Category Archives: family

To End All Wars? A Personal View

Posted on Nov 11, 2018 by

My father was born on the eleventh November. As a child that was Dad’s birthday; it contained nothing more resonant than that. At some point however, and I wouldn’t have been very old, I realised it was also Remembrance Day … Continue reading →

Posted in family, memories, miscellany, WW1 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 69 Comments

Making A Show Of It #dog #dogshow

Posted on Jul 25, 2018 by

This week we are back with Willie Wordsworth who poemised London from Westminster Bridge. Taking him as the start I had a neat link this weekend when I visited friends on the Welsh borders near Ludlow. We had a long lovely … Continue reading →

Posted in dogs, family, miscellany, poems, poetry | Tagged , , , , | 24 Comments

What A Brummie Chinaman Taught Me About Variety #thoughtpiece

Posted on Jul 24, 2018 by

I helped at a shelter last week. Amongst the clients who turned up, were three men we’d not seen before. They appeared to speak Mandarin and certainly had a Chinese appearance. Someone, near the counter made an off colour remark. … Continue reading →

Posted in family, holidays, humour, thought piece | Tagged , , , , , | 26 Comments

Two Wheels On My Wagon…

Posted on Jul 16, 2018 by

Remember that lyric? Ok so this isn’t about wagons, or Cherokees or anything like. But there is a theme here. In the song, the poor sods keep on going in spite of the fact they’re reduced to two wheels and … Continue reading →

Posted in family, humour, memories | Tagged , , , , , | 43 Comments

Apprenticed To My Mother – We Are Now Go!

Posted on Jun 6, 2018 by

The Blurb: When my father died in 2005, I assumed my mother would need more support and someone to help with decisions she previously shared with her husband. What I didn’t realise was the role she had in mind for me: … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, family, Memoir | Tagged , , , , , | 52 Comments

Three Ways To A Red Nose

Posted on May 30, 2018 by

Three things come together this week that make me feel nostalgic. One the garden looks lovely and especially the hostas and irises. Second the warm weather justifies the start of the moth trap season to see what if any moths … Continue reading →

Posted in family, gardening, miscellany, moths, sport, thought, thought piece | Tagged , , , | 42 Comments

It’s Just A Phrase He’s Going To…

Posted on May 9, 2018 by

My dad liked a couplet, a rhyme, a well-chosen pun and, especially a limerick. History doesn’t relate how he turned this love and not a little skill into a compelling hobby and a successful enterprise, but maybe a little like … Continue reading →

Posted in family, humour, memories | Tagged , , | 13 Comments