In recent times notions relating to my late father have been amongst the numerous visitors to my mercurial mind. My cerebrum in receipt of thoughts relating to the old fella who four years ago passed away, depriving my brood of his inherent warmth, kindness, wisdom and love of family. Amongst memories appertaining to the patriarch…
Tag: gateshead
Maternal Memories – The Prequel Sequel
Collated as tributes to my mum who passed twelve days ago, over the previous few days my daily blogs’ve been an amalgam of essays written about unreliable memories relating to the matriarch. As highlighted in a prologue to those pieces, these are partly fictional tales based on fact, were the names of the innocent were…
A Geordie Walkabout
I’m sitting looking out of my Newcastle hotel room French doors across the River Tyne. Staring back from the opposite bank is Gateshead, the town where I was raised after my family relocated from Leeds when a young child. A town where I’ve not resided since 1987, after leaving for London to seek my fortune…
Praying
Sunday witnessed me in reflective mood; in particular pondering matters ecclesiastical. Amongst numerous spiritual notions crossing my mind was if God did indeed maketh man what warranty was he offering……. Not to mention, whether there’s a uniform in the afterlife, and if so does take into account clothing allergies. I’ve written before about the faith…
Memories of Mimicry
It was an arching run up with trailing bowling arm and slightly unorthodox delivery action I mimicked on numerous occasions during my 1970’s childhood. This then homage to Warwickshire and England cricketer Bob Willis ordinarily undertaken during ‘Test Matches’ my brother Ian and/or friends participated on the tarmac wicket of Dorchester Gardens, or dog dirt…
Cough Drop & The Boys
I’ve just dropped my car off in Whitkirk for its annual Ministry of Transport test (MOT). Following a meander down the road to Crossgates shopping centre I’m cafe in situ, as I commence this prose; my trusty a laptop and Americano coffee, Yesterday’s narrative Anniversary Stoicism told of how the day would’ve been my parents 59th wedding anniversary….
The Subbuteo Team Isn’t Always Greener…..
After my brief overnight stay in Gateshead, I’d an incident free odyssey south on the A1(M); arriving back in Leeds yesterday afternoon. My journey predominantly spent with the late morning/midday solar rays positioned just to the left of the driving seat sun visor. Consequently, my singing along to the refrains on Sting’s ’10 Summoners Tales’…
Allerdene Field For Ever
I’m writing this prose in a hotel around a mile from the Low Fell home I was brought up in on Gateshead’s southern suburbs. Sitting in the lounge of this guesthouse, even though I’m unable to see those places currently residing in my neurological corridors, memories flood back of childhood. These epiphanies including recollections of…
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…