Gary Strachan – "Write" Said Fred
Whimsical observations from deep within an erratic mind
In yesterday's narrative Neil Fraser’s Cricket Boots I wrote whimsically of northern England summers past. In particular my mother's futile obsession with her son's maintaining sartorial elegance on the cricket field. They were balmy summers in the mid to late 1970's. Times when the meteorological gods bequeathed us Brits three to four warm months a year.... Continue Reading →
"Your/their hair need a right good cut!" An adage frequently delivered in my mother's rich Yorkshire dialect since my 1970's childhood. Mater's way of opining that as a consequence of neglectful grooming the individual she refers to looked a"Right scruffy bleeder."...... Whether it be a messy mullet, unkempt curtain hair, poorly groomed bouffant or a... Continue Reading →
The old Penny-Farthing bicycle, Dennis Potter's play Pennies from Heaven, priceless stamp the Penny Black and amusement halls Penny Arcades - All deriving their monikers from the centuries old penny coin. "See a penny. Pick it up. All day long you'll have good luck." an adage my mum occasionally proffered to her offspring during their... Continue Reading →
In the late 1970's, a Duncan Fearnley clubman willow had the dubious honour of being the first adult-sized cricket bat to reside in my junior kit bag. It was a piece of equipment that served me well over the years. The handle regularly used to secure stumps into the ground, a friendly foe during netting... Continue Reading →
As a fledgling cricketer learning the game at Gateshead Fell cricket club (GFCC), it soon became apparent that certain knowledge voids about the game had to be filled sooner rather than later. Possibly the most key being awareness that two spherical objects who'd taken recent residence in my M&S undies needed protecting from the hard... Continue Reading →
"Break a leg!" - Unorthodox words of support aimed at thespians prior to them taking the stage. A superstition adopted after it was deemed to be bad luck to wish an actor "Good luck!" pre-performance. Traditional well meaning felicitations utilised to bode 'luvvies' a successful performance. Although 'break a leg' is used exclusively within the theatre world,... Continue Reading →
..... Save up their money for a holiday, to Selsey Bill or Bracklesham Bay. They'll think about the future - when they'll settle down. Marry the girl with one on the way...... A verse of Paul Weller prose written in the late 1970's, from The Jam's track Saturday's Kids. Just one example of the songwriter's numerous thought provoking anti-establishment... Continue Reading →
Yesterday I wrote of a memory from my schooldays which resulted in receiving several pieces of very encouraging feedback. In fact one friend went as far as saying "I've just read your blog, Gary. Any chance I can borrow a tin of soup?" Buoyed by this positive critique, I thought I'd try recollect further memories from around that... Continue Reading →
On Tuesday evening, I took a journey on foot that I've taken many of times over the past 47 years. A sojourn that commences with parking in the vicinity of the Dragon Pub on Whitehall Road, Leeds, with a ultimate destination of Elland Road football stadium. It's a walk that starts with crossing Whitehall Road, followed by an amble down a bramble bush... Continue Reading →