First Date

The latest prompt for my writing group’s essay topic is ‘first date’. A suggestion which made me hark back to the inaugural social meeting between my current beau Sarah and me in 2022. A wintertime liaison where we toured a smattering of upmarket Leeds city centre watering holes… Well, the ones she wasn’t barred from…

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Who to Invite?!

As I commence putting pen to paper, the soundscape of Adele singing her melancholic refrain ‘When We Were Young‘ reverberates around my living room. Obviously, the source of the Tottenham-born singer’s lament is my smart speaker; the one where Alexa resides rent free. The superstar (Adele, not Alexa) hasn’t, of course, travelled to my modest West Yorkshire…

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Our Kid

On this day in mid-1960’s my younger brother Ian made his inaugural appearance into the world. Born at our Leeds home, our kid arrived shortly after, in their second World Heavyweight Championship fight Cassius Clay had knocked out Sonny Liston. With Clay (latterly Muhammed Ali) winning by first round KO, Ian didn’t arrive in time to…

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`Foolish Legacy?

Recently I visited the White Rose Shopping Centre, in South Leeds. During this tarry, procuring a new printer for the purpose of printing copies of my daily narratives. At the cost of £19.99, a gracious offer from monsieur WH Smith and folk at his splendid stationery emporium. Quite perversely, the purchase price less than that…

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Diamond in the Rough

Occasionally, while treading this creative path, I venture into a world of philosophy. A time when I try to make sense of life on this dysfunctional planet; hopefully leaving it with some insightful observation or advocacy. Yesterday, one such pearl of wisdom occurred to me; this relating to the upside of enduring stressful life episodes….

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Standing on Ceremony

This weeks topic prompt for a writing group I attend on a bi-weekly basis was ‘ceremony’. A suggestion leading me to write/read out the following tongue-in-cheek narrative:- Ceremony – by Gary Strachan                                     Today, with our thoughts on ceremonies, I’ve decided to revisit the day 35 years ago when I walked down the aisle of a County…

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The Dating Game

In a move to improve my exercise regime, which brings with it many benefits, GJ Strachan is contemplating purchasing a heavy duty punchbag. Preferably one around six foot in height with ground-based footings and of robust constitution. Blimey, while articulating the previous sentence, it felt like yours truly was penning a half-assed lonely-hearts ad….. That being…

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Taking the Biscuit

At the risk of turning this into a less accomplished Alan Bennett biscuit monologue, yesterday I became reacquainted with the joys of Rich Teas. After having my head turned with the enchantment of a chocolate Hob Nob in the mid-1980’s, a cookie pleasure I’d not experienced for decades. The chocolate coated seductresses beckoning me to…

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Giz A Job

After two years of retirement, I’m seriously contemplating dipping my toe back into the pool of paid employment. Don’t get me wrong, since taking my pension early I have spent my time in a productive and a predominantly verve filled times. However, of late I’ve decided I spend an unhealthy amount of time on my…

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