I’m sat on my own in a pub in Robin Hoods Bay, a lovely picturesque little village wrapped around an impossibly steep hill; a crowd of tiny red-roofed cottages cascading down to the unsettled sea. I’m tucking into a tasty butter chicken curry in a room full of people. This is the only place open…
Rules are there to help us. If they are not helping, we should question them and either ignore them, or re-invent them. My two-year old granddaughter wanted grandad to play a card game. She tends to get what she wants. This was an elaborate version of snap, with circular cards, each with 6 different animals.…
Last night I ran in the dark, through a forest. No street lights, no moonlight, just my feet navigating a rather soggy, uneven path. It was hard to see the way ahead, and there were potential hazards all around – fallen branches, puddles, pot holes, werewolves and vampires. Sometimes our imagination runs ahead of us…
Where is your cool swimming pool? I love to swim alone in an outdoor pool. I was in one today, cool, fresh and all by myself. It is refreshing and liberating. The water gently enveloping and supporting me as I glide effortlessly through it. Just an easy breast stroke, my head above the surface, my…
This is the sign on the door of the Tea, Toast & Post in Robin Hoods Bay. I thought it was a joke, until I turned up on Monday morning to find it closed, with no sign of life. It was an “aren’t here at all” day. Fortunately, I stumbled on The Cove and indulged…
Sometimes doing nothing is the best option. We live in a modern world which is action focused. We have targets and goals, task lists and action plans. Everyone has a change agenda. We have to be busy doing something if we want to move forward. But sometimes the best way to move forward, is to…
Life is a jigsaw without a picture. We pick up one piece at a time and try to place it. A thought, a decision, a task, a conversation. Connecting pieces together in an attempt to make something coherent. I’m doing one – a jigsaw, that is – without a picture. It’s some sort of Sherlock…
I have been literally living with Covid. She is at a safe distance at the other end of the house. We are living separate lives within these four walls. She is confined to the house, whereas I, at least, am allowed out for good behaviour. Paradoxically, my wife has tested positive and has no symptoms.…
—– 1 —– We sat there, not daring to speak. The big man in uniform gave nothing away in his expression or demeanour. He carefully sifted through the documents and papers. Our hearts were racing, but time seemed to stand still. My wife in the back seat was strangely silent. All I could hear was…
The Suez has finally been unblocked. We all saw the gigantic Ever Given wedged across the canal, stopping 369 other boats from getting through. The impact was enormous – $50bn of goods delayed getting to customers. The alternative route around Africa takes 2 more weeks. We have blockages of our own. Some small, some huge.…
Unwrapping The World 