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 past is always tense, the future perfect #thoughts

Posted on Mar 31, 2020

I wrote this in 2014; not sure what prompted it then. A bit pretentious perhaps but not far from what I believe. The quote in the title is from Zadie Smith – clever woman, that. And it’s what I understand when … Continue reading →

Posted in thought, thought piece | Tagged , , | 24 Comments

Cabbages Without Kings

Posted on Mar 30, 2020

I’ve grown to love the cabbage but it wasn’t easy. The Archaeologist, contrarian that he was, eschewed the traditional vegetables favoured by children in favour of Brussel sprouts which have universally turned small mouths into sealed capsules. Me, I looked on … Continue reading →

Posted in humour, miscellany, poems, poetry | Tagged , , | 15 Comments

Steering #horses #carrotranch

Posted on Mar 29, 2020

‘Can we go riding?’ I knew it would come. Eventually. Thing is, me and horses? Like me and swimming. Not natural. The horse: dangerous at both ends and uncomfortable in the middle. The stable lad sniggered. ‘You rid afore?’ I … Continue reading →

Posted in carrot ranch, creative writing, miscellany | Tagged , , | 11 Comments

Music: It’s Part In My Downfall #university #bristol #1976

Posted on Mar 28, 2020

In October 1976 I started my law degree at Bristol University. This was the most important phase of my life to date and as such the memories of those early days remain as vivid today as they were then. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Bristol, Memoir, miscellany, university | Tagged , , | 58 Comments

Libelled! #writephoto

Posted on Mar 27, 2020

Jack Daw and Carrie Crow surveyed the scene. A misty hue hugged the landscape. It all looked so normal. Jack cast a beady eye on his boss and pecked nervously at his claws. ‘Oh stop that. You know what happens … Continue reading →

Posted in #writephoto, creative writing, humour, miscellany | Tagged , , | 18 Comments

History Echoes #dadsprose #covid19 #1939

Posted on Mar 25, 2020

In 1939 my father was twelve; at the time war was declared he was staying with his uncle and aunt in Linton in Cambridgeshire, helping on the farms and enjoying a lot of freedom. It was, in his mind an … Continue reading →

Posted in hope, memories | Tagged , , , , , | 37 Comments

A Spring… #garden #colour#selfisolation

Posted on Mar 24, 2020

This whole living indoors shtick was never going to work for me, given my rather lovely plot so a lot of time has been allocated to making the garden the best it can be. So here are some March images… … Continue reading →

Posted in gardening | Tagged , , | 38 Comments