Lloyd Cole on tour...

Advantages: Melodic, beautiful, spine tingling
Disadvantages: Pretentious, sneering, smug

...My spies tell me that Lloyd Cole is hitting the road this summer, on a UK tour. Before you rush out and book tickets, here's my review of the gig he played here in Edinburgh last year: ******************************************** Ok, so why the hell did I give up my Sunday night to sit in a church pew in Edinburgh's charming but chilly Queens Hall and listen to an old has been that never was? Well, firstly I'll be honest with you and admit I got the tickets for nothing via a competition in our local paper. Hurrah! I am a winner! felt good, I can tell you. And secondly, I have loved this mans work since I was fifteen years old and (illegally!) taped my brother's Rattlenakes LP and played it to death in my bedroom. In those days of course Lloyd Cole was never without his Commotions, who appear to have now melted away or indeed...

ShoppingGirl 03.06.2003 · Read review
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Review of Everything that starts with L ...

Lloyds on Lloyds

Advantages: Many branches, deposits easily made
Disadvantages: Sometimes the shear size cannot deal with individuals across depts

...Lloyds TSB, a fusion giant of the Lloyds Bank and the Trustee Savings Bank in 1995, becoming one of largest banks in the UK. Its head office now in London, Gresham Street. In Scotland it is known as Lloyds TSB Scotland. It also owns Cheltenham and Gloucester, Scottish Widows, and Black Horse. This is an example of a monster of a bank who are extremely good to you if you are paying the staff wages, but when you get into difficulties they seem to heavily crush you. Mind you it is not fair to say Lloyds are alone in this, all the financial institutions operate this way. But Lloyds in my experience are relatively good in some departments but poor in others. If there are no problems with your accounts then there is not really a problem. However, if you open many accounts with them, they have various departments dealing...

makro74 29.07.2008 · Read review
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The Take, a novel by Martina Cole

Advantages: A compelling tale of a criminally inclined family
Disadvantages: Strong language and violent scenes may cause offence.

...Review of ?The Take? a novel by Martina Cole I am reviewing the hardback version of the book, ISBN 978-0747269717 , 512 pages, published by Headline Book Publishing, in 2005. Jacket price £17.99. Also available used from www.amazon.co.uk . **The Novel** This novel is from the pen of Martina Cole, a British author who has made the London criminal underworld come alive for the readers of her work. The Take follows the fortunes and lives of the Jackson family from the early 1980's to the early '00s. The plot begins with the release from prison of Freddie Jackson. Freddie has done his time, made some useful contacts in prison and is back on the streets accompanied by his young cousin, Jimmy. As Freddie celebrates his freedom with booze, women and drugs, he conveniently forgets his wife Jackie waiting at home...

brittle1906 30.07.2009 · Read review
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Lloyds banking

Advantages: Easy way to keep track of finances
Disadvantages: Can be slow at times

...Lloyds TSB internet banking lets you manage your finances, apply for loans, credit cards, mortgages & pay off bills from home or anywhere with internet access. It seems very secure, you have a 9 digit username which is randomly given to you to prevent people guessing then you have a password which much be more than 6 digits & preferably a mix of letters & numbers. You then also have to enter your memorable information which very similar to a password therefore can be pretty much anything you want it to be as long as you can remember it! It can sometimes be irritating having to enter this infomation every single time not to mention time consuming if you're in a rush to check your account balance but it does make it that little bit more secure & give you the extra peace of mind that your finances are secure. Once you have...

Great_reviewer07 12.01.2009 · Read review
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Review of Lloyds TSB Online Banking

Lloyds TSB

Advantages: Generally good service, helpful!
Disadvantages: High charges!

... Lloyds TSB I have been with Lloyds TSB literally all my life, they've always seemed to be a good bank to me, they won't lend me money as it is as I've never had credit and have been a student and never had a full time job, which is good, a lot of banks don't care and will give money out to anyone regardless of whether they can pay it back or not, but I've never had this with Lloyds, the only thing with them is the charges they put on your account for an unplanned overdraft, but these unplanned overdrafts I take with Lloyds really are a godsend when my wages are short by 50 pound one month and my phone bill needs paying so I don?t mind a £25 charge for a £100 unplanned overdraft, it s when you go overdrawn by 4p that the charge is annoying!!! Other than this, Lloyds have been a very good bank for me, yes they try to sell me...

stephbond89 16.11.2009 (17.11.2009) · Read review
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Two Women, hard hitting fiction from Martina Cole

Advantages: A very readable novel from a popular author
Disadvantages: Strong language and unsavoury subject matter may upset some

...Martina Cole is a popular novelist, known for her gritty, gutsy, no holds barred style of writing. If readers have experienced any of her other books, they will know that Ms Cole's novels are usually set in the seedy back streets of London's underworld, an area ruled by violence, hard men and poverty. The male characters are archetypical men's men, hard drinking, hard fighting, villains. Their women are generally downtrodden and ill used, if not prostitutes. Two Women is set against this backdrop. ~~The Plot~~ The book begins in the 1980's, with convicted murderess Susan Dalston, being transported from Durham prison to Holloway prison. Dalston has lodged an appeal against her life sentence. Dalston's reputation has preceded her, a dangerous woman who battered her husband to death by hitting him over 100 times around the head...

brittle1906 02.12.2009 · Read review
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Review of Two Women - Martina Cole

Martina Cole - Close

Advantages: another cole classic
Disadvantages: not as good as some of her previous work

...Martina Cole - Close I couldn't wait to buy the new book from Martina Cole, Close and even though I cant stand to read hardback books, when I saw it in Tesco's for a discounted price I snapped it up and rushed home with a big bar of chocolate to begin the read. Unlike most Cole books this particular one seemed to take me a little while to get into the plot. For those who have yet the pleasure of read a Cole classic I will tell you that all her books are about the crime and gangster world of the London streets. The books are often filled with plenty of violence and skulduggery. The main two characters of this book are Lilly and Pat Brodie. You begin the book with them as a young couple just starting out in life and as the book progresses we follow their complicated lives through the tough world that is the London crime...

newby2 15.04.2007 · Read review
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Review of Close - Martina Cole

I'm A Girl And He's The Man

Advantages: excellent cross-career introduction to the man himself
Disadvantages: A few off tracks, but mostly no disadvantages at all!

...According to some website or other, January 31st 2004 is Lloyd Cole's 43rd birthday, and as such I felt it necessary to write an opinion about the wonder that he is. Possessed of a sexy drawl, a way with comedy-serious lyrics and gentleness on the guitar he simply rocks. Empire magazine once described Crowded House as "New Zealand purveyors of Dad Rock", apart from the geographical location the same could be said of the blessed Lloyd, and I make no apology for considering that his best feature. This collection (track list at the end for fans who like to know these things!) splits into two parts. The first spans Lloyd's career from the early days when headed up Lloyd Cole and the Commotions and runs through tracks from albums such as Rattlesnakes (buy it!) and Mainstream. The second encompasses the rather varied work he has produced...

ruth_cole 29.01.2004 · Read review
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Review of Collection, The - Lloyd Cole

The Take by Martina Cole

Advantages: Addictive
Disadvantages: Violent in places

...The Take by Martina Cole As I am normally the chick lit Queen, I was surprised that I even gave this one a second glance. A friend lent it to me and told me that it was a good read. I was doubtful, but I thought I'd read the first few pages anyway - expecting to have put it down after a few pages. Instead I was hooked. This book is about the criminal underworld, gangsters and a lot of wheeling and dealing. I don't normally read or watch this type of thing, but Martina Cole has an excellent way of writing. She brings the characters to life, makes them real, and she really draws you in. The main story revolves around the Jacksons - Freddie and his younger cousin Jimmy. Jimmy looks up to Freddie at the beginning of the story but the tables turn throughout it. Freddie is married to Jackie, a raging alcoholic whose first love is...

jules.34 26.07.2007 · Read review
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Review of The Take - Martina Cole

Lloyds TSB

Advantages: Helpful bank, always try to help during financial difficulty.
Disadvantages: Try to sell you things you don't want, high bank charges.

...I have been with Lloyds TSB literally all my life, they've always seemed to be a good bank to me, they won't lend me money as it is as I've never had credit and have been a student and never had a full time job, which is good, alot of banks don't care and will give money out to anyone regardless of whether they can pay it back or not, but I've never had this with Lloyds, the ony thing with them is the charges they put on your account for an unplanned overdraft, but these unplanned overdrafts I take with Lloyds really are a godsend when my wages are short by 50 pound one month and my phone bill needs paying so I dont mind a £25 charge for a £100 unplanned overdraft, it s when you go overdrawn by 4p that the charge is annoying!!! Other than this, Lloys have been a very good bank for me, yes they try to sell me things like car insuarnce...

stephbond89 30.05.2009 · Read review
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Review of Lloyds TSB