Tommy Atkinson
@atters1000.bsky.social
Lord of Strange Deaths / Amateur Cracksman
Now reading Reggie Oliver’s new novel from PS Publishing, Wings of Night. A ghost story set at a provincial theatre, perfect Oliver territory!
November 23, 2025 at 8:46 AM
Now reading Reggie Oliver’s new novel from PS Publishing, Wings of Night. A ghost story set at a provincial theatre, perfect Oliver territory!
We went to see an am-dram production of Strangers on a Train last week and for some reason they seem to have used AI to write an article on ‘strangers on a train’ for the programme. Drivel in its purest form.
November 10, 2025 at 7:19 AM
We went to see an am-dram production of Strangers on a Train last week and for some reason they seem to have used AI to write an article on ‘strangers on a train’ for the programme. Drivel in its purest form.
Happy Hallowe’en spooksters!
October 31, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Happy Hallowe’en spooksters!
A couple of belters from W.H. Smith (or whatever it’s calling itself now) - a Dark Side magazine Italian Horror special, and a Doctor Who Magazine gothic horror edition!
October 26, 2025 at 3:45 PM
A couple of belters from W.H. Smith (or whatever it’s calling itself now) - a Dark Side magazine Italian Horror special, and a Doctor Who Magazine gothic horror edition!
“Six o'clock was the autumn witching hour, when the smells of every wet and leaf-blown country cricket field in England were wafted up-river with the damp shreds of dusk”
John le Carré
John le Carré
October 14, 2025 at 5:02 PM
“Six o'clock was the autumn witching hour, when the smells of every wet and leaf-blown country cricket field in England were wafted up-river with the damp shreds of dusk”
John le Carré
John le Carré
Some Barbican snaps!
October 12, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Some Barbican snaps!
Have a blobby day
October 11, 2025 at 6:28 AM
Have a blobby day
Happy World Octopus Day!
October 8, 2025 at 8:23 AM
Happy World Octopus Day!
Currently reading and thoroughly enjoying this beautiful new selection of Daphne du Maurier’s macabre short stories from Virago, with a new introduction by Stephen King!
October 5, 2025 at 8:51 AM
Currently reading and thoroughly enjoying this beautiful new selection of Daphne du Maurier’s macabre short stories from Virago, with a new introduction by Stephen King!
Some snaps from a wander around Bloomsbury today with some pals from the Sherlock Holmes Society of London
October 4, 2025 at 9:11 PM
Some snaps from a wander around Bloomsbury today with some pals from the Sherlock Holmes Society of London
Great fun yesterday hunting down some film locations from the 1970 film The Railway Children, thanks to a day rover ticket on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway!
September 29, 2025 at 6:10 AM
Great fun yesterday hunting down some film locations from the 1970 film The Railway Children, thanks to a day rover ticket on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway!
On the Brontë trail in Haworth!
September 27, 2025 at 12:32 PM
On the Brontë trail in Haworth!
A Victorian picture of a swan, fashioned from dead moths. On display at the excellent Abbey House Museum in Leeds.
September 20, 2025 at 2:56 PM
A Victorian picture of a swan, fashioned from dead moths. On display at the excellent Abbey House Museum in Leeds.
The Abbot’s Treasure, a 1930s penny machine (by Dennison Sisters) on display at the Abbey House Museum in Leeds. I can only assume that the Abbot in question is Abbot Thomas!
September 20, 2025 at 2:50 PM
The Abbot’s Treasure, a 1930s penny machine (by Dennison Sisters) on display at the Abbey House Museum in Leeds. I can only assume that the Abbot in question is Abbot Thomas!
Just back from the Sherlock Holmes Society of London’s autumn excursion to Portsmouth! I was responsible for organising this year’s trip and I’m pleased to say that it seemed to go swimmingly! Cambridge next year!
September 14, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Just back from the Sherlock Holmes Society of London’s autumn excursion to Portsmouth! I was responsible for organising this year’s trip and I’m pleased to say that it seemed to go swimmingly! Cambridge next year!
Great to see Andrew Lycett talking about the origins of Sherlock Holmes at The Sohemian Society last night, and he was kind enough to sign my copy of his excellent Conan Doyle biography (highly recommended)!
September 11, 2025 at 6:24 AM
Great to see Andrew Lycett talking about the origins of Sherlock Holmes at The Sohemian Society last night, and he was kind enough to sign my copy of his excellent Conan Doyle biography (highly recommended)!
The Hammer House of Horror! These offices in Wardour Street were used by Hammer Films from the 1940s onwards!
September 11, 2025 at 6:05 AM
The Hammer House of Horror! These offices in Wardour Street were used by Hammer Films from the 1940s onwards!
Blue plaque for Sir Mansfield Cumming, first chief of the Secret Service - spotted in Whitehall Court
September 11, 2025 at 6:04 AM
Blue plaque for Sir Mansfield Cumming, first chief of the Secret Service - spotted in Whitehall Court
Now watching Hammer’s 1950 suspense movie The Man in Black, based on the radio series introduced by Valentine Dyall. Starring Sid James (!)
September 7, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Now watching Hammer’s 1950 suspense movie The Man in Black, based on the radio series introduced by Valentine Dyall. Starring Sid James (!)
Enjoying another true crime story of old New York, Edgar Allan Poe and the Murder of Mary Rogers by the brilliant Daniel Stashower
August 31, 2025 at 11:13 AM
Enjoying another true crime story of old New York, Edgar Allan Poe and the Murder of Mary Rogers by the brilliant Daniel Stashower
We had a great time at the Silver Screams screening of The Blair Witch Project at Ashford Cinema, presented by @manoghosts.bsky.social with a post-film Q&A with @bunnydarke.bsky.social - unnerving to find that one of the twig charms has followed us home!
August 30, 2025 at 9:42 PM
We had a great time at the Silver Screams screening of The Blair Witch Project at Ashford Cinema, presented by @manoghosts.bsky.social with a post-film Q&A with @bunnydarke.bsky.social - unnerving to find that one of the twig charms has followed us home!
I picked this up in NYC and tore through it on the flight home. Blood and Ink by Joe Pompeo, a fascinating true crime story about an infamous double murder in New Jersey, and the tabloid press frenzy that followed in jazz-age New York. Highly recommended!
August 27, 2025 at 6:46 PM
I picked this up in NYC and tore through it on the flight home. Blood and Ink by Joe Pompeo, a fascinating true crime story about an infamous double murder in New Jersey, and the tabloid press frenzy that followed in jazz-age New York. Highly recommended!
McSorley’s Old Alehouse - founded in 1854 and New York City’s oldest continuously operating saloon. Cash only and there are only two drinks on the menu - light and dark ale. This was my favourite bar from our NYC visit, loadsa character!
August 25, 2025 at 8:14 PM
McSorley’s Old Alehouse - founded in 1854 and New York City’s oldest continuously operating saloon. Cash only and there are only two drinks on the menu - light and dark ale. This was my favourite bar from our NYC visit, loadsa character!
My trip to NYC would not have been complete without a visit to The Mysterious Bookshop! Picked up a couple of Sherlockian titles - a signed copy of The Italian Secretary by Caleb Carr and The Gospel of Sheba by Lyndsay Faye (part of the Mysterious Bookshop’s Bibliomysteries series)
August 25, 2025 at 8:09 PM
My trip to NYC would not have been complete without a visit to The Mysterious Bookshop! Picked up a couple of Sherlockian titles - a signed copy of The Italian Secretary by Caleb Carr and The Gospel of Sheba by Lyndsay Faye (part of the Mysterious Bookshop’s Bibliomysteries series)