“All I Have To Do Is Dream” was a 1958 #1 here in the UK for The Everly Brothers, a double A side with “Claudette”. I added it to my repertoire in September 2021. I can tell you the exact date without having to check anywhere else: Saturday 11 September 2021, or the 20th anniversary… Continue reading Repertoire: “All I Have To Do Is Dream” and my reasons for playing it
Last September I had two medical appointments on the same afternoon. The second of these, at the dentist, had been booked six months earlier: the twice-yearly check-ups for me and my two children. Having turned 60 I am eligible for free eye tests, but still have to pay for all dental visits (including check-ups). So… Continue reading The 266 Bus Route
Sad news today. The actor and comedian Tony Slattery has died aged 65. He was a schoolfriend of my brother’s, and a family friend for many years after that. He has been mentioned a few times on this site. The handful of references to him on other pages can give you a sense of our… Continue reading Tony Slattery RIP
Last month, for the first time ever, I visited a hospice. I have visited people in hospital hundreds of times, but had never even seen the outside of a hospice. One of my favourite cousins on my mother’s side had taken ill. She told us many years ago that she had cancer that was “incurable… Continue reading Word of the week: Hospice
Happy New Year to you. 2025 is a square number, 45 squared to be exact. The last time that I wrote about the mathematical properties of a New Year was in 2017, the most recent year that was prime. 2027 is the next time that the year will be a prime number. The last year… Continue reading 2025 is a square number
My children are now past the age when they might need Fake IDs to get served in bars. I wrote about their first experiences of buying alcoholic drinks in this piece last month. Two years ago, when he turned 18, my son bought me a pint of London Pride on his birthday. In October my… Continue reading Fake IDs
My daughter turned 18 last month. I mentioned it in this piece about Berlin. When my son turned 18 two years ago we took a symbolic trip to a nearby pub for him to buy a pint of beer for the first time. It was a pint of London Pride, for me. He had lemonade.… Continue reading Buying your dad a pint for the first time
My daughter returned last night from a school trip to Berlin. A week earlier she celebrated her 18th birthday. She was only away for three nights, but it felt like longer. She had a cold the weekend before she left, and I have had one for the last few days, but had recovered enough to… Continue reading Berlin Memories
I have been researching managers of Premier League, initially to find out how many English managers there are in the top flight of English football. The answer to that one, currently, is three: Eddie Howe (Newcastle United), Sean Dyche (Everton) and Gary O’Neil (Wolves). I have looked into this idea before, most recently in this… Continue reading “It’s a young man’s game”
At the end of 2022, in this piece, I wrote about playing football again with people my own age. I had just completed a years’ worth of games, usually playing 5-a-side (or similar) once or twice a week. I continue to play regularly, though not as frequently as before. Last week’s Wednesday night game meant… Continue reading 33 months of 5-a-side
