I refer to the so-called Festive Season. Myself, I quite enjoyed it - although it wasn't so good for Anne and her father, who both caught Norovirus. Somehow I avoided it. We went up to Wirral to see Mum before Christmas, then endured a long and complicated train journey home (storm damage to the overhead…
Our local postal service continues to be "patchy" (i.e. so rubbish it featured on BBC News), so once again we've bashed out a long and rambling review of the year as an alternative-cum-back-up to sending cards. *** Happily, 2023 was a lot better than 2022, which was dominated by the battle to install Colin's parents…
Is November the most miserable month of the year? Dark (even in London) by four in the afternoon, raining more often than not, and often surprisingly cold. That the clocks have just gone back hardly alleviates the gloomy atmosphere. And the knowledge that winter hasn't even started yet. Oh dear. Only a couple of months…
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…
You may already have seen jaw-dropping pictures of medieval buildings perched on towering rocks. This is Meteora, in Northern Greece. Convent of Roussanou There are six surviving monasteries (and several ruined ones), four of which we visited over two days: namely, the Great Meteoron, Varlaam, Roussanou and Ayios Nikolaos Anapafsa. They appear to be impregnable…
I have been on holiday to Greece about a dozen times, beginning in 1971 when I was 16. I have enjoyed every single day. This one (June 2023) was no exception; in fact it may have been the best trip yet. Anne is a genius at arranging holidays She can sniff out great accommodation at…
I've been remiss in not posting for over a month. I was going to write about our lovely holiday in Greece, (I sometimes wonder why we bother to go anywhere else) but that can wait a bit longer. After a frenetic summer, partly by choice and partly by necessity, Anne and I are now in…
The Editor of Herne Hill magazine asked me to write a poem about Herne Hill. No sooner said than done. In Herne Hill's embrace, a vibrant scene,Where streets unfold with charm serene.South London's gem, where stories bloom,A tapestry woven with history's loom. A gentle slope, where nature's grace,Paints parks and paths in verdant embrace.Herne Hill's…
When a body is cremated it ends up as a jar of ashes (usually a plastic one). What then? It's not an item I'd choose to hang on to for long. Would you keep it on your mantlepiece? The scattering of ashes presents problems that you might not have considered until the time comes. Most…
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…
The Wight Stuff 