Friday 25th April – My existential odyssey began on this day in the 1960’s; the location of delivery a West Yorkshire maternity home. I’ve no idea whether I arrived standard post or recorded delivery – Thankfully, though, I was a package my parents wanted so avoided having ‘Return to Sender’ stamped on my forehead. That…
Tag: birthday
My Baby’s Three
Yesterday morning I received a surprise when arriving at the breakfast table to be greeted with a smile and a cordial “Hello!” from my diminutive other half. The surprise wasn’t the cordiality of Karen’s greeting, moreover the fact we had a kitchen table. We didn’t have one when I retired to bed the previous evening!…
Opus To My Youngest Offspring
A quarter of a century ago today my second and youngest offspring made her surprise appearance in a Bedfordshire hospital. To clarify, when I say surprise I’m referring to the fact my daughter Rachel was born a week early – Not that my wife Karen hadn’t realised she was pregnant. I can relay that observation…
Pressing Red Buttons
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…
Worse Things Happen At Sea!
Today marks the 150th Birthday of the shipping forecast on BBC radio. The broadcast, introduced in 1867, a consequence of sea-farers concluding it’s predecessor of harbour-masters exclaiming “I bet it’s chuffing choppy out there today, marra!”, was no longer fit for purpose as an aid to safe shipping navigation. In the days when it was frowned upon to calm boisterous children…
Respite In Spa Town
There was well-earned respite today for the post-surgery carer of Monsieur Strachan senior. A day out in Harrogate the much-needed break for my mum, accompanied by my wee missus. Reward for her challenging few months, including dealing my papa’s irrational new insistence he is addressed as though he’s a Frenchman! Even when the individual is low maintenance, residing in a household with a…
Maggie’s Advice For Mrs Worthington
Yesterday evening, I ambled down memory lane in the company of old vinyl albums and my pater. During this saunter, he and I re-visited the easy on the ear tunes of David Gate’s Bread, the melancholic songs of Phil Collins first solo album and a clutch of Paul Simon classics. Our sojourn ending in the 1960’s Sands club, Las Vegas with the…
Quite A Day!
On this day in 1966 Frank Sinatra topped the UK singles charts with the Grammy Award winning ballad Strangers in the Night. This date was also made notable as it witnessed the premiere of the movie Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf; director Mike Nichols celebrated celluloid comedy/drama, starring Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, which went on…
The Day My Boy Was Born
Twenty seven years ago today I became a father for the first time. It was just gone 3 am when my son Jonathon made an appearance at a Bedfordshire hospital. His arrival followed a harrowing seven hours for his mum, and me shouting myself hoarse with regular cries of “Heave!”….. An unhelpful yell that made it appear the delivery room was…