And so ended the Italian section of our holiday - which was in fact most of it. Less than 24 hours exploring the Cinque Terre sounds a bit mad. It was an afterthought really, a stop on the way from Siena to the Côte d'Azur on the only route that made sense. Riomaggiore was very…
Following four very relaxing days at Sea Rock Villa (Induruwa, near Bentota), we took another 90-minute taxi ride to Veyangoda to join our Exodus group for a two-week long tour of the island. In reality, the south-western third of the island, as the monsoon swings according to the season from one side to the other,…
I’ve been thinking about 1982... down Memory Lane, along a tortuous, circuitous, cul-de-sac, but such is the way my mind seems to work. Bruce Taylor has written a biography of my former Spanish professor, Sir Peter Russell, who died in 2006. I’ve just reviewed it for the The Queen’s College website. Sir Peter, his pupil…
It's a year since my father died. A year to the day since I was advised to go immediately to his care home, because he had not long to live. In the end - because of late-running trains - I did not get there before Dad passed away. I arranged his funeral and reception, applied…
One evening after school Steve called round with his latest purchase, Led Zeppelin II. I could not believe my ears. That opening riff! It was almost pornographic. Why hadn’t I heard this stuff before? Where had I been? The only pop album my parents possessed was Rubber Soul — admittedly not the worst place to begin…
As I've said before, I am not much of a musician. I'm resigned to the fact that, at my age and with arthritic hands, I will not get better - but I am still ambitious, within my limitations. I try my best. When One for the Wall re-formed, eight years ago, the idea was just…
I had visited to Athens twice before: once in 1971, when I was 16, and once with my wife Anne, in 2000. Only for a couple of days in each case; all I can really remember is traipsing up to the Acropolis and visiting two or three museums. This year we decided to spend four…
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. For youngsters who were not even…
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…
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 