Gary Strachan – "Write" Said Fred
Whimsical observations from deep within an erratic mind
Thirty two years ago tomorrow I became a father for the first time when my son Jonathon joined the cast of this reality show called life. A rollercoaster of a gig my boy has thus far weathered relatively well; arriving into adulthood as an engaging and grounded young man of whom I'm immensely proud. Never... Continue Reading →
Friday saw me venture north to visit my son Jonathon and fiancee Jenny's new home in the suburbs of Thirsk. A town which when I last visited, in December 2019, yours truly idiosyncratically described as follows in earlier prose:- "An enchanting North Yorkshire market town - Without doubt the most beguiling place I've visited which's... Continue Reading →
Thirty years ago today I became a father for the first time. This major life event consequential of son and heir Jonathon joined the cast of this reality show called life. A rollercoaster of a gig that my boy has thus far weathered relatively well; arriving as a thirtysomething as an engaging and grounded young... Continue Reading →
In lockdown my brother Ian and adult son Jonathon, the brood's musicians, have both picked up their acoustic guitars for the first time in years. My son didn't actually play his instrument on picked it up, it was raised from it's stand to undertake a heavy handed flattening of a spider on his spare room... Continue Reading →
Saturday morning - The calm before Sunday's forecast rainstorm. Serenity prior to the tempest. Tranquillity ahead of the deluge. The affable Doctor Henry Jekyll afore his morph into evil Edward Hyde. Sunshine graces this corner of England's green and pleasant land. West Yorkshire making the most of today's solar rays by donning a ragged straw... Continue Reading →
Twenty eight years ago today I became a father for the first time following my son Jonny joining the cast of this reality show called life. A rollercoaster of a gig that my boy has thus far weathered relatively well, arriving into adulthood as an engaging and grounded young man of whom I'm very proud.... Continue Reading →
Yesterday, I ventured east on the A64 to the York Designer Outlet where I met up with my twentysomething son Jonny. An amiable young man, the fact he's occasionally prepared to read my narratives, when his sister steadfastly refuses, contribute to making the Leeds lad my favoured offspring. I'm not upset about my daughter Rachel's... Continue Reading →
Yesterday afternoon, I started the unenviable task of tidying our garage. A tedious job that included the cleaning out of my toolbox, sorting screws into comparable sizes and pondering why, during my 29 year marriage, I'd gone to the unnecessary expense of purchasing two of every tool. Amongst the emotional re-acquaintances I made sorting my toolbox, I was reunited with dust and wood... Continue Reading →
My week of exercise and healthy eating unceremoniously came off the rails yesterday evening. The willpower of yours truly, stoic foe of temptation over the previous seven days or so, conspicuous by it's absence during a visit to Headingley cricket ground. An evening sojourn with a pal to witness the Yorkshire v Lancashire T20 Blast game. All the ingredients were there to... Continue Reading →