To misquote Arkwright (Open all Hours), “It’s been a funny old year”, but sadly for most of us, 2020 profoundly lacked humour. The year started off fine, at least for me, but rapidly worsened as all my plans evaporated in March as I expect they did for most of us. I was reminded of the […]
It’s at times like these I really feel sorry for the Queen. How on earth is she going to write her broadcast message after the year she’s just had? I’m thinking of that now, because I’m struggling to find a way to start my annual letter, not that I’ve had a bad year (far from […]
This was my top year for cycling. I covered more miles than any other year, helped by a very long tour of the length of the River Rhine, plus several other shorter trips. Retirement’s great! Infographic recording my highest annual mileage Showing the routes I’ve cycled in 2019. This year’s local routes showing the Veloviewer […]
I used to become irritated by people who, once retired, rolled out the old cliché “I don’t know how I ever found time to work”. I am now trying my best not to be that person, although I can better understand why people say it. Yes, after 43 years in full time work, I retired […]
I’m late writing this letter, but since it goes out with the Christmas cards, you won’t notice, but I am usually better prepared than this. The lateness is due to things being busier than usual recently, but after the events late last year, I’m pleased that this is the case. You will recall that a […]
In mid-November, I enjoy taking a day off work on my own when I carry out a few jobs in preparation for Christmas. I look through all the photos I’ve taken during the year and compile a photo-book for the year, I write this note (which, for the past 15 years has acted as a […]
When I started with British Aerospace in 1986, I actually took a drop in pay, seeing this as a necessary sacrifice to start my new career, and move away from the uncertainty at Royal Ordnance. I had worked there for eleven years, but I felt that the opportunities at British Aerospace were greater. Within five […]
I love listening to Radio 4, and have done since the mid 1980s when I decided that I was too old for Radio 1, too young for Radio 2 and not quite posh enough for Radio 3. I couldn’t put up with the adverts on commercial radio and I’m not a sports fan (ruling out […]
About two miles from Brindle is a stately home called Hoghton Tower which was built in 1565, although the family can trace its ancestry back to the Norman conquest. In March 2002, the owner, Sir Bernard de Hoghton, made an appeal for more tour guides, since many of the present ones were almost as old […]
Both children took part in the St James’ Players pantomime for a few years, and in 2005 it became my turn, not on the stage, but behind the scenes. I was asked to help by the stage manager, who was a friend, and the first job I did for him was to make a couple […]