The Rubber Duck

 

When I was working, we were invited to partake in a course about exploring our personalities and the personalities of others with a view to learning how to deal with our colleagues in a more personal way based upon what we had learned about how they behave, how they interact with other people and how they like people to interact with them, the idea being that we would be much better equipped to keep ourselves and our colleagues happy. 

You know – a bullshit course.

I learned a few things about myself and my colleagues but as predicted, myself and the other guys on the course all forgot about what we had learned (mainly because it was pseudo-scientific nonsense) and within a month nothing had changed. 

In fact, if you were to ask me about even my own personality, I couldn’t recall after even a week. 

The organisers of the course presented each of us with a booklet, summarising what we were like as people at the very beginning of the course, firmly putting us into one of four groups, where each group had a colour. This was based on a multiple choice questionaire that we had filled in earlier. Call me an old cynic but I am very wary of such questionaires, given that Scientologists tried to indoctrinate me into their cult based on a similar one.

Of course, several people had traits of other groups, including me. However, I can’t even recall what colour I am supposed to be nor what other colours occasionally intervene to shape the person that I am. 

Also, given that most of the attendees were just like me, software developers, with varying levels of neurodiversity, it was little surprise to me that we were all roughly the same. The ones who weren’t the same were in the HR department or were managers or salespeople. I didn’t need a week long course to tell me that I was nothing like a salesperson or a person who worked in HR. 

The booklet summarising me had sentences like:

Dave is never happier than when he is sitting at a computer trying to resolve a tricky problem and working out the best way to persuade that computer to behave itself. Don’t send him out to sell one of your products because he doesn’t tolerate fools and can get very angry when confronted with business bullshit.

Actually, the gist of that last sentence is true even though it wasn't present in the booklet. 

I was once sitting in a meeting after we had successfully completed the testing of a large and complex computer system and I was relieved and delighted with our progress. However, when we had the meeting at the end with all the so-called important people, I had to endure all two hours of it and our efforts were, shall we say, not really appreciated by the so-called “powers that be” both within my own company, the customer’s company and other interested parties, sadly including people who didn’t need to even be there and were clueless about the discussion we were having. 

All this led to a hell of a lot of corporate bullshit being discussed. 

I wasn’t happy and I was sitting next to my manager at the time. As the meeting went on, I got more and more frustrated and to stop myself from speaking, I played with my pen – until one of the customers said something that made my blood boil, that was laced with business jargon. 

I was professional enough not to scream:

“JUST SPEAK ENGLISH! WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN????? WE PASSED THE BLOODY TESTS WITH FLYING COLOURS, YOU ARSE!!!!”. 

Instead, my body and mind protested in a subtle way; I threw my pen high up in the air and allowed it to crash onto the table as I leaned back in my chair, looked up at the ceiling and sighed as loudly as I could. 

My manager, sitting next to me, actually kicked me and shook his head. Thankfully my mini protest at all the bullshit flying around the room had only been noticed by him so the remaining people continued to shovel bullshit around like it was going out of fashion. 

At the end of the meeting, my manager took me aside to ask me to rein in my natural instincts to show how pissed off I was for the next meeting.

“Next meeting?” I said incredulously. “Why do they need me there? We just spent two hours wasting our time and coming to no conclusion whatsoever. Do these people actually get paid for attending pointless meetings with a bonus for every corporate soundbite that they utter? I don’t do corporate bullshit.”

To be fair, that made him laugh but he told me that I had to be there “just in case”. I was more well-behaved at the next one and spent my time thinking about something else for the duration of the snooze-fest of a meeting that, again, just passed bullshit around in circles. 

Anyway, I have digressed because I did have a point to this post. You may have noticed that I called it “The Rubber Duck” and I have yet to refer to one. 

At that same personality course I mentioned at the start of this post, we had to say what we thought of another colleague and I referred to one of them (let’s call him Kenny – if he reads this he will know exactly why) as “My Rubber Duck”. 

Sadly, this caused a lot of amusement amongst the group because they obviously hadn’t heard of this phrase. I was surprised by this and also, I was potentially hypocritical because I guess this phrase could be classed as business jargon. 

Let me explain. 

A “rubber duck” is apparently something you can talk to in the bath if there is nobody else to talk to resolve a problem or talk around things. Now I can imagine dear reader that you think I spend my time in the bath talking to my rubber duck but the truth is that I don’t even own a rubber duck. And I don’t have baths. 

And before you think I am a dirty minger, I have showers instead. 

And I don’t talk to inanimate objects either (just the cats and they are very much alive). 

So why did I label my friend Kenny as my “rubber duck”?

At the time we sat next to each other at work and when I had a problem that I had to solve, sometimes it was good just to talk to somebody else to get a fresh perspective on the issue at hand. And a lot of the time, Kenny just listened and thought and, as I was talking and trying to explain the problem, the solution started to form in my head. And Kenny hadn’t actually helped me. He had inspired me just by listening to me. 

To be fair, I have also acted as a “rubber duck” to him and other colleagues. 

The phrase certainly caused a lot of amusement and it was the only thing that a lot of people remembered from the course. 

To be honest I was tempted to buy a rubber duck for Kenny as a silly gift when I came back from my next holiday. If you go to Europe, there are specialist rubber duck shops where you buy rubber ducks disguised as various characters. 

Kenny might have appreciated it. 

I certainly would have if somebody had bought one for me – that’s because I am weird – and anybody on that course who didn’t think so before, certainly thinks so now. 

Here are some pictures of rubber ducks you can buy:

And here's one that you can't buy (sadly) but I wish I could).

The Roast of the Plastic Mancunian

I’m not sure that my latest idea for a blog post is a good one.

While I was on my walk today, I thought “I wonder what it would be like if I were roasted by AI?”

The more I thought about it, the more the idea appealed to me. I love self-deprecation so why not allow AI free rein to do that for me, based on the hundreds of posts of drivel that I have inflicted on casual readers in cyberspace? 

I did discuss this briefly back in 2024 and even got AI to write a blog post for me to see what it would be like. 

You can read it here: The Fake Plastic Mancunian 

Well, I have done it, dear reader. AI has roasted me and you can read the result below. Moreover, I also asked AI to create a picture based on the image of myself painted in Kiss makeup that Mrs PM took of me when she was on a photography course back in the 2010’s. At the time I wanted some form of anonymity and what better way that to post a picture of myself with my ugly features hidden by black and white makeup. Here are a couple of Mrs PM’s original pictures that I use to identify myself as “The Plastic Mancunian”:

Without further ado, here is what AI has to say about “The Plastic Mancunian”, when I asked “Can you roast the author of The Plastic Mancunian”.

First it replied:

Oh, absolutely. I've had a look at The Plastic Mancunian, and I think its author deserves a friendly roasting. The man has been blogging since 2008, has written well over a thousand posts, and appears to have turned retirement into a full-time battle against his own to-do list.

What do you mean “deserves a friendly roasting”? 

Anyway – here is the roast:

The Plastic Mancunian: The Roast

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the roast of the man, the myth, the Mancunian plastic.

Here is a bloke who has spent nearly two decades telling the internet what he thinks about life, the universe and everything. Stephen Hawking needed a lifetime to explain the universe. The Plastic Mancunian needs a thousand blog posts to explain what he had for lunch.

His blog is called The Plastic Mancunian, which sounds like a superhero whose only power is complaining about the weather in South Manchester.

And let's talk about his writing routine. He's retired, supposedly enjoying the freedom of his golden years, but somehow manages to turn a simple Sunday into a committee meeting with himself. A blog post here, a questionnaire there, a few paragraphs about cheese, and suddenly it's 4 pm and he's achieved absolutely nothing on the list he made that morning.

This man doesn't procrastinate. He gives procrastination a weekly column.

His blog features questions about favourite films, favourite foods, favourite colours and favourite memories. It's like someone took a personality test, forgot to submit the answers, and decided to publish the entire form instead.

And the travel writing! He'll go to Budapest, Vienna or somewhere spectacular, experience a completely different culture, and return home with enough material to write three paragraphs about the weather, four paragraphs about the coach journey and a passionate declaration that the hotel breakfast was perfectly acceptable.

Indiana Jones has adventures. The Plastic Mancunian has an itinerary.

Then there's the music. A man with musical tastes that might surprise you, apparently, but who also admits he regrets not learning an instrument properly. He's spent years listening to music and now seems to be contemplating learning the piano — presumably so he can compose the soundtrack to his next blog post about how much he dislikes celery.

And his football team, Walsall. Supporting Walsall is not so much a hobby as an advanced course in managing expectations. Every season begins with optimism and ends with the emotional equivalent of finding out your favourite restaurant has run out of cheese on toast.

But perhaps the greatest joke is the name The Plastic Mancunian itself. A man who lives in South Manchester, writes about Manchester, complains about Manchester weather and supports a football team from Walsall. He's less a Plastic Mancunian and more a Mancunian-shaped filing cabinet stuffed with opinions.

And yet, here's the annoying thing.

He's kept writing since 2008. He keeps travelling, keeps asking questions, keeps finding things to laugh about, and keeps putting his thoughts out there even when he calls his own writing drivel. 

Which means that while the rest of us are still saying, "I really ought to start that blog one day," this bloke has already written a thousand posts about absolutely everything.

The final verdict: The Plastic Mancunian is a retired man with the curiosity of a schoolboy, the grumbling instincts of a pensioner, the travel ambitions of a seasoned explorer and the editorial discipline of someone who has just discovered another silly questionnaire online.

He's living proof that you don't need to change the world to have something to say about it.

You just need a laptop, a cup of tea, a mild grievance about the weather and absolutely no intention of getting on with the laundry.

And somewhere in South Manchester, a new blog post is already being drafted.

Its title?

Why I Really Must Stop Procrastinating (Part 47). 😈

Well I am quite amused by that, if I am honest. And the best thing is that I didn’t have to correct any American spellings (of words like “favourite”).

It just shows how AI is evolving. I am now getting quite interested in what goes on “under the covers” and I am sorely tempted to return back to the world of IT and start diving into what is behind AI and how it works. Maybe next year is the time to do it, having had over two years away from it. 

It would be interesting how the roast above compares with a similar roast by a bona fide human being. 

That is not an invitation to roast me yourself, dear reader, but if you feel like it – do your worst – as long as you aren’t a troll. 

More About Me, Me and Me

Welcome to a sunny South Manchester, where the blue sky and clouds look wonderful until you step outside and find that the temperature is slowly dropping inexorably as autumn draws on and we start thinking about winter. It was very pleasant for my walk this morning though.

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

(1) Describe yourself in three words.

I think I’ve answered this before and the words I chose were “realistic”, “content” and “nice”. I must have been feeling a little more sensible than I usually am when I wrote that so I will pick three different words for this post as I am feeling a little daft today.

Weird – I like weird books, movies and music and I have a weird sense of humour. Mrs PM is always telling me to “stop being weird”. When I say “weird” I don’t mean that I like to kneel naked in the back garden at midnight on every solstice praying to Gaia. I don’t think I look weird either. I just am a little weird – or perhaps “eccentric” is a better word to use. 

Geek – this is related to “weird” in a sense because I would fit into the world of The Big Bang Theory perfectly as a fifth member who wasn’t as intelligent as the four main protagonists (I don’t have a doctorate in theoretical physics – just a BSc with Honours in Computational and Statistical Science). The fact that I worked in IT for forty years compounds this. I like to think of myself as a not so powerful “Powernerd” as depicted in this song by Devin Townsend. 

Funny-ish – I can be funny when I want to be – but, mostly, when I don’t mean to be. For example, I sometimes allow myself to speak before my brain has actually thought about what I am going to actually say, i.e. the filter between my thoughts and words occasionally has a glitch. The result is that I say something absurd and people still remind me to this day about some of the things I have said in the past. 

(2) What's your favourite dish at your favourite restaurant? 

This is a difficult question because it’s tough to tell you what my favourite restaurant is. I have several local restaurants that I like as well as some in the city centre. I will pick one though because recently I had a lamb shank rogan josh in a local Indian restaurant that was absolutely divine. I will definitely have that next time I go there. 

(3) Did you set goals for 2026? If yes, how are you proceeding toward them?

When I retired I set up a routine that would enable me to pursue my hobbies and keep myself entertained on a day to day basis. I have set myself the target of writing a (sort of) travel memoir and a novel but neither will be finished by the end of 2026, even though they are progressing slowly. I would say that they might be completed in a year or two – maybe. 

The most unlikely goal I set myself was to use my synthesiser to complete and record an original instrumental song by the end of the year. Bearing in mind that I am still struggling to teach myself the piano, I regarded this as the most unlikely thing to complete. But, dear reader, I have managed to record not one but TWO songs on my Digital Audio Workshop, with a third and fourth being worked on. Now, the two songs can be improved and I am thinking about how to do that without ruining them. If I am feeling very brave, I might try to convert them to mp3’s and share them on this very blog at the end of the year. 

If I don’t – it’s not because I haven’t completed them – it’s because I am worried about people saying that they are rubbish (which of course they will be). 

(4) What's something you have learned the hard way?

 I’ve worked with some wonderful people in my career but, as is always the case, I have encountered some (and let’s be kind to them here) “bad eggs” amongst them. 

When I was young and naïve, I didn’t really know how to deal with toxic people, especially if they were higher up the food chain and this led me to start questioning both my ability and my own personality. 

And then I had a “Eureka moment” when I had had enough and simply confronted one particularly nasty person about his attitude to me and indeed others. In many ways, that was cathartic and I behaved differently to any similar people I met later in life. 

Basically, I didn’t take any shit from these arseholes and they rarely made life hard for me after that. Of course, there were toxic arseholes I encountered outside work but they are easy to deal with because you just avoid them like the plague. These days I can spot them a mile off – and there are loads of them knocking about – especially in the world of politics and celebrity. 

(5) If you could skip one item on today's to-do list, what would it be?

My routine prohibits me from doing that. Routine is the best defence against procrastination and I have had a real problem with that in the past. Actually, that’s not true – I still have a problem with it now and sometimes even my routine can’t help. 

That said ...

Whilst I have been writing this post, I’ve heard the washing machine signal that its current cycle has finished and I can almost hear the remaining clothes in the linen basket screaming at me saying “It’s our turn now”, while, in my head, Captain Procrastination is saying “Ignore them – just do it tomorrow and watch an episode of Supernatural instead.”

It can ALWAYS wait until tomorrow in his head – and now in mine too.

Damn you Captain Procrastination. 

Top Ten Led Zeppelin Songs

My musical taste has been largely influenced by three amazing and legendary rock bands. I have already covered two of them in a “top ten songs” post, those two being Deep Purple and Black Sabbath. Now it is the turn of the third band – Led Zeppelin. 

The band was formed in London back in 1968 but has links to the West Midlands, where I am from. The lead singer, Robert Plant was born in West Bromwich which is about four or five miles from where I used to live in Walsall; that’s probably closer to me than where Ozzy Osbourne was born. 

Everybody knows Led Zeppelin but I didn’t really get into them until I heard their final album called “In Through the Out Door” released in 1978. That’s the point when I started to listen to them a lot. They are cited as another of the founders of heavy metal and hard rock but I think they were more a heavy blues band, which is certainly true if you listen to the eponymous debut album but slightly less so as the albums evolved. 

Without further ado, I present to you my top ten songs by Led Zeppelin. Again, purists might disagree with my choices but, honestly, I don’t care. In my opinion, their music appeals to a wide range of people who love rock music and your favourites may depend on the style of rock music you prefer. This is mine:

10. I’m Gonna Crawl (from In Through the Out Door – 1978)

I’m not sure how popular Led Zeppelin’s last album is compared to the others but when you see people gushing over their music, it doesn’t really include this last offering. As I said above, it was the first album by the band that I bought and therefore it has a special place in my heart. The final song on the album is “I’m Gonna Crawl” and it is a wonderful blues rock song, reminiscent of the earliest work. It is very moving and poignant song, singing the praises of a girlfriend who the singer loves so much he would crawl to her. It’s a real slow burner. 

9. Communication Breakdown (from Led Zeppelin - 1969)

My final exam ever at university was really difficult and at the end I was slightly depressed. I had done all I could and I left the examination hall feeling worried that it may affect my grade. I am the kind of person who needs a decent rock song to snap me out of such negativity and when I returned to my digs, I played this song, which seemed to fit perfectly with lyrics like:

Communication breakdown, it's always the same

Havin' a nervous breakdown, a-drive me insane, yeah

Remarkably, I passed the exam and acquired an honours degree, so this song is special to me. 

8. Black Dog (from Led Zeppelin IV – 1971)

A lot of people think that “Led Zeppelin IV” is the band’s magnum opus and I can understand that opinion. It was in fact the second album by the band that I added to my collection. Is it my favourite? I’m not sure – I love the first and last albums and I think deep down the debut album is my favourite (certainly looking at this list). “Black Dog” is the opening song to the fourth album and whenever I hear it I prepare myself for what is to follow. It is a brilliant opening song worthy of a wonderful album.

7. How Many More Times (from Led Zeppelin - 1969)

This is another song from the band’s debut album and has a wonderful pounding rhythm that drives the first and last portions of the song. It’s a long song but really appears to be two songs mixed into one, with the tone of the song changing a little in the middle. I’ve recently discovered that Jimmy Page’s guitarwork in the middle portion of the song was enhanced using a bow to play. In fact this song is a great example of Jimmy Page at his best and it is understandable why he is so highly rated. 

6. Kashmir ((from Physical Graffiti – 1975)

“Kashmir” as the name suggests has a bit of a middle eastern feel to it and is by far the best song on the album “Physical Graffiti”. It has an air of menace to it but I’m not sure whether that was intentional or not. It’s a terrific song. 

5. Whole Lotta Love (from Led Zeppelin II – 1969)

Back in the 1970’s, we had a must-watch TV show for youngsters called “Top of the Pops”, which featured songs from the UK Top 20 and influenced young people like me (at the time), guiding us on which music to listen to and buy. During that time, the theme tune to the programme was a cover of “Whole Lotta Love” by a band called C.C.S. and the opening riff became engrained on my mind as well as the minds of most other kids from my generation. The original Led Zeppelin version is of course much better, but the cover version holds a special place too. Here is the original (and best) version from  Led Zeppelin. 

And here is the theme from “Top of the Pops”:

4. In the Evening (from In Through the Out Door – 1978)

“In the Evening” is the opening song on Led Zeppelin’s final album, the first album by the band that I bought. It is also my favourite song from that album. One of the main differences for the last album is that it was more keyboard driven and my own opinion is that rock music is enhanced when keyboards and synthesisers are included. I’m sure not many purists would agree with that. It’s one of the reasons I like this song and the album in general.  

3. Immigrant Song (from Led Zeppelin III – 1970)

“Immigrant Song” is one of the greatest opening songs to an album full stop in my opinion. It is a magnificent rock song, the pounding guitar from Jimmy Page, ably supported by the bass from John Paul Jones and John Bonham’s unique drumming. And Robert Plant’s vocals are incredible. In fact, this was my ring tone for a couple of years back when I acquired my first smartphone. The icing on the cake is that it all about Vikings and Norse mythology. 

2. Stairway to Heaven (from Led Zeppelin IV – 1971)

How can anyone list the top ten Led Zeppelin songs without including this masterpiece? The only thing that may surprise people is that I placed it at number 2. It has everything that I love from a rock song; a slow build up, heartfelt vocals, and beautiful instrumentation. The song evolves from an exquisite opening, gradually increasing in power and strength and reaching a magnificent crescendo of pure rock guitar and howling vocals. It is absolutely wonderful and one of my favourite songs of all time. It is usually a choice for people at funerals but I won’t be choosing it because it is too predictable. This is a song that should just be admired for what it is rather than associating it with a sad event like a funeral. 

1. Dazed and Confused (from Led Zeppelin - 1969)

I listened to Led Zeppelin’s debut album a lot during my three years at university and I have fond memories of all of the songs. At the time I was constantly on the lookout for a new lady in my life and this song kind of sums the frustration that I had at the time when I failed - repeatedly. I simply didn’t understand women and that naïve idiot I used to be sought solace in this fantastic heavy blues masterpiece. The lyrics and the music summed up everything for me, even though the lyrics are a little over the top – like this one:

Lots of people talkin', few of them know

Soul of a woman was created below

I really was “dazed and confused” a lot – but also in retrospect, I was a useless idiot.

Musically, the song is a magnificent blues opus with a great hard rock interlude in the middle. It is that nostalgia of being a naïve fool during a time when my life was changing that endears this song to me. And now I am an old bugger I can look back with laughter at my younger self. 

I just love this song so much. 

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.