I treat these narratives as a sort of diary. The existential journal of a random middle aged northern man’s ups and downs. Capricious meanderings based on truth, but given a light hearted fictional spin to ameliorate days which in all reality are predominantly pretty drab. Ordinarily, I attempt to avoid my diary becoming the type containing the sentimental... Continue Reading →
Eric Brought The Sunshine
Being on the outskirts of the town where he was born and raised, I ventured to see the coast front statue of late entertainer Eric Morecambe. The man christened Eric Bartholomew, who later took his hometown moniker as his stage name. Along with comedian Les Dawson, entertainer Ronnie Barker, and former Leeds United footballers Billy... Continue Reading →
A Quatermass Query
Since taking up residence in my mum's home she's felt moved to make sporadic reference to the plethora of device charging cables that now languish unceremoniously from her plug sockets. On one occasion commenting "It's like being in an episode of Quatermass with all these bleeding cables, Gary!!"....... I'd no idea what that meant, however I... Continue Reading →
Jack Strachan’s Chippy
In the late 1950's/early 1960's my grandparents owned a fish and chip restaurant on land which later became the roundabout at junction 27 of the M62 at Birstall. This land on the cusp of Gildersome and Morley - Suburban bastions separated by Gelderd Road in the west of Leeds. Although his tenure as the Harry... Continue Reading →
Harsh Lessons
A few days back I relayed recollections from my young childhood. While I mulled over a topic for today's prose my mother (whose house I'm currently residing in suggested I journal further memories from the same era........... Only funny ones this time. To be honest, what she really said “Was it you who ate that last... Continue Reading →
Joke
Despite the misery of watching England rugby team capitulate in the World Cup Final against South Africa, for a brief period during the game I'd a wry grin on my face. This smirk a consequence of a ferocious clash between opposing prop forwards which evoked memories of a favourite anecdote relayed to me in the... Continue Reading →
Vogue
As I begin this prose I'm taking temporary residence in a Costa coffee house in the White Rose Shopping Centre. My OCD being severely tested by having to utilise a different cafe than normal due to flooding at my usual eatery. Circumstances that've led to feelings of angst, an outbreak of hives and a desire... Continue Reading →
Night Shift Nonsense
"I'll give you a clue, he won the medal while riding a horse." Words from a board game question master to myself and team mate. His well-meaning attempt to assist our floundering efforts at answering the question "At what sport did Sweden's Anders Garderud win a gold medal at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games?" It... Continue Reading →
Halloween II – Just As You Thought It Safe To Go Into Dorchester Gardens!!
It’s Halloween, or “A neet fir scraggsers and kets” as an elderly acquaintance from my youth bafflingly labelled it. A night where ancient pagan liturgy meets with the contemporary ritual of sugar fuelled kids in scary costume. This evening in various parts of the globe, homes will ring to the annual sound of millions of doorbells and... Continue Reading →