Greenacres

This is the best time of year to see Mum’s garden in its full glory. Despite her age, she works very hard to make it look beautiful in the summer. We also had a lovely sunny day. The weather has certainly improved since I arrived. Finally, it seems there may be several weeks of summer [...]

London Calling

I arrived okay but have been having problems getting the laptop and the Internet connection up and running.
The trip went quite smoothly. Delta and Atlanta airport were both the best experiences I’ve had flying thru the US in recent years. I got thru customs and immigration quite quickly.
Surprisingly, the flight to London was half empty. [...]

New smoking laws

As a former smoker, I find the new laws in Britain quite draconian. This morning I read this item on Sky News.
“Gordon Williams of Llanafan, west Wales, was on a shopping trip when he was pulled over by council officials carrying out vehicle safety checks.  The 58-year-old was handed a £30 on-the-spot fine under [...]

Up, up and away

Well, today my trip finally begins. When I got up, The first headline I saw on the news was about the Australian airliner that suddenly developed a hole in its side and had to make an emergency landing! Not an auspicious start to my journey.
Last night I received word that Zac made it to Copenhagen. [...]

Dad for the first time

I can’t remember where this was taken (somewhere in CR) but I look SOOO young! And so do you, Abi.

Poor weather and mechanical problems

Having done what I regard as the the “hard part” (crossing the Atlantic) without any problems, Zac is finding it more difficult to reach the boat’s final destination, Copenhagen. He has been forced to put into port in Germany to fix a pump for the second time.  The weather doesn’t look good for this time [...]

Alistair Cooke

I watched two BBC documentaries about Alistair Cooke that got the memory juices flowing. He is a legendary figure in Britain, not least thanks to his longevity. He died in 2004 at the age of 95, having only just announced that he would no longer be broadcasting his “Letter from America” (the longest-running speech radio [...]

The next Beckham?

Grandson Max can match DB for good looks and charm. We shall have to wait and see about the talent for footie…

The Good Vibe News

My daughter Bethany has started a weekly newsheet called the Good Vibe News. She says she is sick of hearing and reading only bad news and wants to be part of the solution, not the problem.
“If you have good news about anything – politics, national, international, sports, life, activities, entertainment, how to change whatever [...]

The Fellowship of the Ring

My friend Arthur (he of the recorder collection) has this wonderful tattoo on his arm. Tolkien fans will have no trouble picking out the characters. Arthur has also memorized long sections of Tolkien poems. Now that’s what I call a real fan!