was published in 2006 through DC and Wildstorm, which brought the character back to the comics page for the first time in years! And now, Rebellion are proud to collect the revival miniseries for this complete collection, bringing all the aerial action to your shelf.

As the Nazis rain terror throughout Europe, Allied forces are on the run in North Africa. It’s October 1942 and Rommel’s Panzers are unrelenting in their pursuit. Wing Commander Robert ‘Battler’ Britton of the RAF and his squadron have been dispatched to a remote American airstrip to spearhead a joint action against Hitler’s war machine. Now these two groups of reluctant allies must somehow put aside their mutual distrust and work together…a task that is much easier said than done!

Battler Britton: Bloody Good Show will be released on the 28th July, available in both standard and webshop-exclusive hardback editions! Pre-order your copy today!

And now, this week's releases...

2000AD Prog 2467
Cover: Simon Davis.

JUDGE DREDD // DEATH OF A JUDGE by John Wagner (w) Mike Perkins (a) Chris Blythe (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
HERNE & SHUCK // POWER TRIP by David Barnett (w) Lee Milmore (a) Gary Caldwell (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
JUDGE DEE by Ben Wheatley (w) Simon Coleby (a) Jack Davies (c) Simon Bowland (l)
THARG'S 3RILLERS // MONEY SHOT: HIGH STAKES by Kek-W (w) Rob Richardson (a) Rob Steen (l)
THE DISCARDED by Peter Milligan (w) Kieran McKeown (a) Jim Boswell (c) Simon Bowland (l)

Judge Dredd The Complete Case Files 49 by John Wagner, Gordon Rennie, Rob Williams, Al Ewing, Robbie Morrison, Si Spurrier and Alan Grant (w) Carlos Ezquerra, John Higgins, Colin MacNeil, Mike Collins, Jon Haward, Karl Richardson, Boo Cook, PJ Holden, Leigh Gallagher, Guy Davis, Paul Marshall, Dylan Teague, Peter Doherty, Nick Dyer, David Roach and Anthony Williams (a)
Rebellion 978-183786671-7, 28 January 2026, 304pp, £24.99. Available via Amazon.

MEGA-CITY JUSTICE
The world-shattering Tour of Duty storyline continues as Judge Dredd is forced to consider abandoning his mission to clean up the lawless streets of Mega-City One to see out the rest of his career from behind the desk of the Chief Judge. But by taking on the Council of Judges, Dredd risks being stripped of his badge and exiled to the penal colony on Titan.
    Written by John Wagner, Gordon Rennie, Rob Williams, Al Ewing, Robbie Morrison, Si Spurrier and Alan Grant with art by Carlos Ezquerra, John Higgins, Colin MacNeil, Mike Collins, Jon Haward, Karl Richardson, Boo Cook, PJ Holden, Leigh Gallagher, Guy Davis, Paul Marshall, Dylan Teague, Peter Doherty, Nick Dyer, David Roach and Anthony Williams!

Johnny Red: A Couple of Heroes by Garth Ennis & Keith Burns
Rebellion 978-183786657-1, 28 January 2026, 192pp, £24.99. Available via Amazon.

In the last year of a long and dreadful war, as vengeful Russian forces reach the German frontier, British-born fighter pilot Johnny Redburn leads Falcon Squadron in deadly strikes against the retreating Nazis. With all his comrades gone and his lover, Nina Petrova, lost somewhere in the maelstrom, the “Red Devil” knows his own doom is only a matter of time. Maybe the next mission, or the one after that - but it’s coming.
    High above the freezing Arctic Ocean, one last aerial duel will decide who lives, who dies - and who is lost forever. 
    Written by Garth Ennis (The Boys, Preacher) and drawn by Keith Burns (Battle Action, Out of the Blue), A Couple of Heroes brings the saga of Johnny and Nina - the Red Devil and the Angel of Death - to its fiery, action-packed conclusion.

Comic Cuts — 23 January 2026

One thing is for certain... I'm not going to have the ACTION book finished by Valentine's Day. Apart from being quite slow at doing layouts, I forgot that I have other commitments and distractions, too, which have meant I've barely had time to look at the book this week.

I finally submitted my tax returns on Friday morning and then spent the rest of the day and the weekend backing up files onto the new external hard drive I bought last week. Trying to rationalise my filing system is like trying to disentangle the Gordian Knot, and I'm copying a lot of files from SD cards, which are slo-o-o-ow.

The mistake I made was to think of Saturday and Sunday as a weekend, so I pottered about rather than getting on with anything, thinking that I could get back to work first thing on Monday. Of course, first thing Monday I realised I had a book introduction to write (the upcoming Rebellion 60th anniversary reprint of TRELAWNY OF THE GUARDS) and spent most of the day reading, researching and writing notes. I managed to turn that into 500 or so publishable words on Tuesday and then put my feet up again. Wednesday... well, I didn't get around to anything because there was shopping to do, restocks to sort out and store, and correspondence to catch up on and video calling my Mum.

OK, so I have been doing bits of work: chasing down photos that I can use in the book, for instance, organizing scans, wandering down to the post office to send books on their way... but on the whole it has been a bit of a lazy week. I promise I'll pick up the pace next week.

With no news to offer, I thought I'd show off a few books that have come my way recently, and some not so recently, but I've recently scanned the covers. These are mostly science fiction... I'll save the crime novels for another day. This one's for long-time readers who remember the "random scans" that always ended the comic cuts column!

Rebellion Releases — 21 January 2026

Before 2000 AD there was Action!

Action was always ahead of the curve… and sometimes pushed its luck just a bit too far. Celebrating 50 years since the first issue of the original series which inspired readers across the country, we’re publishing an all-new oversized Special which brings back all the shock and awe of the original series!

First published in 1976, Action shocked the UK when it first landed on shelves, with a range of stories which not only brought hard-hitting action to the page, but offered social commentary and sharp criticism which soon caught the eye of Mary Whitehouse and her fellow censors. After an issue which featured a controversial cover that appeared to show a teenager assaulting a police officer as part of “Kids Rule OK”, a moral panic ensued which led to the comic being withdrawn from the shelf! When it did return, readership fell at the new, “safe” version of Action which they found in their newsagent.

Although Action was eventually closed in 1977, the spirit and attitude of the comic found a new home in the form of 2000 AD, which took up the attack and has been running with it ever since. Now, fifty years later, Rebellion Publishing are proud to revive Action for a new Special featuring an incredible lineup of creators, and some of its most famous – and infamous characters – back on shelves and ready to inspire a whole new generation to anarchy!

The Special features:

• Dredger by Garth Ennis and John Higgins. Britain’s deadliest secret agent returns, hitting the vengeance trail after the death of his partner, Breed. Dredger kills and maims his way across London, intent on delivering his own brand of justice. How much of London will be left when he’s finished?
• Hook Jaw by Steve White and Staz Johnson. There’s a killer out at sea! The vicious Hook Jaw has been seen in the depths of the ocean again, the killer shark with no regard for human life – and he’s heading out on the hunt! As a crew of drug dealers attempt to complete a sale in lawless international waters, they attract the attention of the legendary shark… this isn’t going to be pretty!
• Hellman of Hammer Force by Garth Ennis and Mike Dorey. Blazing battle action on the Eastern Front in 1944, as Panzer commander Kurt Hellman leads a small German armoured unit against massed Soviet forces. As the tank men struggle to survive in this frozen hell, they face a new and terrible savagery from their vengeance-crazed Russian enemies.
• Look Out For Lefty by Rob Williams and Patrick Goddard. Footballer Kenny “Lefty” Lampton has the most dangerous left foot in the game, blazing the ball through the net. But Lefty doesn’t play fair, and his temper constantly flares up on the pitch, boiling over into fury and violence! After his anger leaves him stranded on the subs bench, he finally gets his chance – this could be his big comeback, a chance to regain his lost glory! As The Royal Family watch on from the stand, can Lefty keep it under control for ninety minutes?

Featuring a powerhouse lineup of writers and artists, Action is taking no prisoners on its return to the newspaper stand! You thought it was controversial before? You haven’t seen anything yet! Action is back, and more hard-hitting than ever!

The Action 2026 Special is coming to a newsagent or comic book shop near you on 15th April – or pre-order it now from the 2000 AD webstore!

And now, this week's releases...

2000AD Prog 2466
Cover: Cliff Robinson, with Dylan Teague.

JUDGE DREDD // DEATH OF A JUDGE by John Wagner (w) Mike Perkins (a) Chris Blythe (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
HERNE & SHUCK // POWER TRIP by David Barnett (w) Lee Milmore (a) Gary Caldwell (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
FUTURE SHOCKS // THE STATE OF NOSTALGIA by Ned Hartley (w) Steve Roberts (a) Simon Bowland (l)
AZIMUTH // CORNERED by Dan Abnett (w) Tazio Bettin (a) Matt Soffe (c) Jim Campell (l)
THE DISCARDED by Peter Milligan (w) Kieran McKeown (a) Jim Boswell (c) Simon Bowland (l)

Judge Dredd Megazine 488
Cover: Simon Harrison.

JUDGE DREDD // HALFWAY HOUSE by Ken Niemand (w) Jake Lynch (a) Matt Soffe (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
MEGATROPOLIS II by Ken Niemand (w) Dave Taylor (a) Jim Campbell (l)
ARMITAGE // DROKK THE RIPPER by Liam Johnson (w) Staz Johnson (a) Quinton Winter (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
ANDERSON, PSI-DIV by Alec Worley (w) Ben Willsher (a) Simon Bowland (l)
ROK THE WORLD by John Wagner (w) Dan Cornwell (a) Jim Boswell (c) Rob Steen (l)
DREADNOUGHTS // QUALIFIED IMMUNITY by Mike Carroll (w) John Higgins (a) Sally Hurst (c) Simon Bowland (l)

Comic Cuts — 16 January 2026

I've had a busy week that has been a mixture of humdrum, frustration and joy. Let's start where we left off last week.

There were new gas pipes being installed last week, the new pipes being pushed through the old pipes from the road and into the house. Our pipe had a right-angled bend in it which caused problems, so we had to have the pipe just outside the front door dug up and removed so that the new pipe could be fed through. This meant digging out the short path between the drive and the front doorstep.

We had our gas off from about 11.00 in the morning until about 5.30 in the afternoon. On Friday the gas went off at 7.00 and was off all day to allow the workmen to connect up the individual pipes to the newly installed main pipeline. It was starting to look like they wouldn't have it done by their evening deadline of 7.00 pm, but shortly before that there was a knock on the door, a guy came in to reconnect the gas, chcck the hob and the boiler and he finished bang on seven o'clock. Unfortunately, he told us, he still had a dozen houses to reconnect, so he was going to be working for another couple of hours. 

On Saturday, someone came around to fix the pathway outside our front door. Annoyingly, the removal of a box that opened up to get to the pipe below meant that some of the grass had been dug away, so, rather than the curve the path took to reach the doorstep, the new path was wider and didn't quite reach.

During all this, I was trying to lay out the opening pages of the ACTION book. I mentioned last week that I'd had a notion of how the book was to open before you reach the title page. I also mentioned that it wasn't working as well as I wanted. I came up with a new version on Friday which I wasn't happy with. Took 24 hours off and came to it afresh on Sunday. It still wasn't working. I went at it again on Monday and, finally, I think I've got it. 

I was able to lay out some of the opening text pages on Tuesday, but ran into some problems with photos, which (of course) I've left to the last minute. I put out a call on Sunday for some pics of various people, and have subsequently managed to get a few that I like and, more importantly, that I can clear the copyright on (and here I'd like to thank Steve MacManus, Robin Smith, Steve Cook and John Wagner).

Wednesday was Mel's day off, so I thought I'd try to tackle something a little less taxing. Yes, it's tax returns time, and I have long lists of numbers that need adding up. Even a little business like Bear Alley Books requires careful accounting; print costs are high (I've just spent £250 on restocks today!) and postage is another huge cost. But there are fiddly things like, how much I've spent on envelopes; a box of printer labels costs over £20; packaging tape is £1.99+ a roll... it all adds up. And HMRC expect you to add it all up, correctly and accurately!

I didn't get too far. We tried to fix the door step problem ourselves, to put down a couple of paving slabs to at least mean we're not stepping out onto mud, which, if left, will turn into a gassy slope. It isn't the neatest or best of jobs, but hopefully it will do until we can get someone to do a bit more of a professional job.

We also bought a new aerial, because we've had a few problems with the signal breaking up on the TV. When it arrived... how can I put this... I know size shouldn't matter, but this new aerial was about four inches tall with a magnetic base. I thought I'd try it out and connected it up to the TV and blu-ray box and the result was terrible. We're a rural area almost on the coast and the house is in a dip with a steep driveway. We might have some luck if it can be fitted in the attic, but I'm not counting on it. I think we'll need a new, better, digital aerial up on the chimney stack.

I'm happier with a little 6tb hard drive I bought, which is currently whirring away copying all my music. Eventually it will also be used to back up the hard drives of my laptop and PC. I'm always running out of space because every book requires a lot of scanning, and I tend to keep all the original scans just in case something goes wrong. It's surprisingly easy to fill up an external hard drive when you have files of images, files of documents, files of music and sound recordings, files of movies and tv shows taped off the tele, etc., etc. And I add to it daily.

Anyway, it's Thursday again, and I need to get back to work with my spreadsheets and calculator. Wish me luck and keep your fingers crossed the bill isn't too steep!