The Inkwell

Daily writing prompt

List three books that have had an impact on you. Why?

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Jingo – by Terry Pratchett

The paperback novel over a scuffle over curious squid that leads to something much more intriguing.

Picked up at a WH Smith in town, and led to me reading a whole host of other Discworld titles (i’ve picked up the lot) and had me stood outside a Manchester Waterstones where i met the man himself where he signed a few of my hardback editions

but Jingo – that was the first and it’s the one i go back to when i feel the need to disconnect from the TV or the PC!

The Essential – by Spike Milligan

The Hardback Edition of some of this comedy genius’s finest work

contains stuff from The Goon Show and Q, as well as a few comic turns from other comedic talents – did you know, he wrote the first episode of the two ronnies mini series – The Phantom Raspberry Blower of old london town? Always raises a smile when i read it.

and there’s a few scripts i can follow on the steam driven wireless – as i’ve got a few on CD!

Scouting for Boys – the original 1908 edition – by Robert Baden Powell

Now this one is a bit of an eye-raiser for me, as i was in the scouts for quite a while both as a cub, scout, venture and scouter

The text covers most of the stuff we learned as cubs and scouts back in the 80s and 90s from knots and tents to basic first aid (readers should note – this is baden powell’s own views on the subject so expect a few eyebrow raising moments)

I particularly liked the navigation notes and trail creation, and there’s some handy recipes for campfire cooking…Ambitious cooks can try catch their own meat – but i’d buy my own supplies before trying them out.