Author Archives: TanGental

About TanGental

My name is Geoff Le Pard. Once I was a lawyer; now I am a writer. I've published four books - Dead Flies and Sherry Trifle, My Father and Other Liars, Salisbury Square and Buster & Moo. In addition I have published three anthologies of short stories and a memoir of my mother. More will appear soon. I will try and continue to blog regularly at geofflepard.com about whatever takes my fancy. I hope it does yours too. These are my thoughts and no one else is to blame. If you want to nab anything I post, please acknowledge where it came from.

The Battle Of The Garden

Posted on Apr 24, 2019

It is spring; it’s lovely outside. And I’ve been in my garden. I wrote this poem last year; obviously I was a little frustrated If at any point my life seems drab and stale My head begins to ache, my … Continue reading →

Posted in gardens, miscellany, poems, poetry | Tagged , , , , | 18 Comments

It Shouldn’t Happen To A Lawyer: 1667 And The Expensive Hangover #memoirsofacitylawyer

Posted on Apr 23, 2019

In this post I will talk legal stuff. It is utterly compelling and could be turned into an award winning novel. You may, however, think otherwise. The fault lies firmly with Robbie Cheadle/Roberta Eaton for writing about the Great Fire … Continue reading →

Posted in history, law, memories, miscellany | Tagged , , , , , , | 20 Comments

Surreal In The Here And Now

Posted on Apr 22, 2019

I found myself in the Tate Modern the other day, preparing to take in the Dorothea Tanning exhibition. For those of you who don’t know Dorothea’s work, she was a surrealist painter, who married Max Ernst. She was born in … Continue reading →

Posted in art | Tagged , , , , | 41 Comments

Still At It After All This Years

Posted on Apr 21, 2019

I was accused the other day of ‘still being a lawyer’ even though my official retirement from that career was six years ago. I gave it some thought and realised the evidence is plain. Here are 15 reasons why you … Continue reading →

Posted in humour, law | Tagged , , , | 40 Comments

Thoughts On Notre Dame

Posted on Apr 20, 2019

I suspect you need to be in a very small minority to have missed the fire in Notre Dame this week. There has been a lot spoken about it: the bravery and skill of the fire services in their operation … Continue reading →

Posted in history, thought piece | Tagged , , | 58 Comments

Preparing For A Return To The Gold Standard #writephoto #flashfiction

Posted on Apr 19, 2019

For Mandolin O’Dorke it should have been an average stroll in an average wood on an average day. The sun shone in a ho-hummish medium sort of way, Goldilocksian in that it wasn’t too hot or cold. He felt okay, … Continue reading →

Posted in #writephoto, flash fiction, miscellany | Tagged , , | 26 Comments

France and Me: An Unrequited Something Or Other

Posted on Apr 18, 2019

Last week, during an episode of the interminable soap opera that is Brexit – nothing quite defines us as our inability to leave – President Macron of France apparently stood out against 26 other EU nations and said, loosely translated … Continue reading →

Posted in thought piece | Tagged , | 42 Comments