'I loved yugoslavia. I just thought it was great.'

brian aldiss was spoiled by his time in the far east with the british army he reckons. part of his time was spent painting murals and putting on dances in a converted barn in sumatra. the british were occupying it to keep out the dutch on behalf of the local dictator (and because they'd been thrown out of india by the indians). this (occupying sumatra to stop the dutch from returning) was another bit of colonial history that horsemouth had never been taught.

eventually (three years after the end of the war) there's a troopship home and a sad arrival at liverpool docks to post war housing shortages and rationing. brian gets a job in a bookshop in oxford (and a typewriter and writes a satirical novel about it and he's off). 

but he cannot settle because he had been spoiled by the far east. he fell in love with yugoslavia almost as soon as he saw it - probably after the trieste film festival which he used to attend with harry harrison (deathworld, the stainless steel rat etc.). he was an early explorer of yugoslavia by landrover (who knew). they were so pleased to see him they gave him free petrol coupons for a year. 

'I loved yugoslavia. I just thought it was great.'

brian is an engaging host and absolutely charming. he's 79 when he's interviewed (he will last out until he is 92) and if his memory for names is shot his face still lights up with pleasure at the memories of the times and the people. 

horsemouth saw him speak at the british library on a bill with norman spinrad, john clute  and michael moorcock (sean had gotten tickets) probably a decade ago now. (yes june 22nd 2011).

it's a grey, foggy wet day out. horsemouth's brother, and his wife and his kids, are up visiting. people seem to have side-stepped the current covid wave (or perhaps they haven't and maybe we will find this out later). 

horsemouth is not sure what to do with today. breakfast and then a walk at some point he guesses.