Terry Tyler's Blog
October 29, 2025
November Photos
🍂🌰🔥🧨🌰🍂
Last year on October 1st, because I love the time of year, I started posting an October photo on X, every morning and every evening. Then it became something of a project, and I carried on for the whole 12 months. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole process, but have decided to just post random ones when I take them for the coming year :)
If you would like see to my 'best of' from October last year, please click HERE
My favourites from November 2024, below.
🍂🌰🔥🧨🌰🍂
September 30, 2025
October photos
🍂🍃🍎🌽🍃🍂
Last year on October 1st I started posting an October photo every morning on TwitteX, because I love this camera-friendly time of year. 😊 Then it started to be twice a day, and carried on for the whole year. I've loved taking the photos (some I posted were from previous years, but always that month), because it's made me so aware of the seasonal changes in the natural world, not least of all the light, and extra pleased when I wake up early on a beautiful day, because there is no better time to capture it! Some months I found more exciting than others, but I wanted to encapsulate the atmosphere of each one, if I could.
I'll daresay I will carry on posting pictures of trees and skies as long as I can see to focus, but I've done a whole year now and I don't want to repeat myself. Thank you for looking at them, liking and reposting 💗
Here are my favourite October photos from last year.
🍂🍃🍎🌽🍃🍂
August 23, 2025
Served Cold - now live!
It's live!
Served Cold
'Revenge is a dish best served cold'
Two novellas in which vengeance is planned long after emotions have cooled ... these are calculated, deliberate acts of retribution, designed for catastrophic effect.
The Steal
Jodie Tarrant has it all - her own small business, a husband she adores, lots of friends, a house she loves in a cosy English village. She can see her and Kirk's future all mapped out, with the children she longs for - until the arrival of an enigmatic stranger threatens everything Jodie holds dear.
Lucky Star
Imagine waking up in a strange room, in a strange building, with no recollection of how you got there. This is what happens to Stevie Warren. Worst of all, she soon discovers that she can't leave. But who put her there, and why? Deep down, she has her suspicions...
Coming Soon... a new book! #CoverReveal
It's been about a year since I last published; there was me thinking I was going to knock this one out really quickly, but I'd reckoned without all that 'life' stuff that you have to do as well as writing.😏
The Idea
I've written eight-and-a-bit stories on the subject of revenge and its various aspects. I felt like writing some shorter fiction, so they're all novellas, of around 20-30k words each. Two are finished, two are being worked on, and four-and-a-bit are still in first draft.
I shall publish them in four books of two stories each (or more, if the 'and-a-bit' grows, or if I get some more ideas!)
These are they:
1. Served Cold
2. Karma
3. Two Graves
4. Divine Retribution
...and here is Served Cold, coming to Amazon soon!
I can't provide a publication date just yet, but it will probably be a few weeks.
First draft of the blurb
'Revenge is a dish best served cold'
Two novellas in which vengeance is planned long after emotions have cooled ... these are calculated, deliberate acts of retribution, designed for catastrophic effect.
The Steal
Jodie Tarrant has it all - her own small business, a husband she adores, lots of friends, a house she loves in a cosy English village. She can see her and Kirk's future all mapped out, with the children she longs for - until the arrival of an enigmatic stranger threatens everything Jodie holds dear.
Lucky Star
Imagine waking up in a strange room, in a strange building, with no recollection of how you got there. This is what happens to Stevie Warren. Worst of all, she soon discovers that she can't leave. But who put her there, and why? Deep down, she has her suspicions...
Book #2 of this series will be Karma - when life takes its own revenge.
December 30, 2024
Lately I've Been Watching...
TV series and films I recommend, or don't!
Blogger has changed and I can't work out how to add a video of the trailer, as I used to do for these posts, but I have provided the link to each YouTube trailer, along with each show/film's JustWatch page so you can see where they can be streamed/rented/bought.
The Day of the Jackal
Series
5 stars (easily!)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This series is much better than I expected; I imagined a jazzed up version of the Edward Fox film, but it's so much more. Previously I have not been a fan of Eddie Redmayne, but he's matured, and is perfect in this. Ordinary looking guy, kind of a reluctant assassin. Married to the woman who played Tokyo in Money Heist. Charles Dance strides forth as his usual character (ruthless and slightly sneering boss/patriarch), and Eleanor Matsuura (Yumiko in TWD) is his contact in the shadow world of enormous pay-outs for the successful hit.
Lashana Lynch (pictured) plays the intelligence officer obsessed with tracking him down, at the cost of her own family.
It's got very little to do with the original film, but that doesn't matter because the plot is so good, the action is terrific and believable, and you'll probably think 'why do I find myself liking this chap who kills people?' Thoroughly gripping all the way through. Highly, highly recommended.
*
Landman
Series
4.5 stars
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
All about oil men in West Texas. Billy Bob Thornton stars as Tommy Norris, and is excellent, as is Jon Hamm as the big business guy. The plot is great, the cinematography is a joy. The business side runs parallel to Tommy's ongoing family difficulties with his ghastly wife Angela (Ali Larter), his son and daughter. Jacob Lofland as son Cooper who is determined to be a landman just like his pa, was my favourite character.
The only thing I didn't like about it was the inappropriately sexual behaviour of the daughter and the wife, which I found a bit icky.
*
Woman of the Hour
Film
4.5 stars
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Only on Netflix
Film, true story, about serial killer Rodney Alcala. The story centres around Cheryl Bradshaw (Anna Kendrick, who also directed), a contestant on The Dating Game in 1978. Alcala was one of the three bachelors, and the one she chose as her date.
The film includes flashbacks about women Alcala killed, and even when his identity is pointed out by a friend of a victim, he is not arrested. Very good, and from an artistic point of view, the whole 70s vibe worked. Hardly any daft wigs, like you normally see in films set in the 70s; for once they actually chose actors willing to do proper 70s hair.
Daniel Zovatto was wonderfully sinister as Alcala.
*
Carry-On
Film
3 stars
⭐⭐⭐
Only on Netflix
Christmas Eve-themed thriller starring Jason Bateman as a 'facilitator', who spins a series of highly efficient moves to persuade a security guard at LAX (Taron Egerton) to allow a mysterious package through.
*Spoiler alert*
The plot itself is cleverly executed, and the pace is scorching, but it was a bit of a let down for me, because the feel-good ending made it seem kind of outdated. The wheeee of police sirens as the hero saved the day was so clichéd that it felt almost like a parody. Too many cheesy moments.
I could not help thinking of the brilliant Arlington Road, a low key and far superior film about terrorism, with its shocking and more realistic outcome. Big let down, really, although I enjoyed watching it.
*
Earth Abides
Series
2 stars
⭐⭐
Drama series. Alexander Ludwig (Bjorn in Vikings) stars as a geologist who gets bitten by a snake. Alone in a cabin, his delirium breaks a few weeks later, which is when he discovers that there has been a global pandemic and almost everyone is dead.
At first I thought this was going to be brilliant, loving this genre as I do, but when Ludwig's character Ish meets up with others, the drama takes a different turn. What I thought was going to be a story of dark post-apocalyptic survival ended up being a ludicrous feel-good tale about a community of fourteen who somehow, years later, still look well-fed and healthy, despite no evidence of actual farming. They drive around in cars, despite there being no sign of fuel production. Naturally, one of the people in their group just happens to be a fully-qualified surgeon. Imagine having that sort of luck, right?!
At the end of the last episode I watched, Ish was mauled by a lioness, though I'm sure the surgeon (who is one of a 'thruple', of course) will sew him up in a jiffy.
It's post-apoc for people who don't like post-apoc, basically.
*
Squid Game - Season 2
Series
4.5 stars
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Looooved Squid Game #1. Korean series dubbed into English, about people in dire financial straits accepting the offer to play a series of games in order to win a vast sum of money. Only problem is that failing to complete each game results in extermination.
The second series is just as good, but half a star off because it ended in a cliffhanger, with Season #3 not available until late 2025 or 2026. I don't mind cliffhangers, generally, but waiting that long to find out what happens????
*
Dexter: Original Sin
Series
4.5 stars
⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you're a fan of the main series of Dexter, you'll love this. If you don't know what it's about, Dexter is a serial killer who only kills very bad people. In Original Sin, Patrick Gibson shows great dramatic expertise in his portrayal of the young serial killer in waiting, aided by his father, who is played by Christian Slater.
My only problem with it is that I think the series as a whole does rather glorify serial killiing!
*
That's all for now, back with more soon!
November 16, 2024
How Not To Make A Smoothie
I am not gifted in the culinary arts. Anyone who has spent more than a couple of days with me IRL can vouch for that. I get in a flap, am slapdash even when I think I'm not being, have no natural feel for quantities; my offerings are, at best, okay if you're really, really hungry.
There are a few things I can make well. Vegan chilli, mashed swede. I produce cheese and beans on toast for my husband with flair and panache, and I can put a mean piece of salmon in the oven. That's about it.
Recently I've been trying to make smoothies, using our hand blender thingy. A couple of them have tasted quite nice, though the enticing sunset-like colour of the peach, banana and raspberry was the best part (it just tasted of bananas). I have tried making those super-nutritious ones with spinach and avocado and mint, wheatgrass and spirulina, which all just taste of mint. Husband will not go near those, though he is kind about my fruity efforts.
Until today.
Mango, bananas, blueberries, a few raspberries, and a pomegranate. Sounds lovely. Looked it, too, all the fruit cut up in the big jug. It carried on looking good when it was all smoothied - until I had a taste and realised my big mistake. I should have carefully and individually extracted all the pomegranate seeds from the surrounding white pithy bits, which had become sharp shards of hard nasty white matter within the dark red deliciousness.
(Husband: 'this is why pomegranate juice is so expensive')
What to do? I decided to strain it. I tried the collander, but it let the evil white shards through. Tried the sieve and the tea strainer, and it took forever. Husband suggested I use one of the pieces of muslin that he uses for straining other things. I took one out of the drawer where they live, with all the freshly laundered tea towels.
Please note: the phrase 'freshly laundered' is key in this drama.
It was only when I was squeezing the stuff through that he said, "Did you give the muslin a good rinse in boiling water before you used it?'
No, of course I didn't. What did he think I was, sensible?
After all the sieving and red splatters all over the floor and the worktop, after the chucking out bits of fruity mush that still contained bits of hard nasty white matter, we were left with just two small glasses of dark red smoothie, which looked quite presentable.
Except it had this off-putting aftertaste. Okay, it was actually a before, during and aftertaste that dominated all other flavours.
I'd mixed pomegranate, bananas, mango, blueberries and raspberries, and managed to produce a smoothie that tasted entirely of Comfort fabric conditioner.
September 28, 2024
Seasonal Beauty on the Way to Asda
🌞🍂🍃🌞
Rowan trees looking particularly fruitful - a harsh winter?
Don't take photos of yourself with the sunlight behind...
Acer just starting to turn
September 28th - 7 years today since my dad died. Below, one of the earliest photos I have of him, and one of the last that was taken.
I did a blog post about the tree that was planted in his memory; it's HERE
September 19, 2024
Me and My Big Sister #2
Last day of Summer, probably 😎
All the fun of going to Morrisons, where we found these natty little overnight-stay cases for just £8 each! Then, of course, we had to drag them all the way home...
When Julia joined the Jarrow March, October 1936
🟎 Blair Witch Project 🟎
September 18, 2024
Me and My Big Sister
Still summer for a few days up in the frozen North East 😎
September 6, 2024
Lance's Funeral, Cromer. August 30th 2024
💗
I lived in Cromer in Norfolk for 9 years, where I was privileged to be a friend of Lance Beeke, who died on the 10th August this year, aged 84. Lance was a father and grandfather, an artist, a great laugh, and a thoroughly good chap. His daughters Tiphanie and Jemma organised the funeral on Friday 30th August, at Cromer's St Peter and St Paul's Church, and it was a perfect tribute to him.
A few memories here...
2003, Red Lion. We mostly met up where the drink wasflowing and there was much fun to be had.
2002, I think, at my friend Kathryn's flat,and below with my cats Francesca and Mimi.
New Year's Eve 2004, with Julia, at my flat in Pier Court.
Cromer pier, August 2019
I last saw Lance in September 2022, when it was clear that he was ailing, and he died peacefully in his sleep.
🌅
Last Friday, Cromer brought the sunshine out especially for him
...and it was, oddly, a lovely day.
Julia, John and me on the way to the church.
The cremation was family only, so we went to the Red Lion in between the service and the wake. So good to catch up with old friends!
🌄I had to catch a train at 6.30 am from Newcastle to get there in time, and get the 7pm back as there were no trains on Saturday, so it was a very long day, but I'm so glad I made the effort. Nice views of the sunrise on the way, anyway!
Durham
Me having not had enough coffee, at 6.30 am on the train to Peterborough
💗
Lovely to see you Julia, John, Lisa, Lee, Eloise, Gail, Tiphanie, Jemma, Chris, Mark, Richard, and especially Kathryn :)
RIP dear Lance, a fine fellow indeed.
