Reading list 2024

 Well, what an absolute bin fire of a year this has been for my little family. There, we got that out of the way, so I'll also remind myself that there have been lovely moments in 2024 too, from settling in a new home to a new motor (remind me to tell you about that another time, it gives me an excuse to write something else on the desolute, post-apocalyptic wasteland that is this blog), and a few other reasons too. And on top of that, I read some good books. Hurrah! 

So, as is as tradition at this time, I look back over the last 12 months and regale you with my adventures in literature (which is kind of a lie given few things I read are particularly highbrow or could be regarded as literature). On the plus side, I read more books this year than I did last, which is a) great, and b) a miracle given what a whirlwind year this has been. To follow up on last year's list, I'm still working my way through that massive collection of Dick Tracy newspaper strips, but I smashed through six this year which leaves just one left to go; it's highly unlikely I'll finish that between posting this and knocking 2024 on the head (hard, with a fucking mallet), so that'll have to wait for next year's list. For now, let me don my traditional worn jacket with the leather elbow patches, settle back in my leather armchair, maybe sip on a fine cognac (lies, it's a gingerbread latte from Starbucks) and reveal this year's reading list… Oh, and as per, we're grading from A+ (slip that book jacket off and show me your quarter bind) to C- and below (check yourself out, you're well-thumbed and smell musty. Eww) – though FYI/spoilers/etc there's nothing below a B this year so, y'know, *phew*. Anyway: ONWARDS!

1. Fast Charlie by Victor Gischler - originally published under the title Gun Monkeys, but renamed for this tie-in edition for a movie adaptation, this cracking novel follows gangland enforcer Charlie Swift as he seeks revenge for the death of his crew. Rattles along at a fast pace, with a nice line of humour throughout (the movie is decent too, FYI): A

2. Proof that the Devil Loves You by Gilbert Hernandez - The latest in Beto’s series of books novelising movies starring the character Fritz from his Love and Rockets comics. These books have traditionally been quick, surreal reads, and this is no different, with shades of earlier storylines from the author’s Palomar tales and a deeper exploration of the many characters Fritz has played. Unusual, but as with all Love and Rockets books, enjoyable - just not really the place to start if you’re new to the series: B+

3. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - The Making of the Classic Movie by John Tenuto and Maria Jose Tenuto - A sumptuous coffee table book that delves deeply into the development and production of the second Star Trek film. I’ve read a lot of books about Star Trek, and this is one of the best: gorgeously designed, passionately written and packed full of previously unseen images and facts. A wonderful piece of work: A+

4. Making it So by Patrick Stewart - The actor who brought Captain Jean-Luc Picard to life on Star Trek: The Next Generation tells his life story in this wonderfully open and honest autobiography. As with most biographies by Star Trek actors, it’s the Star Trek bits I find least interesting (usually because I already now them), and that’s the case here: the aspects of Stewart’s life outside of TNG are the parts I know little about, and it’s fascinating to read anecdotes from his childhood, the early days of his career, and from his work post-Trek. Perhaps most enjoyable of all is the clear sound of the author’s rich voice pouring out of every page - always a sign to me of a good autobiography: A

5. Love and Rockets: Children of Palomar by Gilbert Hernandez - The latest collection of Beto’s stories in the ongoing Love and Rockets library, here featuring a tale with brother Mario, the graphic novel Julio’s Day and the title story, Children of Palomar: A

 
6. Brothers Keeper by Donald E. Westlake - A somewhat unusual novel, focusing on a monk who finds his monastery is about to be demolished so sets out to save it - and falls in love along the way. Told in Westlake’s inimitable comedy style, this is a great story that twists and turns in far more ways than you’d initially believe. Hugely enjoyable: A

7. The Fast and the Furriest by Sofie Ryan - I first saw this book last year and after howling at the title decided one day I’d need to read it - and now I have. This is actually the fifth book in Ryan’s Second Chance Cat Mystery series, and it’s a gentle crime tale whereby the owner of a shop in a quaint coastal town helps her friend accused of murder … with the aid of her cat, Elvis. It’s not the most well-written book I’ve ever read, but it’s a cosy afternoon read with real charm that I enjoyed a great deal, and I’d be tempted to revisit the series again in the future: B+

8. Momento: An Illuminae Files Novella by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman (Kindle) - A short novella spinning off from one of my favourite book series of recent times. This quick read adds more detail to one of Illuminae’s key plot threads: the increasing self awareness of the AIDEN AI. It’s a great short read, and a reminder that I must reread the original novels sometime: A

9. Nobody’s Angel by Jack Clark - A cab driver cruising the streets of Chicago is drawn into the search for two killers, one murdering cabbies, the other prostitutes. Beautifully written and wonderfully paced, this novel is a phenomenal read; quite possibly one of my favourite Hard Case Crime books: A+

10. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Dog of War - The crew of Deep Space Nine find a new friend in the shape of a corgi named Latinum and a mysterious piece of technology that might help turn the tide in the Dominion War when Quark gets himself involved in one of his familiar dodgy deals. A really enjoyable Star Trek graphic novel that takes a somewhat ridiculous premise but makes it work: A

11. Star Trek: Volume One - Godshock - A collected edition of the first six issues in the new ongoing Star Trek comic-book series sees Captain Sisko returning to face a new enemy who is wiping out god-like life forms. The story is decent enough, and the idea of Sisko leading a crew made up of characters from across the franchise is appealing, but there’s something lacking, at least in this first collection: B+

12. Star Trek: Defiant - Spinning off from the events of Star Trek: Godshock, this graphic novel follows Worf as he teams with other familiar Trek characters and pursues the villainous Kahless across space in the starship Defiant. It’s an entertaining enough read, but feels a little too convoluted in its attempts to squeeze so many characters from the various TV shows into one storyline; a bit too much fan service while lacking its own really gripping story to tell - and then tops it off with a cliffhanger ending that requires me to buy a different graphic novel: B

13. Star Trek: Volume Two - The Red Path - The second collected edition of the new ongoing Star Trek comic series picks up the plot threads of volume one, but fails to really build on them. Sisko stands trial for war crimes and the rest of the crew search for a Bajoran orb - and it all ends on a cliffhanger that leads back to (as mentioned above) another graphic novel that I haven’t got and didn't really anticipate having to buy. This volume is saved by a standalone story that focuses on Scotty (who has been barely acknowledged throughout the series) and features characters from across the franchise: B

14. Death Comes too Soon by Charles Ardai - A fantastic collection of short stories from the founder of Hard Case Crime, celebrating the publisher’s 20th anniversary. Every story here was a joy to read - a fine way to celebrate Hard Case’s success, and a wonderful collection showcasing how great short fiction can be: A+

15. Into the Uncanny by Danny Robins - A book based on the successful podcast that has already spawned a live show and TV series that explores various supernatural happenings. Across four cases (three hauntings and a UFO) the author deftly explores our fears and the possibility of supernatural occurrences, while not quite (as might be expected) giving a definitive explanation for what actually took place in each instance. The cases within could very well have been episodes of the podcast, but work well as prose. A fun and atmospheric read: B+

16. Star Trek: Day of Blood - The Star Trek graphic novel I didn't know I needed and had to buy to discover the conclusion of the events of the earlier Godshock/The Red Path/Defiant comic book collections. It does a neat job of tying up this first storyline while also dangling possible plot lines to come, but I can’t say the notion of Kahless pursuing and killing gods has been a concept that has really grabbed me and I don’t know if I’ll continue beyond these first collected editions; kudos for some stunning character likenesses in the artwork though: B

17. Weasels in the Attic by Hiroko Oyamada - A charming collection of three connected short stories. Very much the ‘slice of life’ style of fiction I’ve previously read a lot of, this was quick to read (only 71 pages) and very enjoyable: A

18. Becoming the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar - Sequel to one of my favourite books of 2021. When body parts are left outside the author’s home, the residents of the town of Edgewood fear the Boogeyman has returned to continue his killing spree of 30 years earlier… but how can he when he’s locked up in jail? Chizmar once again places himself front and centre in a novel that reads like true crime. It’s a decent read, though one that lacks the novelty and inventiveness of the original. A sequel that perhaps didn’t need to exist, but one that provides an entertaining read nonetheless: B+

19. Too Many Bullets by Max Allan Collins – Another in the author’s long-running series of Nathan Heller novels in which the famed private investigator finds himself involved in real historical events. Here the catalyst for adventure is the assassination of Robert Kennedy, and the tale that spins out of it is meticulously researched, brilliantly written and easy to get lost in: A

20. Dick Tracy Vol 22 by Chester Gould - Getting back to my long-running plan to read all 29 volumes of the Library of American Comics Dick Tracy collection, here is volume 22, and a particularly interesting period of the strip’s run. Covering the 1964-65 period, this volume is deep in Gould’s ‘Moon era’, where the famed detective travels into space - intwining this science-fiction plot twist with Tracy’s traditional Earth-based police work. While the Moon storyline is interesting, the villains of this volume aren’t quite as distinctive as those of Gould’s earlier glory days, but this is still a fine read that I enjoyed hugely: A

21. Asterix and the White Iris by Fabcaro and Didier Conrad - The latest Asterix story from the new creative team is a joy. When a Roman new-age guru visits the indomitable Gauls with the intention of conquering them via kindness, Asterix and Obelix must undo his work and race to rescue the wife of their village chief. Everything you might want an Asterix tale to be: beautifully illustrated and with a perfect undercurrent of self-knowing wit. Thoroughly enjoyable: A

22. Seed on the Wind by Rex Stout - A woman with several children all by different fathers finds a ghost from her past arriving on her doorstep, leading her to run from her past. One of the few Hard Case Crime books I’ve just not connected with, it took me a while to make my way through this book: B-

23. Into the Night by Cornell Woolrich, completed by Lawrence Block - When a woman on the brink of taking her own life accidentally causes the death of a passerby, she finds herself looking into the dead girl’s life, hoping to atone for her death. An interesting concept, well told; I enjoyed this one: A-

24. Hot Stuff: The Story of the Rolling Stones by Matt Lee - A large photographic book detailing a fraction of the author’s vast collection of Rolling Stones merchandise. I enjoyed this, but felt it was missing something - the photographs were great, but the backstory of the objects was told only in brief captions that didn’t allow greater detail of how he acquired them. A good book, but it could have been even better: A

25. Star Trek: The Art of Neville Page by Neville Page, as told by Joe Nazzaro - Lavish art book showcasing the remarkable work of concept artist Neville Page, across the more recent Trek films, Discovery and Picard. Perhaps my only complaint here is one I have with many books of this type in that the captions are so non-descriptive as to be utterly pointless; for example those that say ‘concept art of an alien’ serve no purpose, while others dismiss known actors and main characters simply by stating something like ‘a Romulan’. More detail in this area would heighten a good book even further. That said, Page’s work, enthusiasm and ideas make this a great read: A-

26. So Like a God by Rex Stout - A man climbs a staircase intent on murder, and the story of what brought him to this point unfolds in the pages that follow. A more enjoyable read than the author’s previous book, Seed on the Wind, but again I struggled to connect with his prose: B

27. God Save the Mark by Donald E. Westlake (Kindle) - Fred Fitch often finds himself the victim of con artists, and his problems only escalate when he inherits a large sum of money from a relative and finds his life on the line. A cracking read from Westlake – witty, well told and with some delicious dialogue. Thoroughly enjoyed this one: A

28. Dick Tracy Volume 23 by Chester Gould - Another volume of Gould’s masterful newspaper strip, here dominated by a long-running continuity featuring the criminal Bribery, a villain named Haf-and-Haf who bears an uncanny resemblance to Batman’s Two-Face, and more Moon-based endeavours for the famed detective. As always, a great read, but the Bribery storyline is perhaps a little too drawn out and the novelty of the Moon missions has already begun to wear a little thin: B+ 

29. Star Trek: Picard - The Art and Making of the Series by Joe Ford - A lavish coffee-table book revealing the story of how Jean-Luc Picard returned to TV screens in the series Star Trek: Picard. All three seasons of the hit show are given a decent amount of space, with the brilliant third season featured perhaps most prominently. The tale of how Patrick Stewart returned to his most famous character is well-known by fans, but there’s enough new detail here to make this a worthwhile purchase. If I’m nitpicking, I would’ve liked more concept art, but this book nevertheless serves as a wonderful insight into the making of one of Star Trek’s greatest successes of the modern era: A

30. The Knife Slipped by Erle Stanley Gardner - A lost Cool and Lam novel, unpublished for decades because of its gritty tone, in which the two detectives find themselves investigating a man suspected of cheating on his wife, only to find out themselves involved in a great crime. Massive fun - there’s a line of humour running through the Cool and Lam novels that I enjoy hugely, and this was a great read that deserves to see the light of day after so long: A

31. Captain Future: Lost Apollo by Allen Steele (Kindle) - A new adventure for the pulp hero, following the four previous 21st century tales by author Steele. In this book, Captain Future and the Future Men find themselves investigating the mysterious appearance of an ancient Apollo space mission from the 1970s in their time, leading to the discovery of a terrifying new threat. I’ve been a big fan of the new Captain Future books, but this felt a little weaker than past instalments, not helped by a large number of typos and textual errors. Hopefully the forthcoming second part will mark a return to form: B+

32. Dick Tracy Vol. 24 by Chester Gould -The penultimate volume of 1960s stories for the famed detective sees Tracy investigating murder on the Moon and the biggest stolen car racket on Earth. Gorgeous artwork as always, and while not the strongest storylines, still incredibly enjoyable: A

33. Dick Tracy: The Complete True Hearts and Tommy Guns Trilogy by John Moore, illustrated by Kyle Baker - Graphic novel collection bringing together the two prequel comic books and comic adaptation of the 1990 Dick Tracy film. I read the two first issues back when the movie was released, but never really appreciated the story or artwork; reading all three parts together in this volume really impressed upon me what a strong tale this comic book tells, and the artwork, while different from Chester Gould’s style, is superb. A hugely enjoyable read that greatly expands the world of the movie and Big Boy’s rise to power – I’m overjoyed that I was able to find an as-new, unread, and still in the shrink wrap copy on Amazon marketplace: A+

34. Dick Tracy Vol. 25 by Chester Gould - The Tracy continuities move from 1969 into 1970 with this collection, and there’s less of a focus on the Moon stories and more on good old fashioned gangsters. Villains include Diamonds and the the first sighting of The Pouch, while new ally Groovy Grove is a definite sign of the changing times. A great collection, and Gould’s artwork just gets better and better: A

35. The Hot Rock by Donald E. Westlake (Kindle) - The first of Westlake’s Dortmunder novels, effectively a comedic take on his grittier Parker books. In this fun caper, Dortmunder is tasked with stealing a famous emerald, but one simple heist turns into five as matters escalate. A really fun read - I’ll definitely pick up more in this series: A

36. Dick Tracy Vol. 26 by Chester Gould - The intrepid detective barrels deeper into the 1970s with this collection of strips covering 1970-72. Eschewing the Moon-based adventures that dominated much of the 1960s, this volume reverts to traditional tales of Tracy versus elaborate villains, and while those villains lack the distinctive qualities of earlier bad guys such as The Brow and Flattop, this is still a strong collection of strips, with Gould’s artwork continuing to get better as his creation reaches its 40th anniversary: A

37. Turn on the Heat by Erle Stanley Gardner - Another Cool and Lam tale in which Donald Lam investigates a missing woman and finds himself embroiled in political intrigue. These stories are wonderful, and this was one of the best: A

38. Shills Can’t Cash Chips by Erle Stanley Gardner – Cool and Lam return once more in this novel, in which Donald Lam is tasked with investigating a fender bender and finds himself once more in far deeper trouble than he – or Bertha Lam – could've possibly imagined. Bonus points for the stunning cover art: A

39. Dick Tracy Vol 27 by Chester Gould - Another collection of Dick Tracy strips, this time pitting the detective against villains including Button and Big Brass, and featuring a gripping storyline that involves the discovery of a skull belonging to a long-dead gangster that sparks even greater drama: A

40. Stop This Man! by Peter Rabe – A cracking Hard Case Crime novel in which a detective finds himself on the tail of a criminal who has stolen a nugget of radioactive gold, leaving a trail of devastation and death in his wake. A really good read with some great twists and turns: A

41. Starman: Bowie’s Stardust Years by Reinhard Kleist - Fantastic graphic novel telling a fictionalised account of David Bowie’s years as Ziggy Stardust. Beautifully illustrated and well told, this is a great read for Bowie fans. I look forward to the follow-up exploring his Berlin era: A

42. Welcome to the OC by Alan Sepinwall - A fantastic oral history of what remains one of my favourite TV shows. Featuring frank interviews with the cast and creators, there's plenty of previously untold drama here that's worthy of the fictional world of the show itself: A

43. Cold Snap by Lindy Ryan - A good Christmas horror story in which a newly widowed woman takes her teenage son to spend the festive period in a secluded cabin in the woods, only to find there's something supernatural lurking amidst the trees. I enjoyed this, but I couldn't help but feel this could either have been a really cracking short story, or expanded into something with deeper meaning and mythology; at 120 pages it felt like it fell into some sort of no man's land where something was lacking: B 

44. Dick Tracy Vol 28 by Chester Gould - The penultimate collection of Chester Gould's classic strip sees Tracy reach the mid-1970s where he battles villains such as The Brain and Lispy. The artwork remains stellar and the stories continue to be inventive and engrossing – a quality read: A

45 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin - Lost Years - A collected edition of the continuation of the TMNT Ronin-verse, in which a lone turtle wanders the world looking for revenge against those that killed his brothers. Given that – SPOILERS – that lone turtle died at the end of the first volume, this one features flashbacks to a period glossed over in the first story arc, along with a contemporary plot line in which the older April O'Neil trains a new generation of Ninja Turtles. A really good read that expands on the events of volume one while setting up more stories to come: A

There ya go then: 45 books, most of which were a decent read. I don't think anything was a waste of my time or grey matter this year so that was a win. May that trend continue into 2025, not least because I've already got around 15 books on the TBR pile waiting to be, well, read. So on that note, I'll stop tapping away on the internet and start reading. Hope there's something on this list that inspires you to pick up a book too, not least because I have a sweet new job in publishing and a mortgage to pay. Happy New Year to the few reprobates who still read this! 

Sparky Pa

My Dad passed away last Saturday evening. 

He’d been ill for over eight years and in these last few months we’d begun to prepare ourselves, but you’re never really prepared, are you? Losing someone is the most awful thing, but at the same time there’s a beauty to it, because your mind starts stirring up the good memories, too. The ones that make you ugly-snort while you’re crying, leaving people unsure whether to console you or join in with the laughter. 

Well let me tell you this: amidst all the sadness and the tears of the last few days, my little family have shared so many wonderful memories of my dear old Dad. And I want to share some of them here, too, because Dad was brilliant. Simply, wonderfully, beautifully brilliant. 

So let me tell you about this brilliant man who, depending on who you talk to went by David. Or Dave. Or DJ. Or Pa. And yes, even Sparky Pa every now and then. 

He had quite the life before Mum, my brother or I all came into the picture. He was a cheeky chap – something he got from my Nan (and something I’m grateful to say has been passed down to me too). As a teenager he once cut out a massive wooden template of a foot, coated it in white paint and stamped it across the roof of his college, emblazoning the words YETI FEET underneath it. I’ve seen the photographic proof of it. I was sure he got expelled for that, but in subsequent retellings of the story, he’d backtrack and say he just got a slap on the wrist. 

He once drove back to the UK from a holiday in Europe without a working clutch in his car. “How did you do it?” I asked. He looked at me like it was the most normal thing in the world and said “I took my foot of the accelerator and just forced it into gear.” As you do. 

I’ve always loved the story of how Dad met Mum. They both worked at Texaco, he a salesman and she a secretary, based out of an office in Twickenham. She was the only secretary who could read his handwriting (it was, by his own admission, awful), plus it helped that he had a ‘nice bum,’ apparently. Dad invited Mum to a party one night and she said yes, figuring she could change her mind later if she decided against it. Fortunately for me and my brother, she did go.

They got married in December 1974, and the following year my brother toddled along. Two years later I joined them. It’s always made me smile to see photos of Dad as a kid, because there’s a distinct resemblance between little him and little me. I am my father’s son, and proud of it. He often called me by my initials, TJ, which I always adored, though I knew I’d been naughty if he called me Timothy. 

I am my father's son

I remember family holidays to Cornwall where Dad would take us on long coastal walks, lugging his heavy camera bag containing an SLR camera and various lenses (this was in the days before compact digital cameras, let alone iPhones) to document the scenery and his knackered family slumped amongst it. On one walk I remember we encountered a gap in the path accompanied by a 40 foot drop to the sea below. Dad leapt across, followed by Simon, while Mum and I looked at each other with horror on our faces. Needless to say, without a care for health and safety we took a deep breath and leapt across, because where Dad went we followed. 

Another time, during a two-week holiday in the West Country where the sun failed to shine for 14 days straight, Dad drove us to the beach and then through a rain-streaked windscreen said “this is the beach we would’ve gone to if it hadn’t rained the entire time.” Nevertheless, other holidays did give us some beach time, with Dad memorably taking us to Vault Beach, a ‘local’s beach’ he’d discovered years before that was accessed via a long walk down a cliff through a field of stern looking cows and an accompanying minefield of odorous cowpats. 

Squad goals holiday snap

As I moved into my teenage years, Dad was always there to help me with homework and the maths and science topics I struggled to get my head around. Years later, long after my time at school, he’d patiently help me with another task I had huge difficulty completing: my tax return. With his glasses perched on his nose, he’d straddle that fine line of trying to educate me on how to do it myself, while effectively doing it for me so he could get back to watching Formula One. 

In fact, he did a lot for me that went above and beyond the regular call of fatherly duty – making Lego sets because I didn’t have the patience, and constructing a massive Playmobil galleon that my Nan bought for me one Christmas. After failing to find any instructions, he somehow put the whole thing together just by looking at the picture on the front of the box. And he remarkably didn’t flip the table over when, just as he clicked the final piece in place my Nan said “oh look Dave, the instructions are on the back of the box.” 

I think Christmas was one of Dad’s favourite times. Even in the era of smartphones with increasingly powerful cameras, he’d still race upstairs and get his digital camera, blinding us with blasts from its surprisingly bright flash. His cheeky sense of humour came out at Christmas, too; one year he gave Mum an Eternity Ring, but rather than wrap the small ring box as it came, he instead went to a builder’s merchant, bought two bricks, sandwiched it between them and then wrapped that. Another year, he put another present in a larger box, then filled that with expanding insulation foam. After half an hour of chipping away at it, Mum gave up and went off to cook the turkey, and Dad, hoist somewhat by his own petard, retired to the garage to hacksaw the impregnable foam casing apart. 

That garage. Oh, that garage. Dad was a man with an answer or a solution for everything, and quite often that solution was found in the garage. When I moved into my first house he prepared me a toolbox full of everything I might need, and even then there remained all manner of tools stashed here, there and everywhere on the walls of that garage. The sort of thing that the average person might throw out, Dad kept – and often found a use for it years later in the most surprising way. He was a whizz at fashioning things out of wood, from under-bed storage boxes to a beautifully made stereo cabinet. One year it snowed heavily, and in just a day Dad had made a toboggan that could fit me, him and my brother on it. And just a few years ago, even as the various conditions he was dealing with were taking their toll, he built a sturdy wooden step for the backdoor of the house, a project I think he really enjoyed. 

We used to play fight on a Sunday evening after dinner, me, Simon and Dad rolling around on the living room floor while Mum amassed enough washing for him to go do the drying up. One particularity rambunctious bout resulted in me chipping one of my front teeth a little bit; it’s so slight that a dentist could easily smooth it out, but I’ve never asked for it to be done because every time I feel it, it reminds me of those happy days. 

He loved cars and motor racing, from Formula One to MotoGP, and I know he treasured his days with Simon when they would go off to watch races at Brands Hatch and Silverstone. I always loved it when he was getting ready to choose a new company car and would bring home glossy brochures that we would pore over. Simon and I liked to think we influenced his decision based on the cars we thought would be right for him, especially those that gave us a rear armrest and – if we were particularly lucky! – rear headrests. I remember one time he was considering a Volvo and was given the opportunity to do a day-long test drive. I went with him, and I fondly remember that day, that seemingly normal, average, unremarkable day just pootling around West London in a borrowed car with my Pa. Of all the cars he had, I think he liked his sporty Orion Ghia Injection with a red stripe running around the bumpers and the red Sierra GLS best of all. Perhaps the Cortina and green Vauxhall Viva run a close second. 

I took this photo of Simon, Dad and Mum, and the red Sierra

When I passed my driving test and started looking for my first car, Dad came along with me to look at various motors within my budget. I remember test-driving an old Mini that felt like it was falling apart. He folded himself in behind the wheel, started it up, and drove it out onto a dual carriageway. “Oh this is awful,” he muttered as we listened to bits of filler falling out of the wheel arch. “It’s your money, but don’t waste it on this.” I didn’t hesitate to take his advice. A few years later in 2001 when I decided to buy one of the first brand new Minis, I was enough of an adult to test drive it and do all the paperwork myself – but I still took him along to the dealership the day after to show him what I was getting. He smiled as he took in the sight of the bright red Mini, getting in the driver’s side, looking at me and saying “this is like if I’d bought an MGB when I was your age.” Several months later when I collected my brand new Mini Cooper he sent me a text while I was sat waiting in the dealers that simply said ‘Enjoy, Cooperboy.’ 

It was a similar story when I decided to move out and buy my own place. I took Dad along for the second viewing of the house I ended up buying, and a big part of making that decision was because he gave it his stamp of approval. When I bought it, my entire family chipped in to help decorate; I made Dad take the kitchen cabinets off the wall so I could paint behind them rather than just around them, and he grumbled about it, said ‘bugger’ a lot, but did it anyway. He advised me NOT to paint my bedroom bright yellow because it would be too much – then painted my old bedroom that exact shade a few months later when he turned it into his office! 

Like all fathers and sons, we didn’t agree on everything, and we argued when I chose not to go to university. “You won’t get a job by watching Star Trek,” he admonished me – but when I did exactly that, he shook his head, laughed and congratulated me. Mum later told me that he delighted in telling work colleagues about his stubborn younger son who’d stamped his foot and forged his own path. I felt incredibly proud that he took that story, made it something to be celebrated, and shared it with anyone who’d listen. 

Dad had the most wonderful taste in music and I fondly remember him playing all manner of stuff in the car on journeys both long and short; Fleetwood Mac, Peter Gabriel, Crosby Stills and Nash, Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood (though he called him ‘Stevie’ like they were old friends). He made mixtapes of his favourite tracks and packed the glovebox and door pockets of his car with them. ‘Loving You’ by Minnie Riperton was his and Mum’s song early in their marriage, though in later years ‘True Companion’ by Marc Cohn took its place. 

He could go to sleep just about anywhere. We used to joke on a Saturday afternoon when he sat in his armchair and crossed his legs that he’d ‘assumed the position’ and we were right – in minutes he was out like a light. When he wasn’t snoozing he loved to read and I’d often see him with a paperback in his hands or, later, his Kindle; he read anything and everything and I always enjoyed talking books with him, telling him what I was reading and listening to him tell me about what he was currently devouring. Out of nowhere, years ago, he started writing these wonderfully witty poems and humorous messages. When Mum feared a Christmas present I’d asked for one year wouldn’t turn up until after the big day, Dad wrote a hilarious piece explaining how Santa was having supply chain issues to give in its place. Just two years ago he wrote a witty take on our family festivities titled ‘Christmas at the Lengoes’, printed out copies for all of us and put them in individually named envelopes boldly stamped with our names. 

A typical Christmas with the Lengoes

Dad loved his walks, but when he fell ill the opportunity to go explore different places disappeared. Still, he would take himself off for walks around his local area. One time, on a trip down from Cardiff in 2019 I found myself unexpectedly having to stay another day due to getting a puncture on a Sunday afternoon. With nothing else to do, I decided to go for a walk, and Dad asked if I minded him joining me. “I walk a little slower now,” he said, but while that may have been the case, we were out for well over an hour, walking down to the perimeter road by the airport, round to the church and the green, talking about this, that and everything in-between. It remains one of my favourite memories of time spent with him, just TJ and DJ out for a stroll. 

His world got smaller and smaller over the last few years, with his walks getting shorter and shorter, but he still did what he could when many others might have just given up. The last few years weren’t easy on him, but he never lost his sense of humour or that little glint in his eye when he was being cheeky. I have wonderful photos of him wearing silly Christmas hats, sticking his tongue out when he realised I was taking a picture, and in one particular favourite, pointing a replica Star Trek phaser at me. 

Phasers on stun

I feel so incredibly fortunate that I got to tell Dad how much he meant to me on the morning before he passed, just a few days after his 77th birthday. He was everything you could possibly want from a dad and more. Mum said it best: “He wasn’t much of a hugger, your Dad, but he loved you very much, that much is certain.” Life will be very different without Sparky Pa around, but my goodness, how terrifically fortunate we were to have him in our lives. 

Love you, Pa xxxx