Thanks for coming here. I’m a Northerner who has been living in London since 1984. Born in Glasgow in 1955 and brought up in Wirral, I sunk gradually south, finally settling in Herne Hill (London SE24). I am a language graduate who enjoys travelling.

I used to edit websites but I no longer work for a living, as my hard-working wife was apt to point out… until she retired too. So I spend more time blogging while she practises the piano.

That’s enough biography. You can work out the rest as and when you read my posts.

Here I am, being a Northerner

Note: If you move to London you are a traitor and you will never be quite as Northern as you once were.

Excuse the clichés

I was brought up to value education, culture and democracy. To think for myself, but to obey the law. To honour my commitments, be loyal and generous to others, make the best of my abilities… and to be honest about my faults. If we can’t bear to recognise and admit our mistakes, we are done for.

I don’t set out to offend but sometimes my irony and sarcasm can be taken too seriously. I see the human condition (certainly mine) as unavoidably farcical. Now and again we need to look at ourselves and laugh. You are allowed to laugh at other pompous people too.

I deplore the advance of identity politics: the tendency to believe that those who disagree with you are not only stupid but evil. Fortunately, we in the UK haven’t sunk quite as low as the USA… yet.

I try to post every three to four weeks.

If you wish to re-use any of the photographs or text in this blog please contact me first; it is particularly important if the images include people.