This morning, we had to take Julie’s car down to a place in town to have an annual service and government inspection. It had to be there by 11am, so not too much of a rush. I followed behind, to bring her back while it was left there. Unfortunately, it transpired that she had act … | Continue reading
I hope we all have a great week to come, so let’s start it off with something to chuckle about. | Continue reading
I was a fan of Robert Palmer from his early days as part of the band Vinegar Joe. Then he resurfaced in the 1980s with a cool new style and a great album, ‘Riptide’, released in 1985. This was at the peak of the music video era, and his video for the song released from … Continue … | Continue reading
This is the twentieth part of a fiction serial, in 768 words. Alison was talking to him in a patronising tone that he didn’t like. “Stop being so sullen, Tiger. You know you can’t just go off and play happy families with Owen’s widow and her precocious child. I mean, what would h … | Continue reading
This week’s musings are dominated by the weather, and what I’m sure is the flu that laid me low. ————————————————————————————— We got some Summer at long last. It might get up to 27C here in Beetley today, after a week of increasingly warmer weather. (That is 81F for non-celsius … | Continue reading
Visit the post for more. | Continue reading
This is the nineteenth part of a fiction serial, in 745 words. As they ate the Chinese meal, Janice did most of the talking. Her only questions to Clive were to ask if he was married, if he had any children, and where his current posting was. Other than that, she talked about her … | Continue reading
Here are some maps for you to study for weekend homework. CLASS DISMISSED! | Continue reading
Having recently shaken off what I can best describe as a bout of Summer flu, I have been enjoying the better weather, and dry walks in the afternoons. Not long after coming home from a very nice walk yesterday, and delighted at having seen a Kingfisher, I started to feel very ‘bl … | Continue reading
Whatever ailed me recently seems to have returned with a vengeance. I had to go to bed at 9pm last night (it was still light) and I slept for almost twelve hours. As a result, I need something to smile about this morning. | Continue reading
When we first moved to Beetley, I was interested in the variety of birds to be seen here. Local nature sites reported Egrets, Herons, Woodpeckers, Barn Owls, Tawny Owls, Buzzards, Kites, and Kingfishers. These in addition to the many common birds, and game birds like Pheasants an … | Continue reading
The sun is still shining, and I have some more old paintings memes. | Continue reading
This is the eighteenth part of a fiction serial, in 792 words. When he didn’t reply immediately, Alison sounded weary. “Come on, you had to know there would be a tracker in your car. What are you doing visiting Owen’s widow? That’s asking for trouble. Don’t you think she’s going … | Continue reading
A bit late today, but better late than never. | Continue reading
This is the seventeenth part of a fiction serial, in 800 words. Before walking away, Janice looked him in the eye. “My number? You will need my number if you are going to arrange coming to see me again.”. He got his phone out and entered her as a contact as she said the numbers. … | Continue reading
I have been a bit busy with ‘life stuff’ over the past couple of days, so have got badly behind with replying to comments and reading the posts of the bloggers I follow. My apologies for that. But I am starting to catch up, and will hopefully get to everything over the next few d … | Continue reading
This is the sixteenth part of a fiction serial, in 780 words. Clive sat there awkwardly, waiting for Janice to stop crying and not knowing what to say. His childhood had never really taught him how to deal with women. All he had ever known about his father was what his mum had to … | Continue reading
The sun is shining this morning, and these memes made me chuckle! | Continue reading
We were up early today for a visit from one of my step-daughters and our little grand-daughter. They brought me a nice card for Father’s Day, a cake, and some sweet treats. As it is a sunny day, they sat out in the garden while I jet-washed (most of) the patio. My step-daughter h … | Continue reading
Lisa Stansfield arrived on the music scene as a solo artist in the UK in 1989, singing on a record by Coldcut. That same year, she released a solo album that had international success, and included this well-known song. I liked her style, her strong voice, and her short hair. I b … | Continue reading
Get your notebooks out. Here are some useful ancient words that you are going to find very useful in conversation. CLASS DISMISSED! | Continue reading
Thanks to Elizabeth for finding this. A great resource for writers, or for everyday enquiries. Free to use, and instant, reliable results. Check out the linked post to discover more, no download required! | Continue reading
It’s still raining in Beetley, so here is something to smile about. | Continue reading
This is the fifteenth part of a fiction serial, in 769 words. He paid in cash for two nights in advance at the small guest house on the outskirts of the city. The female owner must have been pushing seventy, but that didn’t stop her being flirty and personal. “Not seen you here b … | Continue reading
Not a great deal to report this week, after a week of feeling quite ill with flu and being mildly depressed by the constant bad weather, I am struggling to find any positives. Overall, I would classify it as a ‘Non-week’. ————————————————————————————— There was one big good news … | Continue reading
Some modern pop songs (well, this 22 year-old one) have a way of getting into your head, even when you don’t actually care about the singer, or even like the genre of music they are performing. Being mature enough to be honest, I have to admit this song got into my head, and stay … | Continue reading
This is the fourteenth part of a fiction serial, in 797 words. Finishing his second cognac, Clive paid for the drinks on his Tony Scott credit card and walked outside to the taxi rank in front of the hotel. He told the driver to take him to the Hilton Hotel on Park Lane. On the … … | Continue reading
This song is something fo a diversion for me, and my inclusion of it might well surprise some of you. I was always quite intrigued by the British group, Radiohead. Their frontman Thom Yorke is strange, to say the least, and the construction of their songs is unusual. I don’t actu … | Continue reading
Visit the post for more. | Continue reading
This is the thirteenth part of a fiction serial, in 746 words. As he drove out of the airport, the two women in the back were already preoccupied with chatting about the meetings the next day. Like many people used to being driven around, they paid no attention to their surroundi … | Continue reading
I would like to thank everyone for their kind words and concern during my ‘Flu week’. I think the worst is now definitely behind me, thanks to taking a lot of tablets, and sleeping 9 hours dead sleep every night. Is it any wonder that I caught something though? I have felt cold f … | Continue reading
Sticking with the old paintings because I really enjoy them. | Continue reading
This is the twelfth part of a fiction serial, in 812 words. On the day that Shonagh was due to arrive, Clive was up early. He put the box in the back of the VW, then went back inside to shower, and eat some breakfast. Everything was going around inside his head, and nothing could … | Continue reading
I was offered a free photo face-swap app yesterday, so decided to try it. I chose a photo of me with Ollie, (the one on my About page) then a photo of Robert De Niro. My idea was to make it look as if the famous actor was taking Ollie for a walk. It was … Continue reading An A.I. … | Continue reading
Back to the old paintings for some fun on a dull Thursday. | Continue reading
Our great blogging friend and published writer, Liz Gauffreau, has a new book of poetry being published in August. Please click on the link to discover more, and show Liz some support from our community. | Continue reading
This morning, my car had to be at the dealership to have the annoying rattle investigated. Julie followed me up there and brought me back home on her way to work. The receptionist told me she would phone once the job was finished, or if she had to ask any questions. I hadn’t been … | Continue reading
This is the eleventh part of fiction serial, in 820 words. Two days later, the phone that Alison had given him rang as he sat drinking his first coffee of the day. The screen said ‘Number withheld’ but he answered it anyway. “Hi, Tony. Thought we should meet up and have a chat. I … | Continue reading
An abandoned lake house in Ukraine. The remains of an old funfair in Japan. Castle Sammezzano, Tuscany, Italy. Nobody lives there. The Chapel In The Woods, France. A disused wartime railway, Taiwan. A theatre left to decay, Italy. 19th Century fortifications, Liguria, Italian Alp … | Continue reading
Famous buildings facts Please click on the image twice to enlarge for reading. | Continue reading
There will be no episode of ‘Nothing Personal’ today. Sincere apologies, but I have not been feeling well enough to sit at the computer. | Continue reading
It appears that some of those aches and pains that I attributed to gardening were caused by something else. I went to bed early last night suffering with an annoying cough and the beginnings of a congested head. After 10 hours of solid sleep I don’t feel a great deal better, so I … | Continue reading
I am pleased to feature a new collection of poetry from blogger and published writer, Kevin Morris. Biography. Kevin Morris was born in the city of Liverpool on 6 January 1969. Having graduated with a BA in history and politics, and an MA in political theory from University Colle … | Continue reading
This is the tenth part of a fiction serial, in 751 words. Before he left the Hampstead house that day, Clive had some requests for Alison. “Can you get me a secure laptop for research? And I will be needing an AK-47, fifty rounds, and one spare magazine. A black face-covering bal … | Continue reading
I checked the calendar to confirm, and it says it’s the tenth of June. It has been raining so hard since late last night that both of us had a disturbed niight with the noise of the downpour, and the temperature is barely scraping 12C at 11am. (53F) It feels like Winter to me, so … | Continue reading
This is the ninth part of a fiction serial, in 776 words. Alison slipped her high-heeled shoes on, picked up a tiny shoulder-bag, and headed for the door. “The file for the new job is on the coffee table. Look it over tonight, and bring it to Hampstead tomorrow for us to have a r … | Continue reading
Suitable for D-Day weekend, and a sentimental old man like me, this 1938 song was very popular during WW2, for obvious reasons. There have been numerous versions over the decades, and it was also used by the flamboyant entertainer, Liberace, as his personal theme song. Bing Crosb … | Continue reading