Category Archives: family

The Secret Diary Of A Fof, Revisited Part Third

Readers of this blog may have picked up on the forthcoming nuptials for my son. Two years ago my daughter wed a delightful young man. In the run up to that event I imagined an alternate scenario which led to … Continue reading

Posted in family, humour, weddings | Tagged , , | 21 Comments

The Secret Diary Of A FOF (revisited) Part Second

Readers of this blog may have picked up on the forthcoming nuptials for my son. Two years ago my daughter wed a delightful young man. In the run up to that event I imagined an alternate scenario which led to … Continue reading

Posted in family, weddings | Tagged , , | 26 Comments

Fallible, Focused, Funny #father’sday

Three words for my father, dad, the old man, that ********* arse, silly bugger… They do say that eventually you realise your parents have feet of clay. With mum it took decades to appreciate she might need an upgrade to … Continue reading

Posted in family, miscellany | Tagged , | 47 Comments

Punch #dog #memory

Funny old world. I was with the Vet and the Pest Controller who were looking at a house they might buy and we passed a dog. A boxer. I’d fallen behind them – for some reason I’d felt the urge … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, anthology, family, memories, miscellany, pets | Tagged , , , , , | 27 Comments

Going For Pembroke: Day Three, The Crab And Bromance Edition

Our last full day disproved any ‘Wet Wales’ preconceptions we may have held. A day off the physical punishment was allowed, even if the Vet did her own thing. Having watched a minute of her routine (what’s routine about such … Continue reading

Posted in family, holidays, miscellany, Wales | Tagged , , , , | 20 Comments

Going Pembroke: Tiny Wales

Day two and a longish drive after exercise with the Vet (legs bums and tums plus a cheeky cardio and abs finisher). Cheeky being apposite because at some point during the session my right buttock began deflating, and the abs … Continue reading

Posted in family, holidays, miscellany, Wales | Tagged , , , , , | 27 Comments

Going For Pembroke #holiday #wales

Having buggered up a family holiday in Ireland in April and a wedding in August, novice Dick Head Tours recruit Rona Virus has not managed to screw up our little family staycation in Pembrokeshire. Even though we’re seven when you … Continue reading

Posted in family, holidays, miscellany | Tagged , , , , | 30 Comments

Advice To A Young Man #advice #parental advice #poem #poetry

My father and I undertook several annual walks with friends. These were usually a week, sometimes longer and took in some of the great long distance footpaths England, Wales and Scotland has to offer. We saw some gorgeous parts of … Continue reading

Posted in family, poems, poetry, walking | Tagged , , , , , | 18 Comments

The Hand That Guides

For many years, the Textiliste and I have taken dance classes; we have a system that involves her ensuring I stay on the beat while I manage the steps. Like marriage, it’s all in the compromises… Your consoling hand sits … Continue reading

Posted in family, poetry, sonnets | Tagged , , , , | 39 Comments

Punchenello Tillingdown

I grew up with dogs. Or rather a dog. The worried mutt above was the son of the family dog when I was born. But Rusty didn’t survive for me to remember her. She was a pedigree boxer and so … Continue reading

Posted in dogs, family, memories, thought piece | Tagged , , , | 51 Comments