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The Man In The Lighthouse

November 25th 2022

The Man In The Lighthouse When the little girl clambered into her wooden bed she could see through a tiny window a light house that stood proud on the tip of rocky land close by her croft. In the summer months, when darkness was brief, she could see the two lighthouse keepers moving about in […]

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Why not to retire

August 30th 2019

I am a keen supporter of Next-Up, an organisation created by the talented Victoria Tomlinson. Next-Up encourages retired professional and business folk to put their ‘parked’ experience to good use with voluntary organisations, charities and SMEs. It is a fact that too many highly experienced executives hit the retirement button and head for sunnier climes […]

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Momentous Life Changes

May 04th 2018

Last week I met an Englishman living in south western France. Nothing unusual in that you might think, but how he got there is. The man, who for the purposes of this reading, I will call David, was born brought up in Barnsley and was an IT specialist working in the financial district of New […]

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Seeking solitude in a shrinking world

November 08th 2017

I’m currently reading a fascinating book called ‘Walking with Cattle.’ I know it hardly seems an immediately enticing read but I came across it in a splendid new, independent, book shop in Fort William in the Highlands of Scotland. Despite Fort William’s strategic location close to the foot of Ben Nevis and enjoying magnificent views […]

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Literary Tours, Interesting People and Places

August 01st 2017

Last week I stayed in Oxford to attend the launch party of Fairlight Books, my new publishers, held at Blackwell’s Bookshop on Broadstreet in the centre of the city. If you’ve not visited the store it is a treat for any book-nut and is very much an Oxford institution. It is located next to the […]

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Good grammar is more than a life skill, it makes good business sense

March 09th 2017

I was talking to someone a few days ago who informed me that their child was being taught about subjunctives and gerunds at primary school. This is proof, perhaps, that Mr Gove’s tenure as the Government’s Education Secretary was not entirely wasted, despite bleatings from teachers about yet more changes to the national curriculum. It […]

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The Miner Who Would Be A Gannet

March 03rd 2017

A short story: Gannet: Sula bassana. Very large seabird, cigar shaped with a six foot wingspan. Narrow, black tipped wings and a white body with ochre head. A superb, graceful flyer, prefers open sea except when breeding. Dives from a great height to catch fish. “When thou going to get ‘itched then Tommy?” one of […]

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Will it snow this winter?

November 11th 2016

Preamble: I wrote this piece for my ‘Radio for the Blind’ recording on 01 November, my predictions appear to have been prescient as we had a heavy fall of snow this week.  Well we are heading for it now. The clocks have turned back and I have lit my open fire, as I write the […]

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