The Diary—Old Hoax or New?

[rjpalmer]

Of course, this is pure speculation.

I should rephrase that. Hardly pure speculation, as Barrett does claim that Feldman had threatened his life over the phone.

"I then made a mark 'kidney' shaped, just below centre inside the cover with the Knife."

He's not necessarily describing cutting, Ike. The Stanley knife could have been used as a sort of pallet knife to manipulate the oil. Now that we can see the kidney shape, there is an odd pattern of dripping surrounding it, as if 'by design.' IMHO.

[Iconoclast]

A message in a bottle, as it were.

More a message out a bottle?

[rjpalmer]

More a message out a bottle?

Now it's my turn to chuckle. Good one, Ike.

[rjpalmer]

Why did Tony Devereux have to borrow Mike's copy of Tales of Liverpool?

Anyone want more tea?

[Scott Nelson]

Anyone want more tea?

I've spent the last few days pondering this comment. It must be an inside joke, right?

Common sense would have told me that it was Mike who borrowed Tony's book, not the other way around.

[rjpalmer]

I've spent the last few days pondering this comment. It must be an inside joke, right?

Yes, it was a joke, Scott, but not at your expense.

In an earlier post, Ike transcribed a conversation between Anne Graham, Keith, and Shirley back in 1995.

KS: I asked, erm, when you were out of the room about ‘O costly intercourse of death’, the Hillsborough disaster –
SH: Yes, yes, yes.
KS: - in which, erm –
AG: Anyone want more tea?
KS: Oh, yes.
[General discussion about tea, cake, staying over that evening, and a book which Skinner and Harrison hoped to take a photocopy from.]

It struck me that just as things were becoming interesting--the Crashaw quote--Anne Graham redirected the conversation to tea, cake, and sleeping arrangements.

Similarly, as Ike didn't seem to be particularly interested in engaging with your commentary about Tony D and Mike's copy of Tales of Liverpool, I thought I'd help him out by asking the same question.

Anyone want more tea?

I suppose I can be a bit of a smart-ass.

[Scott Nelson]

Not at all, thanks. I should have read back more carefully.