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Various Things
As the title implies...
- I have been wrestling with the DWP for several days now and all I want is for the Jobcentre to suffer some sort of self-contained natural disaster. Maybe a sinkhole appearing beneath and swallowing it and Jessica who won't stop making job search appointments on my journal with increasingly terrible spelling? Either way I won't be going to any of the meetings, because I will be on my knees begging the supply agency for work on every single appointment date.
- In positive news, I am at my favourite school all week this week and everyone continues to make jokes about how long it'll be before I just work there all the time. Believe me, I say every time someone brings it up, I am TRYING. I've taught this class many times before and they are darlings, it's really nice getting to spend time at a school with a behaviour policy that actually works.
- My new reading strategy is to alternate Biggles books with literally anything else, which is paying dividends. Today I finally finished 'The British Airman of the First World War' by David and Stuart Hadaway, which was a great introduction to the topic for me as someone who has mostly learned about planes via Biggles. There's a variety of topics covered in light detail, and quite a lot of info about various aces and their deaths. I'm sure next time I'm at my parents' house I will now be able to understand a little more of the jargon in my dad's WW1 plane books (he has dozens). It did annoy me when I looked up one of the books mentioned therein and found out the Wikipedia page slags off the WW1 Biggles stories, but apparently the book itself does as well so I suppose that tracks. I'm fascinated by what the contemporary reaction to Biggles was, he seems to have been a bit contentious even though from a modern perspective the WW1 stories seem fairly true to life.
- Best news in my life at the moment is that my parents are in Australia visiting my sister and her wife, who have a new baby (he's only three months old), and every single photo is an unparalled delight. Obviously will not be posting here but believe me when I say he is perfect and I love him utterly. I will however post a photo of the quilt I made him, because it's my greatest crafting achievement of my entire life including the dungarees I made in lockdown.
- While perusing the copy of Black Peril I got in my latest eBay victory, I was reminded that in the beginning of the book Biggles has to ring Algy up to suggest they go flying. I had sort of forgotten that there is a canonical period when they're not living together (alas, alack, etc) and therefore I'm now stuck wondering what their living situation was. I mean, they did spend god knows how long jetting around South America in Flies Again, one imagines sharing digs wouldn't be much of a stretch. Of course it's also possible they did live together and Algy was just away for some reason (visiting his mother?) but either way it begs questions. What are we thinking?
- I read all the AU Exchange fics and they were all wonderful so THANK YOU everyone!! Sadly my comment-writing brain has gone on holiday temporarily (and my comment-replying brain...) but I just love this fandom so much. Tiny fandom that can and does!
- I have been wrestling with the DWP for several days now and all I want is for the Jobcentre to suffer some sort of self-contained natural disaster. Maybe a sinkhole appearing beneath and swallowing it and Jessica who won't stop making job search appointments on my journal with increasingly terrible spelling? Either way I won't be going to any of the meetings, because I will be on my knees begging the supply agency for work on every single appointment date.
- In positive news, I am at my favourite school all week this week and everyone continues to make jokes about how long it'll be before I just work there all the time. Believe me, I say every time someone brings it up, I am TRYING. I've taught this class many times before and they are darlings, it's really nice getting to spend time at a school with a behaviour policy that actually works.
- My new reading strategy is to alternate Biggles books with literally anything else, which is paying dividends. Today I finally finished 'The British Airman of the First World War' by David and Stuart Hadaway, which was a great introduction to the topic for me as someone who has mostly learned about planes via Biggles. There's a variety of topics covered in light detail, and quite a lot of info about various aces and their deaths. I'm sure next time I'm at my parents' house I will now be able to understand a little more of the jargon in my dad's WW1 plane books (he has dozens). It did annoy me when I looked up one of the books mentioned therein and found out the Wikipedia page slags off the WW1 Biggles stories, but apparently the book itself does as well so I suppose that tracks. I'm fascinated by what the contemporary reaction to Biggles was, he seems to have been a bit contentious even though from a modern perspective the WW1 stories seem fairly true to life.
- Best news in my life at the moment is that my parents are in Australia visiting my sister and her wife, who have a new baby (he's only three months old), and every single photo is an unparalled delight. Obviously will not be posting here but believe me when I say he is perfect and I love him utterly. I will however post a photo of the quilt I made him, because it's my greatest crafting achievement of my entire life including the dungarees I made in lockdown.
- While perusing the copy of Black Peril I got in my latest eBay victory, I was reminded that in the beginning of the book Biggles has to ring Algy up to suggest they go flying. I had sort of forgotten that there is a canonical period when they're not living together (alas, alack, etc) and therefore I'm now stuck wondering what their living situation was. I mean, they did spend god knows how long jetting around South America in Flies Again, one imagines sharing digs wouldn't be much of a stretch. Of course it's also possible they did live together and Algy was just away for some reason (visiting his mother?) but either way it begs questions. What are we thinking?
- I read all the AU Exchange fics and they were all wonderful so THANK YOU everyone!! Sadly my comment-writing brain has gone on holiday temporarily (and my comment-replying brain...) but I just love this fandom so much. Tiny fandom that can and does!
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When and why the living arrangements change, though, is never disclosed, so there is definitely a rich seam there for fic mining!
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I can see Algy turning up at Biggles's flat at mealtimes and pinching his food, and Biggles getting sufficiently fed up with this that he just invites him to move in.
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There's so much scope here actually. I'm imagining them going hunting for flats together and having increasingly horrendous experiences.
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(I'm sure Ginger is referred to as "Goldilocks" by someone - possibly Bertie - in one of the books, which I've always found a slightly odd one...)
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And this is absolutely the Little Fandom That Could, it's amazing and I am having a blast :-D
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(Honestly one of the things I love most about Biggles is that, as much as he comes across as someone who is self-sufficient and independent, in actual fact what he seems to want most in the world is just to have everyone he cares about within arm's reach at all times. Preferably living with him.)
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Erich: no
Biggles: *EXISTS*
Erich: NO
Biggles: *exists??* 🥺
Erich: I guess I live in London now
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Erich: I can't believe I'm going to move to London for him
Anyone else: You don't have to
Erich: No, I'm gonna
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Beloved tiny fandom :D
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