Author: philjackman

"You can’t drink that in here mate!" I turned in my chair and looked up at the barman through the haze.  "Did you not see the signs?" Of course I’d seen them; you could hardly miss them as they were all over the place.  A glass of beer, black and white like a pint of … Continue reading If the tables were turned

During this festive season I’ve decided to be Scottish.  I am not by birth, I was born well south of the border but there seems to be so much going for it at this time of year.  All of the shops are filled with things that are redolent of the land of Braveheart.   There are … Continue reading This season I am going to be Scottish

So somebody has said something bad about you, posted something on the internet, on social media.  Ban Facebook!  Ban Twitter!  Take down the systems, shut off the communications and stop this kind of thing from happening.  Somebody has written something inappropriate, hateful, hurtful, so sue them, take them to court and make them pay.  We … Continue reading Is free speech enough?

Wallsend Town Hall is a handsome old building on High Street East, an extension of the main road that runs through the town.  It used to be the seat of North Tyneside Council and it may still be as far as I know as it certainly contained the chamber in which the councillors would meet … Continue reading The Four Corners of Wallsend Town Hall

These days we have become obsessed with extracting value out of everything; things we buy, things we see and things we do, everything.  A whole range of tools have been developed to help us with this quest to get value for money or to maximise our viewing pleasure or to get the best return on … Continue reading Price per wear

Are you still feeling nostalgic, that wistful desire to return to a former time in your life either in dream or reality, a sentimental yearning for the happiness of a former place or time?  Well don’t, nostalgia is so last month and isn’t what it is cracked up to be.  Get with the times! You … Continue reading Nowstalgia

This poem has been written with huge apologies to WH Auden.  Any images that it conjures up while you are reading it are best viewed in black and white. This is the fast train taking us closer To the capital city just over the border Engine belching smoky brown Pulling away from Morpeth town The … Continue reading The fast train to Edinburgh

An open letter to everyone involved in a television outside broadcast, especially if they are working in news or current affairs. Dear broadcaster, I watch you on the television most nights, seeing you bring your reports from exotic and far flung places, some abroad and some much closer to home.  I really appreciate the efforts … Continue reading Put a hat on

It seemed like English.  The letters appeared on the slightly out of focus screen, all straight lines and curves just as we had learnt to write them at school but it wasn’t the letters that were the problem, it was the words, they just didn’t make sense.  It was a presentation but it was filled … Continue reading Is this English?

It was cold, very cold.  It was close to the end of the year and the cold wind cut down from the North.  All around the sound of children screaming could be heard piercing the air. Sobbing mothers grabbed hold of their own young and drew them close to their chests. Fear was everywhere; you … Continue reading Taking it all back