Today sees my last day on the North Yorkshire break hastily instigated a week ago in a bid to escape the relentless stress consequential of living at my mum’s abode. Anxiety levels heightened by our increasingly fraught relationship, which’d reached a plateau where yours truly genuinely feared, if unaddressed, I’d undergo another heart attack. That being said, I suspect spending four nights in a Thirsk cottage writing on my laptop, […]
Yesterday, I was saddened to hear about the passing of Australian writer/broadcaster Clive James. A man whose erudite and witty essays in his book ‘Unreliable Memories‘, like Woody Allen’s comedic tomes in ‘Without Feathers‘ and numerous whimsical Les Dawson monologues, were catalysts for my dabbling in the domaine de l’écriture humoristique. James’ Sunday evening broadcasts on ITV were also a great favourite of mine in the 1980’s. His dry and acerbic […]
Since July’s swapping of my residential post code area from LS15 to WF3 I’ve been lucky enough to have travelled to Scotland, Wales and Canada. In the process meeting some fabulously positive, engaging individuals whose company and generosity of spirit has been the very antithesis of the toxicity and negativity that for decades had hung around my neck like a millstone. These new encounters shared with ‘real’ people; many who’d […]
The royal ‘we’ – A much used addition to my mother’s vocabulary since I commenced residing in casa Strachan senior back in July. A ‘we’ which, when inserted into a conversation with yours truly, always means ‘you’. “We need to cut back the buddleia in the back garden, Gary!”, “We need to ring Sky and cancel the Sky Sports package, Gaz!”, “We need to sort out the house insurance renewal, […]
During my fledgling years my main love was association football, as an old Pathe news commentator may’ve dubbed the game in his authoritative BBC English tones. In particular, I was enamoured by the all conquering 1960s/70s Leeds United teams managed by Don Revie. Accomplished exponents of a game that led to a boyhood pipe dream of one day playing for the team representing my West Yorkshire place of birth. This unconditional […]
Yesterday in my essay Face Value I wrote of yours truly’s recent reacquaintance with a few vinyl albums of my youth. These original long playing records evoking memories from my fledgling years; melodic antiquities which I’ve habitually revisited of late. These vivid recollections bequeathed by musical imprints indelibly marked on the tapestry of my life, manifesting visions of warmth, security and the love experienced in childhood. Yesterday’s musings were those of Phil […]
I’ve the pleasure of my mother’s company as I commence this essay, Costa coffee in situ. This infrequent event of her presence while writing follows her request to accompany me to the White Rose Shopping Centre (WRSC) – Her mission to “Buy some bits for Christmas.” An inquiry I was happy to accommodate, but only after assurances she wouldn’t distract me mid-penmanship once at the south Leeds retail outlet. A […]
