Blind light

Je ne regrette rien. By all accounts Édith Piaf was a very impressive woman. Rising to international fame in spite of extremely difficult circumstances, her voice lives on today. But I disagree with her when it comes to regrets. I’m more of a Frank Sinatra man when it comes to the whole regrets situation. I’ve…

I first stumbled upon The Mayn Man during my debut week with The Long Planks Known As Skis (TLPKAS) in the picturesque town of Mayrhofen, Austria. The week when my love affair with TLPKAS began. Also the week when My Beloved Backside took one hell of a hammering. At the time, The Mayn Man was…

Yesterday saw the return of My Good Self (MGS) to The Home Country. Nice to get away, always nice to come back. Sunday had seen the King and Queen of Staines Upon Thames offer an invitation to MGS to accompany them to Down House, home of Charles Darwin. Feeling suitably honoured to receive such an…

On the rare occasions when I am not to be found loitering with intent in and around The Great Institution of Chatham Street (TGI of CS) I have been known to go for the occasional stroll. Recently one of my friends observed to me that I had ‘put on a few pounds’. I agreed with…

I first caught sight of The Prince Of Pinner in the Italian ski resort of Sauze d’Oulx. Attired in a one piece ski suit he cut a dashing figure. I had been wandering around ski slopes for a few years when a friend suggested to me that I give some consideration to hooking up with…

Yesterday saw the conclusion of The Great Expedition to The Land Of Eusebio. The second half had kicked off on Thursday. It was the longest Stroll of the week, 18k. Some of The Gang opted for a shorter version. Feeling the need to offload a kilo or three, I took The Long Road. Joan was…

I bumped into Paddy Power the other day. Although he did his absolute best to conceal it, The Space Between My Ears (my brain) detected something of a smug expression on his visage. It would appear that he seems confident of holding onto the twenty euro that I recently wagered with him on The Home…

Alcohol can tear families apart. It can kill. It also has the power to bring people together. In a world crying out for increased unity, this is no bad thing. There is a strong tradition of alcohol in my family. My Father downed his fair share, as did his brothers, in their day. For many…

Yesterday was the halfway point of The Great Expedition to The Land Of Eusebio. The Expedition proper kicked off Monday morning around eight bells when Steve, My Next Door Neighbour and Breakfast Buddy For The Week, knocked in for My Good Self with a view to picking up A Little Bit Of Sustinance for the…

Every now and then in The Great Institution of Chatham Street I discuss politics. Not often but it has been known to occur. When it comes to this particularly thorny subject I have an admission to make. I am a Closet Communist. I believe in the whole idea of social equality. In my humble opinion,…