Derek Collett

Hope to embark on my copy before the month is out; looking forward to it.

Front cover of Nigel Balchin's 1962 novel Seen Dimly Before Dawn, which I erroneously omitted from my previous post.

Although this book was originally published on 18 January 1962, it is the quintessential 'school summer holiday novel'.

For full details of this mesmeric book, and to find out how to buy a brand-new copy packed with additional features, click this link:
www.nigelmarlinbalchin.co.uk/books/seen-d...

So Donald Trump's son is saying his father has done more for golf than anyone. Er, really? More than Ben Hogan? Sam Snead? Jack Nicklaus? Gary Player? Tom Watson? Sevvy? Tiger Woods? I mean, I could go on ("No" - Ed.).

Congratulations to Tadej Pogacar and all the riders who finished the Tour de France today. Not quite a vintage edition but much to enjoy as always. How will I cope next year without ITV4?!

Ventoux rarely fails to deliver, does it?

These two newly published books by gentlemen that I follow on social media have recently arrived from Amazon. I look forward to reading them both before the summer is over.

Julian Barnes' essay on Gericault's Raft of the Medusa from A History of the World in 10.5 Chapters.

This was terrific. I've read Baron's wartime trilogy as well but this is a class apart. An excellent character study, as well as a fine evocation of time and place. Highly recommended. A very nice new edition from Faber although a glossary of Jewish slang would have been a valuable addition!

eBay does tell sellers to do that in fairness but when I'm selling I always feel that two photos per book is plenty.

Make that Vingegaard, for any spelling fans out there. I blame predictive text, as always.

I hope this TT (like Pog's at the Dauphine) was just a blip for Vinegaard and not indicative of his general form. Although I would prefer Pog to win, I want a good contest, not a walkover.

The Boycott quote I remember is slightly different but the meaning is the same:
'If you win the toss, then nine times out of ten you bat. The tenth time, you think about bowling but then decide to bat after all.'

It's depressing that England can just hand a Test match to an opponent through a toxic mix of arrogance and stupidity and by treating the sport with far less respect than my Sunday afternoon village team used to. Win the toss and bat FFS!

It's a good title for a Fall song though!

Three short journeys taken by public transport in last 10 days have all been utterly screwed up by a plethora of different problems. This country is broken, isn't it, and can't cope with any sort of warm weather? That said, I certainly won't be voting Reform!

Anyone else in southern Britain bored with this heat and pining for the low temperatures and persistent drizzle of February?

Yes, I see the point you are making: anything hyped is almost bound to disappoint.

I've always thought of that McGrath quote as being a bit odd because, in my opinion, there are several Balchin novels with better endings, most notably The Small Back Room. However, I remain grateful to Mr McGrath as that quote has been a useful marketing tool for me for many years.

Me too! Read all his novels, The Light of Day being my favourite although most of the 1930s ones are very good.

I was there! My first ever gig.

Balchin, once a household name, is a supernaturally gifted novelist and, thanks to Derek Collett's tireless efforts, remains in print with this and other beautifully-edited volumes

Thank you, David, for your unwavering support.

Published on this day in 1966: Nigel Balchin's very fine thriller In the Absence of Mrs Petersen. Read all about this book and find out how to buy a new edition of it by following the link below. Ideal summer holiday reading!

Please RT! Thanks.

www.nigelmarlinbalchin.co.uk/books/in-the...

He also captured my favourite photo of Nigel Balchin, which made the front cover of the second edition of my Balchin biography, so I have reason to thank him. Clearly a talented man.

A wonderful novel, perhaps my favourite of his books. The bit where the dog runs off and doesn't come back breaks my heart every time I think about it.

This may well be the best American-authored novel I've ever read: quite superb. Nothing tricksy or difficult about it, just excellent storytelling allied to great characterization, memorable set-pieces and an obvious insider's knowledge of the US Navy in WWII. Hard to believe it's now out of print!

Am pleased to have got my hands on a copy of this and look forward to reading it in the near future. Thanks to @john-self.bsky.social for tipping me off about this very welcome reissue.

It was on iPlayer recently (which is where I saw it again) but I think it's gone now. You're referring to the 'fluffers'; quote: 'I can't get used to it. Your days are your nights and your nights are your days'. Wonderful stuff.

Reminds me of the bit in the 40 Minutes documentary about the Angel Tube station when an LT lift operator asks the passengers 'Are they de-training people here?' and no-one answers (a) because they're Londoners and so they don't talk on the Tube and (b) because no-one understands what he's saying.