Author Archives: BarryH

November Daily Blog 5: clichés, truth and poetic cobblers.

Posted on November 5, 2012 by BarryH

Mention ‘Autumn’ and like-as-not someone will think of and, if they don’t have a filter between their mind and their mouth, trot out the line “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness”.  It has become so much a cliché that I … Continue reading →

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November Daily Blog 4: back to gloomy grey and the problems of weather forecasting.

Posted on November 4, 2012 by BarryH

The weather in Britain is highly unpredictable.  Low pressure systems coming in from the Atlantic at some point run up against the high pressure systems over Europe and where and how they do is subject to a whole host of … Continue reading →

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November Daily Blog 3: trees and autumn.

Posted on November 3, 2012 by BarryH

Not since the introduction of a virulent strain of Dutch Elm disease from North America in 1967 have trees been a main news item in the UK but, thanks to the Chalara fraxinea fungus affecting native ash, trees are now … Continue reading →

Posted in Autumn, Pontypool, Reflections | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

November Daily Blog: towards a philosophy of enjoyment.

Posted on November 2, 2012 by BarryH

With the challenge to find something worth blogging about every day it was disconcerting to see Friday begin very grey, very wet and with a mountain of clearing up after having friends over for a meal on Thursday evening.  I’m … Continue reading →

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New challenge: A blog a day during November.

Posted on November 2, 2012 by BarryH

When I’m in Greece, which has been most of the summer for the last 3 years, I post a blog every day.  Similarly when I was in the Canadian Rockies for a month 2010-2011 I would come back from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | 2 Comments

Symi, Kardamyli and Cricieth: a short tale of literary connections.

Posted on October 31, 2012 by BarryH

One of the pleasures of travelling is meeting people.  One of pleasures of returning to familiar places is renewing friendships. A conversation with a friend in a taverna on Symi in 2010 sparked my interest in the author Bruce Chatwin.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Greece, Reflections, Wales | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Remembering

Posted on October 28, 2012 by BarryH
Posted in Reflections | 1 Comment

Symi: looking back, connections and a bit of history.

Posted on October 22, 2012 by BarryH

Those who followed my ramblings while I was in Greece may remember photos of a flower which we found growing in profusion on the last walking day on Symi at the beginning of October.   I had no idea what it … Continue reading →

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The Llyn Peninsula: looking for variety.

Posted on October 15, 2012 by BarryH

For the last week I have been on a ‘travel and landscape’ writing course at the Welsh National Writers’ Centre at Ty Newydd near Cricieth on the south coast of the Llyn Peninsula, an area of Wales I have never … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Autumn, Grey Britain, Reflections, Wales | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Surreal change to Autumn: A backward look from a cold climate to the Hot Rock.

Posted on October 7, 2012 by BarryH

The last few days on Symi were unusually hot and sunny for the end of September and beginning of October but there were signs of Autumn approaching. From Panormitis Monastery on Monday a strange layer of cloud could be seen … Continue reading →

Posted in Autumn, extreme gardening, Greece, Grey Britain | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment