Disappearances. Denial. Dubiously sourced meat. A curiously understaffed company on an English trading estate struggles to conduct business as usual after a large conurbation in the Midlands goes missing. Meanwhile, the new owners upstairs and their shiny assistant appear to be working on a project of their own. I’ve written my first full-length novel. It’s […]
February 8, 2013
A few days ago, it was three years since my first Twitter anniversary. To mark this highly significant date, here are some lies and off-colour remarks from that period. Endure. Jay-Z will always live in the shadow of his brother A, author of the best-selling ‘London’. Pharoah to hieroglyphist: “There’s no eye in team.” When […]
July 21, 2012
I reproduce here some of the nice things people have been saying about my book, Catbin Fever on Twitter, in the hope that you, the reader, will either a) know some of these people and respect their opinions, or b) become browbeaten and overwhelmed by their apparent number, and in either case, will feel inexorably […]
December 1, 2011
Now that Advent is upon us, here are some valuable tips to help you to get through this difficult period. A neighbour’s Christmas card is a good way of planting their DNA at the scene of a crime, but always remember to cross your name out. It’s considered bad luck to set fire to your […]
October 29, 2011
‘You’ve all been very understanding, loves, and this book is my way of saying “thank you, now help me pay for what somebody did to Brenda’s downstairs lavatory”. Ignore the name at the top. It’s all my work, he just wrote it down. I’m sure he wasn’t even listening half the time.’ – CBL CATBIN […]
May 26, 2011
More simple suggestions on how to seem more like those around you. When the new neighbours move in, give them a missing dog poster with a picture of a local dog you like. See if they can get it. Instead of “first pet” and “mother’s maiden name” banking security questions should be based on […]
May 13, 2011
The problem with bookshops is that nobody in them is the least bit impressed that you are buying a book. In this day and age, the purchase of literature should prompt onlookers to drop what they are doing and spontaneously applaud. At the very least, a small interview in the local paper should […]
April 18, 2011
More important information about blending with the community. Get out of watering a neighbour’s houseplants by muttering things like “yeah, I’ll water them alright” and laughing to yourself. In fact, agreeing to do someone a favour in an unsettling sardonic tone will get you out of almost any task; try it next time someone […]
March 14, 2011
More advice from the small hours. It’s mostly about how to be a great neighbour. When popping unwanted food through your neighbour’s door with a note saying “I couldn’t finish this”, remember to bag it first. An unsigned note through your neighbours’ doors reading “I want it back by midnight” will reveal who […]
February 14, 2011
More important lifestyle advice normally imparted at times when only Atlanteans are awake. Goodnight… Put a Valentine card to yourself through a neighbour’s door. When they bring it round, ignore their denials that it’s from them. Avoid being asked to look after neighbours’ pets by simply having forty or fifty lollipop stick crosses stuck in […]
December 3, 2010
More valuable pieces in the map to the land of Nod. Goodnight… Don’t worry, it’ll be just like going to sleep. It’s commonly known that ghosts are primarily composed of sheets. It’s less known that most statues are over-starched ghosts. Sometimes a thing with a goat’s face is just a goat. If you’re getting less […]
October 2, 2010
Yet another collection of the sign-offs that have eased so many troubled minds. Goodnight… The last thing intruders will be expecting is a staircase completely smothered in butter. It could save your life. Lullabies are only calming when you know where they’re coming from. Achieving forced perspective effects with tapering hallways will convince an […]
September 3, 2010
In late August, a middle-aged Coventry woman had a moment of madness and popped a friendly tabby into a wheelie bin, presumably expecting that it would go on to wear a waistcoat and form a gang replicating the exploits of Sergeant Bilko. The cat was discovered after it had spent fifteen hours failing to […]
August 21, 2010
A groundbreaking show is coming to television. It will be based on the Twitter account “Shit My Dad Says”, and will feature a straight-shooting old man, who isn’t afraid to say exactly what he thinks, and if that means swearing, then he just about blinking well will, the flipper. Unfortunately, the network isn’t happy […]
October 11, 2013
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