Gary Strachan – "Write" Said Fred
Whimsical observations from deep within an erratic mind
Easter Sunday - It’s April Fools Day. As a result we'll have a day littered with inane pranks, silly stories and tiresome practical jokes...... In other words, it’s business as usual dans maison de Strachan. I find some practical jokes quite funny, such as the prank an acquaintance plans involving the filling of hollow Easter... Continue Reading →
Yesterday morning I received a surprise when arriving at the breakfast table to be greeted with a smile and a cordial “Hello!” from my diminutive other half. The surprise wasn’t the cordiality of Karen’s greeting, moreover the fact we had a kitchen table. We didn’t have one when I retired to bed the previous evening!... Continue Reading →
Unless you're a snowman, a young child who likes sledging/throwing snowballs or own a grit salt production company, I presume you opine this current weather to be a putrid carbuncle on the UK's façade. Before proceeding, I acknowledge my opening paragraph describing Blighty's present meteorology was over-egging the melodrama, however I didn't want to just... Continue Reading →
After a serene Saturday afternoon train ride north from Leeds, I spent the evening with a group of mates in a haunt of my youth, The Gold Medal pub on Low Fell, Gateshead. This the Inn that witnessed the acquisition of my inaugural restraining order (that's fictional incidentally); also an establishment where a mate was... Continue Reading →
I’ve just finished a very simple, but satisfying, breakfast of marmite on toast. It’s was by no stretch of the imagination a culinary masterpiece; such as the opulent fare that would grace the recipe books of Jamie Oliver, James Martin or Oasis lead singer Liam Gallagher. However, I found those two toasted pieces of bread... Continue Reading →
On the 23rd December Panic Saturday will be upon us. A recent inclusion in the festive calendar, I have it on good authority it's the moniker bestowed upon the last Saturday before Christmas Day. A godforsaken few hours in retail purgatory, that would be worthy of entry in a contemporary re-write of Dante's Inferno. An inclusion in... Continue Reading →
There's been a paucity of activity in casa Strachan over the last day or two. Activities such as weekly shopping for provisions, watching the rugby league World Cup final on TV and writing a parody gig review titled Selsey Bill or Bracklesham Bay, Love? , being my sole accomplishments in the last 36 hours or so. I suppose I did make Saturday's evening... Continue Reading →
The overwhelming feelings of anger and frustration I felt between my father's passing and his funeral thankfully abated last week. I'm unsure what the catalyst was for this new found tranquillity, but it feels like my old man is perched on my shoulder advocating "Calm down, Gary! Anger is a futile emotion...... Oh, and can you put the Irish Lottery... Continue Reading →
I spent yesterday afternoon residing in a Leeds bar with around 20 ex-work colleagues. Our group consisted of a motley mix of old school computer mainframe operators, IT development/support people and a man with the dubious honour of being Basil Brush's minder. It was a cordial few hours catching up with people I hadn't worked with for many years. That being said, Basil's minder became... Continue Reading →