The Themeless Thesis

Welcome to South Manchester where we are well into the autumn regime. The weather today is rainy and cloudy but there are occasional sunny intervals. The temperature has definitely dropped. 

Yesterday was my birthday, as I mentioned last week, and Mrs PM and I had a lovely meal to celebrate, although “celebrate” isn’t the word I would use now as the years drag on. Yes, I am now 64 years old, which is bizarre because I don’t look that age and I certainly don’t feel it. I can see wrinkles and grey hair but you could mistake me for somebody at least ten years younger – so I’ve been told. 

You may think that is lucky but the truth is that I am still 64 – which makes me a moaning old git. 

Judge for yourself. Here's a picture of me and my two sons at my eldest lad's wedding celebration last month - I am the one in the middle by the way. 

Enough of this; let’s have some silly fun with some daft questions from Sunday Stealing. 

1. What was the last gift you received?

This is really nicely timed because of the birthday thing. The very last gift I received was a cheque from Mrs PM’s mother which will allow me to blow some cash – probably adding to Jeff Bezos’s coffers on Amazon (though I hate to do that deep down). Jeff Bezos is two years younger than I am but has vast swathes of cash squirrelled away at our expense. I must not rant about Jeff Bezos even though I want to. 

2. Who did you last hang out with?

That would be Mrs PM. If you wish to discount Mrs PM (because I hang out with her all the time), then I hung out with about ten of my old work colleagues who have all, like, me retired. Earlier this week we all caught a train to Leeds where we visited a few local hostelries during the day. This is a bi-monthly thing and a lot of fun. Usually, we travel to a local place in the Northwest of England and catch a train back stopping off at a pub or two on the return journey. The bad news is that it is my turn to organise the next one in January.

Here is an AI enhanced image featuring us all next to a statue of former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson on a previous trip to Huddersfield. The enhancement is to turn us all into statues of medieval knights quaffing our ale, including Harold Wilson himself who is joining in at the back. I am the one on the far left. 

You can guess that we all used to work in IT can’t you?

3. Do you often lose the remote?

Being a man, legend has it that I have to be in control of the remote. And I think I am even though Mrs PM often grabs it off me. The only time I lose the TV remote is when I have been out of the room and Mrs PM has been in charge of it. To be fair, she is a little scatter-brained (and she will be the first to admit that). Usually, it hasn’t travelled far and is almost certainly wedged in between or behind cushions. 

4. When did you last check Facebook?

Today. An old school friend posted an image of me from 1978. This is what he posted:

Yes – that 15-year-old with a mane of blonde hair is me. It is his copy of a school photo and I have the same one (albeit in much better condition) upstairs buried in the loft in a box somewhere. I was tempted to go up there and find my copy to show a better version, after AI failed to improve it. In the end I decided against it. One day I might try to dig it out. In the meantime, you get the gist – I was a 15 year old lad with a huge shock of blond hair that was as uncontrollable then as it is now (even though it is much shorter). 

A lot of people commented to make fun of me – but I don’t care. I agree with them all. 

5. Are there scented candles in the room you're in?

Yes – but it is not lit. Mrs PM occasionally lights one up and I believe she has a few stashed away. They do make the house smell nice. 

6. Next time you leave the house, where will you be going?

I will be going for a walk tomorrow morning and then going to my next-door neighbour’s 50th birthday celebration. He is also called Dave and his birthday is just two days after mine. We are going to Halifax on an ale trail with a bunch of his mates and of course our good ladies will be coming too. We will be stopping off at a couple of pubs on the way back. I believe there will be quite a few of us and I don’t know most of them – but it should still be fun as I have never been to Halifax before and I will make copious notes about the places we visit in preparation for the next ale trail that I have to organise for my old work colleagues. 

7. Do you know anyone named Steven or Stephen or Steve or Stevie?

Oh yes. I know loads of people called Steve, Steven and Stephen. My eldest lad is called Stephen and he likes to be called Ste and I have met and worked with so many that I have lost count of them. It doesn’t seem to be such a common name in younger people these days – a bit like Dave sadly. 

8. Which do you prefer: macaroni salad or potato salad?

I love both but I think I prefer potato salad. 

9. Do you have an ice maker in your refrigerator door?

No, we don’t. However we are planning to get a new kitchen next year and Mrs PM plans to have a huge fridge with an ice maker. It would be very useful. 

10. When you woke up this morning, did you get up straightaway or lounge a bit?

I was a little lazy this morning. I lay in bed and used Duolingo to enhance my Spanish a little bit. 

You What?

Welcome to a sunny autumn day in South Manchester. 

I’ve recently returned from my trip Austria, Hungary and Slovakia, where we tried to cruise along the Danube and see some lovely cities. It was great because I had never been to Austria and Slovakia. Sadly, the heatwave that occurred in Europe caused record low levels in the Danube and so the sailing was badly affected, meaning that we only sailed between Krems and Vienna. However, we were still able to visit Budapest, Bratislava, Melk and Linz via coach, as well as seeing both Vienna and Krems. I was slightly disappointed, but we made the most of it. You can’t really do too much about things that Mother Nature has planned for you. 

Let’s dive into some silly questions from Sunday Stealing. 

1. What are you currently excited about?

There are several things to look forward to. First, we are going to go away again for a cheeky holiday before the end of the year to Lanzarote. 

I am also going to see Rush next year. I thought I would never see the band live again after the death of their drummer Neil Peart, but they are back with a new drummer called Anika Nilles from Germany. 

It’s my birthday in a couple of days but I’m not excited about that at all as I will be 64. 

Will you still need me? Will you still feed me?

2. What do you wish you had more time for?

Being retired, I have a lot of time for most of what I want to do. Sadly, Mrs PM isn’t retired yet and it would be nice to have more time to do things together as a retired couple. That will come I guess but I am still happy find time for most things I want to do. 

3. What would like to do less?

I still procrastinate despite my efforts to the contrary. Nevertheless, I am getting better. 

4. What do you spend too much money on?

I would say holidays, but this time something has happened at home. The day before we left for our holiday, our boiler decided to call it a day, which means that we are now without hot water until it gets replaced. And that is going to cost a little money. 

5. What childhood wish never came true?

When I was a child, I pictured myself as a famous singer or instrumentalist in a band, performing in front of thousands of adoring fans. It was never going to happen because (a) I can’t sing (b) I can’t play a musical instrument well enough (c) I was  (and still can be) a shy person. 

That said, I have played a trombone in a brass band and an orchestra in front of a crowd of parents and teachers. Not exactly like the Beatles though, is it?

6. What did you do to celebrate your last birthday?

We have a very nice restaurant close to us that we tend to visit on special occasions. I did that last year and I will almost certainly do the same in five days’ time. 

7. What drives you nuts?

Okay this is a recent thing. 

On the river cruise there were a few people disappointed by the fact the levels of the Danube river limited the scope of the river cruise. 

I can understand that. 

However, one guy decided to interrupt the “welcome meeting” that was providing very important information and demanded to talk about “the elephant in the room” taking the microphone off the cruise director, ruining the meeting and making a scene. There was nobody there who could have done anything about things so he just decided to be an arse anyway. In the end, we had to find a representative later to tell us about the information we needed. This bloke spent the entire week complaining loudly to anybody who would listen to him. If he wanted to complain, he should have waited until he got home, like the rest of us. 

People like this drive me nuts and this was compounded by his use of the phrase “elephant in the room”. 

8. What keeps you sane?

It’s difficult in a world that is getting more insane each second. Mrs PM is pretty good at hauling me back from turning into a gibbering, rant-filled, grumpy old man. 

9. What historic date is etched in your memory?

I would say recently March 2020 is etched in my mind because that was when we were all sent home from work because of the Covid pandemic and forced to stay there by the government as a lockdown was enforced. Don’t get me started on how Boris Johnson dealt with the pandemic in the UK because, as I said in the previous question, I don’t want to turn into a bitter, gibbering, rant-filled, grumpy old man. 

10. What one thing would make your life immeasurably better?

A lottery win would help. I still have dreams of travelling around the world, via Europe, Asia, Australia, and North and South America. One day – maybe. 

Really?

Welcome to a rainy south Manchester, where the weather has turned autumnal. I had a brief reminder of summer last weekend when I visited Málaga in southern Spain to have a reunion with four of my oldest friends from university. It was great fun to catch up. 

The travelling isn’t over though. Mrs PM and I are heading off to Budapest on Monday with two close friends for a river cruise along the Danube. Unfortunately, the heatwave that Europe has experienced this summer means that the river levels are very low in some places so the itinerary has changed to accommodate that. 

However, we will still visit four countries in our seven-day trip, including Hungary, Austria, Slovakia and Germany. I have never been to Austria or Slovakia so that will be two more countries I can add to the list of countries I have been to. 

Shall we dive into some silly questions from Sunday Stealing? 

Four Superlatives

1. Your MOST overused word or phrase:

I have no idea. I use the word “Really?” quite a lot to express disbelief at the state of the world. 

Newsreader: Donald Trump thinks he can rename Lake Ontario as Lake America.

PM: REALLY? Just when you think that the Orange Goblin has reached the bottom of the incompetency barrel he comes out with yet more bullshit. What next? The Atlantic Ocean to become The American Ocean? The UK to become The United American Kingdom?

Mrs PM: Stop ranting. 

2. Your BIGGEST expense:

Holidays. 

This year I have spent a lot of money going to Malaysia, Hong Kong, Nerja and Málaga in Spain and a river cruise to Hungary, Germany, Austria and Slovakia. In fact, Mrs PM and I are also planning a trip to the Canary Islands in November too. 

It all costs money but I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

3. Your WORST fear:

At the moment, I am quite worried about the rise of the far right. 

Donald Trump and his MAGA cult in the United States seem to be changing things for the worst across the pond. And here in the UK, Reform UK, led by Trump acolyte Nigel “frog face” Farage are trying to spread the same message in the UK. Farage is using Trumpian tactics and this involves telling lies, changing his mind, coming up with ridiculous populist soundbites and treating reporters as if they are traitors for questioning him (especially female reporters). As a result it seems to be more acceptable to be a racist now in the UK. 

The good news is that there are signs that it is all imploding for them. The mid-terms in the US are in November and Trump’s approval rating is at an historic low. This is hardly surprising really given what he is doing and his totally ridiculous war against Iran, leading to the US economy being in a terrible state. Here in the UK, there have been a few scandals recently involving frog face Farage and support for Reform has dropped significantly. We now have a new Prime Minister called Andy Burnham, who was previously the Mayor of Greater Manchester and he seems to be very popular. Time will tell of course and I am hopeful that the British people realise exactly what Farage is. 

God help the UK if Farage is elected. 

I’m sorry for the mini-rant. 

4. Your BEST memory of Summer 26:

I have lots of really good memoires of the Summer of 2026. Probably chief amongst them is the huge party we had to celebrate the marriage last year of my eldest son and his new wife. They had a very quiet family wedding last December and this year they decided to open it up to all of their friends as well with a much bigger post-wedding celebration. 

Both events were wonderful and I am very proud of my son and daughter-in-law. 

Top Ten Def Leppard Songs

I’m off to Málaga in southern Spain on Friday for a long weekend with some of my old university mates and I’ve been a little busy to post anything for a couple of weeks. With that in mind I thought I would squeeze in a top ten songs post, this time for a band I’ve liked for a few decades, the hard rock band from Sheffield, England – Def Leppard. 

Sheffield is 38 miles east of Manchester and has always been an industrial city, being most famous for the steel industry. It’s no surprise that the city gave birth to one of the biggest rock bands on the planet. Def Leppard managed to conquer both the UK and the USA and were absolutely huge in the 1980s and 1990’s on both sides of the pond. I have memories of their first album in 1980, when I was already on the path of loving heavy metal and hard rock and since that time they have just become huge. 

The band has had its share of tragedy over the years with the death of their original guitarist, Steve Clark, as well as their drummer Rick Allen losing his arm in a terrible car accident. Yet they have prevailed and Rick has amazed absolutely everyone by continuing to be able to drum even with one arm. 

I have been fortunate enough to see them three times in total. The very first time I saw them was in Birmingham at the National Exhibition Centre in 1992 and that is still one of my favourite concerts of all time.

I thought that I would post my ten favourtie songs by the band from over the decades. When you see this list, bear in mind that I love progressive rock and that some of the songs listed below may well be less well known than the huge hits. A person who thinks that he or she is their biggest fan may well frown at my choices. I don’t really care if I’m honest because these are the ones that appeal to me most. 

Of course, this is my list right now and if I were to listen again to their entire catalogue this time next year, I would probably change my mind. 

Let’s dive in shall we?

10. Go – from “Songs from the Sparkle Lounge” (2008)

This is the newest song on the list and is the opening song on the 2008 album “Songs from the Sparkle Lounge”. To be honest, I think as Def Leppard progressed through the decades, they kind of lost that hard edge that they had in their early material. Yet when I heard this song, I was taken back to their more raw earlier work and it is a fantastic way to start an album. 

9. Die Hard The Hunter - from “Pyromania” (1983)

Apparently Joe Elliott says that this song was inspired by the movie First Blood, starring Sylvester Stallone in his first outing as John Rambo. I love that movie but I wasn’t keen on the sequels to be honest. As for the song, it is a fine addition to an album that propelled the band to stardom over in the United States. 

8. Run Riot – from “Hysteria” (1987)

The “Hysteria” album was absolutely bloody huge and many great songs were released as singles here in the UK. However, of the remaining songs some of them were a little heavier and less radio friendly and this is where I settled in to enjoy the album. “Run Riot” is a fantastic rock song and epitomises everything I love about the band. I love the rebellious nature of the lyrics, which to a certain extent is what heavy metal is partially about. 

7. Pour Some Sugar on Me - from “Hysteria” (1987)

I find this song a little strange and a little quirky and, being a weirdo myself, it appeals to me. Unlike the previous song in my list this is a really radio friendly driving song from “Hysteria” and it has something about it that I like. Of course, it was one of their biggest hits and when you see them perform it live, the entire audience joins in the very catchy chorus. 

6. From the Inside – from Retroactive (1993)

“Retroactive” is a compilation of B-sides and previously unreleased songs containing some songs that didn’t quite make the cut to appear on any of their previous albums. Yet for me there were some great songs on it, starting with this one. You will find this to be the strangest song in the top ten because it is not a typical Def Leppard song. The band were asked to perform with a band from a different genre and that band was Hothouse Flowers, an Irish rock band that uses traditional Irish music in their repertoire. The song itself is about drug misuse as seen from the drug itself rather than the addict. I think is is a wonderful song with a great melody, despite its rather melancholy subject matter. 

5. Paper Sun – from “Euphoria” (1999)

This is my favourite song from the album “Euphoria” by far and is a very dark and emotional song about a terrorist atrocity that occurred in Omagh, Northen Ireland in 1998. The power of the music and the lyrics reflect the tragedy that occurred that day as well as the struggle of the families of the victims to deal with it. Despite the subject matter it is a wonderful song. 

4. Desert Song – from “Retroactive” (1993)

“Desert Song” was apparently something that the band were considering adding to “Hysteria” but, in the band’s eyes at least, wasn’t good enough to make the cut. I would have said that that was a disappointment because it is certainly good enough to be one of the best on that album in my humble opinion. However, I am delighted that it appeared as the opening song on “Retroactive” because that way it didn’t just gather dust in Def Leppard’s chest of forgotten music and I was, and still am, able to enjoy this excellent rock song. And what a great way to start an album.

3. Rocket – from “Hysteria” (1987)

I just love this song. It was one of the best songs performed live when I saw the band in Birmingham back in 1992. It pays homage to some of the UK’s classic artists like The Rolling Stones, Elton John, the Beatles, David Bowie and many more. It includes in the middle of the song a wonderful almost tribal drum piece. When I saw them live, the bassist, Rick Savage, stood next to the drum kit and the whole thing was slowly raised up in the air going really high as he and Rick Allen played a great bass/drum piece. Yes, it is a radio friendly song but the single version misses the best bit of the song. I have therefore posted the album version which is the best version in my opinion. 

2. Rock of Ages – from Pyromania (1983)

I loved the 1970’s glam rock scene in the UK and Def Leppard borrowed that sound and merged it with a more modern (at the time) hard rock feel to produce the best song on “Pyromania” and my second favourite Def Leppard song. Again this was a highlight from that first Def Leppard concert. The band performed a much longer version of the song and Joe Elliott ran around the huge circular stage getting the crowd to scream “Rock of Ages Rock of Ages Still Rollin’ Rock an’ Rolling”. It was brilliant. 

1. Pearl of Euphoria – from Slang (1996)

Slang isn’t regarded as the best album by Def Leppard yet there are some very good songs on it. I think the production on the album was different and some people preferred the style of the earlier albums. I liked it because it sounded different and it stands alone as a great album in my opinion. “Pearl of Euphoria” is the last song on the album and is different again from the other songs, making it totally unique in my eyes. There is a driving, brooding bass line that switches something on in my mind and I find that exciting and fascinating. It appeals to me as a progressive rock fan first and foremost and that is why it is nestling at the top of my list. Sadly, I have never heard them perform it live, although the second time I saw the band live, it was played after the band left the stage and the lights went up. I annoyed my mate because I wanted to stay and listen to it instead of beating the crowds. It was worth the wait in my eyes. I am absolutely certain that few, if any, other Def Leppard fans will agree with me on this. 

A Weird Birthday

Welcome to a sunny but cool South Manchester where I have just returned from a three day break on the island of Anglesey off the coast of north Wales with friends. The weather was very kind to us and we enjoyed a couple of coastal and country walks in an area comprising small villages and lovely scenery. Here are a couple of photos:

Let’s answer some silly questions from Sunday Stealing. 

First, what is your birthday (month/day)?

My birthday is 8th October, which makes me an Autumn Baby and a Libran, which means I am indecisive (even being indecisive about being indecisive), romantically optimistic and an absolute flirt. 

Now, go to Wikipedia and list:

(1) Four historic events

(2) Three births

(3) Two deaths

(4) One holiday or observance

Really? DO I have to rely on Wikipedia for this information? Okay – here goes.

Four Historic Events

(1) In 1200 (762 years before I was born), Isabella of Angoulême was crowned Queen Consort of England  at Westminster Abbey, having married King John at the age of 12 or 14 years old. I don’t think that it was known whether she was born in 1186 or 1188 but either way, One of England’s most notorious kings certainly married her when she was a mere child. If you haven’t heard of King John, he was portrayed as a villain in the stories of Robin Hood. 

(2) In 1829 (133 years before I was born), Stephenson’s Rocket won the Rainhill Trials. It was a steam locomotive built by Robert Stephenson and the Rainhill Trials were run on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway on a 1 mile length of track starting at Rainhill in Merseyside, England. 

Stephenson's Rocket

(3) In 1939 (a mere 23 years before I was born), Germany annexed Western Poland, just over a month after the United Kingdom declared war on Germany following Germany’s invasion of Poland. I can’t believe that this is only happened just over two decades before I popped into the world. 

(4) In 1967 (when I was 5 years old), a famous Argentinian guerilla called Che Guevara who was heavily involved in the Cuban revolution was captured in Bolivia before being executed the following day. 

Three Births

(1) Ardal O’Hanlon born in 1965, making him three years younger than me. Ardal O’Hanlon is an Irish comedian and actor who is very well-known in the British Isles and probably best know for playing the idiotic Father Dougal in the brilliant Irish comedy Father Ted. Here he is at his most dumb.

(2) Matt Damon born in 1970 making him eight years younger than me. I really like Matt Damon and he has been in some of my favourite movies, like The Jason Bourne movies, Interstellar, The Martian and most recently The Odyssey. 

(3) Sigourney Weaver born in 1949 making her thirteen years older than me. She too is a brilliant actress who has starred in countless movies that I love, including the Alien movies and the Ghostbusters movies. 

Two Deaths

(1) Clement Attlee, the former Prime Minister of the UK died aged 84 on 8th October 1967. You may not have heard of him but apparently he was voted the most successful British Prime Minister of the 20th century in a poll of 139 academics, and that is against people like Winston Churchill. 

(2) Jim Diamond died on 8th October 2015 aged 64. You may not have heard of Jim Diamond. He was a Scottish singer-songwriter who had some success in the UK charts in the early 1980’s (which is why I mentioned him). He had a slightly weird voice, but I quite liked this song from 1982 which did very well for his band PH.D. 

One holiday or observance

My birthday is National Fluffernutter day in America.

Okay, when I saw this I thought, “What the bloody hell is a Fluffernutter?”

Apparently, a “fluffernutter” is a “peanut butter and marshmallow sandwich” and is very popular in New England, United States.

This is what it looks like. 

It looks disgusting and thankfully it seems that such an abomination doesn’t exist outside the United States. With the greatest of respect to Americans everywhere, you can keep it on your side of the pond.

Next time I come to the US, I will definitely not be looking to try one. In the UK, we refer to an irrational, crazy or eccentric person as a “nutter”, so, looking at how disgusting a “fluffernutter” actually looks, I can guess where the “nutter” part comes from. 

Yet More Faves

Welcome to a really warm South Manchester where yesterday we had the hottest day of the year so far. It is supposed to be cooling down a little over the next couple of weeks and we may see some much needed rain in the UK. 

Let’s dive into some silly questions from Sunday Stealing, shall we? 

WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE ...? 

1. Flavour?

It’s difficult to pick out a favourite flavour to be honest. I generally love most flavours, only grimacing occasionally when an unexpected revolting substance like celery, rhubarb or apricot accidentally touches my taste buds. 

I will go with cheese because I like most cheeses and cheese on toast is my favourite snack. 

2. Movie?

I can’t really select a favourite movie because I have a huge list of them that I would watch repeatedly. I will give you my favourite movie of the year so far: Spider-man: Brand New Day, closely followed by The Odyssey. 

3. Piece of jewellery?

I don’t wear jewellery now. Back in the 1980’s I used to wear a silver neck chain that I was given as a birthday gift. It has long since disappeared in the sands of time. I do have a nice watch that I acquired as a reward for long service at the company I used to work for, so I will pick that. 

4. Place to be?

That depends. A lot of the time my favourite place to be is “abroad somewhere” when I am travelling. However, as the old adage goes, “There’s no place like home” and mostly I like to be here in my own house in South Manchester. 

5. Boy's name?

Given that my name is Dave, I choose that of course. I’m sometimes called David by people who don’t know any better and I can forgive that. 

6. Girl's name?

I have two boys but when we were deciding on the possibility of a girl’s name (just in case) I opted for Rachael or Rachel. 

7. Candy?

I rarely eat “candy” (we call it sweets here in the UK). However, I sometimes get some for birthdays and people know that I love dark chocolate, especially if it is made by Lindt.

8. Sports team?

I support my home town football team, Walsall (that’s “soccer” if you are American). Sadly they are in the fourth tier of the English league and not very good. However, the football season has just started and my confidence is high because my team beat a team called Bristol City away from home in their first match in the League Cup. The good thing about that is that Bristol City are in the second tier of English football (just below the Premier League) so that is an amazing result. I know that the season is long and that by next May we will have messed it up and finished in mid-table obscurity again. However, nobody can stop me from dreaming of gaining promotion to the third tier at the end of the season. It could happen. 

Of course I also support the National team, England, who finished third in the 2026 World Cup in Canada, America and Mexico. 

9. Colour?

Teal is my favourite colour. 

10. Month?

This is a slightly tricky one but I have decided to go for June. June is that start of summer, my favourite season, and has the longest days and shortest nights. I also have a soft spot for October because that is the month I was born in. 

Bold as Brass

Welcome to a sunny afternoon in Manchester where the weather is now very pleasant. We have now hit our fourth heatwave of the summer and while things are not as bad as they are on the continent, there have been fires in the UK generally. Half of England and the whole of Wales have declared a drought but here in Manchester we have had a little welcome rain. However, there doesn’t seem to be any more on the horizon.

Let’s dive into a slightly longer set of questions from Sunday Stealing. 

Have you ever …

1. Slept under the stars

Yes, but only once. Back in 1984, I was interrailing in Europe with two university buddies and we found ourselves in a little town in Portugal called Vila Real de Santo Antonio and we were heading to Spain, which meant catching a ferry to Ayamonte just across the border in the south. Sadly, it was 2am and the first ferry wasn’t for another few hours. We found ourselves in a park and decided to try to get some sleep on a park bench. We did so but at about 7am I was woken up just as the sun was rising and I spent the next hour watching the sunrise. It was fine but I wouldn’t want to do something so careless again. 

2. Played in a band

Yes. I was in the school brass band between the ages of 11 and 15. I played the trombone and we gave a couple of concerts, the most beautiful being in Walsall Town Hall. 

3. Visited Hawaii 

No, I haven’t. Mrs PM has and we have talked about perhaps going there. It is far too far at the moment but if we decide to take a round the world trip when Mrs PM retires, we will definitely go there. 

4. Visited Easter Island 

No, sadly I haven’t. I have a friend who has though. 

5. Watched a meteor shower

No. I would love to see a meteor shower. 

6. Seen the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace

Yes, when I was a kid. At the time I found it a little tedious but now I have grown up (have I?) it would be more interesting. 

7. Been to Disneyland or Disney World 

I’ve been to both. I’ve also been to Disneyland Paris. 

8. Climbed a mountain 

Yes and no. We cheated really. On a work trip we were taken to Mount Rigi near to Lucerne in Switzerland and there is a cogwheel railway that takes you up the mountain and provides some sumptuous views of Lake Lucerne as it climbs. We wandered around a little at the top but that was it. 

9. Held a praying mantis

No. I don’t really like insects. 

10. Been to the Louvre 

Bizarrely no I haven’t. I’ve been to Paris three times and the closest I’ve been is to the glass pyramid at the entrance. I will make an effort to go there if we ever get to Paris again. 

11. Had food poisoning

Oh yes, several times and usually abroad. The worst episode was in Moscow in the middle of winter and I was on my own working in a remote hotel. Thankfully it was just an overnight thing and I had recovered enough in the morning to actually get some sleep. When I called my Russian work colleague he was quite concerned but I reassured him later in the day after I had had some sleep that I was back to something like 90%. 

12. Eaten vegetables you grew yourself

Yes. My dad was a keen gardener and turned out back garden into a huge vegetable patch. He always used to rope me in to help him by digging and planting and I hated it. That said, we never ran short of vegetables but the consequence of that is that I now absolutely detest gardening. 

13. Slept overnight on a train 

Yes, several times. As a student, in 1983 and 1984 I went on two interrail trips to Europe, and because money was scarce, we used to catch overnight trains to save on hotel bills (because we had already paid for the train pass). Sometimes we were lucky and could sleep on the train but other times it was too busy and we drifted in and out of sleep while sitting in a crowded carriage. 

Later, Mrs PM did a trains, planes and automobiles trip around China (back in 1999) and we caught two overnight trains. The first one was “hard sleeper” where you got a bed of sorts but it was in a crowded carriage. I did sleep – but not very well. The second was much better. It was a “soft sleeper” and we got a comfortable bed on an overnight trip from Beijing to Shanghai. I slept really well. 

14. Built a snow fort

No, I can’t say that I have. 

15. Held a lamb

No. I’ve held a koala though. 

16. Gone skinny dipping

No. I don’t want to scare the fish. 

17. Been on a cruise (day cruises and dinner cruises count)

Yes, I have been on two cruises. The first was some years ago when we cruised to Alaska from Seattle, stopping off at a couple of places there and Victoria in Canada on the way back. 

The second cruise was last year, where we cruised around Greece, stopping off at a few places, including Athens (for my first time) and a day trip in Turkey. 

We are going on a river cruise in September to Hungary, Slovakia and Austria. 

18. Seen Niagara Falls 

Yes – twice. I was working in Atlanta, Georgia, when I was asked to fly up to Toronto to give a demonstration the following Monday (basically to save somebody else flying all the way across the pond for a one day demo). I arrived on Friday night and spent Saturday exploring Toronto before travelling to Niagara on Sunday. The second time was about a year later with a couple of work colleagues who hadn’t been there. 

19. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

I think a lot of my ancestors are from Walsall so I would say yes. This has to be confirmed of course and I think in a year or two I might try to trace my family tree to find out whether we truly are all from the West Midlands. 

20. Sung karaoke

Yes – but only once. I was cajoled into it by a friend who happened, at the time, to be guitarist and singer in a pub band. He agreed to do it with me and we sang Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple with me singing the verse and him singing the chorus. He was brilliant; I was in tune but awful. I have no plans to do it again.

21. Sat for a portrait

I’ve only sat for a portrait photo. Does that count?

22. Walked on a beach by moonlight

Oh yes, several times and in several countries. It’s a very soothing and relaxing thing to do. 

23. Been transported in an ambulance

No, thank goodness. 

24. Gone scuba diving or snorkelling 

I’ve been snorkelling a couple of times in Barbados, the Bahamas and a couple of times in Europe. 

25. Kissed in the rain

Yes, a couple of times. I would rather go inside though. 

26. Played in the mud

Yes, as a kid. 

27. Gone to a drive-in theatre

We don’t have drive-in movie theatres in the UK (or Europe for that matter) but on my very first trip to America in 1989, it was on my list of things I wanted to do. It was somewhere in the vast metropolitan sprawl that is Los Angeles and the movie we saw was K-9 starring James Belushi. 

28. Changed your vehicle's oil yourself

No, I have a mechanic/car expert/enthusiast who does things like that for me. 

29. Taken a martial arts class 

No. I wish that I had though. I considered taking up karate at university.

30. Visited the Vatican

Yes, once. As a lapsed Catholic, I spent the entire time feeling very guilty. 

31. Volunteered at a soup kitchen or food pantry

No, sadly. It is something I would consider doing though. 

32. Sold Girl Scout cookies

No. 

33. Bought a used car

All of the cars I have bought are used cars. Brand new cars are far too expensive and lose their value as soon as you leave the showroom. 

34. Sat on a jury

Yes. I did jury service for the first time in 2023. It was interesting. 

35. Ridden an elephant

No and the only reason I haven’t is because I got food poisoning. We were in Chiang Mai in Thailand and had booked a day trip which included a ride on an elephant. Sadly, the night before, I was eating my meal and suddenly started feeling a bit weird. When I got back to the hotel I had a sleepless night (I won’t go into the details) but the following morning I had to be within a foot of a toilet so I missed the trip. Mrs PM went, of course, and by lunchtime I had recovered. 

That’s a nice way to end a post – I apologise for that.