My daughter Rachel, who relocated to the south east England county of Kent a few month’s ago, has been back home in West Yorkshire for a few days. My youngest offspring taking advantage of her partner’s weekend in the Lake District; he dropping her at her childhood home on his way to Cumbria. This morning I took Rach for a Costa coffee, where we caught up on each others life […]
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 monologue in an attempt to stop me falling asleep and waking up with my head […]
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 Ontario scenery, a frequent visual companion while venturing around this vast province. Sights generating my […]
I’ve seen some beautiful, awe inspiring breakfast views during the half century years I’ve ventured aimlessly through this oft idiosyncratic existence. For instance overlooking Lake Windermere from the restaurant of the Bowness’ Olde England Hotel. Accompanied by comforting warmth from late spring solar rays in Cumbria, a sight that in conjunction with my full English fry up was as close to breakfasting utopia as you can get….. As long as […]
Niagara Falls is the destination on my penultimate day in Canada. Views that have long been on my bucket list, which’s grown ever shorter during my odyssey in the land of the maple leaf. Visiting the globally famous waterfall a tourist aspiration I’ve held since old aunt Ada who in 1970’s arbitrarily advocated “Niagara Falls is truly beautiful, Gary……. Now can you and Ian*** shut the hell up, I’m trying […]
The final week of my Canadian odyssey has coincided with this vast and beautiful nations Thanksgiving. A time when it’s populous give thanks for a plentiful Fall harvest, gratitude at living in this beautiful country, along with honouring unofficial king William Shatner. As an Englishman I’m unsure if I’m allowed to take part in these submissions of gratitude. If so though, after a challenging year where I’ve experienced two life […]
My last two days in Canada have seen a couple of life firsts for GJ Strachan. My half century or so on this planet never previously exposing me to experiences of watching close hand a theatre production sound and lighting team at work, or in a position where I’d been required to undertake pool maintenance in a residential home (as was they case at my hosts home yesterday). Being born […]
