Gary Strachan – "Write" Said Fred
Whimsical observations from deep within an erratic mind
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 →
The first leg of my Scottish break commences at midday when the Strachmobile heads north-west for a one-night stop in Dumfries, Scotland. My destination a market town laying fifteen miles within Scots territory as the crow flies. That being said, as I'm travelling by car not on the back of a giant corvus, it'll be... Continue Reading →
To utilise urban patois, this afternoon the West Yorkshire sun is cracking the flags. If yours truly could muster enough enthusiasm to paint his current garden view, the spectator of the final oil based vision would be bequeathed an aesthetically pleasing horticultural landscape. This sight incorporating a manicured emerald lawn, sandstone retaining wall, along with... Continue Reading →
The scene played out at midnight on the periphery of Leeds city train station. To the backdrop of sparkling city square Christmas lights, a bearded middle aged man huddled in his Superdry wind cheater amongst a throng of almost a hundred fellow revellers. Like minded individuals who similarly sought refuge from the biting cold, along with... Continue Reading →
As I commence this essay it’s 3.04am on Friday 18th October. Yours truly currently seated 39009 feet above Newfoundland, travelling at 612mph on an Air Transat flight to Manchester. GPS data available to fellow passengers and me highlighting we have four more hours and seven minutes until we reach our destination. I’ve started penning this... Continue Reading →
Following a highly enjoyable two weeks on the North American continent, this evening my feet will leave Canadian terra firma for the first time in a fortnight when I board my return flight to Blighty. That's unless you count the occasions when my feet metaphorically left the ground, a consequence of awe manifesting from the beautiful... Continue Reading →
It's Thursday afternoon, I'm currently bound for Manchester airport station on the 14.50 train from Leeds. The locomotive carriages packed like my case, which lays under a ruck of luggage six feet from yours truly at the end of this compartment. Not crammed full, though with t-shirts, jeans, shirts and undies like my holdall. Moreover,... Continue Reading →
This is my second attempt at commencing today's narrative. The hundred or so words I originally penned disappearing into an e-ether after, while hindered by having to wax lyrical on my mobile phone instead of laptop, inadvertently deleted the draft. They say a bad workman blames his tools. However, in my case earlier, it was... Continue Reading →
Yesterday, I ventured north to the Riverside cricket stadium in County Durham with a buddy of mine; the sporting smorgasbord provided by England and New Zealand's national teams. Both sides final group games; the victor's spoils the certainty of a place in the ICC World Cup semi-finals. Boarding the packed train from our thriving West... Continue Reading →