Category Archives: Reflections

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 →

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

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

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

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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Cars, social castration and ….. sunshine

Posted on March 3, 2011 by BarryH

As I admitted in the last blog, the case I sketched out for the car being a vehicle of social castration was oversimplified.  It is more complex than that.  I have no doubt the increased use of the car has … 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 →

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

Back to my origins

Posted on February 18, 2011 by BarryH

I travelled up oop North on the train.  At £13 return that takes some beating.  But it means that I am without the car while up here. So in more ways than one it has been back to my origins. … Continue reading →

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Recipes and the connexion between garlic and paragliding

Posted on January 30, 2011 by BarryH

It’s been pretty grey, cold, damp weather recently, the sort of weather when you tend to stay indoors.  Gardening out of the question.  Walking not very stimulating.   The mind starts wandering, mainly backwards rather than forwards. It’s amazing how the … Continue reading →

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Grey and Grumpy

Posted on January 26, 2011 by BarryH

I don’t know whether it is the return to grey weather or the insidious effect of Grey Britain but I seem to be becoming increasingly grumpy.  Seeing as I’m already well established as a Grumpy Old Man increased grumpiness can’t … Continue reading →

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