Gary Strachan – "Write" Said Fred
Whimsical observations from deep within an erratic mind
It was a Saturday lunchtime. Two bearded men, both scarlet of face, both baring ready smiles stand outside a Wakefield charity shop. One man adorns a red suit/hat with white fur edging: his facial hair a similar albumen coloured hue. The other fella also standing adjacent to Santa’s outdoor grotto dons a khaki Superdry branded... Continue Reading →
The wind is darned gusty this morning; this inclement weather so blustery that during my short walk from apartment building door to the car a gust seized my cap and hairpiece. The pair last seen hurtling over the horizon in a north easterly direction towards Castleford... An episode made even stranger by the fact I... Continue Reading →
As dusk fell, with heavy precipitation turning my slim fit jeans into a second skin, I entered the camper van to jokingly asking Sarah if she had an industrial size shoe horn. A utensil I'd identified as a useful accessory to ease me outta my sodden denims. My partner and I had just spent an... Continue Reading →
"The black pudding's black today, mother!... Even the white bits are black!" An observation made by Eric Olthwaithe (played by Michael Palin) in the 1970's TV comedy series Ripping Yarns; a collection of separate whimsical tales written by Palin and fellow Python Terry Jones. Footnote - For the uninitiated, when writing Python above I'm of... Continue Reading →
They say prevailing outside temperatures are currently mid-30's Celsius here in Blighty. I've gotta say, though, it feels more like the steady 190C my oven blasts out when cooking corned beef hash...... Or, coming to think of it, any other dish which requires cooking at 190C! The calefaction produced by solar rays today and yesterday... Continue Reading →
I'm alfresco as I ascribe my prose this sunny Monday morn. Amongst the immediate landscape nemesia, marigolds, a patio rose, begonias and forget me nots bequeathing yours truly chromatic views. Aesthetics which calm the soul and augment my already burgeoning amour for Mother Nature. With the clan home, bought by my parents in 1989, changing... Continue Reading →
Seventy two hours or so after West Yorkshire enjoyed four days of unbroken sunshine, I awoke this morning to witness Blighty's capricious meteorology gods had bequeathed this corner of God's own county a covering of snow. Although forecast, this move to the other extreme of weather's spectrum seemed unthinkable on Saturday when, in 20c degree... Continue Reading →
At the beginning of each show, late entertainer Bruce Forsyth greeted his audience with a catchphrase "Nice to see you. To see you......" which his viewers would dutifully respond to with a raucous cry of "Nice!" Well after yesterday's torrid time at the hands (if indeed gales possess hands) of Storm Eunice, it's fair to... Continue Reading →
On wandering downstairs this morning I concluded prevailing temperatures to be pretty mild for this time of year. Looking out onto my garden, I'm assuming this warmer climate is a major factor in the lack of notable deciduous leaf fall. A sight leading to me suggest Fall appears reticent to drag its chromatic posterior from... Continue Reading →