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Bob Fischer

@bobfischer.bsky.social

697 followers 207 following 719 posts

Writer and waffler. Fortean Times, Electronic Sound, Doctor Who Magazine, Shindig, Mulgrave Audio, Haunted Generation, Wiffle Lever To Full, Scarred For Life and Summer Winos. Summat to do, innit

Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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Forty years ago today. Very excited about Hole In My Shoe being in the charts! I think this was genuinely the beginning of my ongoing love affair with psychedelic music. Also - does anyone know which liquid turns blue when you heat it?

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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New! On the Haunted Generation site... a charming chat with Oliver Cherer about the lost medieval town of Dunwich, and how it inspired his beautiful @claypipemusic.bsky.social album, Gilden Gate. Plus rotting mannequins, vanishing monks etc. From @electronicsound.bsky.social...

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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It's hard getting stuff "out there" these days. We're trying to build a little Mulgrave Audio world of vintage weirdness. If you've enjoyed our stuff, maybe consider an RT, a share, a Bandcamp review, anything like that? It all helps enormously - thanks.
mulgraveaudio.bandcamp.com

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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He's a fascinating figure. And a bit of an enigma. My Summer Winos comrade Drew did quite a bit of research into his life, but eventually hit a brick wall.

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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Forty years ago today. Guest appearance on the Little and Large Show from Roy "Spook" Jay, who had already become a minor sensation in our school playground. I was saving up for prison pyjamas and a pair of white gloves. "You'll all be doing it tomorrow..." (and we were) #slither

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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If anyone wants to buy our Mulgrave Audio releases from an actual shop and save a few quid on postage, head to Who-Ray in Stockton - it's a great place and they now have both 'Simon Perkins' Lurgy' and 'Fellfoul' on sale. Here's Martin to prove it...

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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Forty years ago today. The 'Mysteries' we studied included the Loch Ness Monster, UFOs and the Bermuda Triangle but not - curiously - how we managed to get away with essentially doing bugger all at school every day.

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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Thankyou!

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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Aw, cheers Alan!

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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Cheers David!

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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A lovely day out in Holmfirth with Andrew T Smith, and we managed to round up 20 copies of our sold-out Summer Winos book from various shops. So it's now back in stock... just! Grab one here:
bobfischer.bigcartel.com/product/summ...

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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Is it screens all day? I live in the middle of a big estate but barely see any kids outdoors.

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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Forty years ago today. Weary Valley was a little beauty spot of rustling trees and sparkling water, and this was a perfect Swallows And Amazons day. Me, Doug, Stan and Ramsey on a tiny dinghy in blazing sunshine, laughing all day without a care in the world.

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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Forty years ago today. "Got some mirror glasses from Littlewoods then we went to C&A and I got some luminous socks". 1984, right there. Ultra Quiz presented by David Frost and Willie Rushton, live from a frozen-looking beach in Normandy.

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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Forty years ago today. Tucker was a nice lad who I'm told now works as an airline pilot. Unconnected to the Spitfire I built, which was another Airfix model from some well-meaning relative. I don't like aeroplanes and I can't build anything, but apart from that - nice one.

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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See also: Hey Jude, MacArthur Park.

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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Forty years ago today. I have since learned from friends in the profession that "silent reading" essentially means your teacher is very, very, very, very, very hungover. #fingersonlips

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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We only have 15 copies of the Mulgrave Journal Issue 1 left. Here are five of them, ready to go to anyone who wants them. Note tantalising glimpse of the back cover that gives us the heebie jeebies. Grab one here: mulgraveaudio.bandcamp.com/merch/mulgra...

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Mulgraves assemble! Eleanor Wood (Aja Dodd) meets Simon Perkins (Ethan Warren) for the first time, at Saturday's 'Fellfoul' launch. They're now planning to team up to defeat Globulon The Sceptic.

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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Forty years ago today. Creating my own Agatha Christie-style intrigue, because the first four lines of this entry have been Tippexed out and re-written. No idea why. Also: Doug and I have now spent FOUR DAYS working on a crappy fire safety poster.

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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Forty years ago today. The "language test" will have been along the lines of "write a short story that features an aubergine, a miner’s helmet and a Koala Bear" and I would still have somehow got it round to Doctor Who.

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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Forty years ago today. My dentist looked a lot like Geoffrey Palmer, who actually played a dentist in Butterflies. Maybe all dentists looked like Geoffrey Palmer in the 1980s, and vice versa. Also: very excited about MANIMAL and finally learned how to spell "penalties" correctly.

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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The Mulgrave Journal is out now! Issue 1 of our 48-page, full colour zine has provincial portals, the ultimate Fellfoul map, short stories, puzzles, interviews with Ethan Warren, Aja Dodd and The Twelve Hour Foundation and much, much more. It's here...
mulgraveaudio.bandcamp.com/merch/mulgra...

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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Oh, I don't know! I've still got the book somewhere, I'll have a look...

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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Forty years ago today. Mine wasn't an authentic Rubik cube, it was a knock-off. Probably called a Kubik Rube or something. I've never completed it, but I gave it to my Uncle Trevor in 1982 and he managed it in a few hours. With the aid of a book called 'You Can Do The Cube'.

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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Really lovely night reading my 1984 diaries at The Waiting Room last night. Thanks so much to everyone who came down - it was packed. An emotional old night, especially with Mr Hirst being there! And huge thanks to Mr Johnson for his sterling musical contributions. He was cold, he was naked...

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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Yes, same pep talk here - and thankyou!

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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Forty years ago today. We suddenly have a shower! It's a domestic hygeine revolution. Done this one as a video entry to shamelessly plug my 1984 Diary Show at The Waiting Room tonight... 7.30pm-ish start, only a tenner, come down for 1980s fun and daftness.

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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Forty years ago today. Alan was my elderly neighbours' grandson - he'd been born and raised in Northern Ireland but came over to visit every summer. I could never speak to him without thinking about 'Why Don't You?'

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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Thanks everyone who came down to our 'Fellfoul' launch at the Who-Ray shop today! A really nice crowd and lovely to meet you all. Here's Aja Dodd reprising her role as Eleanor Wood, once again bravely tackling the fearsome dragon, Vermithorn...

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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Getting everything in order for our Mulgrave Audio 'Fellfoul' launch at the Who-Ray shop in Stockton. Free at 12pm today! Join Aja Dodd, Ethan Warren and me for a bit of vintage VHS excitement. Limited 'Fellfoul' vinyl onsale with the John Ridgway comic strip, and we'll bring Simon Perkins CDs too.

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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Forty years ago today. Perfected my Bruce Grobbelaar wobbly legs goakeeping routine, but still couldn't spell "penalties".

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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Introducing the Mulgrave Journal! 48 colour pages of features, short stories, puzzles - plus interviews with Aja Dodd, Ethan Warren and @12hrfoundation.bsky.social. Initial print run of 100, onsale first at our Fellfoul launch, 12pm this Sat at the Who-Ray shop. Remainder on Bandcamp from Monday!

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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Forty years ago today. Told off quite sternly by Mrs Keasey for attempting to read Ian Oswald's mind instead of doing my maths properly, "... and there's no need to look so shocked about it". I told her I wasn't shocked, I just didn't have any eyebrows.

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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There'll still be time. But I'm fully expecting a humilating defeat in 90 minutes anyway.

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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1984 Diary readings live on Sunday, by the way! Dash over after the England match, there'll be time. And if you're not watching the England match, there'll be even more time. And possibly a happier outcome.
www.seetickets.com/event/at-las...

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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Yeah, that was deliberate - our schools were good like that.

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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Forty years ago today. Only four weeks of primary school left, so our entire school year was frogmarched across town for a first glimpse of Conyers School, the sprawling local comprehensive. It was like entering Mordor. Rumours abounded of the annual "Foggy Bashing Day".

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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And Elvis Costello with his train set.

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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It was a bespoke pop badge service run by me and Doug. Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Wham, Duran Duran etc. Anybody I could draw, really. 10p each.

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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I just remember a bit of eye-rolling and head-shaking. I think she'd long since accepted that I was off my rocker.

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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Forty years ago today. The day I removed a chunk of each eyebrow with the school scissors to make Doug and Wendy Brunskill laugh, and looked like I'd been in a gas explosion. I told my mum I'd been concentrating so hard on my maths that I'd rubbed them away with my fingertips.

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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Cheers Chris. Sorry to hear all that, and yeah - I'm in the same boat as you. Only my mum left now. I've been getting quite upset about the demolition of some of my old haunts recently too, to the point where I've been thinking about moving away.

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Bob Fischer's avatar Bob Fischer @bobfischer.bsky.social
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Forty years ago today. A poignant little day... visiting my Gran in hospital as she recovered from another unsuccessful hip replacement op. Middlesbrough General Hospital was right next to Boro's Ayresome Park ground, both keystones of the town's history. Neither exist any more.

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