Saturday 28th April – Childhood ‘Oor Wullie’ and ‘The Broons’ annuals, original Ladybird books from the 1970’s, family photos from the last seventy years and a commemorative plate from the 1981 marriage of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer – Just a snapshot of the gems unearthed during this morning’s final purge of mater’s garage. Brother Ian and my younger days flashed before our eyes when box or tea chest […]
Wednesday 11th April (Part 2) – I’m currently sitting in my mum’s dining room as I commence penning this my second offering of the day. In the living room mater receives her Monday to Friday evening fix of soap operas. Although, seemingly harmless, an addiction that thankfully hasn’t thus far afflicted me during this life odyssey. As I listen through the adjoining door at the old lady labelling a Coronation Street character […]
Friday 6th April – I’m sitting at Leeds train station penning this prose – Awaiting the Newcastle bound locomotive to meet mates from that metropolis, nestling on the River Tyne’s north eastern banks.. People watching and waiting for my Americano coffee to reduce to a temperature that won’t result in third degree tongue burns, I mull over my existential lot. While pondering, a young man and his partner have just […]
Early this morning I posted a fairly unremarkable photo on Instagram. The aforementioned a picture of my garden, recently rendered almost monochrome by ‘Beast from the East’ snow drifts and West Yorkshire’s foreboding grey skies. While editing the photograph, prior to publishing it on social media, I formed an opinion that finding the most effective filter for a picture isn’t always a straightforward process. Granted, in the grand scheme of […]
“……When you meet a gent paying all kinds of rent For a flat that could flatten the Taj Mahal. Call it sad, call it funny. But it’s better than even money That the guy’s only doing it for some doll……” Song lyrics composed by American songwriter Frank Loesser in his eponymous refrain from the musical Guy & Dolls, which premiered on Broadway in 1950. In the catchy strain two of […]
Today, the 4th February is World Cancer Day. Around the globe events are taking place to increase awareness, educate and raise funds for a multitude of the research and support charities that underpin the fight against this rancid disease. The people selflessly involved in today’s events do so with the objective of making a difference to sufferer’s lives, be it preventative, clinical, supportive, curing or palliative. As my family’s lives, […]
Today marks the first anniversary of the death of the Ray Tomlinson, the man credited with inventing email, at the age of 74. It’s unknown if the New York engineer left an ‘out of office’ message advising he’ll respond when he next has wifi coverage. Similarly, rumours of burial in a deleted mail bin at a quiet family funeral were unconfirmed. It was Tomlinson who, in 1971, devised the program […]
