Well, that was different. With halloween approaching, last night I drove across to York to attend a book launch. We gathered, late in the evening, in pitch darkness, deep underground, in the York Cold War Bunker. To hear...

Author Mark Haddon read his new contemporary ghost story, 'The Bunker'. Set ...

... in the York Cold War Bunker.

Boo!

Perhaps wisely, he only read the first few pages, setting the scene, and then gave us all a copy to take away and read in the comfort of our own private bunkers. After that, we moved on to the more traditional elements of a book launch - questions and answers, a glass or two of wine, a chance to get our copy signed and have a few minutes private chat with the author.

And then we were taken on the standard tour of the bunker facilities, available to any member of the public (weekends only during Winter). The bunker was built to house 60 volunteers, working shifts round the clock: they had 120 trained volunteers, but only the first 60 to make it to the front door during the 4-minute warning would be admitted. The facilities were designed to be simple, robust, and self-contained: but if anything vital broke down - power, telecommunications, air conditioning - the police would go and find named, pre-authorised, engineers on the streets of York to come in and fix it. No maintenance team by default. Our guide posed the question "What happens after the 30-day food rations run out?", but didn't answer it.

Much of the cold-war equipment remains in place: the purpose of the bunker was to make and collect observations of nuclear explosions across the north-east of England. We were introduced to the pièce de résistance, AWDREY, still in her place on the balcony. But I particularly liked the 'poo pump', or "High Pressure Sewage Ejector". That seemed quintessentially British: they drop nuclear bombs on us, we fire high-pressure poo back at them.

Most of the attendees at the event were, like me, of an age to have experienced living through the Cold War in real time, the first time round. The York Cold War Bunker was operational from 1961 to 1991, but is now - for the time being - part of England's Heritage. Perhaps we all should be too.

Happy Halloween everyone.

Well, I never expected that our little (15 persons max, unless there's a nuclear war on) seance yesterday would make the national newspapers, but: Haunted Houses for Halloween

Mark mentions (as he did last night) the 1984 BBC drama Threads, set in Sheffield during a nuclear strike. But people of my generation remember another BBC production from 20 years earlier: The War Game. It was deemed 'too horrifying' to be broadcast on TV at the time, though it was shown later: but my school got hold of a copy and showed it in our school theatre. Although I saw several films and plays in that theatre, and helped run the technical gallery for some plays - I remember we put on "Oh, What a Lovely War!", which was a play before it became a famous film - the showing of The War Game is the only time I can remember an audience of 300+ boys aged 13-18 leaving the theatre in silence. Total silence.



The black cat is part of the book design, but Mark drew the mushroom cloud for me freehand while we chatted. Nice touch!

(I did make links so that people could explore the backstory for themselves if they wished)

But people of my generation remember another BBC production from 20 years earlier: The War Game. It was deemed 'too horrifying' to be broadcast on TV at the time, though it was shown later: but my school got hold of a copy and showed it in our school theatre.

I remember The War Game production as well.
It was part of the history lessons when I was in high school.
Really scary!
Weird thing is that I have met Peter Watkins who made that film at a party.
It's a small world. Please don't nuke it!

Oh boy.......
Guess that violated his NDA, eh?
Dumb and dumber: Apple fires iPhone X engineer after daughter's viral video.

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"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

Author Mark Haddon read his new contemporary ghost story, 'The Bunker'. Set ...

... in the York Cold War Bunker.

What an interesting evening! Thank you for sharing your observations with us.

Is it ok to post this here? Super price and there is nothing that ID's the company.

As with everything in life, there are good points & bad points.

1 of the good points for Social Media

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Trying to remove one's self from the gene pool is one thing. But your 9yo son??
Police: Boy tied to minivan's roof to hold down plastic pool.

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"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

Trying to remove one's self from the gene pool is one thing. But your 9yo son??
Police: Boy tied to minivan's roof to hold down plastic pool.

Had to be ok. Her dad had done similar things to her. She probably even drank water from a garden hose.

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Trying to remove one's self from the gene pool is one thing. But your 9yo son??
Police: Boy tied to minivan's roof to hold down plastic pool.

Had to be ok. Her dad had done similar things to her. She probably even drank water from a garden hose.

I don't think Perry Mason or Ben Matlock would touch her case. Lol.

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This should be interesting!
Loved the animated version, wonder how it will play with live actors.
Disney announces cast for live-action 'Lion King' movie.
Meowbigkitties.

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"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

This should be interesting.

Cistanthe umbellata

common name Mount Hood pussypaws, I kid you not, that's the name of this plant.

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

Man pulls gun in Ohio McDonald's drive-thru over Egg McMuffin

WARREN, Ohio — Police in Ohio say they’re looking for a man who pulled out a gun after being told by a McDonald’s drive-thru worker there were no Egg McMuffin sandwiches available.

Police say the incident occurred shortly after 3:30 a.m. Wednesday at a McDonald’s in Warren, about 60 miles southeast of Cleveland.

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Looked at my Facebook wall and found this. I'm not in the least bit happy about it. But I am in 100% agreement about the post. It would scare the holy hell out of me too to find out to late about this.
https://www.facebook.com/debbie.gorton.56/posts/1677494155618315

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Looked at my Facebook wall and found this. I'm not in the least bit happy about it. But I am in 100% agreement about the post. It would scare the holy hell out of me too to find out to late about this.
https://www.facebook.com/debbie.gorton.56/posts/1677494155618315

Yikes.....
A tragedy in the making.
Time for some lessons for the kiddies about never playing on or around vehicles of any kind.

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"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

Internet down?

Hungry birds

If not kept for historical purposes, it might as well put it to other use.
WWII air raid shelter converted to grow food beneath London's streets.

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Grant
Darwin NT