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. 

Alphabetti Spaghetti

 

Welcome to a very sunny and very pleasant South Manchester. The weather has been very hot lately but now the temperature has dropped to an agreeable 25°C (77°F). The air is clear too which is a vast improvement on a couple of days ago. As you head north and west from Manchester, you reach the Pennines, a chain of hills that forms a natural split between Lancashire and Yorkshire and is known as “the backbone of Britain”. Here there is a lot of moorland and last week some idiots started a fire there which nature decided to spread the smoke across the city. At one point, Manchester looked like it was infested with a smog monster and we could all smell smoke. The air quality was extremely poor and although it was hot we were all advised to keep our windows closed. 

Manchester covered in smog

Thankfully things are better now and the fire fighters are hopefully winning in their battle with wildfires around the country generally. 

It’s rare not to have rain in the UK, in Manchester in particular, but we haven’t had any here in the city for 11 days with no rain forecast for the rest of the month at least. While that’s great for cricket, it’s not so good for the local flora.

Anyway, let’s divert from the British trait of talking about the weather and dive into a set of questions driven by the alphabet, as usual they are from Sunday Stealing. 

A is for Age.

My age is 63 years 9 months and 10 days (to the end of today). It’s questions like this that make me realise just how old I am. 

B is for your Booze of choice.

This time of year my beer of choice is usually lager, usually the continental ones. For example, Cruzcampo and Madri, from Spain, Moretti from Italy and Budvar from Czechia. That said, I do sometimes have ales and bitters but I tend to drink those in the colder months. I’m also partial to the odd glass of red or white wine. I don’t drink anything stronger than that. 

C is for Career.

I used to be a software engineer but that role has included more political roles such as Team Leader, Database Chapter Lead (I still don’t know what that meant in reality – it was some bullshit that was encouraged from the Agile methodology) and I’ve dabbled very briefly in Project Management. I’ve also been an Installation Engineer, a Support Engineer and many other rubbish meaningless titles. I was once asked if I was a “Database Ninja” and my response didn’t go down to well with the person who asked it. 

Of course, all of that is behind me because I am retired.

D is for your Dog's name.

I don’t have a dog, unfortunately and I haven’t had a dog since I was a kid. The last dog I had was called Paddy. 

I will give you my cats’ names though: Ziggy and Star(dust).

E is for Everyday Essentials.

Food is essential because it helps to keep me healthy and prolongs my life. Associated with that, drink is pretty important too, such as decaf tea, water, the odd decaf coffee, a mixture of apple and orange juice and sometimes the odd can of Sprite. Oxygen also helps because without that I would probably transition into the realm of ghosts. Oh, exercising is important too and I try to walk five miles per day. Finally sleep helps to recharge me and keep the realm of ghosts away for a few more years yet hopefully. 

F is for your Favourite Food.

I have loads of favourite foods, probably too many to put in a simple question like this. I’ll just give you a few off the top of my head: Italian food, Mexican food, Indian food, cheese, chicken, fish and chips (rarely eaten these days), bangers and mash, paella, burgers (again rarely eaten these days), a full English breakfast, fruit (oranges, apples, bananas) and many many more. 

G is for your favourite Game.

My favourite board game is Monopoly probably. 

My favourite Playstation game is FIFA football (though I love Metal Gear Solid, GTA and Far Cry). I particularly like “open world” games where you can basically do what you want. 

My favourite game to watch is football but I love cricket and rugby too. 

H is for your Hometown

I presume you mean the place where I was born, in which case it is Walsall, a town in the West Midlands, in an area known as “The Black Country” because of its history of heavy industry. It is 12 miles north of Birmingham, 76 miles south of Manchester and 136 miles north of London. It has a population of about 270,000 at the time of writing. 

I is for an Instrument you play. 

I used to play the trombone (from the age of 11 to 16). Nowadays I try to play the piano (very badly) on a Yamaha digital piano and I also make a lot of noise with a Roland JD-Xi hybrid synthesiser.

J is for your favourite Jam or Jelly flavour.

I don’t eat much jam but if I have to, I would probably select strawberry or raspberry. 

Of course, “jam” is known as “jelly” in the US and this has been confusing on my visits there. We use the word “jelly” in the UK too but it is completely different. Jelly is a wobbly fruit dessert that you eat with a spoon. The idea of spreading jelly on a sandwich is hilarious and I would love to see what happens if an American tried it in the UK. For my part, when I was offered jelly for my sandwich in the US, I laughed and said “Why would I have jelly on a sandwich?”, which probably seems an really stupid question to ask in America. 

K is for Kids.

I have two kids. When I say “kids” I mean adults. My eldest is 33 and my youngest is 30. They are still kids to me though, and like me, they still act like kids. 

L is for the Last show or movie your watched.

The last movie I watched was a thriller called “Knock at the Cabin” by M. Night Shyalamen. It was a little odd (as most of his movies are) but I enjoyed it. 

The last show I watched was Daredevil: Born Again. I love a bit of Marvel superhero action. 

M is for your Most prized possession.

I would say that my house is my most prized (and most expensive) possession. 

N is for the Name of your first crush.

I can’t recall which one of these came first but they are all from the 1970’s. 

Agnetha Fältskog

Linda Carter

O is for what you Observe from your window.

I can see my garden. The sun is shining and the sky is blue. 

P is for Phobias.

I am scared of heights, a phobia that has developed over the last thirty years. When I was in in twenties and thirties I loved heights and climbed the Empire State Building in New York and the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The thought of even approaching those two structures fills me with dread now. 

Q is for your favourite Quote.

I have lots of favourite quotes. Here’s one for you.

“I’m not as dumb as you look!” – Stan Laurel.

R is for Regret. 

I regret not learning to play a musical instrument properly when I was a kid. I did play a trombone but my heart wasn’t in it and if I found myself in my 11 year old mind I would scream “Learn the piano or the guitar!”

I also regret not putting more effort into learning foreign languages when I was a kid. 

S is for Sweets.

I don’t eat many sweets but I do like Polo mints, especially when I am travelling. 

T is for the Time you wake up.

I try to get up at around eight o’clock so I can go for a nice long walk in the morning. 

U is for Underwear.

What about it? Yes, I do wear it. 

V is for your favourite Vegetable.

I don’t think I have a favourite vegetable. I eat most things that are put in front of me but mostly I eat broccoli, carrots, peas and corn. 

W is for your Worst habit.

I have many good habits that make my retirement routine enjoyable. As for bad habits – I don’t really know. I guess I love being a little bit lazy and this contributes negatively in my war against procrastination. 

X is for X-rays. 

I have a dental X-ray every year but no others. 

Y is for your Yummiest recipe.

I hate cooking but I can cook. I guess the recipe I use most is a lovely chicken pasta. It takes no time to cook so it is wholly acceptable. 

Z is for your Zodiac sign.

I am a Libra. I am told by the charlatans that believe in all of this bunkum that I am a charming, beautiful and well-balanced person and that I am a king of compromise and am really generous. On the bad side, apparently I am superficial and a gossip and I can’t make a decision about anything. 

It’s all bullshit. 

Artificial

Welcome to a sunny and pleasant South Manchester. 

It is the day before 4th July so I guess I should mention Independence Day. 

It’s a terrible film but I love the special effects. 

Only kidding. However, I was once asked on a trip to America:

“Do y’all celebrate the fourth of July in the UK?”

I had to stop myself from laughing and I tried my best to be polite (a stereotypical trait of British people). 

“Er no!” I said with Mr Giggle inside threatening to take over. “It is an American only celebration for something that happened in 1776. We were involved I suppose but it’s not something we remember and, certainly as far as my generation are concerned, it is a meaningless day for us.”

Now, that said, I had the great pleasure of being in America on July 4th 1989. I was staying with a friend of my ex-wife in New Jersey and we had the pleasure of being the only British guests for a party to celebrate the day. I got totally involved and met a load of great people who loved the fact that I was British. I had my very own film crew - well it was a guest with a video camera who recorded me constantly, listening to my accent, my tales from back in the homeland and most bizarrely of all, the British coins and notes that I had. 

Also, one time in Boston, Mrs PM and I found ourselves on the USS Constitution, a ship that was launched in 1797 and used in the War of 1812, again fought against the British. We were in a group of about twenty people and our guide told tales of the heroics of the crew as we listened with interest, until the guide asked – “Is anyone here from England?”

Of course Mrs PM and I raised our hands …

… and were roundly booed!!

I simply burst out laughing because I like a good joke. I said “Well, I wasn’t around in 1812, but I am absolutely delighted that you guys are looking after the American colonies for us – until we come back for them, that is.”

I was happy that the group laughed at my attempt at humour – and I was joking (or was I?). 

Anyway, enough about Independence Day. I will be at a cricket match watching England play India while America celebrates its special day. I just hope that Trump doesn’t mess it up for you guys – or perhaps mess it up even more (as he is trying to make it all about him and not your country). 

I still can’t believe the mess that the Orange Goblin has made of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington. I recall walking alongside it, again in 1989, and I thought it looked amazing. He has totally ruined it. 

Anyway – to any American readers – I hope you all enjoy Independence Day - and my jokey image at the start of this post.  

Let’s steal some questions from Sunday Stealing. 

1. If you could attend a 4th of July fireworks display anywhere in the United States, where would you choose?

As I said above, I was in New Jersey on 4th July 1989, and I recall watching the firework display in New York. I spent New Year’s Eve 1998 in New York City too and had a brilliant time as the Times Square Ball was lowered in the traditional way that New Yorkers love. It was really, really cold but I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. My answer is therefore New York. 

2. What book are you currently reading?

I am currently reading a science fiction novel called "Anvil of Stars" by Greg Bear, the sequel to The Forge of God, which I read earlier this year. 

I am also reading “Economics for Dummies” but very slowly. I decided this year to read more non-fiction, and I’ve always wondered what goes on in the world of economists. It is heavy going (especially for dummies like me) but I am slowly learning a few things. 

Finally, I have decided to try to finish “Harry Potter y la piedra filosofal” which is the Spanish translation of the first Harry Potter book, the idea being that my Spanish would improve. And it has a little – but it is hard and has highlighted the fact that my Spanish is nowhere near as good as I thought it might be. 

3. What have you been listening to?

I could write several blog posts about what I have been listening to but I will keep this answer short. Here are a couple of recent favourites.

Lunatic Soul - The Prophecy

The Dowling Poole – The Saccharine Drip

Devin Townsend – Home at Night

Foo Fighters - Asking for a Friend

4. What shows or movies have you been watching?

I’m currently watching the final season (4) of Banshee, which is a very violent show about a criminal, played by Anthony Starr, who somehow becomes Sheriff of a town called Banshee. 

I’m also watching The Night Agent (season 3):

The last movie I went to see at the cinema was a couple of weeks ago – Disclosure Day:

I Am I Said (Part Two)

Welcome to a South Manchester where the weather has been scorching for the past few days. It is much cooler today, thank goodness. We have had record temperatures for the month of June both here in Manchester and in the UK as a whole. Similarly, last month we had UK temperature records for May were broken. This is our second heatwave of the year and summer has barely begun. I’m not complaining too much apart from the fact that we’re not really geared up for long stints of excessive heat here in the United Kingdom. I think that we will have to start putting in measures because I think this is the tip of the iceberg. I think a lot of global warming sceptics are now reconsidering their positions though some stubborn arses who know no better will choose to believe their favourite politicians (who incidentally also know nothing). 

I don’t want to get started on a rant about people who don’t believe experts so I shall stop now and answer some silly questions from Sunday Stealing. 

I LOVE TO …

I love to have lazy days. I plan a blog post on this in the future but the gist is this: now that I am retired, I have a routine where I religiously try to plan weird and geeky things to keep me occupied. However, there are days when I just don’t feel like doing anything. And so I just do nothing productive whatsoever. I watch TV, I sit in the garden reading (weather permitting), I play stupid games on the PS 5 or just sit listening to music. And such days are wonderful. 

I SOMETIMES …

I sometimes consider taking up my old career but as a hobby this time. During the early days of working in IT I used to thoroughly enjoy writing software and seeing the results of my creations in action in the real world. However, as the years went by, I found myself doing that less and less as a combination of office politics and business bullshit infected my job. By the end I was so disillusioned that I was desperate to retire. 

However, I sometimes think about those early days and how much fun I had and wonder what it would be like to write code again. Of course, I would want to use the latest technology so there would be a bit of a learning curve but it would be fun, especially of I opted to explore the world of Artificial Intelligence. If I’m honest, it is unlikely that I will do it in the next couple of years because I am happy with what I am doing. But, never say never …

I FEAR …

I fear the path that the world seems to be heading down. We live in a world where blatant lies are told by politicians and influencers and gullible people believe them even though they can be proven to be factually incorrect. It might be funny that idiots believe that the world is shaped like a frisbee but the number of people with such outrageous beliefs is increasing exponentially. And the politics of hatred are spreading like wildfire globally. I can only hope that people realise what is going on and take steps to stop it happening in the future. 

However, we have the personification and embodiment of everything that is wrong in the world shitting himself on his golden throne in the White House and I can only hope that this is the pinnacle of the insanity that threatens our world, and as sensible people we react and do something to change direction. 

I MISS …

I miss my sister Julie. She sadly passed away suddenly a couple of years ago. She was only 57 years old. It was a total shock to me and my other sister. She was one of the strongest and most driven people I have known. She was intelligent with a huge personality and was probably the one person in the world most likely to be blunt and tell me exactly what she thought of what I was doing even if I didn’t want to hear it. My other sister does that too but never so forcefully. We used to have deep conversations about the world and its problems and come up with plans to rectify the insanity of the world. I miss those conversations. 

I CRAVE …

I crave junk food sometimes. I don’t eat a lot of it but when I do, it is so naughty that I feel like a mischievous little kid again. The other day, we passed a KFC and I remarked to Mrs PM that I haven’t had KFC for decades. I remember loving it and that’s probably why I stopped eating it because it is so fattening. In my head I was thinking “Just get a bucket of chicken! DO IT! DO IT!”. 

Common sense prevailed but it was close, I can tell you. I might just suggest a trip to the chippy tonight to get a huge plate of fish, chips and mushy peas. It’ll be okay just this once. 

Everything in moderation, right? 

I CHERISH …

I cherish Mrs PM. Enough said, I think. 

I AM IMPATIENT WHEN …

I am impatient when I am in a queue. One of the myths about British people is that we love queuing. I will be honest here; I bloody HATE queuing and if that makes me seem unBritish then so be it. It is particularly bad at airport because you have to queue up to check in (or bag drop) and go through security and, at the other end you have to queue up for immigration and stand like a total lemon waiting for your bags before queuing up for buses, taxis or trains. It’s infuriating and this is why I need somebody to invent a Star Trek transporter.  

Personal Shopper

Welcome to a sunny South Manchester where the weather has improved. We’re due to have higher temperatures next week, starting at 26 °C tomorrow and rising to 30 °C by next weekend (that’s 79 °F to 86 °F). 

England started their World Cup campaign fairly well beating Croatia 4-2, conceding two goals in the first half that they really shouldn’t have. It’s something to work on I guess for the next game which takes place on Tuesday. 

Let’s dive into some questions from Sunday Stealing. 

Sadly, this week, they are about shopping and this is one of my least favourite pastimes.

IT IS SO BORING!!!

I do shop but I rarely go out to do it, buying most things online these days. The exception to that is really grocery shopping, which I do every week because I am retired and Mrs PM still works. 

As you read my answers, here is a song called Personal Shopper by Steven Wilson (featuring Sir Elton John) that really sums up my views on shopping and is very apt for this post. 

Come on, Dave: hold you nose and jump in. 

Shopping Day. What's on your shopping list from ...

1. Target or Walmart, or other superstore?

Neither Target nor Walmart exist in the UK, though I am familiar with Walmart from previous trips to the United States. We do have lots of superstores though, the biggest one probably is Tesco, which is a chain of supermarkets of varying sizes ranging from small ones called “Tesco Local” to huge ones that sell a variety of other things as well as your normal everyday groceries, such as clothes, electrical appliances etc. 

I do all of my grocery shopping at Tesco because it is the nearest but occasionally (and I mean very occasionally) I will go to other “superstores” such as Debenhams, Marks & Spencers and various others. 

2. Dollar Tree or Dollar General, or poundstretcher/99p store?

Again, we don’t have Dollar Tree or Dollar General in the UK. From what I can gather, our equivalent is Poundstretcher and I can honestly say that I have never set foot inside one. 

3. Best Buy or any other electronics/appliance store?

We don’t have Best Buy in the UK either. However the closest equivalents are Currys, Dixons and Comet. Being a fan of electronic gadgets generally I have actually set foot inside each of the three shops and bought stuff from them. I guess my first choice would be Currys because they have the most choice. But then again, these days I tend to look at what I need online and then choose which retailer offers the best price. 

4. Book/music store?

For books my favourite store is Waterstones, which is a specialist bookstore with some large shops in most places. Sadly, I only read books electronically now, which even more sadly means that I have to contribute, albeit in a small way, to keeping Jeff Bezos in the lifestyle in which he wallows at the moment. 

For music, I used to shop at places like HMV or Virgin records. Again, though, it was easier to buy CDs at Amazon, which means adding even more to Bezos’s already brimming bank accounts. Thankfully I no longer buy CDs, choosing instead to add to Spotify’s coffers. 

5. Bonus question! Where do you want to stop for lunch?

On the rare occasions when I head into Manchester city centre to go shopping with Mrs PM (and it is rare – I can’t recall the last time I actually did it), I suggest that we pop into a pub for lunch. That way I can have a beer to help nullify the trauma and tedium of wandering around shops. 

Do It Yourself

Welcome to what is now a sunny South Manchester. It makes a change because it has been raining a lot recently. For example, this morning I went on my usual early walk and it rained non-stop for the duration, which lasted an hour and a quarter. I was drenched! 

It’s supposed to be June. It’s supposed to be summer in a week or so. 

Sometimes I wish that I lived in Spain. 

Let’s dive in and answer some silly questions from Sunday Stealing. 

It’s a bit different this week because regular contributors have each suggested a question, myself included. And, yes, I think my question is the weirdest (as you will see). 

1. Would you rather have every traffic light turn green or always get the best parking spot? (Kwizgiver) 

I don’t drive much these days. If I’m honest, it’s because I don’t really like driving; I never have. However, when I do drive, I sometimes lose patience and feel the burning onset of road rage rising in my mind. This is aggravated by being in a hurry especially if the roads are busy with people who are just pootling along without a care in the world. Traffic lights add to this evolving frustration because, in my experience at least, the number of red lights you encounter is directly proportional to how much of a hurry you are in. Put simply, if you are late or in a hurry, you will encounter red lights all the time. 

The answer to this question is therefore simple. I would always rather have every traffic light turn green. 

2. What's the most difficult thing you have ever done? (Gold in the Clouds) 

That’s also easy. The most difficult thing I have ever done is to climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge. I am terrified of heights and I had a moment of utter insanity and agreed to do it. Here is proof:

3. What information do you know that you are proud of/happy about, but others say, "Who cares?" (Roger) 

This is a tricky one. I guess it has to do with sport and the football team I support. My team is in the fourth tier of English football and they are called Walsall. When you decide to support a team you hand over your soul to them, and I did just that when I was six years old before I knew any better. 

The result is that I support a really bad team who barely win anything. The problem now is that I live in a city that is surrounded by teams that are far more successful than my team. You may have heard of Manchester United and Manchester City. And when I discuss football with supporters of these teams (and other more successful teams), I always try to express my enthusiasm for Walsall. Do they care? Absolutely not. I usually get laughed at or told “Manchester United are one of the biggest clubs in the world. Who cares about your shitty team?”. 

I do – sadly. 

4. What mystery do you wish you knew the answer to? (Myra/Mevely)

Another tricky question because I love mysteries, especially weird ones. I think to be honest it would have to be an answer to the question:

 “Do aliens exist and have they been visiting planet Earth?”. 

I am not one of those people who fervently believe that aliens exist and that UFOs really are of alien design. I just want to know. As a science-oriented person, the truth is that the evidence supports the theory that aliens and UFOs do not exist and that there is a logical explanation for some of the things that people have witnessed in the past 80 years or so. Yet some of the things I have seen on TV programmes are truly bizarre and you could argue that there is something out there. 

It would be nice to know for sure. 

5. What small, ordinary thing brings you disproportionate joy? (Country Dew)

The World Cup has started and I am looking forward to spending a lot of time watching the games on TV, especially when England are playing. Whenever I sit down to watch TV, one of the cats usually sits next to me, almost glued to my left leg like a limpet. On my right will be a table where I will either be sipping a large mug of decaffeinated tea or, if I am feeling a little naughty, a glass of beer. This particular scenario will bring me a lot of pleasure in the next couple of weeks, especially if Mrs decides to join me (she doesn’t really like football) and, of course, England win. 

6. What time do you go to sleep/wake up?  (Annie)

My smartwatch nags me. It tells me when I have to stand up, how many calories I have burned and that my goals (which it decided) will not being achieved unless I pull my finger out. It also nags me around bedtime telling me that I should consider going to bed. If I don’t get eight hours at least (again decided by the watch) then it nags me. 

As a result of this I have tried to placate the bloody thing. Consequently I go to bed about 11pm to 11:30pm usually and I wake up roughly seven and a half hours later. 

7. What is your favourite sleeping position? (Lisa) 

I usually sleep on my right side because it usually helps me get to sleep more quickly. However, when I wake up my position can vary. The only position I can’t sleep in is on my front. 

8. Describe your personal Utopia. (Pandora) 

I have this fantasy of becoming World President and banishing all odious people on a one-way flight into space to discover a new planet for themselves (but not the rest of us) to live on. 

My personal Utopia would be a world where all such people do not exist on the planet. That means no Donald Trump, Valdimir Putin and all the other political arses who cause so much chaos in the world. I want a world where everybody gets on and countries welcome visitors with not a care where they came from and everybody is totally free with no oppression whatsoever. It would be nice to have a transporter device such that if anybody starts to show Trump-like qualities then their punishment will be to be beamed onto the fleet of spaceships looking for planet Arse.

9. Imagine that you have a machine that can create any new invention for you based on your description. What you ask the machine to create, and why? (Plastic Mancunian)

I told you that my question is the weirdest. 

I would ask it to create a time machine for me. This time machine would be indestructible and have all the comforts of home and would be able to take me anywhere or anywhen. To be honest, I would use it initially to go to the future and see what technological innovations have been created in the decades to come and where we are with space exploration and the like. When I am satisfied with that I would then pop to the past and perhaps observe the shenanigans of divisive historical figures like Henry VIII or maybe pop to Ancient Rome and spend a day strolling around talking to normal Roman people. 

Comfort Zone

Welcome to a changeable South Manchester where the weather has changed since the highs of last week. It’s not unpleasant but it is a lot cooler and we have had a few rain showers. Apparently, the weather is more typical of early June – so that’s alright then (he says sarcastically). 

Still, there is cricket going on and Wimbledon is due at the end of the month. There is plenty of time for more intense heat or intense rain and thunderstorms before then. 

The World Cup starts this week in Canada, Mexico and The United States and England and Scotland have qualified. It should be interesting and now that I have retired I will be able to become a total couch potato for the duration and watch as many games as I can. It was always a problem when I worked because work completely go in the way. Sadly, because it is across the pond, it means that the games kick off much later and some of them take place in the middle of the night. I may be retired but I won’t be staying up until 4am to watch any matches. I will simply record them and watch them the following morning. Luckily England’s games are at a reasonable time. 

Come on England!

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

This time they require a little thought. Those are my kind of questions. I love a challenge. 

1. What celebrity would you never want to meet? 

Honestly, there are hundreds of them. For example, there are thousands who are only famous for being on reality TV shows because their egos have told them that they deserve to be famous when the reality is that they have no talent whatsoever. I also wouldn’t want to meet anybody who thinks that he or she is better than me simply because other people know who they are. 

To those people, I just want to say you are NOT better than me at all. In fact, in may ways you are far worse than me. 

So, let me pick a "celebrity" for you. 

Piers Morgan.

This man used to be a tabloid newspaper editor and has since managed to find his way into mainstream television as a presenter, interviewer and all-round pain in the backside. He is controversial and loves to be so just to stoke division and anger people. A lot of people in the UK despise him and when he went to America the whole of the UK breathed a collective sigh of relief. And then the Americans sent him back! Why?

Here’s an example of why I really don’t like him:

I also wanted to mention James Corden but I don’t want to bore you with the list of reasons why I dislike him.

2. What do you label yourself as?

I label myself as bit of a weirdo and a bit of a geek. I tick a lot of the boxes for both. For example:

• I have worn glasses since the age of eight and when I was eighteen I looked like the stereotypical nerd you find in geek-bashing movies.
• I love science fiction and anything weird and wonderful such as superheroes.
• I would probably have fit in quite well as a geek on The Big Bang Theory (though not quite as weird as those guys and definitely not as clever – theoretical physics is extremely difficult to understand). 
• I worked in IT for 40 years and my degree is Computational & Statistical Science).
• I was really good at maths (note the extra “s”) and I am pedantic. 

Of course, I do have some qualities that are not geeky and weird but if I weren’t a little strange I just wouldn’t be me - and I like being me.

3. You can only have one sandwich for the rest of your life. You have every sandwich-making ingredient known to man at your disposal. What sandwich do you make? 

That’s easy. It would be ham and cheese with tomato, lettuce and mayonnaise. It’s a simple sandwich but I love it. 

4. An angel provides you with a lifetime supply of the alcoholic beverage of your choice. What's it gonna be?

It would be beer. The problem with beer is that I tend to drink bitter and ales in the winter and lager in the summer so the lifetime supply would have to take that into account. 

5. Have you ever built a snowman?

Yes, I have. I built one when I was a kid and I also built one or two with the help of my two lads when they were young. 

6. If you could ask your future self a question, what would it be?

Can you look up the winning numbers for the Euromillions lottery next week and tell me what they are?

7. Have you ever baked your own birthday cake?

Absolutely not. I have baked a very simple cake with my two kids when they were young. It was so simple that even I could bake it. The kitchen was a total mess but it was fun. 

8. Which are cooler: dinosaurs or dragons?

Dinosaurs are definitely cooler because dragons do not exist. Also, when I was in junior school (that would be aged between 7 and 10) I was obsessed with dinosaurs. At the time, we were asked to write a project over a period of a term about anything we wanted (within reason) and I chose dinosaurs. I have rarely had more fun at school.

I also love movies involving dinosaurs, even the old ones from the 1950’s and 1960’s and I have seen every Jurassic Park movie at the cinema (apart from the last one – I was on holiday at the time). 

9. What do you like about babies?

I recently told Mrs PM that I hate feet – even my own. But babies’ feet are lovely. They are pure and clean and cute. Also, I love it when a baby is just lying there cooing and smiling and giggling. It is such fun to watch them – even better if you can make them giggle yourself. 

10. You discover a beautiful island upon which you may build your own society. What's the first rule you put in place?

This is smaller in scale to my dream of one day becoming World President and removing every odious person from Planet Earth in a fleet of spaceships whose aim is to find a new world where they can live and not annoy the rest of us. Piers Morgan is the pilot.

So, if I had an island instead, I would banish any odious person from setting foot on it, especially politicians. 

Think of a question you'd like to ask and insert it here.

Imagine that you have a machine that can create any new invention for you based on your description of it. What would you ask the machine to create – and why?

Filling in the Blanks

Welcome to a very pleasant South Manchester. I was in Nerja on the south coast of Spain recently and the temperature was a very nice 22°C to 24°C. However, when we returned to Manchester just over a week ago, we were amazed to discover that the temperature was 27°C – and it got even hotter over the next few days, peaking at 32°C on Monday, which is a record for May. Who says global warming doesn’t exist? It has cooled down a little to a pleasant 23°C and I enjoyed watching a cricket match yesterday. 

It’s been a while since I have had the time to answer some silly questions from Sunday Stealing so let’s put that right. 

1. _____ is not the end of the world.

Making mistakes is not the end of the world. 

I speak from experience, here. Over the years I have made hundreds of mistakes and I daresay that I will continue to make them in the future. The one thing that I am certain of is that I usually learn from such mistakes (as the old adage shows). I am also happy to admit it when I do mess up and I wish that certain other people would also do that. 

2. _____ tastes so good!

Cheese tastes so good.

I try not to eat too much cheese but when I do, I always enjoy it. I’ve tried a lot of different types over the years and I enjoy most of them. I am not so keen on things like Stilton but when used in cheese sauce it becomes very acceptable. 

3. Sometimes, putting others first is _____.

Sometimes putting others first is a mistake.

I regard myself as a considerate person and I will always try to help others if I can. The only problem is that some people take advantage of your good nature and I discovered this a lot at work, when helping people who were struggling to the point where I ended up doing their work for them and putting myself behind as a result. I learned that lesson quickly enough. 

4. _____ is breathtaking, really.

Planet Earth is breathtaking really. 

I love this planet that we live on and while it can be inhabited by arses like Trump and Putin, there is so much beauty out there to explore. A glorious sunrise or sunset can actually change my mood for the better. Some of the scenery I have seen on my travels is exquisite, from incredible waterfalls in Iguazu, Brazil and Niagara, Canada to the sweeping fields of Cheshire on a sunny day. 

Sunset over the Aegean Sea

Niagara

Iguazu Falls, Brazil

A view across the Cheshire plains

5. Well, maybe there is _____.

Well, maybe there is a God. 

Or is there? I don’t want to get into the depths of a discussion about whether God exists or not. However, some deeply religious people don’t question it. I like to trust science and scientifically nobody has provided proof of the existence of a supreme divine being. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t any  because we have only scratched the surface when it comes to scientific discovery. 

When I was growing up as a Catholic boy, I was told that God did exist and that I should devote all of my time to worshipping him. I was told that I had a guardian angel. I was told that good was omniscient and that he knew everything about me, including my thoughts. I believed everything the priests preached to me until, well, I started questioning things. 

For example, I asked where heaven and hell are, given that space is infinite. I asked why I needed to confess my sins when God was supposed to know everything that I done already. I asked why the Holy Ghost was a ghost and who he had been when he was alive. And then I asked why the Bible contradicted itself, something I also recently asked a Jehovah’s Witness on my doorstep. 

I have said this before and I will say it again. If God really does exist then all he has to do is appear to me and have a chat with me over a cup of tea. If he did that then I would be the most devoted follower of God on this planet.

6.  This week, my plans include _____ .

This week my plans include going to Keswick in the Lake District with my sister and enjoying a walk in the hills. Of course, I will also eat, sleep and complete all of my daily duties. And, of course I will be at the beck and call of my two furry overlords. 

More Plastic Factoids

 

Welcome to a typical April day in South Manchester. April has been warm this year but we seem to have returned to normal now with sunny spells and intermittent showers, the so-called “April Showers”. It’s definitely getting warmer though and this means that my favourite season is on its way. 

Let’s dive in with some silly questions from Sunday Stealing. 

1. Are you the sort of person who can nap or sleep anywhere, any time?

Sadly no – unless I am really, really tired. This only usually occurs when I am jet-lagged or have been flying for hours, for example on a trip back from China where the journey took 24 hours. The only other time I have slept like that was when I caught Covid. 

I am envious of Mrs PM because she can sleep anywhere. On our recent trip to Malaysia she fell asleep lots of times to help remove the jet lag, leaving me sitting there like an absolute lemon because I was wide awake. I wouldn’t mind – I don’t even consume caffeine so I don’t know what prevented me from sleeping. Even on the plane, I was possibly the only person awake, apart from the pilot and the stewards/stewardesses. Mrs PM was leaning on my shoulder and looked like she was in absolute sleep heaven. 

Normally I get about 7 to 8 hours sleep a day so I can and do sleep well. I just can’t sleep on demand and jet lag usually messes me up, despite all the advice I’ve received over the years. None of it works. 

2. Have you ever walked in your sleep?

Only when I was a young kid and even then only then once or twice. My dad found me in the bathroom once putting a load of toys into the bathtub. When he switched on the light, he woke me up and I was as surprised as he was. I had no idea why I was there. 

It was a rare occurrence and hasn’t happened to me since then. 

3. Do you chat with your Uber/Lyft/taxi driver?

Yes, sometimes. I don’t usually instigate the chat but occasionally I do. Most of them are quite friendly although I have had the odd one who is bad tempered or just a grumpy old git who wants to vent his spleen. 

4. Do you remember what you did on Valentine's Day?

No. To me Valentine’s Day is a huge con to get people to spend their money. Restaurant prices go up as do the prices of flowers and chocolates. I don’t need “the man” to tell me when to be romantic – I can do that any time. And I am not prepared to sit in a restaurant and pay twice the amount of money for a meal that had much cheaper the week before. 

Sorry for the minor rant there but it annoys me. 

5. How many laptops have you owned over your lifetime?

Probably about four or five. Before that I had desktops. At work, I used to have a new laptop every year or so because the improvement in technology, capacity of disk and memory meant that I could do my job a lot more efficiently because it was cost effective. 

6. How many countries have you visited?

I have visited 41 countries so far in my life. This year I added Malaysia to that list and I will be adding Slovakia and Austria to that list later in the year. There are many more I want to add but whether I will get to all of them is unknown at the moment. Three new countries in a year isn’t too bad though.  

7. Did you/will you go to work today?

HA HA HA! I have retired so the answer is a resounding NO!!!

I love being retired. 

A FAB Storm Called Dave

Welcome to a slightly dodgy South Manchester where at the moment, the weather is okay. The problem is that there is a storm coming which is going to hit the British Isles later today and overnight. 

We have no plans for Easter other than my usual daily walk, which may be an issue tomorrow morning because there is a storm coming. I’m not concerned about that though. What I am concerned about is the name that the Met Office has given the storm. 

They have called it STORM DAVE!

Why did they choose Dave? Why not David? David is bad enough but nobody calls me “David”. People call me “Dave”. 

Here is an excerpt from a message that my daughter-in-law sent me:

I felt that I had to reply:

My son and his wife live in Prestwich, a small town north of Manchester and home to the biggest park in Greater Manchester called Heaton Park, which is a wonderful place and has a lot of gigs there in the summer. This is relevant because I decided to ask ChatGPT to create a picture of what their Easter may be like when “Storm Dave” arrives. This is it and I felt that I had to send it to my dearest daughter-in-law:

I am starting to have some great fun with ChatGPT and AI in general, so much so that I am considering in the future dipping my toe into the world of IT again as a hobby. That’s a fledging idea forming that may or may not happen. 

Anyway, enough fun and banter. I hope that we won’t have to batten down the hatches when Dave arrives. Let’s answer some silly questions from Sunday Stealing. 

F. Film: What movie or tv show are you watching? 

As I said when I wrote a similar post last year, I usually have four shows on the go, two shared with Mrs PM and two for me alone. Here are my current ones:

Mr Mercedes

This is a shared one with Mrs PM. Last year I read the book Mr Mercedes by Stephen King and this is the show that is based on that book. It has three seasons and we have just started the final one. The book was gruesome and so is the series. It stars Brendan Gleason as retired detective Bill Hodges who is being pursued and tormented by a serial killer, the aforementioned Mr Mercedes, who he failed to catch when he was in active service. We’re enjoying it and Mrs PM has decided to read the book. 

The Walking Dead: Darryl Dixon

This is a shared series with Mrs PM and is a spin off from the Walking Dead but set in Europe. So far the hero of the series, Daryl Dixon played by Norman Reedus, has been to France, England (briefly) and now Spain. He has been joined by Carol Peletier, played by Melissa McBride, also from the original series. I liked the Walking Dead and this is slightly more interesting in some ways because it is set in Europe. We are watching the latest season, which is season three. 

American Horror Story: Coven (season three)

I watched the first two seasons of this really gruesome show but the truth is that when I finish a season, I need a break from it. I used to really love horror shows and films but as I’ve got older, I can’t quite take the horror as well as I used to. This is why I have a big gap between seasons when I watch this show. Coven is season three and there are twelve seasons. At this rate it will take twelve years to watch them all because after this I will need another gap. It is very enjoyable but, as the title suggests, a very grisly and scary series that my younger self would have absolutely binge-watched to the end. And yes, I am enjoying it – but I will need a break when season three ends. 

Banshee

I am a big fan of The Boys, which stars Anthony Starr as the evil Homelander. I am looking forward to the final season, which is on very soon (and may already have started). However, my son told me that Anthony Starr previously starred in a very good series called Banshee and I have decided to give that one a go. I’ve only watched two episodes of the first season and it has me hooked already. It is a crime series where an ex-con (Anthony Starr) is searching for his ex-girlfriend and finds her in the town of Banshee where circumstances mean that he cons his way into becoming the sheriff of the town. 

A. Audio: What are you listening to?

There are a lot of new albums due out this year from some of my favourite artists. However, I shall mention a new band that I discovered right at the end of last year called IHLO. They are a British Progressive Metal band and have two albums to their name. I have listened to the first a few times and I am just starting to listen to their second offering. 

Here is a song from their first album that I absolutely love. It is called Coalescence and it is a belter:

B. Book: What are you reading?

I’m currently reading two things. I have almost finished “Quiet” by Susan Cain, which is all about the ups and downs of being an introvert. In terms of fiction I am reading a series of science fiction novels called The Survivors by Nathan Hystad. Whether I persist with them I don’t know. I have twelve books but the series is apparently still going on strong with book twenty-four. I may just finish the one I am currently reading (number four) and then have a break and move onto something else.