Engine Punk

The self–publishing seminar at Falmouth Maritime Museum on went very well. It was organised by Paul Sullivan, Business Fellow Professional Writing at University college Falmouth , and Andy Thatcher of The Writing Centre, an online Cornish writing community. We met up beforehand at the café tables outside The Shed on the plaza opposite the museum I was introduced to my fellow self–publishers Michael Moore and Paul Newman and two representatives from Lulu, Lucie Pereira and Sophie Bond. In the pre–event discussion it was clear how extensive the self–publishing revolution is becoming. Lucie had even organised a get together in Falmouth for the following night where self–publishing writers could meet up, share best practice and network. The numbers of self–publishing writers in Cornwall are well into double figures and that is just with Lulu. Add those who have already self–published and the fifty or so people in the audience that night and it all points to a huge grass roots mo...

On Friday night during my regular guitar lesson with Ellis of LSG, a musician to his fingertips, reckoned I was ready to have a go at recording. I’ll always be a bit rough and ready (“Musics for zeros, noise is for heroes” – The Damned) but I thought why not? During the session (!) I made lots of mistakes but Ellis made it sound brilliant. I need to practise my lead. And the timing of the intro was rubbish. It wasn't "1,2,3,4" but more "1,2,3,4,5". I know there's a fifth count when The Ramones go "1,2,3,4" but this was more Corporal Jones than Dee Dee Ramone. Anyway , by overlaying different tracks and letting me loose on his bass guitar and then working his magic Ellis turned me into a rock god! That’s the way it feels anyway. Thanks mate! Then on Saturday morning I finally got the illustration for the back of The Horsepower Whisperer right. I’ve been wrestling with this for months. During June I worked up a picture of an Allosaurus riding a st...

While at Adrian Booth’s workshop the other day, I spotted this interesting old trails special. I’d gone over to nearby Doublebois (pronounced Double Boys) to discuss the shortening of a Volvo torque tube so that the vital organs of said Volvo could be insinuated into Morris Minor. Adrian can do strange and wonderful things with steel and aluminium and is another of life’s great enthusiasts. The Hobsy or Hobbsie Special  “What’s this old thing on the trailer?” I asked him.  “It was called a Hobsy but it hasn’t done much work. The chassis rotten and it’s a bit of a lash up, really. I’m having a clear out and this is going.” “I wish I’d brought my digital camera,” I said. “Then I could record its final moments.” “Oh you can borrow mine,” Adrian replied.  So despite my lack of foresight, the Hobsy Special did not go unrecorded.  Very little is known about it. It had a 1600 Ford Kent engine, that was reputed to have been ...