Elections in Great Britain are free and fair, they lead to a clear outcome and are generally well understood by the electorate. Well they are certainly free, with some notable and well documented exceptions, everyone over the age of eighteen is able to cast their vote in a whole range of elections. They also result … Continue reading Free and fair elections
Bad memory
What a gift it is to have been blessed with a bad memory. I have a good forgetory as my father in law used to say. I say I am blessed as I shall explain later but it is a curse as well. Huge swathes of my life have been eradicated, wiped from my hard … Continue reading Bad memory
Innocence lost
Nowadays it seems that you can’t just have a hobby, a pastime to while away those free moments in your lives or something to raise your interest and enjoyment. No, nowadays you have to go the whole hog and get all of the gear to go with it. At one time a walk in the … Continue reading Innocence lost
A night at the ballet
Las night we went to the ballet at the Tyne Theatre. We went to see the Moscow Ballet La Classique’s production of the Sleeping Beauty. It was a beautiful, traditional and rich performance with the voluptuous score by Tchaikovsky. We’ve been to the ballet several times now but if you’d told me a few years … Continue reading A night at the ballet
I don’t get on with water
I’ve done my fair share of do it yourself over the years and can turn my hand to most things, a bit of joinery here, a bit of electric work there and even the odd bid of building work out in the garden. But water and I just don’t get on. If ever I have … Continue reading I don’t get on with water
The salt seekers
Occasionally my wife is asked to work on a Sunday, only for a couple of hours. I volunteer to drive her in as it gives me the chance to go and have a cooked breakfast at JD Wetherspoon, full English plus a cup of tea for £3.89 has to be good value. I usually go … Continue reading The salt seekers
Early summer
It’s early March but the sun is out and the thermometer is saying thirteen degrees. This can only mean one thing, summer has arrived in North East England. This is as good as it’s going to get. The tightly knotted buds on the Hydrangea are starting to unravel, the Cherry blossom is frosting the trees … Continue reading Early summer
Giving blood
I don’t have a rare type of blood but it is very useful, or so I’m told and so today I trooped off to give another pint at my local community centre. There was a time when you only had to crawl in off the street for them to take your blood but now they … Continue reading Giving blood
Had a good day?
When you get home at night your partner will probably greet you with a ‘Hello, have you had a good day?’ and, no doubt, without thinking you’ll reply with ‘Yes thanks, how about you?’, a short greeting which fills the gap between entering the house and engaging in further conversation. I think it’s called phatic, … Continue reading Had a good day?
A world of litter
Imagine if we were able to take away all of the living things from around us, all of the organic things that surround us, all of the trees and the grass, all of the animals and humans, what would we be left with? Imagine if we were able to take away all of the man … Continue reading A world of litter
Thoughts from a Guerrilla Worker 