My Top Ten Doctor Who Stories of the Decade

10. The Husbands of River Song, this is one of my favourite Christmas stories being loud, fun with an added dollop of emotion thrown in. We've got the tying up of River Songs story line, the slow dawning for The Doctor that he has one final adventure with her and a good fun adventure that keeps escalating. This story has so much range and all aspects are handled perfectly.

9. It Takes You Away, an absolute bonkers story that starts off as Dog Soldiers and morphs into the Frog Princess. I love the mystery of this story, its cold, its dark and yet its all about love. This is the high point of Season 11 for me, the show hit its stride at the halfway mark and builds until this high point.

8. Under the Flood, oooh I love the vibe of this one - a ghost story in an odd location with a timey wimey aspect thrown in. I love these dark stories and to me the end of Peter Capaldis first season and start of his second is utterly my jam. Of course it has a brilliant WTF cliff hanger which made the wait to the next episode unbearable.

7. Vincent and the Doctor, this is the only story that I'd describe as a tough sit on first viewing. Everybody loves the final scene with Dr Black and Vincent, but for me the punch the air moment is earlier in the story. When they're about to leave Vincents home and Vincent can't leave is the moment where everyone who has dealt or had depression breathed a sigh of relief in that depression was being done properly.

6. The Witch's Apprentice, my favourite start to a season. Scene upon scene where I'm holding my breath, Davros at his best since Remembrance, A Doctor being hunted, Missy thrown into the pot just to add chaos and a real feel that the season is going to be bleak. A story where it doesn't feel like anyone wins - just survives.That scene with the young Davros may be my favourite in Who.

5. Day of the Doctor, the perfect anniversary story - its destined to become one of my most watched stories and its nearly there already.

4.Listen, the complete opposite of the previous story in this list. A quiet intimate story - possibly the most a-typical since the comeback. There is no plot which is wonderful, The Doctor gets an idea stuck in his head and follows it to see what happens - utter brilliance.

3. A Christmas Carol, my favourite Christmas story and its peak Matt Smith - I can't imagine any Doctor doing this story. The music, the casting, the tone and the twists are all virtually perfect. Already this is my most watched Christmas story.

2. Heaven Sent, one of the most important factors I have in compiling these lists is the impact the story had on first viewing. If this list was only based on that this story would be top. Peter Capaldis Doctor walking around a tower for an hour pursued by a monster. This is the Twelfth Doctor at his peak and sums up The Doctor, he will be the last person trying even if it takes a million years.

1. The Pandorica Bangs, Season 5 is my favourite season of this decade and the ending is majestic. The first episode looks like its building to a Hollywood blockbuster but them the final episode turns it on its head. So many moments, the stone Dalek, the converging of enemies, River trapped in the sun, the girl who waited. For me this is the perfect ending to a near perfect season.

Halloween Horror Story - The Empty House on the Hill

There was nothing in it.



THE END

Job Application Funk

I'm in a bit of a funk today lady and gentle readers, a proper funk. Like I've fallen down a dark hole and can't pull myself out kind of funk.

I'll tell you why, earlier today I saw my old job being advertised on a job site via an agency. This was a civil service job and I immediately checked if it was advertised on the civil service site - it was. This left me with a decision to make and I'll explain why.

Over the years I have applied for a number of civil service jobs directly and never got one. Despite the fact I am qualified and experienced in admin and call centre management - I believe the fact I'm transgender is a factor in this. At one point in 2015 I applied to what looked like a civil service job via an agency, I firmly believed this was a fake job advert but applied anyway as a job could still come out of this. I registered for the job, interviewed for the job and got the job, mainly due to the fact the recruitment consultant was stoned out of her skull and didn't realise I was transgender.

During the time I was there, the entry level (fixed term) in the workplace was removed which would have been the next level I got promoted up to from a temp. I wasn't allowed to apply for permanently, a number of jobs I was experienced in and qualified for came up and I was unable to apply for them because I wasn't permanent or fixed term. Eventually after 15 months I was phased out due to the temp contract coming to an end. During this 15 months I managed a department over Christmas and New Years, trained countless staff and got nothing from it.

My choice is do I apply for this as a temp or directly. Directly I don't get in, this is plain fact, I have helped manage a department for this branch of the civil service but it counts for nothing because I'm transgender. I've got no choice but to apply for this job as a temp and hopefully get more than three months work out of it.

I should be firmly entrenched in this branch of the civil service by now, a few levels up striving to get back to I was before two decades of work placed transphobia killed my career. But I'm sat here typing a blog with only four hours guaranteed work this week.

Like I said readers, I'm in a funk.

The Haunting of Hill House

I have finally finished watching last years Netflix hit miniseries The Haunting of Hill House and can fully recommend giving it a watch. Rather than being full of jump scares its a proper slow burn series which rewards viewers for paying attention and adding layers to earlier episodes.

In particular there are a few episodes that rank with the finest things I've ever watched.The three episodes The Twin Thing, The Bent-Neck Lady and Two Storms are not only powerful episodes but the highlight of the miniseries.

There are so many things in this show that I fully expect will get better with a rewatch, the little background details in scenes, plot points that are so delicate you only realise them two episodes after you should have. Unlike a lot of horror it also has a satisfactory ending, speaking personally I go into horror not giving two hoots about the ending but this one left me nodding my head in approval.

So lady and gentle viewers if you're looking for something to get your teeth into this Halloween and haven't seen it yet give The Haunting of Hill House a view.

The Big Finish Catch-Up September 2019

For those of you new to this section of the blog, I started listening to the Big Finish Doctor Who releases when they started back in 1999, getting them as they were released up to mid 2002 and release No 33 Neverland. At that time I left Uni and due to being a bit busy with life and what not I only heard one or two releases over the next few years. I started getting back into them around 2008 and was 6 years behind at that point. Due to wondering off into the Lost Doctor range and a relaxed listening pace I fell further behind. In order to catch up I'm listening to two releases a month (or more when its a 60 min single disc release, plus without seeing the cover or knowing anything about the story) and my mission to catch up continues;

First this month its back to the monthly range with The Cradle of the Snake featuring, the 5th Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan and Turlough. Good dark story, good use of a villain and a very a-typical story 9/10.

Secondly its the 8th Doctor range and Prisoner of the Sun may be the best example of a one disc story Big Finish have done. So many curve balls and twists plus a good hook at the end leading into the next story 10/10.

Finally its a trip over to the Companion Chronicles with the 6th Doctor and Jamie Nights Black Agent. A fun good spooky monster story that I recommend for Halloween 7/10.

The Big Finish Catch-Up August 2019

For those of you new to this section of the blog, I started listening to the Big Finish Doctor Who releases when they started back in 1999, getting them as they were released up to mid 2002 and release No 33 Neverland. At that time I left Uni and due to being a bit busy with life and what not I only heard one or two releases over the next few years. I started getting back into them around 2008 and was 6 years behind at that point. Due to wondering off into the Lost Doctor range and a relaxed listening pace I fell further behind. In order to catch up I'm listening to two releases a month (or more when its a 60 min single disc release, plus without seeing the cover or knowing anything about the story) and my mission to catch up continues;

First up this month is Relative Dimensions in the 8th Doctor range featuring the 8th Doctor, Susan, Lucie and Alex. For those familiar with this story I'm listening to it at the wrong time of year and its a rather lovely low key Christmas special 8/10. Its a rather intimate little story with a Doctor Who twist thrown in for good measure and this season is rivalling the first in terms of quality.

Second up The Similarity Engine featuring Jago & Litefoot with the final story of the season 1 box set. I had little idea what was going on but had a fun time none the less 9/10. As for the box set as a whole, I'll certainly be coming back for more. As a box set the first story had to do a lot of set up which I can understand, the final story had to close things up which it mostly did well and it gave us two bonkers stories in the middle, so as a whole 9/10. 

Finally this month The Foe From the Future featuring the 4th Doctor and Leela. Loads of fun and its rare that a story can make me cheer out loud like a situation with Leela late in the story does. The best compliment that I can pay a "Lost Story" is that during the story I felt like I was transported back to the era its set and could easily be watching a DVD. Highly recommended and not the story featuring cats on Gallifrey that I was expected 8/10.

Ninja Leaves Twitch

Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, one of the biggest name in Fortnite and one of Twitch’s most popular streamers, is leaving the platform to stream exclusively on Mixer. The news comes via a tweet from the streaming star, with him dubbing the move “the next chapter.” Mixer is a fledgling streaming service owned by Microsoft that launched as Beam back in 2016. The Ninja exclusivity marks a major get for the platform, which has struggled to catch up to competitors like Twitch and YouTube.

“I have been holding on to this for quite some time,” Ninja said, “and I’m just super excited to let everyone know. I’ll be streaming on Mixer full-time now and I’m honestly at a loss for words. I’m freaking out in the best ways. I feel like I’m going to get back to the streaming roots.” He goes on to say that his streams will be “the exact same,” so don’t expect Ninja to get away from Fortnite any time soon.

The Big Finish Catch-Up July 2019

For those of you new to this section of the blog, I started listening to the Big Finish Doctor Who releases when they started back in 1999, getting them as they were released up to mid 2002 and release No 33 Neverland. At that time I left Uni and due to being a bit busy with life and what not I only heard one or two releases over the next few years. I started getting back into them around 2008 and was 6 years behind at that point. Due to wondering off into the Lost Doctor range and a relaxed listening pace I fell further behind. In order to catch up I'm listening to two releases a month (or more when its a 60 min single disc release, plus without seeing the cover or knowing anything about the story) and my mission to catch up continues;

First up this month is "All Consuming Fire" from the novelisation range featuring the 7th Doctor, Ace and Bernice. A very notable story as it features a guest appearance from Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. Its a fun little story of a book I never got around to reading, if I'd known this story was coming I may have been disappointed but as with the format of this blog its a fun throwaway story 6/10.

Next up is "The Isos Network" my second trip to the Early Years range featuring the 2nd Doctor, Jamie and Zoe. Its a really good atmospheric, well written and acted story. Frazer Hines does a very good Patrick Troughton impersonation and hearing this Doctor face the Cybermen brought back waves of nostalgia. 8/10 and it would have been higher if the story didn't grind to a halt for the middle two episodes.

Finally "The Seeds of War" a rare recent trip into the monthly range featuring the 6th Doctor and Mel. A very good moody small scale story set against the backdrop of a large scale space war. Also a very good way of introducing a new regular villain that I look forward to hearing again 8/10.

The Big Finish Catch-Up June 2019

For those of you new to this section of the blog, I started listening to the Big Finish Doctor Who releases when they started back in 1999, getting them as they were released up to mid 2002 and release No 33 Neverland. At that time I left Uni and due to being a bit busy with life and what not I only heard one or two releases over the next few years. I started getting back into them around 2008 and was 6 years behind at that point. Due to wondering off into the Lost Doctor range and a relaxed listening pace I fell further behind. In order to catch up I'm listening to two releases a month (or more when its a 60 min single disc release, plus without seeing the cover or knowing anything about the story) and my mission to catch up continues;

First up this month its "The Masters of Luxor" in the Lost Story range, not just any Lost Story but the original lost story featuring the original TARDIS crew in what was intended to be the shows second story. Written by Anthony Coburn and adapted by Nigel Robinson this is the most unique story I've listened to from Big Finish. I have no intention of reviewing this story or marking it out of ten I just want to bask in it and feel emotional that I've experienced it. It does feel very old fashioned and very "Metopolis" while also having that feel of the first three stories of Who. Carole Ann Ford and William Russell give a cracking performance - this is a very well realised story. Interesting is a few similarities to "The Daleks" namely the city and there is a bit of lift action that makes me wonder if this was in Verity Lamberts notes. I highly recommend this purchase as I've rarely felt so emotional listening to a story.


Next up its the 8th Doctor range as the 8th Doctor and Tamsin in"Deimos" and "The Resurrection of Mars." This is without doubt a 10/10 release, possibly my favourite script by Jonathan Morris and in my opinion one of the best stories Big Finish has released. From the start it feels like a fun romp that The Doctor is going to wrap up in one episode and then we get a cliffhanger that signifies the moment where everything changes and the story goes in another direction. This is a story of manipulation, fracturing relationships and just how dangerous travelling with The Doctor can be. As usual people die, there are twists but due to the nature of the story the victories feel like something of a relief rather than a reason to party. The Doctor and the antagonist are left in very interesting situations at the end of this story and I look forward to finding out what happens next. At the moment I would say we are in this ranges best season since the first.

Liverpool FC End of Season Review 2018/19

Be warned ladies and gentle readers the following is my player by player and manager review of the season. I am a notoriously hard marker so expect some scathing conclusions;

Jurgen Klopp: Perfectly blended our squad into a team to fit his vision and very nearly had the perfect season if you ignore the bits that weren't perfect 10/10.

Roger Fabinho: Decent first season, took time to get used to the league and scored a goal 10/10.

Virgil van Dijk: The boss of our defence, his pass interception has become an iconic part of our play 10/10.

George Windjammer: Had a more impact full year than the previous season 10/10.

James Milner: Best Twitter game on the league 10/10.

Naby Keita: Very good box to box player, good penetration in the box, good defence in our box. Potentially useful in a post match boxing match 10/10.

Roberto Firmino: Very firm and changed his style of play this year, could do with losing a 'O' from his name 10/10.

Sadio Mane: Very good and scored lots of goals 10/10.

Mohamed Salah: Very good follow up to a season defining season which could only be improved by being a bit more like he was last season 10/10.

Joe Gomez: Always good to have a player with a 'Z' in his name for OCD reasons 10/10.

Alisson: A beast between the sticks - our best keeper since Ray Clemence 10/10.

Jordan Henderson: Part of a much improved middle three 10/10.

Daniel Sturridge: Sorry to see him go and he leaves us in a better position than where he found us 10/10.

Alberto Moreno: Rarely played and is now leaving 11/10.

Adam Lallana: An injury ravaged season but had a good advert game 10/10.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain: Very good season, kept the club doctor and physio team in good humour with good stand up material 10/10.

Simon Mingolet Have 10/10 and lets quietly pass this player by.


Xherdan Shaqiri: A good impact sub 10/10.

Rhian Brewster: One for the future but have a word with the parents as that isn't how you spell Ryan 10/10.

Andrew Robertson: Best fullback in the league 10/10

Divock Origi: Plays football and sounds like a Doctor Who monster from the Tom Baker years 10/10.

Joel Matip: Underrated 10/10.

Nathan Phillips: Gets on the list instead of Dejan Lovren due to an admin error 10/10.

Curtis Jones: Didn't he sing for Motown 10/10.

Ben Woodburn: The future of Wales 20/10.

Caoimhi Kelleher: Buy a cons tenant 10/10.

Rafael Comacho: Keep up the good work 10/10.

Trent Alexander Arnold Reginald Smyth III: Made the position his own and first name on the team sheet due to it having to be written 48 hours before the match due to his long name 10/10.

National Biscuit Day - The Jaffa Cake Debate

Good afternoon ladies and gentle readers, as you may be aware today is national biscuit day. A day I'm for as it gives me an excuse to drink more tea and dunk more biscuits. Although every year there is some debate on weather certain items are biscuits or not, mostly jaffa cakes.

Imagine there is a picture of a jaffa cake right here please.

People I beseech you, lets not bicker about labels and a jaffa cake is or isn't. Lets just be grateful that we live in a world where jaffa cakes exist. 

The Big Finish Catch-Up May 2019

For those of you new to this section of the blog, I started listening to the Big Finish Doctor Who releases when they started back in 1999, getting them as they were released up to mid 2002 and release No 33 Neverland. At that time I left Uni and due to being a bit busy with life and what not I only heard one or two releases over the next few years. I started getting back into them around 2008 and was 6 years behind at that point. Due to wondering off into the Lost Doctor range and a relaxed listening pace I fell further behind. In order to catch up I'm listening to two releases a month (or more when its a 60 min single disc release, plus without seeing the cover or knowing anything about the story) and my mission to catch up continues;

First up this month is The Prisoner of Peladon a Companion Chronicle starring David Troughton as King Peladon. This is a very good story with good levels of atmosphere, David is outstanding and carries the story well. Its what you would expect from a Peladon story in terms of characters and alien races. What raises the story is that when The Doctor turns up it goes in a direction that is mostly associated with later Doctors. Its rather unnerving to see this kind of thing done with Jon Pertwees more fluffy Doctor however its effective. It gets a 8/10 from me.

Next up is Nevermore with the 8th Doctor and Tamsin in the Eight Doctor range. Its a weak start to Tamsins start as a companion as the story is dull and lacking the distinctive flair of the range. The crows and the cat are memorable but a week after hearing this story I'm struggling to remember anything about it 4/10.

The final story this month is The Whispering Forest from the main range featuring the team of the 5th Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan and Turlough. This is a proper good done in one nailed to the plot thriller - although the start and end to lead in and from the surrounding stories. I love stories like this that have a good solid plot, start at break neck pace and keep the listener glued for the duration. I must commend the decision to pair up Nyssa and Turlough who are two characters who couldn't be further different from each other. This release is story telling 101, any aspiring writer looking to write for Big Finish should be listening to stories like this. This is a 7/10 story for me and this is the second time I've heard it (its one of the stories I heard in the anniversary year) and it still stands up to that first listen.

The Big Finish Catch-Up February - April 2019

For those of you new to this section of the blog, I started listening to the Big Finish Doctor Who releases when they started back in 1999, getting them as they were released up to mid 2002 and release No 33 Neverland. At that time I left Uni and due to being a bit busy with life and what not I only heard one or two releases over the next few years. I started getting back into them around 2008 and was 6 years behind at that point. Due to wondering off into the Lost Doctor range and a relaxed listening pace I fell further behind. In order to catch up I'm listening to two releases a month (or more when its a 60 min single disc release, plus without seeing the cover or knowing anything about the story) and my mission to catch up continues;

I've fallen a little bit behind with the reviews so here's some snap reviews of what I listened to between February and April this year...


Theatre of War - A very good, tight adaption of the Virgin New Adventure debut of Justin Richards. Of note is the first appearance of Irving Braxiatel 8.5/10.

Situation Vacant - A fun way of introducing a new companion and the arc of this seasons 8th Doctor Adventures. A brilliant pastiche of The Apprentice 10/10.

The Spirit Trap - Another good fun, spiky engaging episode of Jago and Litefoots first season 9/10.

Domain of the Voord - The start of a new range "the early years" taking over from "the companion chronicles." A very good strong start and a story that adds something to a one off villain from TV 8/10.

Real Time - an oddity, a curates egg, an interesting attempt at doing something in real time. Unsatisfying but worthy 5/10.

The Book of Kells - Very engaging, rollicking break neck speed and fun. The 8th Doctor range is on a roll 10/10.

Fear of the Daleks - A very good companion chronicle with a good performance from Wendy Padbury 7/10.

The Well Mannered War - Some good ideas which may have worked in a book format however its a weak adaption and needed some editing as there is too much going on 6/10.

Detective Pikachu - Review

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Why Kevin Owens Turned Heel

During this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown Live, honorary New Day member Kevin Owens turned on Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods following the WWE Champion’s win over Shinsuke Nakamura.

Kevin Owens had only joined the world famous five-time tag champs during last week’s episode of Smackdown Live after Big E was put out of action via injury – we still don’t know when E is expected to be back in action.

The reason for Owens’ sudden turn on his new stable mates is down to the currently undisclosed injury suffered by Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 35.

According to Dave Meltzer on a recent episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, a ‘Mania rematch was supposed to be taking place at the Money In The Bank PPV between Kofi and Bryan, but because the former Champion won’t be back in time for the event, the Owens heel turn was done.

Scott Walker

Scott Walker, one of the most enigmatic and influential figures in rock history, has died at the age of 76.

The US star found fame as a teen idol in The Walker Brothers, scoring hits with The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore and Make It Easy On Yourself.

But his dark baritone hinted at something deeper - and his darker, experimental solo albums tackled the complexities of love, sex and death.

Walker's death was confirmed by his current record label, 4AD.

Born Noel Scott Engel in Ohio, 1943, Walker initially pursued a career as an actor, before hooking up with John Maus and Gary Leeds to form the misleadingly-named Walker Brothers.

After a false start in the US, they relocated to the UK, where they caused a huge sensation, scoring number one hits with Make It Easy On Yourself and The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore.

For a while, the band were as big as the Beatles, greeted by screaming fans everywhere they went.

"Touring in those days was very primitive. It was really a lot of hard work. And you couldn't find anything good to eat. The hours were unbelievable."

At the height of their fame in 1967, when Walker was still considered a heart-throb and a potential superstar, he called time on the band and ran away to a monastery on the Isle of Wight. Not, as rumour had it, because of a nervous breakdown, but to study Gregorian chant.

He remained disillusioned with the industry until his girlfriend introduced him to the music of Jacques Brel, whose literate, passionate torch songs inspired him to embark on a solo career.

Walker's first four solo albums, Scott to Scott 4, juxtaposed lush, orchestral pop with dark existentialism; and his lyrics were frequently scattered with characters from society's margins - prostitutes, transvestites, suicidal thinkers and even Joseph Stalin.

"He took music to a place that it hasn't actually ever been since," said musician Brian Eno who, like Jarvis Cocker and David Bowie, cites Walker as a key influence.

Amid falling sales, Walker staged a brief, largely unsuccessful reunion with the Brothers in the mid-70s; then used a lucrative deal with Virgin Records to pursue some of his most abstract musical ideas on 1984's Climate of Hunter.

The record divided fans and critics - it was reputedly Virgin's lowest-selling album of all time - and Walker bowed out of music and the public eye for almost a decade.

"A friend of mine says I'm not a recluse, I'm just low-key," said the singer about his extended absence.

"Generally if I've got nothing to say, it's pointless to be around."

The Big Finish Catch-Up January 20019

For those of you new to this section of the blog, I started listening to the Big Finish Doctor Who releases when they started back in 1999, getting them as they were released up to mid 2002 and release No 33 Neverland. At that time I left Uni and due to being a bit busy with life and what not I only heard one or two releases over the next few years. I started getting back into them around 2008 and was 6 years behind at that point. Due to wondering off into the Lost Doctor range and a relaxed listening pace I fell further behind. In order to catch up I'm listening to two releases a month (or more when its a 60 min single disc release, plus without seeing the cover or knowing anything about the story) and my mission to catch up continues;

First up this month is An Earthly Child featuring the 8th Doctor and Susan in the 2009 subscriber special. This was a very intriguing and engaging story, starting off with the first Doctors music was a good swerve as I initially thought I was listening to a companion chronicle. Paul McGanns Doctor doesn't turn up for a while so when he does its a nice little surprise, Carole Ann Ford as Susan carries the majority of the story and the story is focused on what Susan's been up to since we last saw her. Also I'd like to take a moment to discuss the world building, the story benefits from being a follow up to a TV story but I was firmly entrenched in this future Earth more so than some stories that are double the length. A good story, one that benefited from having no knowledge going in and a good subscriber bonus and the feeling of a later Doctor having the kind of story more associated with an earlier Doctor, 8/10.

Next up its the second story in the first Jago & Litefoot box set The Bellova Devil and it was a complete joy from start to finish. Where the first story felt like mostly set up this felt like a story that could be listened to in isolation. One incident sets of a series of events and its a case of sitting back and letting the two leads get into some humorous trouble. Highlights include a brave turn from Jago while hiding in a bush and Litefoot getting talked into a situation he knows he has no business in. This is the kind of story that I hoped for going in and I suspect this may be the flavour of the series now that we've got the difficult start out of the way 10/10.

The final story this month is The English Way of Death an adaption of the Gareth Roberts book from the Missing Adventure range featuring the 4th Doctor, Romana and K9. A nice little fluffy story featuring the season 17 regulars. A story enlivened by the cast, especially Tom Baker however weak writing which includes rather weak sub Bertie Wooster characters. Even though I enjoyed it a week after writing this review up I'm struggling to remember any details. Given that how close this release was to The Romance of Crime and if you are on a budget I'd recommend getting that release over this. Perhaps it needed a bit more beefing up from John Dorney but as it is stands I feel like I've gone for a slice of cake that has the least amount of ingredients in it as possible. Sadly like the original novels I suspect The English Way of Death will go down as a disappointing follow up, 6/10.

Olivia Colman Wins the Academy Award for Best Actress

Absolutely fantastic news, Olivia Colman has been an underrated regular on British TV for over a decade and more recently film. She has played monsters in Doctor Who, a cute innocent love interest on Peep Show and fantastic put upon characters in shows such as Green Wing and Twenty Twelve. Absolutely fantastic stuff and it feels like someone I've watched grow up has won an award.

The Big Finish Catch-Up December 2018

For those of you new to this section of the blog, I started listening to the Big Finish Doctor Who releases when they started back in 1999, getting them as they were released up to mid 2002 and release No 33 Neverland. At that time I left Uni and due to being a bit busy with life and what not I only heard one or two releases over the next few years. I started getting back into them around 2008 and was 6 years behind at that point. Due to wondering off into the Lost Doctor range and a relaxed listening pace I fell further behind. In order to catch up I'm listening to two releases a month (or more when its a 60 min single disc release, plus without seeing the cover or knowing anything about the story) and my mission to catch up continues;

Death in Blackpool - The fourth season of the 8th Doctor Adventures start off with an emotional story set at Christmas. Featuring the 8th Doctor, Lucie and "Auntie Pat" this story is the most bittersweet Christmas story Big Finish have ever done. Its certainly a story that feels like its tying up some long standing aspects of the series. As such its not one for you if your dipping in but one for long term listeners. Highly emotional, this is not not your typical story from this range - however it is one of the stand out stories of this range 9/10.

The Bloodless Soldier - The start of Jago and Litefoots spin off series. Very good stuff, lots of fun with a few aspects of the series being introduced. It certainly feels like the start of something fun. The two leads are astounding fun and I'm already looking forward to the next story 8/10.

Return to the Web Planet - A rather cute subscriber special starring Peter Davison as the 5th Doctor and Sarah Sutton as Nyssa. Of note is an appearance by Sam Kelly off of many a sitcom and the early Big Finish release Holy Terror 6/10.

Enemy Aliens - from the Destiny of the Doctor series this entry sees India Fisher reprise Charley Pollard in an adventure with the 8th Doctor. India does an excellent job voicing the various characters (I like her 11th Doctor). This is a rip roaring adventure and lots of fun, one of the best of this series 9/10.

1963: The Space Race - The main range 50th anniversary story featuring the 6th Doctor and Peri. Very nice to hear this team in the main range, a very engrossing story that draws the listener in. Of note are some bloody excellent cliffhangers and a very interesting late story aspect of 1963. I was pleased when I looked at the cover after listening and noted it was written by Jonathan Morris who is one of my firm favourites 8/10. 

Single Gamer seeks Threesome

Hi, I'm looking for two special people for fun and frolics this valentines day in Kings Canyon. If you fancy snuggling up celebrating a championship win your the gamer for me. If you can answer yes to the following questions please DM me or leave a comment;

Are you in this for the long haul and not to crash and burn out on the opening few minutes?

Will you follow me to the end and not bail out before we jump?

Do you know when its appropriate to grapple?

Will you collect and respawn me if I fall?

Will you take me into the void if I fall?

Do you know the best times for Gibraltar to be a rock and a weapon?

Do you know when too much pinging is too much?


If yes you have what it takes to join my squad and be a part of team Umbogo. Please send your details and this valentines day we can get our guns out and have fun on Apex Legends.

The Big Finish Catch-Up November 2018

For those of you new to this section of the blog, I started listening to the Big Finish Doctor Who releases when they started back in 1999, getting them as they were released up to mid 2002 and release No 33 Neverland. At that time I left Uni and due to being a bit busy with life and what not I only heard one or two releases over the next few years. I started getting back into them around 2008 and was 6 years behind at that point. Due to wondering off into the Lost Doctor range and a relaxed listening pace I fell further behind. In order to catch up I'm listening to two releases a month (or more when its a 60 min single disc release, plus without seeing the cover or knowing anything about the story) and my mission to catch up continues;


Legend of the Cybermen - the finale of this main range trilogy starring Colin Baker and Frazer Hines as the 6th Doctor and Jamie is a big soppy 10/10 from me. Do not listen to this story without hearing the first two parts as this is a tightly knitted trilogy. The last story ended with us finding out where this story is set and it should throw up fond memories for long term fans. We get more of this location and much more detail than we got on TV and it enriches the story as well as this we have the plot continuing from the first two stories. There are plenty of twists with some familiar faces I can very much recommend this story albeit as part of the trilogy.

1963: The Assasination Game - at this point I need to point out a change to this catch up marathon. Due to financial reasons I have been unable to purchase the next batch of stories. Rather than stop I've gone into future stories I've bought on sale and various non main range stories I've bought over the years. This story was released in the tail end of 2013 and is part of the main range anniversary released featuring the 7th Doctor and Ace meeting up with the Counter Measures team. In all honesty its rather dull and lacks flair coming in at a rather average 5/10.

Andy Murray

Earlier today at a press conference Andy Murray announced his plans to retire this year. He hopes to retire at Wimbledon but fears next weeks Australian Open could be his last tournament. His comments include;

"I'm not sure I'm able to play through the pain for another four or five months,"

"I want to get to Wimbledon and stop but I'm not certain I can do that."

"I'm not feeling good, I've been struggling for a long time."

"I've been in a lot of pain for about 20 months now. I've pretty much done everything I could to try and get my hip feeling better and it hasn't helped loads."

"I'm in a better place than I was six months ago but I'm still in a lot of pain. I can still play to a level, but not a level I have played at."

I for one will be sorry to see Andy retire, I've always been a fan of tennis and have traded tennis live as a job at times during my life meaning that tennis is one of my most watched and enjoyed sports. Andy Murray has taken tennis to another level where in the UK its not just something that happens for a fortnight in the summer during Wimbledon. My earliest memories of Andy are of a young skinny players throwing up on court as his skills had taken him as far as his body.

He would later mature into a player of immense power and a style that included many engrossing baseline rallies. My personal highlight of his career was the 2012 London Olympic gold medal win which would catapult him to winning the US Open and Wimbledon over the next year.

Andy, this blogger wishes you all the best in retirement and will be continuing to cheer you on until you retire. Its been a crazy ride that you've taken your fans on over the years and trust me when I say that we enjoyed every minute of it.

2018 Rankings of Films I Saw in the Cinema

Good afternoon ladies and gentle readers as is tradition we start the new year off with lists about the old one. During the course of 2018 I saw nine films and ranked them as follows

The Meg - a fun OTT summer block buster where Jason Statham takes on a giant shark. As a film it was a bit of a banter and a fun evening out. 7/10

The Crimes of Grindelwald - the second in the "Fantastic Creatures" series and an alright film. I enjoy seeing new things in this cinematic universe but the film lacked a final act. 7/10

A Star is Born - a good romantic comedy that one me over with the cinema and directorial aspects rather than the story. 7/10

Ant-Man and the Wasp - a fun superhero comedic heist film. 8/10

Black Panther - another winner for the marvel cinematic universe. 8/10

Into the Spiderverse - a fun animation with various otherworld versions of Spiderman. Possibly the most engaging and edge of the seat release I saw at the cinema this year. 8/10

The Greatest Showman - yes I was late to the party and saw it in 2018, a fantastic musical with songs that are already being covered in adverts less than a year later. It gets a high mark due to the verve of the production. 9/10

Ready Player One - Steven Spielberg back to his blockbuster best in a virtual reality film full of pop culture references to my life. 9.5/10

Avengers Infinity War - this took me back to being a kid and the excitement when the X-men, Avengers and Spiderman would get together in a team up like Secret Wars. Really brought out the five year old in me. 10/10

Bohemian Rhapsody - my top film of the year a Freddie Mercury biopic starting from the beginning of Queen and taking us up to Live Aid. I saw it twice and will be watching it again, not only did it strike the right notes as a fan but it was a fun laugh out loud film  10/10