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Hi, Rusty!
No, so far as I am aware, I have never heard of Dervla Murphy before you mentioned her tonight!
I do not think that I conjured up that question from hidden psychological depths!
Another "spooky" (co) incidence?
You are thinking of Alex Haley - it was he who wrote "Roots".
Wasn' t there a serial - or some such - on the television, many years ago, based on the book?
Although I am afraid that I neither saw the serial/ series, nor read the book.
Am I right in thinking that there was some controversy over whether or not it was a true story?
Or I could be misremembering?

Hello, Elle!
There is lots about Dervla on YouTube.
I think I will take to her.
Yes, I had the wrong man.
I read the book and watched the mini-series but remember little about it, other than the main character was called Kunta Kinte, and there was a man called Chicken George in it.
It was a controversial carry on, right enough.
The whole thing ended up in court and the judge said "Alex Haley perpetrated a hoax on the public."
Your memory is sound, Elle.
Have your daughters been in touch today?
All having a good time, I hope?

Hi, Rusty!
Umm, speaking of memory....do you not find that you can remember the more distant events far more easily and clearly, than you can recall what happened a week ago last Thursday, for instance?
This must be an "age" thing?
Yes, both daughters have been in touch today!
Younger daughter has sent texts from Holland to my phone - and photos by email (the latter because my mobile is ancient and does not accept pictures! Its only facilities are to ring and text!)
And elder daughter sent photo and email to say that they had reached the hotel in Mauritius safely.
Younger will be back on Saturday, the other the following weekend.
Yes, all appear to be having a great time!

Hello, Elle!
Yes, I agree about the age thing.
Also, unless I am interested in something, I won't remember.
I seem to filter out stuff of no interest to me.
There is a very positive response from the GB athletes to Eilidh Doyle being their captain.
My Twitter page is full of complimentary tweets about her.
I did not realise she was so highly thought of.
I added Eilidh to my Twitter list of folk to "follow".
And Eilish.
Good that your daughters are having a good time!

Good morning, Rusty!
Dull but a tad milder today.
A pleasant walk now that I am able to venture forth a little further -- my toe not incapacitating me quite as much now , fortunately!
Yes, Eilidh will make a good team captain - and having the support of the team behind her will help bring them together as a working unit.
I just have time to grab a cup of coffee and then I must be away....
I am going to have my hair cut (well, trimmed.......slightly!)
What are you up to, today?

Good morning, Elle!
Fairly dull here, too.
Me and newly glued shoe were out earlier.
Shoe seems fine!
That's good your old toe is on the mend.
I am not up to much today.
I have been exploring!
Been reading up on Saint James the Great.
I did not realise he was also known as "Saint James the Greater"?
I agree about Eilidh.
She comes across as a very nice person, indeed.
And she is very chuffed to be chosen by her team.
I could be doing with a trim myself!
The local dog trimmer van was parked in my street earlier!

Hi, Rusty!
I am home again after a somewhat confusing morning!
As you know, I went to have my hair trimmed......
All "seemed" as normal in the hairdressers, but the hairdresser wasn't "herself ", but "herself" 's identical twin!
And I appeared to be the only client who was aware of this!
It was very amusing!
It turned out that the usual hairdresser had been rushed into hospital to have her appendix removed, and said identical "twin" - also a hairdresser - had stepped in to cover for her!
It sounds as though you and my dog both need a haircut!
Now, Rusty...... St James!
This is not new to you........
I distinctly remember telling you about the two St James - St James the Great (er) and St James the Less (er) - when discussing St James Park once!
(It was originally in connection with a cycling event)
St James the Great(er) - one of the Twelve Apostles - was the son of Zebedee, and St James the Less (er) was the son of Alphaeus. His mother Mary was a close relative (possibly sister) of the Virgin Mary.
Now is this ringing any bells?

Hello, Elle!
Yes, I knew about Saint James the Great, but did not know he was also known as Saint James the Greater.
That makes it sound to me as if there were a few Saint James'.
Is there a "Greatest", too?
He was known as "the Moorslayer", too, if any of this guff I have been reading is true.
I do not remember him being in a cycling event?
I will have a look on YouTube later for him.
There is a cathedral in his honour in Northern Spain.
Santiago de Compostella.
Saint James of the Field of Stars, I think.
That was handy that your hairdresser had a sister to stand in for her.
In the lane I live in, most of the ladies have hairdressers who visit them, rather than they visit a shop.
I have finished my puzzle.
Quite a good one.
One new word for me.
And one you may help to parse properly, when you finish your's.

Hi, Rusty!
If you wait for me to finish my puzzle, you might be waiting quite a while.... I am not having a good day!
Brain not properly engaged!
On the other hand , I have done some of it....so may be able to help you if my efforts so far correspond with yours?
What do you want to know?
Just maybe...I will have done it!
Btw......I especially liked 12a :" Popocatepetl"!
I arrived at the answer without having previously heard of the volcano - and had to look it up!
I also didn't know what BACS stood for!

Hello, Elle!
I do not know what BACS stood for, too!
I see it on a bank statement, though!
I knew the volcano, but "Nore" is new to me.
The mutiny I knew about was at Invergordon.
Do you know that BBC are showing several programmes next week to remember Passchendaele?
There are several events up here about it, too.
Right, this is my clue/problem!
21d, "Fabulous writer of a work about French art?" (5)
A?s?p.
i think it is "Aesop" the fable writer chappie.
But...!
"A" is in clue. work is "op", which leaves "French art" = "es".
Why is French art "es"?
It is not in Chambers.
Anne Bradford has it, but no explanation.