It is easy to forget that 40 years ago our country (my country, that is) was at war. Very easy for someone of my generation to forget that it happened four decades ago. And even easier for subsequent generations, because there has been little about it in the news (not that I wish to be…
You have to treat yourself once in a while, innit? I freely admit to having several guitars. There is the Fender F55 12-string I've had since 1973. But one of the tuning pegs is knackered and it has no pickup or on-board tuner. I don't play it. I could sell it. Maybe I will one…
I am back in the Wirral working on the order of service for Dad's funeral. I have already chosen three pieces of music and am beginning to draft my eulogy. I'm looking for suitable photographs. But the thing is, he's still alive For the second time, and now definitively, Mum and Dad have moved into…
Wednesday 26 January is Dad's 96th birthday, an event I was beginning to think would not take place. He has looked close to death on many occasions. But what do I know? Caring for one elderly parent is very difficult and exhausting, but caring for two (one of whom has dementia) is almost impossible. It…
I have been reviewing my posts from last year. It is far from riveting stuff. There was a great deal about Covid-19 (no surprise there); a bit of nostalgia; quite a lot about getting out of London, when possible (and there were more escapes than I mentioned - including a very enjoyable weekend in Paris),…
It isn't working. Certain things, such as having to climb half a dozen stairs to use the lift, are admittedly problematic, but could be dealt with, given time. But it is clear that they have already made up their minds. Everything is wrong. "It's never going to work," says Dad. Mum is crying, and wants…
I sit in the gloom watching my father sleeping, mouth wide open ( his default mode these days), while my mother stares at the TV. It doesn’t matter what is on because she doesn’t understand much of it. Daytime TV is mind-destroying anyway I have seen too much TV recently: Dion Dublin talking about knocking…
Have you ever trapped your finger in a door frame? I hadn't until we were in holiday in Suffolk this August. I don't recommend trying it, because it hurts like hell. And all because I was careless and not looking at what I was doing. I well remember losing a toenail 40 years ago. You…
Brittany is (or was originally referred to as) La Petite Bretagne - did you know that? It was a place of refuge for Britons escaping from the Anglo-Saxon invaders of their homeland. Or maybe they just wanted to go somewhere a bit warmer, as millions of Britons still do. Having had a holiday home in…
It may occasionally be of interest to others but this blog is a self-indulgent exercise. Sometimes I'm just recording what I've been up to and how I feel about current events, such as Brexit and the Covid pandemic. But it has also given me a space to examine and attempt to come to terms with…
The Wight Stuff 