Category Archives: Reflections

An Extra Day; a trip to Cardiff and The Big Leap Year Swindle

Posted on March 5, 2012 by BarryH

Wednesday 29 February and I decided to spend The Extra Day doing something different.  Shame to waste a freebie just doing ordinary stuff.  I arranged to meet up with friends in Cardiff and it turned out to be a great … Continue reading →

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Grey Britain: an alternative view of Politics

Posted on February 2, 2012 by BarryH

I was accused after one of my recent blogs of being a rabid socialist.  Socialist, yes: rabid, if in this context it means passionate, yes, that’s why I find it difficult to be humorous about politics and politicians.   But at … Continue reading →

Posted in Grey Britain, Reflections | 2 Comments

Grey Britain: changed reading habits and an alternative view of World History

Posted on January 27, 2012 by BarryH

The best thing about rambling is the frissance of uncertainty about where you might end up, the slight anticlimax of finishing where you planned to be, day dream dashed. There may have been somewhere or something more interesting which you … Continue reading →

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Moving forward

Posted on January 22, 2012 by BarryH

I dislike painting and decorating.  Or to be more accurate I dislike the preparation work which precedes the painting and decorating. It’s messy, fiddly, long drawn out and invariably the room looks far worse, positively depressing, before it starts to … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections, Winter | 1 Comment

The New Year: a golden glow of optimism

Posted on January 13, 2012 by BarryH

It’s Friday morning and things are looking good.  I sat having my early morning beverage, a lemon and ginger ‘tisane’ as Hercule Poirot, that most famous of Belgians fictionally called it, basking in the sun as it rose above the … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections, Winter | Leave a comment

Christmas: marketing, hints of hysteria …. and the odd bit of TV

Posted on December 26, 2011 by BarryH

In bleak economic times it is hardly surprising that most national retailers have been offering significant discounts in the run-up to Christmas.  Pre-Christmas sales account for a disproportionately large part of annual turnover for many businesses.  Marks & Spencer’s plea … Continue reading →

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The lead up to Christmas: stresses, strains and challenge

Posted on December 19, 2011 by BarryH

That Christmas is widely regarded by most people as a time of stress is by now a matter of cliché, as seen by cynics like me at least.  Mental stress from rushing around trying to cram in shopping for presents … Continue reading →

Posted in Canada, Reflections, Winter | Leave a comment

A bad time of year: dogged by failure

Posted on December 12, 2011 by BarryH

It has been suggested that in the last blog-post I misinterpreted the instruction on the trains completely.  Instead of requiring customers to place litter in the bins they are instead required to dispose of the litter which is already in … Continue reading →

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English as she is ambiguated: please read carefully

Posted on December 9, 2011 by BarryH

Those who travel regularly on Arriva Trains Wales from South Wales to the North, Manchester or Holyhead, will be familiar with the following request, really an instruction because of the moral overtones of failing to comply: “Would all customers please … Continue reading →

Posted in Grumpy Old Men, Reflections | 1 Comment

Familiarity breeds selective cognition: trying to see what’s under your nose.

Posted on November 22, 2011 by BarryH

For a few days last week I was doing the ‘school run’ for my two older grandchildren.  This entailed collecting them and driving them to school for 09.05, picking the younger one up at 11.35 and the older one at … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Pontypool, Reflections | 1 Comment