Any classical music enthusiasts trying the Primephonic streaming site?I'm finding it better than any of its rivals. No breaks in the sound where there aren't supposed to be any.
Did you have penpals as a child?I had several US ones. One boy stopped writing when I mentioned liking girls. One girl wrote to me many years later as an adult, hoping that I hadn't "lost my religion".
I Have Memories I Can Never ForgetA cold and foggy November morning in Hyde Park, London. The buildings of Park Lane, Oxford Street, Bayswater all but invisible shrouded in mist. A girl passes us on horseback. We walk on hand in hand, happy to be in each other's company, but there's...See More »
Do you ever start to read a book which turns out to be boring but because you've spent so much time on it, keep reading?
Heard on tv that up to around 1900, nostalgia was officially classified as a mental illness!A bit extreme don't you think?
This may well be an age thing. What is the point of a party where it is impossible to have a conversation due to the loudness of the music?The young (mainly female) do their physical exercises - euphemistically referred to as dancing. The rest of us try to learn how to lipread.
I Love Ghost StoriesTHE LIGHTHOUSE Rory felt he was at the nadir of his existence. The usual reason. She hadn't even explained why. He needed to get away. One morning he read an obscure news story about an eccentric Scottish hotelier who had bought a decommissioned...See More »
I Love to Write FictionGermany, November 1944. A man makes his way painfully along a narrow road, leading from a forest towards Bremen. Name Peter Dugdale, age 29, RAF uniform, bruised with a twisted ankle, above all exhausted. He knows he's unlikely to reach 30; the Nazis...See More »
Does anyone else think Best Answer is a bad idea?If someone goes to the trouble of replying to a post, to be told "There's a better answer" is rude.
How not to do your Christmas shopping, Tried this method four days ago.Returned from shopping in a rain storm. Grabbed all the bags with one hand, leaving the other free to slam down the car boot lid - onto my head. A&E were fearing brain damage but I persuaded them I've always been like this.
The Past is a lake of Pain. Whether it's best to occasionally dip in a toe or try to repress, I'm undecided.
Are you familiar with the personality type who sees a problem with everything?"If you put on the sausages first, they'll be burned by the time the toast is ready. Ah but if you put on the toast first, it'll be cold by the time the sausages are ready. And what about the tea? Oh god, you don't want mushrooms as well!" Let's...See More »
Do you think it's important to retain a sense of humour, even when you know there are people who will misunderstand?
I'm a father and a husband but am still surprised at how many women want to be mothers.Ladies don't need me to tell them the pain and trauma involved. Obviously it was expected a few generations ago, but why nowadays?
I Want People to Share Their PoetryThe evening breeze caresses my face, A leaf flutters down from a nearby tree, Its existence ended. A brooklet flows by close to my feet, Its passage through time marked by a rustling, gurgling sound. The here and now is all that matters, has to be...See More »
How is this possible?About 6 years ago the remains of 800 babies and children were found hidden in a septic tank in a disused convent in Tuam, Ireland. For much of the 20th.century the convent had been a Catholic home for illegitimate children; any deaths that were...See More »
When someone becomes personally abusive I think the sensible thing to do is to end the chat, rather than descend to their level.Do you agree?
A question for fellow introverts:Can you remember going to a children's party, wanting to join in the fun, but for some reason not being able to?
Just back from a drive in Donegal. I spotted two roadside signs directed at tourists saying "Come and Experience a Real Irish Wake". Wonder what theypay the lead role?