Race Day Recollections

Today, a well known social media site that rhymes with Racehook reminded that two years ago today I spent a day at the races, where I met up with an old friend from Gateshead. I’m not sure why I’m making a poor attempt at providing the website anonymity, but as my mum has always advocated “It’s better to be safe than sorry.”………

Family History with Strings Attached

Some ancestral object d’art may not have the aesthetic allure of a Capability Brown landscape design, or an Italian Renaissance painting; however that shouldn’t diminish its importance within the fabric of your family history. Before I move on I should clarify that, to the best of my knowledge, my family have never owned a Italian Renaissance painting. Its inclusion…

Wordplay in West Yorkshire

I don’t use the word propensity much. In fact, you could say I have the propensity not to utilise the word propensity. I’ve nothing against the colloquialism per sa, however, I have the tendency to proffer the word tendency in its place. Alternately, I sometimes have the inclination to use inclination as a substitute for…

All The World’s A Stage

Todays narrative is the 700th since I commenced my literary journey in spring 2015. I started this almost daily journal of partly fictional monologues (based on fact) in the March of that year, its aim a short term distraction from challenging issues affecting my family…… These are enduring issues that still remain very much part of my broods…

Clangers You Wanted To Drop

Whilst I sit at my dining table writing this, I have one eye on ‘The One Show’ on TV. My other eye is on my laptop screen…… Being wall-eyed has it’s advantages at times. As the bright evening sun reflects off the screen, I can just about make out tonight’s guest, veteran TV presenter John…

Neither Borrower Or Blender Be

“Words of whimsy comforting a troubled soul for but one moment are a greater gift than yon ‘3 for 2’ yoghurt offer from thine local store……. Unless thy prefers yoghurt to laughter, in whicheth case check out Sainsbury’s fromage frais deal to sooth one’s tortured brow.” Sage like words of eloquence and guidance from the prolific quill…

Sunrise, Sunset

On this sunny West Yorkshire morn, I’ve been pottering in the back garden. Don’t ask what pottering means as I’ve no flipping idea, but I’m told by the missus that’s what I’ve been doing. Lately, I have been trying hard to improve my horticultural knowledge; and as such am attempting to learn the Latin or common…

Surreal Storyboards

Ordinarily, I don’t take my iPod when I go out for a wander. A reticence born from fears about ‘treating’ passers-by to over enthusiastic singing along with a Coldplay song, or whistling the brass section notes of a Phil Collins track from the album Face Value. Today, though, I took the radical step of accompanying…

He’s Whistling That ‘On The Buses’ Theme Again, Mal!

Yesterday evening, despite the chill from this seemingly endless spring breeze, my other half and I indulging in a barbeque. Incidentally, when I say other half I mean my wife, not that I dined alfresco with my Siamese twin Arthur. I haven’t really got a co-joined sibling named Arthur…… He’s called Frank!…… Seriously though, I’m…