Author Archives: BarryH

It’s good when a plan comes together: poetry and wild gardens

Posted on May 17, 2011 by BarryH

A couple of things are starting to come together. I have finally sorted everything out for publishing the book of Enfys’s poems.  Completed the artwork and taken it to the printers.  I collected the proofs on Friday and gave the … Continue reading →

Posted in extreme gardening, Reflections, Spring | Leave a comment

Unearthing art, philosophy of decision-making, deadline-brain

Posted on May 9, 2011 by BarryH

I’m back home again now, my house-sitting duties having come to an end. The garden usually springs into life during April, growth accelerating towards the end of the month and into May.  This year the change in the 10 days … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, extreme gardening, Reflections, Spring | Leave a comment

Art, architecture, monasticism, power and influence

Posted on April 26, 2011 by BarryH

It has been a very mixed few days.  Not in terms of weather.  For Britain that has been remarkably stable.  Dry, sunny and warm.  Very pleasant indeed.  It hasn’t yet lasted quite long enough for people to start complaining about … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Reflections, Spring | 1 Comment

The Second Home: hideaway or albatross?

Posted on April 19, 2011 by BarryH

I’m back up North again in my 3-month game of slow-motion ping-pong up the M5/M6 corridor. Backwards and forwards, backwards and forwards ….  For the first time I travelled by car partly to bring a load of tools to tackle … Continue reading →

Posted in Grumpy Old Men, Reflections, Spring | Leave a comment

The Lawn: a pretentious British middleclass anachronism

Posted on April 11, 2011 by BarryH

I like to inject a little culture into the blog every now and again so I’ll begin with a poem: Spring is sprung The grass is ris I wonder where the birdies is ……. That’s enough, you know the one. … Continue reading →

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Travels in 3 counties; The Lowry and Salford Quays; architecture as art

Posted on April 3, 2011 by BarryH

This time I was up North I’ve been gadding around a bit seeing people and places I haven’t seen for a while.  Monday I met up with my old college friend Ross and went over to Sheffield to see another … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Grey Britain, Reflections | Leave a comment

Rambling around the Classic Slum, or Images from childhood and adolescence

Posted on March 27, 2011 by BarryH

It was no good, I had to go back. The morning two weeks ago when I re-visited the bit of Salford I knew as a boy the weather was very grey with the consequence that I took very few photos.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 7 Comments

Sustainability, heritage …. nuclear power

Posted on March 21, 2011 by BarryH

A fundamental principle of the concept of sustainability is that we should not leave problems for future generations to inherit, not make the world a worse place to live.  But in some ways that is not always a clear issue. … Continue reading →

Posted in Grumpy Old Men, new technology, Reflections, Spring | Leave a comment

Garden devastation and uncertain future

Posted on March 14, 2011 by BarryH

Another stint in the North is over.  Back home again to try to get to grips with the wreckage in the garden left by my absence last summer and the unusually cold winter.  By now it’s emerging which plants have … Continue reading →

Posted in extreme gardening, Grey Britain | Leave a comment

Walkabout, nostalgia, the Classic Slum and ….. sunshine

Posted on March 8, 2011 by BarryH

I’m back up North again now and, having left the car at home and travelled by train, I’m back to walking.  Urban walking isn’t normally my thing, I’m much more at home in the mountains but this is a matter of getting … Continue reading →

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