Image thanks to Joy of Living It’s always odd going back to somewhere that you thought you knew very well. So it was when I returned to the estate in Whitley Bay where I spent five or so of my teenage years. I arrived there as a boy and left as a man! Well, I … Continue reading The passage of time
Double dealing
My car is five years old now, perhaps a bit more. I haven’t had it that long since I didn’t buy it from new. Cars always strike me as such bad value as they lose so much of it as you drive it out of the showroom and so, when using my own money, second … Continue reading Double dealing
Ban cars
See what I mean... We like to visit Hexham. It is not too far away, has some nice cafes and the walks through the park are pleasant. Going there feels like a little holiday. We have our route that we follow, parking at the bottom of Cowgarth before making our way to the Refectory cafe. … Continue reading Ban cars
Northumberland line
'Fantastic' Northumberland Line rail plans on track for 2023 opening after key government approval, shouted the Evening Chronicle headlines. The former Blyth and Tyne railway that runs close to my house was given a major boost on Monday, as it was confirmed that a Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO) has been granted for it … Continue reading Northumberland line
Green housing
Wandering round the dust bowl that is Great Park with my grandchildren, one in a pushchair and the other free running, got me thinking about recycling. It’s strange how your mind wanders yet the building site is huge and seems to have been going on forever. It must be nearly twenty years now since the … Continue reading Green housing
Online abuse
Social media is a murky place at times. Even though I spend a fair amount of time on it both for pleasure (?) and work, I don’t often get trolled. Occasionally I do, admittedly in a very mild form. Even so it can be upsetting and I cannot begin to imagine how horrific it must … Continue reading Online abuse
Snagging list
My eldest daughter has just moved into a new house. It’s lovely and well worth the inevitable stress that moving causes. Apparently it is one of the three most stressful things you can do. The house will stand her and her daily in good stead for years to come. It is a new-build and is … Continue reading Snagging list
Enforced holidays
I have never been one for so called bank holidays. Who goes to the bank these days anyway? I don’t like the idea of being told when I should or should not take time off work. Usually they are dull days spent lying around the house or doing DIY while it pours down outside. At … Continue reading Enforced holidays
50 pints
I’ve finally reached a landmark in blood donations. I’ve just donated my 50th pint. That’s nearly 24 litres in the current parlance. This time giving blood was a good experience, I had picked a good slot, the queue was short and I was through in about half an hour. Nearly all of the COVID precautions … Continue reading 50 pints
Art and cyber again
I am thinking about art and cyber security again. Not only is this year’s Crafty Cyber Eyes well underway with over a dozen artists involved but the programme is getting international recognition. A paper submitted by the team from Sunderland University has been accepted for presentation at the 35th International BCS Human-Computer Interaction Conference at … Continue reading Art and cyber again
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 