Category Archives: Grumpy Old Men

Coping with Christmas: a season of neon lights and frustration

Posted on November 28, 2011 by BarryH

Christmas is not my favourite time of year, particularly now I have to deal with the whole card and presents stuff on my own.  But I try.  Admittedly I defer doing things as long as I can but then I … Continue reading →

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Greece 2011: Symi to Rhodes and leaving Greece

Posted on September 15, 2011 by BarryH

Mixed emotions Wednesday morning.  Woke to the usual flawless blue sky, warm sunshine and fabulous views.  Finished packing, breakfast on the hotel terrace, caffeine fix in the coffee shop opposite,  and saying goodbye to good friends.  I will miss it … Continue reading →

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Greece 2011: I’ve got a ticket to Rhodes … and an attack of the grumps

Posted on September 6, 2011 by BarryH

After giving up on my well-formed but thwarted plan for Sunday I put it into operation on Monday.  Brilliant success!!! To misquote and misinterpret the Beattles’ song, “I’ve got a ticket to Rhodes”.   I got my ferry ticket!!!! I’m a … Continue reading →

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Greece 2011: last stages of preparation

Posted on August 24, 2011 by BarryH

I’m on the brink of my second escape to the sun. It might sound daft and unappreciative but because I am going away for ‘only’ 3 weeks I have found it very difficult to take the preparations and the packing … 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 →

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Back home and grumpy

Posted on July 30, 2011 by BarryH

Over the next week I have Ellinophile friends coming to stay so on Thursday early evening I caught the bus to go to Cwmbran to take buy some Haloumi cheese on offer in Lidl and stock up on the very … Continue reading →

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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 →

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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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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 →

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The car as a vehicle of social castration

Posted on February 27, 2011 by BarryH

I have been doing a lot of walking recently.  Not going up into the mountains but walking as a means of getting to places.  As explained in a previous blog my concessionary bus pass, issued in Wales, isn’t valid in … Continue reading →

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