Yuletide preparations continue apace in chez Strachan. With nineteen more sleeps until St Nick breaks into my apartment with an immunity afforded from his benevolence, my pre-yuletide plans are well placed. Gifts are purchased, and arrangements to distribute the presents have been made. Additionally, a kind invite from friends to celebrate Christmas Day with them mean I’m... Continue Reading →
Christmas Quiz
As it's the festive season, I enclose a series of intentionally absurd Christmas quiz questions. These fictional 'True or False' catechisms are written purely for comedic value; consequently, they should not be viewed as factual fare... The 'answers' are shown below in bold:- True or False - Last year my brother asked for Christmas gifts... Continue Reading →
Giddy Up!
I spent part of Saturday morning freshening up the look and feel of my blogging website Strachan.blog . By reading this prose, a cosmetic change you are now party to. Is it any better? Well, I think so; but hey I am biased, so I’ll let you make your own mind up… Oh, you already... Continue Reading →
The Tramp
I’ve not written much of late. For no apparent reason my mood has been low; draining any motivation to indulge in literary projects. Perversely, annoyance at myself for being in a low spirits for no reason has sent my mood even lower. It has got so bad, yesterday evening GJ Strachan had a word with... Continue Reading →
Suffering For My Art
A phalanx of baristas and customers seeking a caffeine hit surround me as I commence this missive. A south Leeds retail centre’s café affording me a domain to place my buttocks, rehydrate and stir whatever creative juice pool I can muster. After tweaking my back yesterday afternoon, this journaling accompanied by intermittent lumbar spasms. Stretching... Continue Reading →
The Picnic
Looking down, it felt like this working-class northern lad had arrived. His eyes drawn to a multicoloured hippy picnic blanket in front of him; the rug laden with a wonderful smorgasbord procured from a Fortnum & Mason festival stall. His partner belying her usual similar lack of culture by swooning at the champagne feast. Her... Continue Reading →
Window Cleaner’s Secret
Recently, while endeavouring to locate some important document or other, I stumbled across a bunch of long forgotten short stories I’d written during creative writing course attended in 2015. Footnote - When saying stumble I mean inadvertently located; not I'd tripped over a pile of recklessly discarded A4 sheets. Anyhow, I accidentally located six or... Continue Reading →
Keen On Keane
“If only I don't bend and break, I'll meet you on the other side, I'll meet you in the light. If only I don't suffocate, I'll meet you in the morning when you wake.” Thoughts and emotions I heard relayed last Friday evening. To clarify the above wasn’t delivered as a morbid goodnight message from my partner, Sarah. An audio... Continue Reading →
Literary Therapy
Sunlight sneaks through an adjacent window, kissing the upper petals of the white orchid adorning the features dusty sill. On a nearby kitchen table perches a middle-aged man, laptop afore him. Erratic of mood, he scans his immediate indoor landscape. Blue eyes darting between a full-size sculpture of a horse’s head, a three-dimensional hanging scooter... Continue Reading →