From 2015, a paean to the humble chili… Hot Stuff Some people swear that “It’s impossible to eat badly in France”. Well it isn’t. It’s certainly possible to eat extremely well in France – often in the unlikeliest and unpromising places, which is part of the country’s great charm. But restaurant quality is as variable here as…
From 2017, tales of odd encounters in public toilets… An (in) convenience truth As one possessed of what is disparagingly known as a ‘gill bladder’ – which is to say that my powers of retention are somewhat below average – I have extensive direct experience of public conveniences all over the world, and during my…
From 2015, another musing on my impractical nature… Master of none So, have you missed me? It’s been almost a fortnight since my last post. No? Thought not. I blame the good weather. Not that I have any objection to seeing the sun shine, but it does bring with it certain time-consuming responsibilities in the grass-cutting…
On being contented with one’s lot. Same old, same old And so we finally drag ourselves across the finishing line, with the last of WordPress’ ‘365 Days of Writing Prompts’ – the end of a journey my enthusiasm for which, I have to admit, has fallen off somewhat over the past couple of months, as…
I do like the occasional idle flight of fancy (to be fair, you had me at ‘idle’) and today’s Daily Prompt sent me off on one, since it involves two subjects close to my heart: technology and travel. I’ve written about both before but – as far as I can recall – never the two together.…
From ten years ago, and inspired – for want of a better word – by a prompt included in WordPress’ Writing 101 course that invited us to ‘reinvent the letter format’. This is as close as it’s going to get. An Open Letter To My Passport Photo Dear self, Well, I wouldn’t go so far as…
I was sad to hear that Fandango has, at least for the time being, taken his website private. Perhaps he will return, but either way I’d like to thank him for all his kind words and comments over the years. I note though, that, with Fandango’s personal approval, the prolific Di at pensitivity101 has undertaken…
From 2014, a hopefully humorous but ultimately futile attempt to attract a bit of interest. Buy This Blog Confidential: Draft script for infomercial. Do NOT show to client under any circumstances* Fade up studio lights to presenter seated in high-backed leather armchair. [I’m thinking I M Jolly here, people. No chance of getting James Earl Jones,…
Tracing one’s ancestry has become quite the thing in recent years. I first started looking into mine more than twenty years ago while I was, in acting terms, ‘resting’. Or, to put it another way, unemployed. Back then, genealogy was a labour-intensive process that involved ploughing through fat, leather-bound registers of births, marriages and deaths…
Day 3 of ‘Bloganuary’: still sticking to it. Write about the last time you left your comfort zone Believe me, I know exactly when I was last out of my comfort zone. I am pleased to report that I spend the vast majority of my life firmly entrenched inside my comfort zone, for three excellent…
the only deadhead in the hameau 