Category Archives: Grey Britain

New Year: sales, contrasts and looking ahead.

Posted on January 2, 2012 by BarryH

Christmas with the family and New Year with friends were good and Father Christmas brought me everything that I wanted.  But now it’s past: left-over food eaten; wrapping paper in the bin; house tidied up; shops returning to normal before they put Easter on … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Grey Britain, Pontypool, Winter | Tagged | Leave a comment

Looking beyond Christmas: dealing with boredom

Posted on December 5, 2011 by BarryH

It’s generally a pretty drab time of year.  Autumn has given way to Winter.  Grey skies.  Short days and long evenings.  Cold and damp.  Difficult to get on the soil to do much in the garden.  Mountains often lost in … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Grey Britain, Grumpy Old Men, Winter | Leave a comment

Looking back, looking forward: problems in context

Posted on October 14, 2011 by BarryH

It’s been over a week since I posted the last blog and in that time nothing of consequence has happened in the small world in which I live.  That world has been more than usually limited by almost complete inactivity … Continue reading →

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

Not-so-Grey Britain: Unreal, VERY pleasant ….. but I did get caught out.

Posted on October 3, 2011 by BarryH

What’s gone wrong with the weather?!?!  It’s fabulous!!!!  Cloudless blue sky.  Temperatures in the mid 20s.  From Tuesday afternoon, through the weekend and it’s still cloudless sky on Monday – 3 October!!!!.  It’s only a couple of degrees cooler than … Continue reading →

Posted in Autumn, extreme gardening, Grey Britain | Leave a comment

Back to reality: finding ways to alleviate the boredom

Posted on September 25, 2011 by BarryH

Been home just over a week now.  An uneventful week.  Nothing to get the pulse racing.  Just plodding along.  But then that’s what much of life is, learning to cope with the tedium and trying to inject a bit of … Continue reading →

Posted in Grey Britain, Pontypool | Leave a comment

Greece 2011: withdrawal symptoms and readjusting to Grey Britain

Posted on September 18, 2011 by BarryH

Back home now.  Flew into Manchester Airport on Wednesday, dropping down through grey cloud to a grey, distinctly cool evening. I slept very soundly, it being the equivalent of 02.30 Greek time (BST+2 hours) by the time I got to … Continue reading →

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Leaving Grey Britain and the looting: Countdown to Greece re-visited 2011

Posted on August 16, 2011 by BarryH

Britain continues to be grey.  The sun puts in the occasional and unreliable appearance.  The weather prospects change as each new bunch of forecasters comes on shift.  Forecasts of a warm, sunny weekend ahead give way to ‘cool with showers’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Greece 2011, Grey Britain, Grumpy Old Men | 1 Comment

Art and about in Grey Britain: Pontypool, Newport, Cardiff

Posted on August 9, 2011 by BarryH

More friends came to stay the second part of last week and it was still grey.  It was basically dry so we were out and about walking the 3 days they were here.  It wasn’t cold but temperatures in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Grey Britain, Pontypool | 1 Comment

Grey Britain and an oasis of colour: Newport Wetlands

Posted on August 4, 2011 by BarryH

Britain is grey.  There is the odd day when the sun shines but we all know it won’t last and that can cast a shadow over the enjoyment of the sunshine during its brief appearance. I had friends come to … Continue reading →

Posted in Grey Britain, Reflections | Leave a comment

Greece 2011: Nisyros, Amorgos, Kos ….. time to reflect

Posted on July 21, 2011 by BarryH

Back home now and trying to come to terms with Grey Britain once again.  It has certainly been uniformly and dismally grey since I got back on UK soil and I’m told there has not been much else this summer. … Continue reading →

Posted in Greece 2011, Grey Britain, Reflections | 2 Comments