WordPlay Quarterly

In response to my suggestion the WordPlay magazine is now published on ISSUU - this edition includes several of my contributions including some fiction.

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Spanish 'El Gordo' Lottery

Well El Gordo has come and gone again - over 3 hours of chanting, I hope you can now say E - Uro correctly (emphasise both vowels) and maybe you are even a few E - Uros richer. Me? Well I had a premonition that 2011 was the year for an El Gordo win, everywhere I went the tickets on sale seem to include my year of birth - so I bought them. I just could not resist (actually more like I dare not, just in case...........)
Well I watched most of the draw (E - Uro) in my local (where I had bought one of my 'lucky' tickets) Every time the little boys or girls walked to the table with the big winning numbers we held our breath (well I did because I never catch the number first time around) then focus on the screen and watch the spinning balls (why can't they spin slower, they know we have been in the bar all morning).
Followed by a simultaneous cry of 'Dios Mia, they always win, that province has all the luck,' pause for further thought, 'Why they are so far up in the mountains, they still have the Peseta.'
The fruit machines start again, more coffee/beer/wine is ordered, more people arrive,
'Hay mas premios?'
I decide to cancel my new Ferrari order, postpone viewing the bargain 2.5 million front line property and head home.
'Told you it would be double numbers this year,' I say.
'Yes,' she replies, 'Pity it was not our double numbers though.'
Ah well, even in these uncertain times we can count on there being another El Gordo December 22md 2012. Maybe see you in the local bar?

R.I.P. George Whitman

You may remember a post earlier this year (and some articles) regarding my visit to the Shakespeare and Co bookshop in Paris.

Sadly George Whitman the amazing character behind this enterprise has passed away:


An extract from that link:

"PARIS — George Whitman, the founder of the Shakespeare and Company bookshop in Paris -- an iconic English-language literary hub and writers' refuge in the heart of the French capital -- died Wednesday aged 98.

"George Whitman died peacefully at home in the apartment above his bookshop," the shop said in a statement.

"George suffered a stroke two months ago, but showed incredible strength and determination up to the end, continuing to read every day in the company of his daughter, Sylvia, his friends and his cat and dog," it said."


I am so glad I was able to visit, unfortunately I did not get to meet the great man.

TIM Christmas Edition - Out Now

Just collected the December (The) Inland magazines (TIM) which has a very festive cover and a bumper 66 pages. My article on the writer's group outing to Albacete is on pages 12-13 and also a Spanish tax article on page 32 are my contributions.


TIM can be viewed online here

Open publication - Free publishing - More tim