Skimming the Surface

Akin to many individuals, it's fair to say my fledgling years were awash with scores of useful life lessons. Procurement of knowledge such as, after failing to impress peers with the admittedly tepid trick, learning my double-jointed ring finger was unlikely to jettison me onto a meaningful and fulfilling career path. Another snippet of wisdom... Continue Reading →

Autumn Dawn

Autumn has crept menacingly towards us in a fashion similar to the slugs making daily visits to feast upon the moribund petunias and begonia residing in my patio pots. These plants as helpless at the hands of the molluscs as we are to whims of the weather..... Well, unless I can find my bloody slug... Continue Reading →

Library Location Labours

Bereft of a working printer, I've just spent the last hour cruising the streets of South Leeds/North Wakefield attempting to find a library to print off a package label. A frustrating odyssey where, after finding the first three book lenders closed, at a fourth attempt I finally fulfilled the task. Stanley Library, on the north... Continue Reading →

Wake Me Up When Dinner’s Ready

Day three of dog sitting Coco the lab/retriever. The sandy coloured enchanter who melts my heart and, through her penchant for fleecing me out of half my meal, is contributing towards the loss of the 9lb in weight I've gained during coronavirus lockdown...... I guess dog's aren't labelled as mans best friend for nothing. As... Continue Reading →

One Man’s Trash

Is it me or have Amazon started using a one size fits all cardboard box to package purchases pre-shipping. I maybe imagining this, however it seems to me that whether you order a TV, watch or book of stamps, the same large packaging appears to be delivered to your door. For smaller items brown sheets... Continue Reading →

Gauging Genius

"Conversation enriches the understanding; but solitude is the school of genius." - Edward Gibbon (English historian Words of wisdom yours truly stumbled across yesterday morning. Thankfully, this stumble didn't result in injury; instead my only concern upon reading this adage was gaining an informed insight into the 18th century writer's notion. Footnote - You may... Continue Reading →

When Life Gives You Lemmon……

Yesterday, yours truly returned from spending Christmas at mater's to reacquaint myself with the role of housesitter at my marital home in east Leeds.. GJ Strachan's Boxing Day one of greater dietary self-restraint than witnessed during Christmas Day's over indulgence. Instead, my time filled writing, watching classic old movies, an Alan Partridge episode and consumption... Continue Reading →

John Wilson’s Haircut

Yesterday evening I watched a recording of a BBC Four broadcast of the John Wilson Orchestra from the Royal Albert Hall; a performance forming part of the 2019 Proms season. The Gateshead-born conductor's orchestra treating their audience to a selection of music from Warner Brothers movies. John Wilson was educated in the same Low Fell... Continue Reading →

Music Hotter Than July

This is my second attempt at commencing today's narrative. The hundred or so words I originally penned disappearing into an e-ether after, while hindered by having to wax lyrical on my mobile phone instead of laptop, inadvertently deleted the draft. They say a bad workman blames his tools. However, in my case earlier, it was... Continue Reading →

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