Some little time ago, we had our old bath removed (it had probably been installed when the house was built, in the 1970s) and replaced with a modern shower cubicle. But what to do with the old metal bath? Obvious, really. Stick it in the garden and use it as…

In a forest criss-crossed by tracks and trails of many different sorts, three types of users enter for their exercise, entertainment, and escape from the troubles of the world. …

What? Are you mad? ‘Life is good’, must surely border on insanity considering the current state of the world. Yes. It seems an odd idea, hence the question mark. It may not be universally good, but is it possible to change it personally? I’ve been active on social media…

Okay, let’s first deal with the awkward, and possibly irrelevant, debate about whether photography is art. As the photographer son of a gifted painter in oils, and a photographic technician stepfather, I guess I’m slightly biased. I worked for a while as a Graphics Technician in a local art college…

Who sat here? Who placed this chair? I think the ‘why?’ is clear. This is a Greek island, the sun is shining, the Mediterranean Sea inviting (in fact there’s a guy snorkelling just to the right of the chair). To get to this sitting place and enjoy the sun…

Why is it so hard? — You’re looking for a book. A specific title. You enter that title, exactly, in the search box on Amazon. Does the book appear as the first item listed? In fact, does it even appear on the first of the 73 pages supplied? Most of the time it does not…

Most countries have laws in place that require more than simple tolerance of religion, but actively protect religion through punitive legislation. Much of this legislation is influenced by the major religion of the country, making it effectively state endorsed. Since religion is a matter of opinion based on belief rather…

Dogs: love ’em or not — a decision not to be taken lightly if the adoration dealt out to these companions is any guide. I’ll declare my stance right here. I was raised with dogs, all of which I loved. In my first marriage, whilst I’d decided against pets, my…

Originally, this was going to be a short series of posts, detailing each walk we made during our fortnight on Skiathos. It quickly became clear, however, the lack of identifiable landmarks made this less useful than a general post about the experience. …

Having heard, via TV news service, that there’s a new version of the Official Highway Code, I decided it was time I got hold of one, since the last edition I read was from 1978. I won’t be alone in this neglect; it’s one of those duties we think about…

Bucket list. Birthday. Adventure. — My wife, Valerie, a wonderful woman with none of the wants so common among people, is always indifferent to gifts to celebrate her birthday. This year was a special one, however. She won’t mind me mentioning she turned 70 on Easter Monday. But how to mark this day?

And should it? — For many months now I’ve been pondering the question that heads this piece. Painfully aware of the high esteem in which Capitalism is held in many lands, especially USA and UK, I’ve struggled to find a way of presenting this subject in a way most people may find compatible. ‘The…

Imagination; the strange quality that allows users to form mental images or concepts of external objects not present to the senses, and of their relations (to each other or to the subject). Do you possess this faculty? For a writer of fiction and occasionally of fact, imagination is an…

We now live in a world where information is ubiquitous, overwhelming in quantity, often dubious, and yet essential to our survival. Our problem in the Western region of our world is one of overload. But there are lands, too many, where people are denied access to much information, and it’s…

Here in temperate UK, where our weather is changeable but relatively predictable, we recently suffered three named storms in a period of just 5 days. Wind was the major concern here in the Forest of Dean. And we had a number of power cuts due to trees falling on power…

Why? The first question that escaped my confused mind when I received the package I’d been awaiting. Why is it swaddled in impenetrable plastic? Two layers, bearing a sticker warning that no blade nor scissors should be used to open it. Could I discover the start of the surrounding bands…

November Six Word Photo Story Challenge: “3” —

How much does a scene change with time? — At 17 I was serving in the Royal Air Force as a photographer. After a spell at a station too close to home, I was posted to the other end of the country. On a base apparently housing 10,000 service personnel and their families, I was the only Photographer. I…

Six Word Photo Story: Freestyle —

Six Word Photo Story: Freestyle —