I had a MILDLY STRANGE experience the other day, sort of like DEJA VU but then also not. I don't think it has a name, such is its MILD STRANGENESS, but if anyone can tell me that it DOES I would be very grateful.
What it was was as follows. I was listening to the "new" Beatles song yesterday and having various thoughts e.g. that it sounded a bit like The Beatles but also not quite like anything else by The Beatles and so therefore even more like The Actual Beatles, and also that the song was all right but the best bit had been in the Making Of when you first hear John Lennon's extracted voice and it is A BIT EXCITING. Anyway, as I was listening it struck me that it was almost as if The Universe was trying to be nice to me - and me specifically - as it had ALSO just unleashed new stuff from Old Doctors Who i.e. the Tales Of The Tardis on iPlayer. I watched some of this last night, by the way, and was really quite surprised by how good "Earthshock" was. I remember watching it at the time, but had no idea it was GOOD!
That's TWO of the Cultural Items I like MOST that have unearthed new material, what are the chances eh? But then later in the evening I was listening to the rather lovely new Kirsty MacColl boxset. This is a GORGEOUS thing, beautifully made and also PACKED with demoes and other things I'd never heard before. "Crumbs!" I expectorated. "That's THREE of my favourite things that came back. Why, if it carried on like this there's only Douglas Adams left!"
About 0.3 nanoseconds later I realised that, only a few weeks ago, I'd taken delivery of 42: The Wildly Improbable Ideas Of Douglas Adams, a big crowdfunded book what is PACKED with previously unreleased Douglas Adams stuff. WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? "It's like", I thought, "everything that I'd ever lost has come back. That's a song isn't it?"
OH CRIKEY! It IS a song - a song by Allo Darlin', my top most favourite band of The Current Century who - HOLD ON TO YOUR HATS - split up eight-ish years ago but returned to do some gigs THIS VERY WEEK!!!!!
I tell you what, if it hadn't already BEEN Halloween then this would make for a spooky story to spook even the most hardened DRACULA. I am now struggling to think of many other CULTURAL TOUCHSTONES that I love that HAVEN'T yet come back again. I mean, are we about to find out there's a whole other Molesworth book coming out? (Yes I know there is a cartoon series possibly coming but that's Not Quite The Same...although, maybe it is?)
It feels like a whole heap of things coming out at once, which I suppose MIGHT just be something that happens when you reach this late stage of your THIRTIES (very late stage) what I am currently in. Maybe this is the point when things you liked get ARCHIVED and UNCOVERED? Or maybe it really IS The Universe thinking "Let's give Hibbett a treat and bring all his stuff back." If that is the case then I say THANKS, The Universe, it is much appreciated although perhaps a bit overwhelming!
Mr A Sarll has pointed out elsewhere that there WAS a new Molesworth book, "The Molesworth diaries", earlier this year! IT CONTINUES!!! posted 3/11/2023 by MJ Hibbett
