The Patrick Hamilton Appreciation Society discussion

Mark wrote: "Doubtful it’ll change anyone’s life, but this soon-to-be-published novel looks set to be a hell of a lot of fun... Moon Stomp by Tim Wells, a cross-pollination of Richard Allen’s Skinhead books and Hammer Horror..."

https://unbound.com/books/moonstomp/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Moonstomp-Ti...

This sounds very intriguing and worthy of its own discussion thread, so here it is. Published at the end of June 2019


The blurb....

1979: punk, reggae, boots, braces, and button down shirts. The full moon rises, a skinhead’s sideburns grow. Packed full of music, style, and bovver, Moonstomp is the written in blood story of a teenage skinhead who’s also a werewolf. Aggro on the streets of London has never been like this.

The full moon rises and bodies fall.

This pulp novel is in the style of the 70s skinhead/Hell’s Angels books churned out by the New English Library, books that were passed round school such as Skinhead, Suedehead, Chopper, and Speed Freaks.

Tim Wells was a crop headed yoof that saw the bands, bought the records, and looked sharp. He’s still got an overflowing shelf of 70s pulp classics and sports Brutus button down shirts and knows how to shine his brogues.

Howling back to the days when we used to pass the Skinhead and Hell's Angels books around school, and watched Hammer Horror films at home on our black-and-white televisions, Tim Wells has written a fiendish tale of a skinhead werewolf rampaging through London in 1979. Being a sharp-dressed lad (still), the clothes and music are spot on. Snap up a copy before it bites your hand off. John King, author of Football Factory, Human Punk, Skinheads, and more.

Skinheads and werewolves and reggae and boozers, lager and kicking in fat city losers, Punk rock and Sta-prest when Lene she sings. Tim Wells has written a novel about a few of my favourite things... You can feel the sticky floors of the gigs and the sweaty menace is tangible as you read Tim Wells’ swaggering prose. This is no rose tinted amble down memory lane. The landscape of his world is a London that was swallowed whole by the eighties. For a book so full of life, there’s a lot of death in it as well. Beautiful. Brutal. Brutus. It’s got the lot! Phill Jupitus

I pre-ordered my copy yesterday, alongside Ranking Roger’s autobiography and The Virtues on dvd. A lot to look forward to.

I've stalled with The Virtues. I'm halfway through the third episode. I will probably finish it but I'm not feeling anthing like the same enthusiasm as I did for This Is England or Dead Man's Shoes. I'll be interested to find out what you make of it. Stephen Graham is predictably brilliant though.

Ah, sorry to hear that. The dvd’s release has been pushed back again, so unless there are further delays, I won’t be watching it until mid-August. Personally, I can’t imagine it topping This Is England or Dead Man’s Shoes, but nor can I imagine The Virtues being shit.

It's not shit. I just found it hard to watch. There's little light to alleviate the darkness. I am curious to know how it plays out so will probably go back to it.

I watched it all, and agree that it's harrowing. Yet there was brilliant levity in the fantastically-styled potty-mouthedness of Joseph's sister in the final episode where she drives around the locality trying to locate her brother and her husband in midst of a developing crisis. Niamh Algar, as Dinah, was also outstanding. That and Years and Years have been about all I've been motivated to watch on telly for a long time.

Do go back to it. In its own way, it lifts the spirits, and lord knows we're all in need of that right now.

David wrote: "Do go back to it. In its own way, it lifts the spirits, and lord knows we're all in need of that right now. "


That's exactly what I needed to hear David - you're an inspiration.

Thank you

You’re very kind, Nigey.

Anna’s quite baroque Hibernian swearing which has a comic relief role in an emotion-shredding final episode reminded me of the magnificent Mrs Doyle at her finest.

https://youtu.be/XLTnacYvvg4

I don't think I can ever get enough of Father Ted - absolutely brilliant

I’m hoping [against hope, maybe] that the Father Ted musical will be on by the time I land in London in October. But, look, I’ll already be fortunate enough to see Richard Hawley, so maybe best not to greedily push my luck...

We had a good time on Facebook last weekend when I posted a pic of Father Jack as it was Fathers’ Day.

Much fecking, arse-ing, girlsing, and undoubtedly drinking took place, with hearty shouts about bricks, women’s knickers, matters ecumrnical, and advice on how best to advise cups to feck off.

He really is the gift that keeps on giving.

Have either of you gents read Ardal O'Hanlon’s novel, The Talk of The Town, or Arthur Matthews’ Well-Remembered Days?

I recall enjoying both, each of which I picked up because of their Father Ted connections.

I have yet to read either Mark - but will go off to investigate


Thanks as always

Ne neither, Mark, but they go on my list* too, thank you.

*2gb flash drive approaching capacity

You might find it useful knowing that Ardal O’Hanlon’s The Talk of The Town and Knick Knack Paddy Whack are the same novel, published under two different titles. God bless capitalism, eh?

My copy of Moon Stomp turned up in the post earlier this week, and I’ve no problem admitting how disappointed I am.

I haven’t been able to start reading it yet -- six hundred and thirty-something pages of JB Priestley is demanding my full attention at the moment -- so I can’t claim any disappointment with the book itself. However, when I spend £8 plus international shipping for what Amazon UK lists as being a 288 page book, only for it to turn up clocking in at 91 pages in length, that’s a bit fucked.

Mark wrote: "Amazon UK lists as being a 288 page book, only for it to turn up clocking in at 91 pages in length, that’s a bit fucked."

What a rip off. That is outrageous.

I clicked that button on the listing, the button that invites you to report product description errors, and submitted the correction, but Amazon still has the book listed at 288 pages. Seems to me a disservice to the author, really.

Still, no reflection on the book or on Tim Wells -- still very much looking forward to reading it, it’ll just be a matter of spending a lot less time with it than I’d been looking forward to doing.

Yes indeed. You'll knock it off in your tea break.

Started reading Moonstomp on this morning’s subway, and finished it on this evening’s.

More a novella than a novel, but more an idea than a novella. Really fun, though far from fully realised.

3/5

Thanks Mark - I'll still seek it out

I think that if you tamper your expectations against the book’s potential, you’ll have fun with it.

Thanks Mark - that's helpful advice. I'm going to wait for a while and see what happens to the price. It's seems a bit expensive for what is a novella.

Shine On Me by Tim Wells


The sequel to Moonstomp: London, 1980 and Joe the skinhead werewolf has returned....

https://youtu.be/q--2Tq-7bnc

https://unbound.com/books/shine-on-me/

Nigeyb wrote: "Shine On Me by Tim Wells


The sequel to Moonstomp: London, 1980 and Joe the skinhead werewolf has returned....

https://youtu.be/q--2Tq-7bnc

https://unbound.com/books/shine-on-me/"

Noted, and thanks for the heads-up!