Puff the Magic Dragon by Chris Green Before he met Prism, John Straight seemed destined for success. He had a Degree in Business Management from a top university, a big black BMW with bull bars and he was willing to travel. In a word, John’s future looked rosy. He was the son of Sir James … Continue reading Puff the Magic Dragon
Sven of Halmstad
Sven of Halmstad by Chris Green Church attendance had been dropping for years. In the age of science and discovery, it seemed no one was able to swallow the fantastic tales of strife and salvation in the middle east as the basis for their belief. Stories like this might be OK for a fantasy novel, … Continue reading Sven of Halmstad
Pulp Friction
Pulp Friction by Chris Green Nancy fancies Tafelspitz and I haven’t had Wiener Schnitzel for a long time, so we are going to treat ourselves. Things have been a little fraught since our Schnauzer, Max had to be put to rest. Respiratory disease, very sad at the end. Max was more than just the family … Continue reading Pulp Friction
DNA
DNA by Chris Green ‘Your blood pressure is a little on the high side this morning, Max,’ says Dee. ‘You have remembered to take your beta-blockers, haven’t you?’ ‘Yes, Dee,’ I say. ‘I took them twenty minutes ago, and I even washed them down with the blueberry biojuice you recommended. I should be OK now, … Continue reading DNA
Soft Watches
Soft Watches by Chris Green ‘Google seemed a little under the weather when she greeted me this morning,’ Rosie says, ‘I thought she sounded croaky last night too when I asked her who did the painting with the soft watches hanging from trees. I hope she isn’t going down with something.’ ‘Who did the painting … Continue reading Soft Watches
Stake-Out
Stake-Out by Chris Green The black Mitsubishi has been parked there for several days now. Les Rubio first noticed it on Monday, when he came back from a business lunch at The Whistle Blower. The big SUV has been there in the same position, on the opposite side of the road fifty yards from his … Continue reading Stake-Out
Listening Centre
Listening Centre by Chris Green Sandwich Man walks past our house at five to six every evening, just before the end of Pointless on television. He passes on his way home from the listening centre where he works. From the back entrance of the base, Cheltenham Close offers a short cut to Connery Way and … Continue reading Listening Centre
Shooting Script
Shooting Script by Chris Green 1: The headline on the front page of The Independent, Shot Down in Downing Street came as a shock to Catherine Larsson. It was accompanied by a grainy picture of the Prime Minister clutching his shoulder. A trail of blood appeared to be trickling down his white shirt. Unaware that … Continue reading Shooting Script
Where Have All the Flowers Gone?
Where Have All the Flowers Gone? by Chris Green Always something of a wild man, Danny Rocco isn’t the type you would expect to find at a Ludovico Einaudi recital. But the main reason that Danny’s being at the Einaudi concert is unlikely is that Danny Rocco is dead. He met his maker three years … Continue reading Where Have All the Flowers Gone?
Homburg
Homburg by Chris Green Ben Maceo told me about the clock last week. Ben has special powers, you see. He can tell when things are going to happen. Had it been anyone else, I would never have believed them, but as it was Ben, I knew that it would happen and so I was able … Continue reading Homburg
When I Was Older
When I Was Older by Chris Green When I was older, I was a saxophonist. I was one of the last living saxophonists before the instrument was banned and all saxophones were melted down to help the war effort. The trumpet suffered a similar fate. Brass instrument detection squads with sophisticated detection equipment were deployed … Continue reading When I Was Older
Now
Now by Chris Green The day-to-day proclamations of doom and gloom and celebrity indiscretions in the media were getting me down. It seemed none of it had anything to do with me. Why did I need to know what they were squabbling about in Parliament if I could do nothing about it? Or that a … Continue reading Now
It Ain’t Necessarily So
It Ain’t Necessarily So by Chris Green Man Eats Goldfish at County Fair, the headline poster outside the newsagents says. At first, I assume this must refer to a report in the local paper. A light-hearted line to draw you in and get you to buy the paper. Lord knows The West Country Gazette needs … Continue reading It Ain’t Necessarily So
The Life and Times of Roy Saxx
The Life and Times of Roy Saxx by Chris Green I'd better start at the end. Roy Saxx is dead. He met his maker in September 2011 when he lost control of his Triumph motorcycle on a blind bend in a freak thunderstorm near the aptly named village of Kilve in the Quantock Hills. He … Continue reading The Life and Times of Roy Saxx
In Dreams
IN DREAMS by Chris Green The girl at the next table is the spitting image of the one I was dreaming about little more than an hour ago. The dream comes back to me now in vivid technicolour cinema surround sound. There is no doubt about it. It is her. The suntanned beauty sitting six … Continue reading In Dreams
The Pugilist
The Pugilist by Chris Green I’m certain I logged out last night and shut the laptop down. It’s something I am in the habit of doing as a cautionary measure. This morning, to my utter astonishment, there’s a new document open on the screen, three thousand words give or take. It’s titled The Pugilist. It … Continue reading The Pugilist
Now Lorraine Has Gone
Now Lorraine Has Gone by Chris Green I can see clearly now Lorraine has gone. Lorraine used to hide my glasses and I would keep bumping into things around the house until I managed to find them. She knew how short-sighted I was and seemed to find my fumbling in the dark funny. I didn’t. … Continue reading Now Lorraine Has Gone
A Saucerful of Secrets
A Saucerful of Secrets by Chris Green Having missed the campus coach to the free concert in Hyde Park, Mojo, Lenny and I were in Spike’s flat listening to the new Pink Floyd album, A Saucerful of Secrets. Spike had gone off to buy hash. Supplies had been getting low. Afghani Black, he said he … Continue reading A Saucerful of Secrets
Magic and Loss
Magic and Loss by Chris Green Let me introduce myself. I’m Miles London. I am a collector of specialist celebrity memorabilia. Primarily things that have belonged to dead A-List rock stars. I do not go for the obvious trophies like guitars or jackets. Nor do autographed photos interest me. I like items that tell a … Continue reading Magic and Loss
The Aardvark of Uncertainty
The Aardvark of Uncertainty by Chris Green I appear to have swapped the cow for a handful of beans. My memory of the transaction is a little hazy but here are the beans. It seems a strange kind of bargain to have made. Why would I do such a thing? Looking on the bright side, … Continue reading The Aardvark of Uncertainty
Watership Down
WATERSHIP DOWN - a cautionary tale by Chris Green ‘I’m round at Margot’s and her computer isn’t working, Adam,’ Suzy says. ‘We thought you might be able to help.’ ‘Ask her if she has hit the any key again,’ I say. ‘She says she doesn’t know which key the any key is,’ Suzy says. ‘Oh! … Continue reading Watership Down
O Sole Mio
O Sole Mio by Chris Green Sophie and I wonder why, at around the same time every Saturday evening, the ice-cream van makes its way up the Close. At about seven-thirty, we hear twenty seconds of O Sole Mio as the van comes around the corner. The initial chime is followed by another ten-second burst … Continue reading O Sole Mio
The Shipping Forecast
The Shipping Forecast by Chris Green I am listening to the Shipping Forecast when the phone rings. Not that I am a seafarer. I don’t have a boat or even live by the sea. It does not matter that much of the detail goes over my head. I find the poetry of the teatime forecast … Continue reading The Shipping Forecast
Invisibility
INVISIBILITY by Chris Green I discovered I could make people invisible. I found out by accident when I was working at the Ministry of Science and Technology. The Board refused to believe my evidence and summarily dismissed me. They could not see what was staring them in the face, or in this case not. They … Continue reading Invisibility
South by Southwest
South by Southwest by Chris Green I have been sitting around the house all winter waiting for the call. I have been waiting so long that I have had time to set up a profitable giclée printing business. ‘Just be ready,’ I was told. That was last October. I have frequently wondered whether the phone … Continue reading South by Southwest
Room 404
Room 404 by Chris Green I wasn’t supposed to see the information. Room 404 was strictly off-limits. I shouldn’t have been in there, let alone be logged on to the server. Everything on the Level 4 Server was Top Secret. No-one at my pay grade was allowed access to Classified documents. Maybe there was an … Continue reading Room 404
Hunky Dory 2019
Hunky Dory 2019 by Chris Green It all began one hot stormy night two years back when Hermione and I were living in Joy Street in Bridgewater. I dreamt it was 1972 and the album, Hunky Dory was playing. I was listening to the album, slowly and leisurely as I would have back then if … Continue reading Hunky Dory 2019
Only One Reality
Only One Reality by Chris Green A second did not seem an important integer, but therein lay the problem. It was such a small unit of time. Yet, such was the degree of precision operating in the overcrowded skies that if Quincey Sargent had returned from his break seven seconds earlier or seven seconds later, … Continue reading Only One Reality
Hitman
Hitman by Chris Green You don’t expect to see hitmen at English village cricket matches. But the man dressed in black with the Moscot sunglasses on the bench on the other side of the ground is Cosa Nostra. Sophie and I are sure of it. He is wearing a gun beneath his dark suit. We … Continue reading Hitman
Slumpton 1980
Slumpton 1980 by Chris Green The door to number 16 slammed in Harry’s face, as it had more times than Harry cared to remember. Its split green and orange panels were all too familiar. Familiar too were the plywood and chicken wire that was nailed over the space where the window had once been. The … Continue reading Slumpton 1980
The Hurdy Gurdy Man
The Hurdy Gurdy Man by Chris Green It is after midnight. Lois and I are watching a nail-biting episode of Bad Break on Horizon when the old man in the threadbare purple duffle coat calls round. He is selling violins. In these uncertain times, traders are likely to call round at any time of day … Continue reading The Hurdy Gurdy Man
FIFTY – five vignettes
FIFTY – five vignettes by Chris Green Fifteen: It is May 1967. I am fifteen years old. I am walking through Wellesley Park with my friends, Dave, and Keith. I should be at school but I’m not. Dave is two years older than me and should be at college but he’s not, and Keith has … Continue reading FIFTY – five vignettes
Tangerine Trees
Tangerine Trees by Chris Green ‘Hey Lewis,’ Carol calls out. ‘Come and look at this!’ ‘What?’ Lewis calls back. ‘I’ve found something weird.’ Taking advantage of the Spring sunshine, the pair have driven out of town and are walking their salt and pepper Schnauzer, Bono through Wolverton Woods. Lewis has had a message on … Continue reading Tangerine Trees
Bad Karma
Bad Karma by Chris Green Eight million pounds give or take, Des Hattersley’s Lotto win set him up with a life of leisure. Being single with no family or close friends to speak of, Des did not have to share his winnings. His new found wealth enabled him to give up his position as a … Continue reading Bad Karma
YODEL
Yodel by Chris Green I took up yodelling to fight depression. I had lost my job at the packaging plant and Laura had left me. Everything came tumbling down. Each day seemed blacker than the one before. I felt unable to cope, couldn’t see any point in carrying on. I began to think of how … Continue reading YODEL
The Other Half Live
The Other Half Live by Chris Green ‘I see Flagman has a new flag flying today,’ says Peter Booth, with the distracted air of a forty-something suburban professional, stuck for something to say. ‘Flagman?’ says Lauren Henderson, the flighty new neighbour. ‘I’m guessing that’s the fellow down the road with a flagpole in his … Continue reading The Other Half Live
Nevermind
Nevermind by Chris Green Growing up was never going to be easy for me. I could see from an early age that my parents were simply too distracted to put effort into raising a family. In the circles in which they moved, parenting was not fashionable. They immersed themselves in a series of leisure interests, … Continue reading Nevermind
Concerto
Concerto by Chris Green 1: Allegretto con moto There are not many famous Spanish concert pianists, fewer still from Cantabria, that rainy green strip in the north of the country. Nia Buendía might have joined this small elite, if only she had had larger hands. She mastered Mozart’s Piano Sonatas before she was ten and … Continue reading Concerto
Phone BIll
Phone Bill by Chris Green I read somewhere that over half of all the people in the world have never received a telephone call. Sometimes I wish I was one of these. The phone should be a comfort but it can also be a curse. Unwanted calls can outnumber the ones from family and … Continue reading Phone BIll
It’s Not Unusual
It’s Not Unusual by Chris Green 1: Because of my vertigo, crossing the Severn Bridge has always been a problem for me. On account of my phobia, as I live in the south of England, I don’t tend to visit Wales. I don’t even know any Welsh people. I once worked with a Dewi Davies … Continue reading It’s Not Unusual
Pub
Pub by Chris Green 1: ‘You’re probably wondering why the pub is called The Skydog Slaver aren’t you?’ Nigel Slough says. As it happens, I am not. I have been coming here for several weeks. At first, I may have been curious about the name but now I just take it for granted. ‘I’m just … Continue reading Pub
The Early Worm Catches The Bird
The Early Worm Catches The Bird by Chris Green ‘You’re telling me you found it in the car park and you thought you’d just plug it into your workstation,’ says Frank Flint. ‘It’s a fucking data stick. What did you suppose it might be doing lying there in the car park of a high-security organisation … Continue reading The Early Worm Catches The Bird
You Never Can Tell
You Never Can Tell by Chris Green Annie and I are sitting in a café called Lemon Jelli sipping peppermint tea. The space is laid out to look like a continental bar with comfortable seating and 1930s French travel posters on the wall. We have come to Newton Abbot for the market. Annie is shopping … Continue reading You Never Can Tell
Everyone is Dead
Everyone is Dead by Chris Green ‘Everyone is Dead,’ the headline poster outside the newsagents reads. You can’t miss it. It is in big bold capitals. What can it mean? How can everyone be dead? I am alive for a start. The person who put the notice up could not have been dead. They must … Continue reading Everyone is Dead
Black Hats
Black Hats by Chris Green Promise and I are looking out onto a rocky outcrop in Es Calo de Sant Agustí in Formentera. We are sitting under a sun-bleached parasol outside a small café in the secluded bay. We are staying a hostal nearby. Beyond the pier, a handful of fishing boats rock gently in … Continue reading Black Hats
The Food of Love
The Food of Love by Chris Green 1: I’m Clinton Stroud. Some of you will have heard of me but for those of you who have not, I am composer, multi-instrumentalist and musical coach. A long-standing one to boot. I will be one hundred and twenty three next birthday. This is a little longer than … Continue reading The Food of Love
Puff the Magic Dragon
Puff the Magic Dragon by Chris Green Before he met Prism, John Straight seemed destined for success. He had a Degree in Business Management from a top university, a big black BMW with bull bars and he was willing to travel. In a word, John’s future looked rosy. He was the son of Sir James … Continue reading Puff the Magic Dragon
Why is a Raven like a Writing Desk
Why is a Raven Like a Writing Desk? by Chris Green The tall stranger in the Duster overcoat appeared out of nowhere. He was wearing a broad-rimmed sheriff’s hat complete with campaign cord and silver star. I felt this was odd. This was a sleepy West Somerset coastal resort, not Washington County. Perhaps he felt … Continue reading Why is a Raven like a Writing Desk
TIME
TIME by Chris Green Time is a bitch. You never know quite where you are with it. Einstein, bless him, argues that the distinction between past, present and future is an illusion, albeit a stubbornly persistent one. This morning as I go through the mail, I begin to appreciate the great man’s uncertainty. These bills … Continue reading TIME
Kick Out the Jams
Kick Out the Jams by Chris Green The MC5 don’t often come up in conversation these days. Many of you reading this may not have even heard of them but back in the day, they were big. In 1969, the MC5 were the loudest band in the world, louder even than The Who. Their 133 … Continue reading Kick Out the Jams
A.M.
A.M. by Chris Green Why am I awake? It’s 2:38 a.m. and it really doesn’t matter where San Anselmo is. But I have the song in my head, Snow in San Anselmo. Going around and around. My brain won’t let it go. I don’t have Van Morrison down as a skier so perhaps he’s referring … Continue reading A.M.
The Schrödingers’ Cat
The Schrödingers’ Cat by Chris Green Each, evening, Mr and Mrs Schödinger liked to walk their salt and pepper schnauzer, Ernst along the Promenade. Mrs Schrödinger would take the opportunity to window-shop in the fashion boutiques while Mr Schrödinger used the time to fantasise about what he would like to do to Hermione Shakespeare in … Continue reading The Schrödingers’ Cat
Schrödinger’s Cat
Schrödinger’s Cat by Chris Green (no cats were harmed in the writing of this story) The train doesn’t stop. There are no stations, no visible settlements. No landmarks, no buildings, no farms, nothing. I don’t know where the train is heading. The terrain comprises miles upon miles of wilderness, woodland and barren scrub. I can’t … Continue reading Schrödinger’s Cat
The Continuing Story of Wet Blanket Ron – Part Seven
The Continuing Story of Wet Blanket Ron – Part Seven by Chris Green As many of you will be aware, Wet Blanket Ron started life as one of my fictional creations, based originally on someone called Dale Loveless, a ne’er-do-well of my acquaintance. This, of course, was just a starting point for the character. In … Continue reading The Continuing Story of Wet Blanket Ron – Part Seven
This Old Art of Mine
This Old Art of Mine by Chris Green It all began when my electric kettle exploded. One expects setbacks now and again. But, they seem to happen at the worst possible time. Because the government had for some undisclosed reason not paid my pension for two successive months, I had no money to replace the … Continue reading This Old Art of Mine
Warm Gun
Warm Gun by Chris Green ‘It’s difficult to concentrate on your Rainer Maria Rilke anthology when the woman next door is exercising her Jack Russell in the front garden.’ Darren Spurlock told Sergeant Larrisey. Darren smiled contentedly as he handed over the warm gun. Had John Lennon perhaps hit the nail on the head all … Continue reading Warm Gun
TRAIN
TRAIN by Chris Green The 16:06 from Paddington is usually on time. I rely on its punctuality to catch my connecting train from Taunton to Bridgewater where I live. Although it does not go on the most direct route, this train runs at the right time for me. I do not like to work late … Continue reading TRAIN
No Elle
No Elle by Chris Green Not wishing to start the day just yet, I listen to the springtime chirping of the birds outside the window while I piece together the events of last night. The concrete that seems to be lining my head suggests to me I had a fair bit to drink. I remember … Continue reading No Elle
DARK
DARK by Chris Green I am in the garden at The Pig and Whistle on a hot August evening. About a dozen of us are sat around a table. Darkness is descending, rapidly, the way it does in mid-August. The English summer is so fleeting. Blink and it is gone. Every year it seems the … Continue reading DARK
Salty Dog
Salty Dog by Chris Green I often come here to sit and watch the boats. I do not know much about boats or seafaring but I find the ebb and flow of the tides and the toing and froing of the vessels to be a kind of meditation. I understand a little about the tides … Continue reading Salty Dog
MUSHROOMS
Mushrooms by Chris Green The cows that were in the lower field yesterday evening have gone. Perhaps they have been moved up into the top field behind the trees. I eat my breakfast on the patio, bacon, fried egg and freshly picked mushrooms with a pot of Horniman’s tea. I look out for the buzzards … Continue reading MUSHROOMS
The Continuing Story of Wet Blanket Ron – Part Six
The Continuing Story of Wet Blanket Ron – Part Six by Chris Green The fat lady is not yet singing. Wet Blanket Ron wonders if there is then still time for a reprieve. A final act? A happy ending in this long and drawn out saga? He has been at the mercy of his heartless … Continue reading The Continuing Story of Wet Blanket Ron – Part Six
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Darkness on the Edge of Town by Chris Green 1: Tim Soft is walking home along Marlboro Street. He feels he has had a wearying day at the office. He wishes it were Friday, but it's only Tuesday. A vintage Chevrolet Impala pulls up alongside him, one of the ones with the harmonica front grille … Continue reading Darkness on the Edge of Town
It Doesn’t Matter Anymore
It Doesn’t Matter Anymore by Chris Green I have just taken delivery of a large pot of gloss sealer when the call comes through on the burner. I was not expecting to be back in action so soon. I was hoping to finish off some painted ornamental stones, a hobby I’ve taken up to keep … Continue reading It Doesn’t Matter Anymore
Earworm
Earworm by Chris Green I wake up for the third morning in a row with the chorus of Dominique going round in my head. I don’t understand where this can have come from. I have not heard The Singing Nun’s tiresome tune for fifty years. You have probably never heard The Singing Nun in which … Continue reading Earworm
Aegean Blues
Aegean Blues by Chris Green The man and the woman arrive at the resort late in the evening. They are the only ones aboard the transfer coach to be dropped off here. Most of the others are headed south to the beach-party resort. Having made something of a detour, it is with an air of … Continue reading Aegean Blues
Moondog
Moondog by Chris Green All Airbnb hosts have different ideas about promoting their space and a different interpretation of hospitality. Emphasis might be on the style of the rooms, the location of the property or even the size of the breakfast they offer. Each let has a different vibe about it, dependent to some extent … Continue reading Moondog
STRANGER
STRANGER by Chris Green Each time I go to Carwydden Cove, the ragamuffin stranger is there, lurking in the shadows. Major Tom, my salt and pepper schnauzer sometimes barks excitedly as we approach. He has a habit of running up to strangers to introduce himself, so I throw a stick to distract him. Something about … Continue reading STRANGER
Another Time and Place
Another Time and Place by Chris Green I’ve woken up wondering just how far is it from Phoenix to Albuquerque and where did Glen Campbell set out from in the first place? Las Vegas? Los Angeles? San Diego? It’s 3 am. Where has this rogue train of thought come from? I’m not even particularly fond … Continue reading Another Time and Place
Blackjack
Blackjack by Chris Green I open the front door to discover a large package on the doorstep. I did not hear anyone deliver it while I was getting ready to for work, or see anyone from the window. It’s huge. What can it be? I try to think of something I might have ordered. Something … Continue reading Blackjack
Ed
Ed by Chris Green It came in with the cat a fortnight ago last Tuesday. I was holding the back door open for Tiggy when in it darted. I couldn't get rid of it. It made itself well and truly at home. It seemed to consider itself the new household pet. I wouldn't have thought … Continue reading Ed
SNAKE IN THE GLASS
SNAKE IN THE GLASS by Chris Green Later No one sees him arrive. No-one spots the silver Solstice slide silently through the streets on its way to the big house with the crow-stepped gables on Obsidian Street. It is night-time in the sleepy town. Seeing the sleek Pontiac Solstice outside the house the following … Continue reading SNAKE IN THE GLASS
Three Sides to Every Story
Three Sides to Every Story by Chris Green 1: I don’t know about you but I know when I am being watched. I get a prickly sensation on my skin and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. This, along with a heightened sense of alert. The phenomenon has a name, scopaesthesia. … Continue reading Three Sides to Every Story
Play Your Sitar, Percy
Play Your Sitar, Percy by Chris Green We were carefree students caught up in the rapidly changing world of the late sixties. Five of us, Dylan, Barry, Roy, Syd and I shared a converted attic in a big old house, sufficiently far away from campus not to attract attention to us. We were stoned most … Continue reading Play Your Sitar, Percy
THE TWO OF US
The Two of Us by Chris Green ‘There are no stars out tonight,’ Cindy says. ‘Why are there no stars, Matt?’ ‘You don't get stars every night,’ I say. ‘Perhaps there will be some tomorrow.’ ‘But, it has been a clear day,’ Cindy says. ‘There should be stars after a clear day.’ ‘That's true,’ I … Continue reading THE TWO OF US
Unreliable Narraror
Unreliable Narrator by Chris Green A vermilion memo is circulating at the research establishment, one down from red. Red means evacuate. Tension levels are rising. I am glad it is time for my shift to end. Although I keep my head down at work, I have suspected for some time that there is something weird … Continue reading Unreliable Narraror
DreamCatcher
DreamCatcher by Chris Green Matt and Miranda make their way home after a bracing walk by the sea. They are striding out along Roald Dahl Avenue, one of a cluster of roads that are referred to simply as the mystery writers’ estate. All the roads here are named after masters of suspense. Although the … Continue reading DreamCatcher
Be Here Now
Be Here Now by Chris Green 1: 'I recommend you listen to two hours of Einaudi each evening,' says Dr Hopper. 'His soft piano music is perfect for quiet contemplation. You will notice a remarkable improvement in just a few days.' 'Two hours of Einaudi?' I repeat. 'But I like listening to experimental jazz on … Continue reading Be Here Now
Give Chance a Piece
Give Chance a Piece by Chris Green If Dalton Ripley had not stayed up until the early hours watching The Shining on Netflix, he would probably not have been late leaving for work that fateful Monday in late September and if he had not been late leaving for work he would not have been speeding … Continue reading Give Chance a Piece
Tilting At Windmills
Tilting At Windmills by Chris Green There was always something about Karl Oscuro that didn't fit. You couldn't quite put your finger on what it was, but from the very first he seemed to be more than just the proverbial square peg. He had a pale complexion and always dressed in black, but then, so … Continue reading Tilting At Windmills
The Moons of Uranus
The Moons of Uranus by Chris Green 'Look, Sean! There are some avocets,' says Mara, excitedly. 'They are avocets, aren't they?' Mara turns and notices that instead of looking out of the window at the expanse of estuary they are passing, Sean is studying his train ticket. 'You've been poring over that ticket for about … Continue reading The Moons of Uranus
SOMEONE LEFT THE CAKE OUT IN THE RAIN – Making Sense of Sixties Songs
SOMEONE LEFT THE CAKE OUT IN THE RAIN – Making Sense of Sixties Songs by Chris Green BUS STOP The number 22 bus is late. As I stand there waiting, I find the song, Bus Stop by The Hollies running through my head. Call me anal but I now want to try to understand the … Continue reading SOMEONE LEFT THE CAKE OUT IN THE RAIN – Making Sense of Sixties Songs
Twinned with Area 51
Twinned with Area 51 by Chris Green Warchester - Twinned with Area 51, the sign said. This ought to have triggered alarm bells but it didn't. Area 51 was just a remote place in the US that I had heard reference to in random conversations. At the time, I knew little about the clandestine goings-on … Continue reading Twinned with Area 51
Tequila Mockingbird
Tequila Mockingbird by Chris Green When Max turned out the light last night, he assumed he would wake up in the morning, pull back the chintz curtains to let in a little light and listen for a few moments to the birds singing in the back garden. Apart from a small corner in front of … Continue reading Tequila Mockingbird
Legend Bemusement
Legend Bemusement by Chris Green Charlotte walks in on me packing a travelling bag. She suspects, quite rightly, that I am off on a mission. I have not told her. I was leaving this until later. 'Going somewhere?' she asks. It is not a polite enquiry, more like the opening salvo of a pitched battle. … Continue reading Legend Bemusement
FEDORA
Fedora by Chris Green It is often difficult for an author to appraise his own work. Sometimes a story that he thinks is the real deal, goes down like a lead balloon. Other times a throwaway piece of nonsense is acclaimed by readers as a masterpiece. There seem to be no rules. It can help … Continue reading FEDORA
Marzipan Imbroglio
Marzipan Imbroglio by Chris Green When I read the post on Facebook that striker, Gary Trevor has signed for Mars United FC for a record £300 million, my first reaction is, oh yeah, sure. I run it straight through the bullshit detector on my browser, expecting it to confirm it as a fake news story, … Continue reading Marzipan Imbroglio
The Continuing Story of Wet Blanket Ron – Part 5
The Continuing Story of Wet Blanket Ron – Part 5 by Chris Green DALE 'Dale Loveless! What are you doing here?' says Annette Lard. 'Everyone thinks you are dead. Even that guy that writes the stories about you thinks you are dead. You know, the one that writes the Wet Blanket Ron stories. I can't … Continue reading The Continuing Story of Wet Blanket Ron – Part 5
Banana Petroleum
Banana Petroleum by Chris Green ‘Banana petroleum,’ the caller says and then hangs up. Banana petroleum? It sounds like a cryptic crossword clue, or something. With the dull flat disconnected tone ringing in my ear, I continue to grip the receiver as if by registering my puzzlement, an explanation might be forthcoming. I record all … Continue reading Banana Petroleum
The Old Man and the Sea
The Old Man and the Sea by Chris Green Rain or shine, you will find the old man in the same spot on the beach, his back to the sea wall, gaze firmly fixed ahead, watching the ebb and flow of the tide. As you pass, you might remark to your companion that he is … Continue reading The Old Man and the Sea
THE END
The End by Chris Green At first, the sound is little more than an intermittent background hum. I put this down to tinnitus. But, the hum does not go away. Over a period of a few days, it becomes more pervasive. Eventually, it is a permanent drone. On her return from her counselling conference up … Continue reading THE END
SURF’S UP
SURF'S UP by Chris Green Most people in the UK associate surfing with Newquay but Widemouth in North Cornwall was its original home. Widemouth is where the Australian pioneers of the sport came when they first arrived in the country to test the waters. Surfers will tell you that the bay has an easy paddle … Continue reading SURF’S UP
The Sadness of the Post-Truth Pianist
The Sadness of the Post-Truth Pianist by Chris Green You don’t hear Mozart a lot on the radio these days. While his music isn’t officially banned like that of Beethoven and Bach, playing it is strongly discouraged. You can no longer buy decadent European music in the shops. No Fauré, No Debussy, no Chopin and … Continue reading The Sadness of the Post-Truth Pianist
Hat Band
Hat Band by Chris Green A jazz musician making his way down an Exeter street on a Wednesday morning with a charity shop bag full of bargain books can hardly be blamed for failing to notice that he is being tailed by a tall, thin man in a dark overcoat. Musicians are more accustomed to … Continue reading Hat Band
NIGHT TRAIN
Night Train by Chris Green No matter where you might be, the night train rumbles through every night at 3:05 am. Its low-pitched drone makes the whole room quake. Every time this happens, you find it disturbing. You briefly speculate as to what its ominous cargo might be and vow to find out, before going … Continue reading NIGHT TRAIN
Weatherman
Weatherman by Chris Green I shouldn't be writing this. The organisation I work for is very conscious about security. And rightly so, when you consider that we control the weather. Security is so tight that I don't know who runs WeatherCorp. I was head-hunted online by them through an anonymous encrypted email. They had heard … Continue reading Weatherman
White Stuff
White Stuff by Chris Green The best laid schemes o' mice an' men. Gang aft agley – Robert Burns It is said that accident is the real the director of life. Accident, of course, is not the same thing as destiny or fate and has nothing at all to do with synchronicity. Accident is pure … Continue reading White Stuff
CHEKHOV’S GUN
Chekhov’s Gun by Chris Green Having signed off my latest story, I am on the lookout for characters for a new one. A writer’s mind is never idle. Even though Jodie and I are on holiday in a small seaside town in Norfolk to catch up with her family, the search is on. In the … Continue reading CHEKHOV’S GUN
Time and Tide Wait for Norman
Time and Tide Wait for Norman by Chris Green Good Lord! There’s Liz Boa. I haven’t seen Liz since…… Well, since she left Grace and Favour, where we both worked. That must have been, what? Ten years ago? She went off to live in Ireland. Skibbereen, I believe. Strange choice, I thought but her partner … Continue reading Time and Tide Wait for Norman
(NOT) BEING DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH
(NOT) BEING DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH by Chris Green The knock on the door at 3 am comes as a shock. This is the type of thing I associate with Soviet Russia. Unlike Dmitri Shostakovich, who famously kept a suitcase and a toothbrush beside him ready for the knock, in case he should be whisked off at … Continue reading (NOT) BEING DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH
The Cats of Ronda
The Cats of Ronda by Chris Green If you visit the historic city of Ronda in southern Spain, you are likely to notice that the cats scurrying around under the tables at alfresco restaurants for scraps are slender. While you are wondering whether to toss them the skin from your monkfish, what you may not … Continue reading The Cats of Ronda
Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon
Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon by Chris Green I'll start at the end. Jonny Bisco is dead. He met his maker in October 2009 when his Moto Guzzi motorcycle skidded off the road in a freak thunderstorm near the small town of Bovey Tracey on the edge of Dartmoor. He was sixty four years old. You may not … Continue reading Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon
Light Fandango
LIGHT FANDANGO by Chris Green July 1966: Sunny Afternoon We are in the midst of a heatwave, there are smiles on people's faces and Sunny Afternoon is at Number One. It seems that the gloom and austerity of the post-war years, which in my nineteen years is all I have known, have finally been stripped … Continue reading Light Fandango
The Continuing Story of Wet Blanket Ron – Part 4
The Continuing Story of Wet Blanket Ron – Part 4 by Chris Green I thought that I had put the character of Wet Blanket Ron to bed. I had written three stories in the Wet Blanket Ron series and I felt that this was probably enough. No writer wants to keep going over old ground. … Continue reading The Continuing Story of Wet Blanket Ron – Part 4
Walter Funk
Walter Funk by Chris Green Walter Funk was a legend. Yet, if you ask most people today, they will not have heard of him. Walter Funk has no Wikipedia page and an internet search will take you instead to the Nazi economist, Walther Funk, but we need not concern ourselves with him. Walter, on the … Continue reading Walter Funk
Oleander Drive
Oleander Drive by Chris Green The black Mitsubishi has been parked there for several days now. Les Rubio first noticed it on Monday, when he came back from a business lunch at The Whistle Blower. The big SUV has been there in the same position, on the opposite side of the road fifty yards from … Continue reading Oleander Drive
QUINCE
QUINCE by Chris Green Giles Riddler tells me the quince tree blossoming in the front garden was the deciding factor in them buying the house. Had it not been for the quince tree, the Briggs and Mortimer board outside the 1930s semi-detached villa in Heisenberg Avenue might have gone unnoticed. Giles and Audrey apparently were … Continue reading QUINCE
The Jolly Yachtsman – a Trip Advisor review
The Jolly Yachtsman – a Trip Advisor review by Chris Green Our intention had been to eat at the Ancient Mariner Inn, but parking the motor-home proved to be tricky. After I had scagged the bumper of a black Lexus, and broken the camper's reversing light, I gave up and drove down the hill to … Continue reading The Jolly Yachtsman – a Trip Advisor review
Blowing in the Wind
Blowing in the Wind by Chris Green I am walking Malcolm on Panhandlers Hill when I first spot him. In fact, it is Malcolm who spots him first. Malcolm is a cocker spaniel and he is very sensitive to changes in his surroundings. We get a few hill walkers around these parts and at first, … Continue reading Blowing in the Wind
Cats and Dogs
Cats and Dogs by Chris Green It hasn't been a good Spring. I have spent most of it listening to birdsong on Birdsong FM because there hasn't been any birdsong in the garden. Every week when Sophie and I tune in to CountryWatch, they go on about global warming. March was the hottest on record … Continue reading Cats and Dogs
MISSING
Missing by Chris Green Not wishing to start the day just yet, I listen to the springtime chirping of the birds outside the window while I piece together the events of last night. The concrete that seems to be lining my head lets me know I had a fair bit to drink. I got in … Continue reading MISSING
Barber, Ball and Bilk
Barber, Ball and Bilk by Chris Green The opportunity to see Barber, Ball and Bilk, the three B’s as they are being billed, in Bridgedown is too good to pass by. Bridgedown is eighty miles away and I don’t drive, but the train journey from Sheepdip Halt is easily doable. It involves just one change, … Continue reading Barber, Ball and Bilk
ABRACADABRA
Abracadabra by Chris Green I have just pulled into the DIY superstore car park when I catch a snatch of Abracadabra on the new radio station I have found. Blitz plays nothing but rock, which is fine, as none of the other stations will touch it. I have not heard The Steve Miller Band for … Continue reading ABRACADABRA
The Black Book
The Black Book by Chris Green When I was growing up in the nineteen sixties, I was surrounded by books. The bookshelves in Grey Gables, the big old house in Gloucestershire where we lived were full, but there was one particular book I was told I must never read. It was referred to simply as … Continue reading The Black Book
Across The Universe
Across The Universe by Chris Green There has been a secret underground line in the south of England for years. It can be accessed through a network of tunnels originating from the basement of a former Turkish dry-cleaners in Dulwich. The line runs for sixty miles deep underneath the Weald to the coast near Newhaven. … Continue reading Across The Universe
The Continuing Story of Wet Blanket Ron – Part Three
The Continuing Story Of Wet Blanket Ron – Part Three by Chris Green In his nineteen years on the force Sergeant Crooner has happened upon many strange scenarios. If he has learnt one thing from police work though, it is when something seems amiss there is usually a rational explanation. Cause and effect, action and … Continue reading The Continuing Story of Wet Blanket Ron – Part Three
ART OF DARKNESS
Art of Darkness by Chris Green It seems a long time ago now that Passion and I arrived at Kemble station, in the Gloucestershire countryside. We had taken the Great Western train down from London and were planning to explore the Cotswolds. We have always been keen walkers and had been told that … Continue reading ART OF DARKNESS
Buy and Buy
Buy and Buy by Chris Green When did personal computers cease to be a labour saving device? Without even looking at the Spam folder, it took nearly ten minutes daily to scroll down through the garbage in my inbox, searching for the one or two messages that might have some relevance on my life, or … Continue reading Buy and Buy
The Life and Times of Chadwick Dial
The Life and Times of Chadwick Dial by Chris Green 'It's him,' screamed Eve. 'It's Chadwick Dial. Look!' Eve Laszlo and I were aboard a coach on its way to Bath. We were going to see a new band called Oasis play at the Bath Pavilion. We had stopped off at Stroud to pick up … Continue reading The Life and Times of Chadwick Dial
Sticks
Sticks by Chris Green 1. 'Broadband?' says Mr Silver, scratching his head. 'No, we don't have broadband here. Whatever that is when it's at home.' 'The internet,' I say. 'Are you still on dial up round these parts, perhaps?' He looks around for someone else to ask, but there is no-one else in the shop. … Continue reading Sticks
THE WAR ON TERRA
The War On Terra by Chris Green There are now just thirty four of us trying to save the planet. I've counted. Thirty four, plus a few more perhaps living off the grid. The other seven point four billion residents of Terra are hell bent on its destruction, some pushing to get the job done … Continue reading THE WAR ON TERRA
Thursday Night and Friday Morning
Thursday Night and Friday Morning by Chris Green A car outside my window sounds its horn three times and I stir from my sleep. I was on a golden beach listening to the gentle echo of summer voices. Dolphins were playing with gondolas in the surf. A woman with long dark hair and iridescent tantric … Continue reading Thursday Night and Friday Morning
Jimi Hendrix’s Kite (2015)
Jimi Hendrix's Kite by Chris Green Part 1: The Twenty Seven Club It is seven on a Saturday morning. I am enjoying a leisurely bath before going to the Strawberry Fields car boot. This gets going at about eight thirty so I have plenty of time. My bath is a large cast iron Victorian model … Continue reading Jimi Hendrix’s Kite (2015)
MURDER MYSTERY
MURDER MYSTERY – a murder mystery - by Chris Green My head is pounding. My mouth feels like a dried up drainage ditch. I am used to more formal surroundings, when I wake. A comfortable bed. If I'm lucky, a cup of tea. This room is unfamiliar. I have no recall of how I came … Continue reading MURDER MYSTERY
The 16:06
The 16:06 by Chris Green The 16:06 from Paddington is usually on time. I rely on its punctuality to catch my connecting train from Taunton to Bridgewater, where I live. It runs at the right time for me. I do not like to work late on a Friday and I don't want to spend a … Continue reading The 16:06
Harmonica Drive
Harmonica Drive by Chris Green Sandwich Man walks past our house at five to six every evening, just before the end of Pointless on television. He passes on his way home from the listening centre where he works. From the back entrance of the base, Cheltenham Close offers a short cut to Tambourine Way and … Continue reading Harmonica Drive
Just The Way It Is
Just The Way It Is by Chris Green A second did not seem an important integer, but therein lay the problem. It was such a small unit of time. Yet, such was the degree of precision operating in the overcrowded skies that if Quincey Sargent had returned from his break seven seconds earlier or seven … Continue reading Just The Way It Is
Right On Dad Talks About Guns – a children’s story
RIGHT ON DAD TALKS ABOUT GUNS – a children's story by Chris Green 'Why do people have guns, Dad? I think guns are horrible,' says Amelia. Amelia is five and a half. She has just started her second year at school. 'People haven't always had guns, you know, Amelia. For hundreds of years when they … Continue reading Right On Dad Talks About Guns – a children’s story
RIGHT ON DAD – a children’s story
Right On Dad – a children's story by Chris Green 'What's politics, Daddy?' said Amelia. Amelia is four and a half and has just started school. 'Aha! Yes what is politics? Well, Amelia. Every now and then we grown ups play a game to say which party we want to make the rules about what … Continue reading RIGHT ON DAD – a children’s story
Ceraunophilia
Ceraunophilia by Chris Green I get up one wet Monday morning and find I have a Facebook friend request from Liz Accident. It must be a joke, I think. No-one is called Liz Accident, Not even Random Name Generator could come up with such a preposterous name. But, looking at her timeline I notice that … Continue reading Ceraunophilia
Zelkova Serrata
Zelkova Serrata by Chris Green Was it a knock that had woken her? Anna doesn’t like being alone in the big old house at the best of times, but knowing that Ron is on the other side of the world makes her more edgy. She takes a look at the clock. It is 3:23. Much … Continue reading Zelkova Serrata
The Way We Were
The Way We Were by Chris Green It was Monday morning and I was not particularly pressed for time. I was off work as a result of an old Pilates injury flaring up. I had been told to rest. I was sorting out some matters that in my busy schedule at the kite repair workshop … Continue reading The Way We Were
Isn’t It Good, Norwegian Wood
Isn't It Good, Norwegian Wood by Chris Green Rubber Soul is my favourite Beatles album. It is the album in which John Lennon raises his game. In My Life is surely one of the most perfectly crafted pop songs ever, Girl is sublime, and still there is the enigmatic Norwegian Wood. Norwegian Wood with its … Continue reading Isn’t It Good, Norwegian Wood
The Vexillographer’s Daughter
The Vexillographer's Daughter by Chris Green ONE: RAIN It had rained every single day for the three summer months. Every morning at around five past seven with my bacon and egg sunny side up I would watch the weather forecast on JustNews. The weather presenter would come on and shrug sheepishly in front of a … Continue reading The Vexillographer’s Daughter
A Stone’s Throw From The Beach
A Stone's Throw From The Beach by Chris Green Lastminuteholidays.com did not actually specify that Sea View had a view of the sea, but there again it did not say that it didn't. The default position, you would have thought, was that it did, especially as there were pictures of the waves rolling in on … Continue reading A Stone’s Throw From The Beach
FILM
FILM by Chris Green I have never watched an interactive film before. IF, as it is becoming known, is a revolutionary idea to get the audience involved in what they would like to see happen on the screen. I am watching with an open mind. I feel that democratising cinema in this way has great … Continue reading FILM
DRUGS
Drugs – a short story by Chris Green We are lounging in the garden of Astral Parlour, the name we have given to a pair of crumbling farm cottages deep in the Cotswold Hills. It is a summer afternoon and the sun is high overhead. There are about a dozen of us. I can't say … Continue reading DRUGS
Tara’s World
Tara’s World by Chris Green Tara was finding it difficult to remember things. Friends of hers, in their fifties and sixties, suggested that her memory was unlikely to get any better. As you grew older those peripheral places where the past was stored were harder to find, they said. They told her how they constantly … Continue reading Tara’s World
Where’s Your Car, Debbie?
Where's Your Car Debbie? by Chris Green 'Where's your car, Debbie …... Debbie where's your car,' screams a cracked voice. There is an air of desperation about it. It is coming from some distance away. It sounds like it is coming over a PA system in the park. As we approach, Betty and I notice … Continue reading Where’s Your Car, Debbie?
The Continuing Story Of Wet Blanket Ron – Part Two
The Continuing Story Of Wet Blanket Ron – Part Two by Chris Green I can hear a phone, one of the emergency ones I keep in my office drawer. Each has an individual ring tone, but I've lost track of which ring tone is for which client. It seemed a good idea, at first, when … Continue reading The Continuing Story Of Wet Blanket Ron – Part Two
Slow
Slow by Chris Green I am sitting in my comfy high-backed chair with a nice milky cup of tea and a plate of Waitrose custard creams. I don't always shop at Waitrose because it is a bit expensive, and anyway, Goodbuy is nearer, but I like to get a few nice things when I can. … Continue reading Slow
Toker’s End
Toker's End by Chris Green My DuckDuckGo search came back with the names of several estate agents in my area, but King and Castle seemed to be the premier firm, not least because their advertisement said so. So, later that day I called into their High Street office and asked if I could see Mr … Continue reading Toker’s End
Footsteps
Footsteps by Chris Green You may not have heard of Tregorran. Most people haven't. It is a tiny hamlet, remote even by Cornish standards. Although I keep hearing that providers are investing millions of pounds to tackle poor reception in rural areas, I have no phone signal where I am staying at Little Wormwood Cottage, … Continue reading Footsteps
Retriever
Retriever by Chris Green Einstein posits that the distinction between past, present and future is no more than a stubbornly persistent illusion. I can see where he was coming from this morning as I go through the mail. This certainly seems like the same CheapCall bill I received the day before yesterday. And the same … Continue reading Retriever
The Continuing Story Of Wet Blanket Ron
The Continuing Story Of Wet Blanket Ron – Part 1 by Chris Green Fortune has not favoured Ron Smoot recently. He has suffered one setback after another. He was just coming to terms with losing his job in the drawing office when he was knocked down by a hit and run driver on Black Dog … Continue reading The Continuing Story Of Wet Blanket Ron
Cadence and Kascade
Cadence and Kascade by Chris Green I wake in an unfamiliar room. My head is pounding and my mouth feels like a dried up drainage ditch. I am used to more formal surroundings, when I wake, a comfortable bed and sometimes a cup of tea. My recall of how I came to be here is … Continue reading Cadence and Kascade
Stars
Stars by Chris Green It is early September. Chet notices that although there is a clear night sky there is no moon. The stars are all out, but they have no lunar companion. At first he thinks this must be to do with the Moon's phases, so he keeps an eye on the sky over … Continue reading Stars
Love Letters
Love Letters by Chris Green Living on what estate agents term a centrally located estate, I get dozens of flyers pushed through my door. As I have no interest in moving house, have all the double-glazing and kitchen fittings the house requires, and I do not eat pizza these are swiftly dispatched to the recycling … Continue reading Love Letters
Come Rain Or Come Shine
COME RAIN OR COME SHINE by Chris Green ONE: RAIN It had rained every single day for the three summer months. Every morning at around five past seven with my bacon and egg sunny side up I would watch the weather forecast on JustNews. The weather presenter would come on and shrug sheepishly in front … Continue reading Come Rain Or Come Shine
Stranger On The Shore
Stranger on the Shore by Chris Green He was there lurking in the shadows each time we went to the beach. My dog, Tarquin, a salt and pepper schnauzer would sometimes bark agitatedly as we approached. Tarquin had a habit of running up to strangers to introduce himself, so I would at this point throw … Continue reading Stranger On The Shore
Chris Green Stories 