Gary Strachan – "Write" Said Fred
Whimsical observations from deep within an erratic mind
On this day in mid-1960's my younger brother Ian made his inaugural appearance into the world. Born at our Leeds home, our kid arrived shortly after, in their second World Heavyweight Championship fight Cassius Clay had knocked out Sonny Liston. With Clay (latterly Muhammed Ali) winning by first round KO, Ian didn't arrive in time to... Continue Reading →
This weeks topic prompt for a writing group I attend on a bi-weekly basis was 'ceremony'. A suggestion leading me to write/read out the following tongue-in-cheek narrative:- Ceremony – by Gary Strachan Today, with our thoughts on ceremonies, I’ve decided to revisit the day 35 years ago when I walked down the aisle of a County... Continue Reading →
My spirits lifted with the entrance barrier. Coming up a rare few days when I'd be in the company of my adult children (Jonathon & Rachel), their affable partners (Jenny & Brian), my partner (Sarah) and, dare I say it, most importantly my beautiful three-month old granddaughter Rosie Dot. The raised entrance barrier affording Sarah... Continue Reading →
Last week saw a two night tarry to a campsite near Berwick-upon-Tweed with my kid brother, Ian. Our camper van resting place affording its lucky visitors enchanting views of North Sea landscapes Lindisfarne, and further afield Bamburgh Castle. Lindisfarne (aka as Holy Island) the tidal isle, with its links to 6th century monks Saint Cuthbert... Continue Reading →
Today's literary offering is a piece penned for a writing group meeting this week. The topic for this maximum 1,000 word narrative was to journal a first meeting between a young man/new girlfriend and his parents... Concentrating in part on the thoughts of the mother, along with the son's new partners observations of events as... Continue Reading →
I have had a buddy from Gateshead stopping at my Wakefield apartment for the past two days. A cohort of mine since working together at the National Coal Board head office in the early 1980's, he (also named Gary) taught me a huge amount about inappropriate humour; including the limerick starting 'The was a young... Continue Reading →
The neon signages of M&S, Primark and Supercuts and a throng of busy midday customers provide today's writing landscape. The seat and table acting as my penmanship perch provided by a well known coffee house franchise. For no other reason than 'because I can', the dissenter in me spurning use of the cafe's wifi network... Continue Reading →
In his iconic love lament 'If', US songwriter David Gates started the lyric by poetically inquiring of his beau:- "If a picture paints a thousand words, then why can't I paint you?" It's not clear from the refrain's subsequent lines how his love responded to the question. However, with a little mischief on my part,... Continue Reading →
My brother Ian will shortly arrive for a two day hiatus at my West Yorkshire apartment. News of my habitually clumsy siblings return to the area of his birth no doubt leading to the flat's ornaments quaking in their boots. Of course, the ornamental trinkets don't literally quake in the boots. For one thing they're... Continue Reading →