Advent and local locomotion

We are almost into December now which does remind me to say there will be a change in publishing schedule towards the end of that month due to Christmas and that there will be Christmas Day special edition.

Connected with that as crazy as this year has been the time honoured tradition on Blue Peter to mark Advent this year by making an Advent Calendar and Mwaksy launched the seasonal countdown yesterday on the show.

The above is the original Advent Crown with the late much missed John Noakes, an early classic BP make.

Getting back on track, I do like trains and here's some local train pictures.

This is 46254, the City of Stoke-on-Trent taken in the area.

Stoke-on-Trent's Victorian railway station and the area around the North Stafford Hotel are part of the Stoke conservation area.

It is two miles outside the city centre but there are buses and taxis to take you to it.

It was built for the North Staffordshire Railway company whose network went up as far a Macclesfield in East Cheshire and has trains to Derby, the West Midlands and London operating from it.

It doesn't compare well with nearby Crewe but as a major rail hub frankly nothing does but at least it's not far, two stops on the Crewe-Derby East Midlands Railway service.

North Staffordshire was for a long time a centre not only of the Ceramics industry but also coal mining which within living memory people where I live walked or cycled to the local pit to work underground.

Mines needed a means of carrying all that coal out so dotted about our City Region we have former colliery railways such as this at Apedale near Newcastle Under Lyme that have open days.

Deja Vu and reset III

Normally if I were to talk about arts and crafts makes you would be thinking about that very long running tv program Blue Peter which last week was in Friday due to playing a part in BBC Tv's Children In Need appeal.

That's the kind of thing you'd get from my bedroom HQ sat by the bed typing away into my Chromebook the perfect emulation of a schoolboy in his uniform but there are other things that cover that.

Take Adventure Box MAX part of the Box series of magazines which takes in over ten issues a year a traditional illustrated story, cartoons, things to look into and things you can make.

It's aimed more at nine to fourteen year olds that's a perfect fit in with me from an emotional and reading age point of view.

It has a main illustrated story, cartoons, items to raise your curiosity and explore topics, facts and figures and makes which in some respects makes it seem a bit old-fashioned compared with many cover mount festooned comics and magazines.

In some respects it takes me back to comics like Tiger and their associated annuals although today would not say "Boys Own" but certainly more in that direction, things that interest and inspire you while being entertaining while the stories help develop your word knowledge and comprehension

That's an example of the kind of makes it features, a new take on an old concept for today's children and those of us who in certain respects remain that way.

The only thing that it seems to be lacking is sports and cars but as one of those is taken care of by a dedicated magazine  and there are good online sources of up to date information about motor sports, this whole return to the way of life of the boy I feel will benefit me. 

Deja Vu and reset II

A lot has happened across the year as I noted on the other blog part of which has followed how much I have moved into being LB/ASB since both discovering Tumblr and ASB in both dot org and the current dot net forms.

Lockdown thanks if that indeed is the right turn of phrase has brought forward a number changes to both because of necessity of restrictions on what way may do have of being under direct authority which for me always was the case at boarding school apart from what we all had at infant and juniors plus parental rules.

That whole situation is a reversal for most which is why some struggle with it but for me a direct return to imposed rules that align strongly with being an adult child and the extent to which even adult males have stepped in as authority figures to help me conform as if I was their son.

That has positioned me in the community very much as that Boy which is both a relief for being subject to guidance, told what to do and has lead to my shorts being taken up to the same coverage I had as junior which has coincided with being taken back a very much junior role.

Yet another element of lockdown has been dealing with the impact of restrictions which have changed sometimes in just a few weeks, the continuing deluge of statistics announcements and fears.

While as you know I have been having a regular footie magazine, tending to buy anything else as and when I felt like it, this has become more difficult as stores have reduced stocks due to reduced demand and also restrictions on what they can sell which is essential.

You may find some comics and magazines at a newsagents which are allowed open, the stationery shops and comic shops have not.

Comics as I think I remarked a couple of years back have changed because everything around them and their readers have with very few of those I grew up with available.

The Beano is one that is and in this form was how I read it in the nineteen seventies and eighties every week helping to deal with the impact of adult matters on our lives such as terrorism and economic and social conflict.

Reading it and talking about what we read helped us imagine other worlds and lose ourselves to a world of fun that we needed.

I have to be honest and say I am finding lockdown hard going so it is the case that I feel I badly need the same sort of thing as I did then.

The modern comic is different, society is different, pc ideas have changed likely script endings from that of my era and their are new cartoon strips and some old ones have gone but I have decided to take out a subscription to the one comic of my childhood that's still around every week.

Back then I did have another comic that was very jam packed with action, adventure and war stories that caused a revolution in weekly British comic publishing called Warlord which was very much a boys comic.

That folded a good while back but one that has a longish history still exists and is published by D C Thomson, who publish the Beano and did publish the Dandy called Commando.

It tends to have a single long story in comic strip form in each weekly issue with stories based upon the past rather like in their shorter forms Warlord did including stories from both World Wars that were the mainstays of the war based games we played as boys back then.

This is an example of the artwork, high quality but fairly old school making it easy to follow and one the things I realized through being on Tumblr was the extent to which I just loved these boys stories not that today a mainstream publisher would call them that but in reality they are.

Old school boys war comic are so me, stuff I identify with strongly and so I also took a subscription out to Commando. This boy needs it.

As I said the comic world has changed and new comics have come out but as I may of written about here and I know I tackled it elsewhere, cover mounts today festoon comics often to the detriment of the content but a few years ago a all new subscription only comic came out.

Phoenix was its name and as the name would suggest out of ashes of older comics came new ideas with the same quality, positioned to relate better to today's children (although adults do read it too) aimed more at the Juniors and Prep School age groups so it's not childish but is for older children.

It has different stories each week that give you new things to look forward to plus some other content that helps develop reading abilities which is something I do struggle with

Modern looking and colourful it bridges the gap between traditional comics and comic books that are produced for teens and young adults.

I saw a sample online and felt It was worth getting a subscription from the same people as the footie magazine is supplied by because it would immerse me in a fantasy world free from much of the adult world especially in the news. 

In Twenty Twenty then not only does this boy go back to being a boy in short short trousers with adults guiding him, keeping me in the straight and narrow, he also while looking at news headlines only as needed, will be reading comics much more connecting with his boyishness.

This I feel can only be a good thing given the struggles I had before and especially during this current covid crisis in keeping my mental strength as good as it can, making sure I switch off from unnecessary adult stuff and better able to just do what I am told.

Deja Vu and reset

This Saturday wasn't like most others which for me usually involves things like keeping up with the footie results, possibly watching a live game if it's on BT Sports or the BBC as well as the Rugby and that but after a unauthorized disclosure of a meetings discussion our Prime Minister announced that parliament vote permitting, we were to stay at home outside of work unless it cannot be done from home or your at school, college or university and "non essential" shops and services like Barbers and Gyms were to shut. 

I avoid politics on this blog for a good reason but sufficient to say at least this time the Parks will be open which was  problem before.

As we can go out for fresh air and exercise, I've decided I'm going to be staying outside in my grey school shorts and uniform and just enjoy this as long as it runs for- probably about a month -  as time to be the boy I am and follow what the grown ups tell me  which was pretty much what happened in March and as hard as it's been, that's been better for me than attempting anything remotely adult.

You may remember from last September how I talked about the termination of Kickaround, the quality Monthly children's soccer magazine and how I had a subscription to Kick! instead.

That was up for renewal so I have decided to get Match of the Day magazine instead as it does have more content, quizzes and facts acting as a football supplement outside of the daily news on the likes of the BBC .

Originally it was a weekly but thanks to Covid it's become fortnightly which I think is a good balance between having enough material to entertain while keeping that element of something to look forward to.

It was Guy Fawkes Night yesterday although the official displays were cancelled.

This was one of themes of last nights Blue Peter where they had a bonfire upon which toasted marshmallows were made and a fireworks display.

They also talked about keeping safe not just for children and grown ups but also pets as many people were having as in this district we did our own in back gardens.

This weekend, specifically Sunday is Remembrance Sunday here in the UK where we remember the sacrifice of those who gave their life four our freedom and where many scouts and scout leaders played important roles in both World Wars both at home and in gaining our victory at great cost.

Sadly thanks to Covid today won't be the same as it normally would due to social distancing rules but many will be out their front doors marking it, as we should.