I visited Wales for the first time over the weekend. At over 50 years of age, my inaugural sojourn to a nation the Welsh dub ‘lad of my fathers’ long overdue. This tardiness at sampling the domain famed for dragons, leeks and daffodils consequential of my preference to holiday at the nearer beach resorts; predominantly on the UK’s east coast. This, along with GJ Strachan’s alarming indifference to the topics of […]
Yesterday evening we held a slightly previous family get together to celebrate Mrs Strachan senior’s 79th birthday. Although technically not her anniversary of birth until today, already pressing engagements resulted in the clan marking the dawning of mater’s 80th year a day early. The brood’s celebration of the event taking place in an East Leeds Italian restaurant. Despite not having a politically incorrect bone in her body, mother suffers from an […]
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 alma maters of Breckenbeds Junior High and Heathfield Senior High as I was. That being […]
The other day I inadvertently, but gratifyingly, came across an emotive Gregory Porter cover of the song It’s Probably Me, originally brought to audiences attention on Sting’s 1992 album Ten Summoner’ Tales. Porter’s version of a refrain performed live in front of an audience including the former the Police frontman, during 2017’s Polar Music Prize Ceremony. Written by a trinity of rock royalty, Eric Clapton, Michael Kamen and Gordon Sumner […]
I’ve got a weekend home alone. Consequently, GJ Strachan will be spending a great deal of his time slobbing around the place in his undies armed with a pizza and a six pack of beer…… I just hope it’s not a lifestyle strategy which leads to me getting a lifetime ban from Tescos!! One positive piece of news is that at least I’m now able to drive again. Consequently I […]
It’s rare I remember my dreams. This morning, though, a segment of last night’s slumber visions remained with me until my waking hour. This sleep scene a rather dark encounter where, while within the dream I was penning a narrative in a coffee house, I was held at gunpoint by three ‘desperados’ with aspirations of stealing my laptop device. Within my state of slumber, the three gun totting aggressors lulling […]
On Saturday afternoon, as one of the acts performing at Garforth’s G-Fest music event, I was part of an ensemble singing choral versions of popular contemporary refrains Headlining the community stage, we (Garforth Community Choir) played a 15 minute set incorporating the songs You Gotta Be, Happy, Shackles, Is This Love, Lovely Day. Our audience several hundred East Leeds revellers – Discerning music lovers gathering at the Glebelands venue in […]
