Born #OTD 1890, Richmal Crompton. Still – William (including the first ever story to feature Violet Elizabeth Bott), first pubd 1925, this 1934 reprint. Illustrated, consistently for this author, and creating the lasting image of the protagonist, by Thomas Henry. #childrensbooks

#booksintomovies Empire of the Sun 1984 by J G Ballard (born #OTD 1930, d 2009). Short-listed for the Booker (lost to Hotel du Lac) Semi autobiographical tale by Steven Spielberg (young Christian Bale & John Malkovich). “Small boys tend to find their heroes where they can” - JGB

“I'm a member of the 1960s generation. We didn't have any wisdom.” Born #otd 1947, died 2022, P J O’Rourke. Acerbic satirist. A founder of ‘Gonzo’ journalism. The chap on the British Airways ad. Republican Party Reptile (1987)

“My own personal statement against the reliance on clichés in figure photography – me, thinking pictures” Born #OTD 1929, d 2009, Sam Haskins. Advertising art director, extraordinary photographer. Five Girls, first published 1962, Corgi pb reprint 1969 (21s) and Cowboy Kate.

#OTD fifty four years ago, here’s PUNCH Magazine – the London Charivari - from 1971, with a parody spoof of Playboy Magazine. Very lovely Julie Ege on the front cover (snapped by Terry Fincher), behind barbed wire – noli me tangere. Spot the rabbit.

Born #OTD 1929, Eric Thompson, actor and tv presenter. Husband and father of three fine actresses. Died 1982. Remembered for narrating The Magic Roundabout, French animation stories written purely from watching the visuals. First UK broadcast 1965 through to late 1970s.

#WorldDraculaDay Born #OTD in Dublin in 1847, Bram Stoker, Sir Henry Irving’s assistant in London. Wrote a dozen novels, but mostly and justifiably famous for Dracula in 1897. S quillions of #booksintomovies adaptations. An odd Signet from 1970, and a Greek snack interpretation!

Born #OTD 1913 in Algeria, French playwright, novelist and philosopher Albert Camus. Impoverished childhood. Nobel Prize for Literature in 1957. Died 1960. The Plague (1947) won a new audience during the covid pandemic - “there are more things to admire in men than to despise”

#OTD in 1980, Marvel UK launched a new weekly Future Tense, usual reprints from US comics, cheap paper, limited colour, sci-fi themes such as Paladin and Micronauts. ‘Build your own spaceship’ gift – not actual size! Became a monthly within a year and folded.

Hedda Gabler, by Ingmar Bergman for the National Theatre in 1970 w Maggie Smith (Evening Standard Best Actress), Jeremy Brett as the hubbie and Robert Stephens the victim. Peter Jeremy William Huggins, definitely better known as Jeremy Brett ( born #OTD 1933 – d 1995) & Sherlock!

Born #OTD 1942, Larry Flynt. Businessman, publisher, media entrepreneur. He died in 2021. A colourful life, including a pink and gold wheelchair. A champion of free speech. Rather than reveal my collection of Hustlers, here’s a flyer The People vs Larry Flynt (Milos Forman 1996)

Possibly first performed #OTD in 1604, Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice. When boys played girls. 400 years of controversy and re-interpretation. In 1954, “the olden days”, Anthony Quayle played the Moor at Stratford in blackface. With an interesting cast.

#OTD 1970 - Be still my beating heart. Leeds University Rag Ball. Illegible font on the ticket (Data70?). Hollies, Strawbs (with Rick Wakeman), Cat Stevens, Fotheringay (with Sandy Denny!) @holliesofficial @sandydennyUK @yusufcatstevens @UniversityLeeds

Go wild in the country. Annabella Lwin, born #OTD 1966 in Rangoon. Lead singer of Bow Wow Wow, appeared outrageously nood on the debut album, See Jungle! See Jungle! Go Join Your Gang Yeah, City All Over! Go Ape Crazy! Here Issue 1 of highly regarded short-lived Kicks mag (1981).

”No I never advocated drugs. I defended drugs, different drugs, against unscientific charges” They Took Away My Credit Card – exclusive interview with psychologist and writer Timothy Leary (1920 - 1996) in the very last issue of undergound mag Oz 1973. Felix Dennis back right!

IPC Mags's huge success with NME. Time to expand the market with National Rock Star in October 1976, editor Alan Smith. And a free jeans patch. And Elvis coming to London (up to a point Lord Copper). Lasted until March 1977 “Publishing economics go beyond editorial quality”

The minute you walked in the joint. One of the nice Faber Ariel Poems, 1954, Sirmione Peninsular, poem by Stephen Spender, illustration by Lynton Lamb. Sirmione – where Ezra Pound (born #OTD 1885 – 1972) met James Joyce for the first time.

#adoorablethursday #Halloween Lavenham

#Booksintomovies The Virgin and the Gypsy, D H Lawrence, movie directed by Christopher Miles in 1970, script by Alan Plater. Gorgeous leads by Franco Nero & Joanna Shimkus (born #OTD 1943, extraordinary in many ways) and, as Grandma, one of her last appearances, Fay Compton.

Three ways of looking at the highly controversial Ezra Pound, born #OTD October 30 in 1885 (died 1972). His ABC OF READING, published by Faber of course. Henri Gaudier Brzeska’s Hieratic Head. And Humphrey Carpenter’s awesome study A Serious Character (Faber 1988).