Gary Strachan – "Write" Said Fred
Whimsical observations from deep within an erratic mind
Tuesday 3rd April - Ordinarily I'm loathed to proffer judgemental comment on the sartorial elegance of anyone. After all, I'm hardly the dedicated follower of fashion written about by Kinks frontman Ray Davies in 1966. A fact I can relay with indisputable surety with the knowledge I was only three years old when the song... Continue Reading →
Easter Saturday - Plans for a venture into Leeds for lunch are up in the air at the moment. While I scoff on a bacon sandwich, strategically fried to negate the smell of Good Friday's fried cod, my wife Karen and me are in two minds whether getting wetter than a frogman's pocket** for the... Continue Reading →
21st March 2018 is World Poetry Day. A perennial event introduced in 1999 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) aimed at raising the profile of prose. It's goal the pulchritude of a poem, the splendour of a sumptuous sonnet, the opulence of the ode and, for the less discerning, the lewdness... Continue Reading →
To distract me from gawping at the hypnotic sight of settling snow flurries outside, I've been watching a few minutes of a dog psychic on breakfast TV. As a sceptic of human beings being able to telepathically connect with canines, apart from Bob Carolgees & Spit the Dog, I commenced the viewing with an unhealthy... Continue Reading →
With my wife Karen being at her parents home in the People's Republic of Birtley for the weekend, I spent yesterday in the company of a massive pizza. It didn't possess Karen's charm, nevertheless it proved to be an agreeable companion during my binge-watching of rugby and a dramatization of the 1990s trial of OJ... Continue Reading →
One Fine Day We Shall See - An aria in Act 2 of opera Madama Butterfly. A scene where Nagasaki girl Coi-Coi San misguidedly opines to sceptical maid Suzuki that, despite it being three years since last seeing her husband, her marriage remains strong. As fragrant tree blossom cascades gently onto the women, Ms San... Continue Reading →
In an attempt to broaden my horizons, I've bought myself a ticket for the Opera North production of Madame Butterfly, this Tuesday night. Due to my procrastination, there was a paucity of unsold tickets remaining when I applied. Consequently, I had to settle for a seat with a restricted view. I'm unsure at this point... Continue Reading →
The late American actor/musician Jack Lemmon was born on this day in 1925. Born John Uhler Lemmon III in a suburb of Boston, Massachusetts, he was the only child of John Uhler Lemmon Jr and his wife Mildred. His father, a driven man who never said the word juxtaposition, was president of a doughnut company... Continue Reading →
Today would have been Red Buttons 99th birthday. To clarify, I’m referring to the late New York born actor/comedian, not the remote control button you press to acquire BBC iPlayer. Born Aaron Chwatt, he changed his name to Red Buttons due to his agent having a speech impediment*** whereby he pronounced ‘ch’ as ‘t’. Red... Continue Reading →