We work and pay our taxes believing that we will be looked after sadley that is not the case no matter how long we work life does not treat the old fairly our supposedly socialist government attacks the poorest in society at every opportunity even though they were always funded by the labour movements and… Read more

As a liberal,at the last election i voted labour i’m sorry I have been conned as have many others I was so keen to get rid of the corrupt conservatives I voted for the party that was most likely to get them out The goal was achieved but we have achieved nothing good A weak… Read more

Sunak Sunak what are you playing at Flights to Rwanda full of refugees frightened for their lives. Sent to a destination of your choice not theirs Don’t worry the shooting of refugees in 2018 can never happen again! Do you really believe that? Has Rwanda become your holiday destination of choice? I don’t think anyone… Read more

The Berber camp was chaotic but interesting and the Berbers were very nice in fact they were the nicest people we met in Tunisia.They gave us some sort of traditional gown to put on i think they were called souks and helped us on to the camels, which were sort of prone so not hard… Read more

We had booked a trip to the Sahara with a stop at el Jeb a Roman amphitheatre when we got there we were told to walk straight to the entrance and not stop. This was because the whole place was surrounded by people trying to sell us Roman coins and artefacts and they were very… Read more

54 years of working has changed my attitude to working My time off gives me more pleasure than I was aware I think I would rather be at home than anywhere  Walking the dog or pottering in the garden without care Cycling into town for lunch is not unusual or rare Thirty years of working… Read more

I took someone to the zoo this week At all of the creatures we did peek They sat and looked back at us From their cages, they just stared blankly The visit left me feeling very sad for the cruelty of their incarceration They had committed no crime yet they were still held against their… Read more

I’m glad Elons rocket exploded, I don’t think we need to go to other planets Mars is not going to feed our starving people It won’t give shelter to our homeless It won’t make our society fairer for all It won’t stop the war in Ukraine  It won’t bring about peace in the world It… Read more

As Russia attacks its neighbour bringing death and destruction On the whim of its lunatic leader’s instruction It seems to want to destroy all in its path including its civilian population Why, we ask, only one man knows for sure his people are being lied to? Fed misinformation by the state broadcasters who are not… Read more

The next day it was off to the local marina which had a market or souk bought some stuff including a leather holdall which I still have and use. It was not as interesting as I had hoped it would be lots of tat made for the tourist market. On return we went to the… Read more

A holiday in Tunisia seemed just what I needed A getaway to see places new and feel the sun on my back All the jabs recommended were done my secret stash of cash was raided And then Tunisia here we come via Gatwick almost the worst part of the journey Eventually, we took off and… Read more

I have no memories of early chidhood friendships only some fondness for some relatives Standing on the outside of the circle looking in but never belonging inside the rim Not knowing the rules so never being sure what to do to fit in A mother who i know loved me but had been orphaned at… Read more

Its time to face up to a basic fact of our new life Don’t expect to see a doctor unless you’re prepared to pay or want to talk to them on the phone Don’t expect to see a dentist unless you are in absolute agony Don’t expect to see an optician in a timely manner… Read more

It creeps in through any gap a window on the latch A door not fully closed its cold fingers seeping in It’s not freezing, mild for the time of year they say But as the darkness closes in, by four pm the cold encroaches A day of activity dog walks clearing the garden activity that… Read more

The meeting is about to begin so many world leaders in one place, Glasgow COP 26, they will all sit around and devise a plan without argument or malice to save our world The Chinese won’t be there because they are too busy building new coalfired power stations And making plans to take back Taiwan… Read more

Death where is your fear you creep around nipping our ankles like a farmers collie dog It gets to a point when we say oh just shut up, I’ve heard your stupid threats and sometimes I was scared! But now I don’t care you can threaten me with covid, cancer, flu or the common cold… Read more

Incompetence can become endemic if it’s left to its own devices It leads to a culture of poor performance and poor outcomes It takes us to a place where that is nowhere anyone wants to be Incompetence leads nowhere except to a tissue of lies to hide itself behind Some people take their incompetence and… Read more

Wind-powered generation and solar produce less than 50% of our electricity needs. Where does the balance come from nuclear- and gas-powered stations and some imported from France? Is it possible to double the number of wind farms in the time needed to meet our targets? I don’t know but I don’t think so. Can we… Read more

Stress in older age I don’t understand it When I was young, I had a couple of dozen reasons to be stressed I just didn’t seem to know I should have been Now I shouldn’t be stressed but it seems that I am Is it down to perspective now if I look forward I see… Read more

As September ends autumn begins The wind blows the temperature drops The prospect of dark evenings and dark mornings Go to work in the dark come home in the dark As I get older I miss the light more than ever It’s cosy to sit by an open fire but not compensation enough Six months… Read more

I finished work on Saturday thought I would get diesel as I do about once a fortnight Oh, dear, I thought I have enough for my shift on Sunday which I did Finished Monday morning no diesel in Sudbury none in my local garage None on the way home what a bloody disaster we are… Read more

We all need to go green everyone tells us it’s the only way to save the planet Get rid of coal stop burning gas heat our homes with electricity Don’t you dare burn wood you reckless hippy Can’t afford the electricity put another jumper on Want to go to work you can’t drive a petrol… Read more

Are we all dancing to someone else’s dodgy tune? Running around trying to appease or please like a loon Hoping to gain some praise or acceptance while losing our self-respect Our self-worth is diminished in this pointless exercise what else could we expect Hoping to be valued for who we are is unrealistic optimism over… Read more

I remember the Russians being defeated by Afghanistan I remember when we went into Afghanistan, and I don’t understand why things have turned so bad. I am an avid listener and watcher of news, so I suppose I am as well informed as most ordinary people. So why is there such a lack of knowledge… Read more

The rain starts at 0730and continues to annoy The crew set up regardless of getting wet They run through sound checks check out the tannoy A few hardy types appear in plastic ponchos The performers put on a brave face attempt to entertain A few minutes of sunshine then a continuation of rain For the… Read more

Why do we live in a world without compassion? Our world is full of religious groups of every type Why does religion not make our world a nicer place to live? Our view of religion seems to be what we believe should achieve total domination Why are religions so arrogant to think they are always… Read more

A dog is just a dog except when its your dog then it becomes special Your dog has special skills talents that may be for good or bad Your dog will know how you are feeling and react accordingly A dog knows when you are sad or happy and will comfort or share your joy… Read more

We met several years ago at work we had time to have long chats As we chatted we found shared interests sport, cars, and work We also shared an interest in writing poetry and prose As it happened some childhood memories in common A taste for good lunches and scotch whiskey In twenty thirteen I… Read more

We start the day bright and sunny. On the beach its warm and hazy. Back to the site and thunder rolling in. Then its rain pelting down on the awning it makes such a din. Slowly the rain deceases becomes a mere trickle fresh and warm its pleasant for a while. The water drops on… Read more

As my mind trawls through its memory banks, it finds golden nuggets that shine like a diamond in a goat’s arse. Like being held upside down by my ankles by my auntie Daphne on her doorstep as she slapped me on my back to dislodge a sugar-coated pineapple chunk stuck in my throat. Like having… Read more

I’m sitting in the garden seething. The sun is shining its warm and bright. Surrounded by the beautiful flowers we have grown. Then it starts the amplified drums and guitars It’s a pleasant Sunday afternoon ruined. Its band practice in a nearby garden Total disregard for all their neighbours An overwhelming sense of entitlement And… Read more

On an evening warm and sultry Moving to a rhythm not desultory Feelings of pleasure and lust Keeping these in check but only just Offering a lift home to prolong the feelings. Hoping that the spark is reciprocated. Looking for a common ground to build on. Can I smoke she said, thank God I thought… Read more

Flaming June came in with a bang, temperatures soaring. Oh, the joy of wearing a t-shirt with jeans and sandals and no umbrella. The forecast says after three days we will get some rain. Good for the garden and farmers not so good for the rest of us Im sure we will survive its just… Read more

As the lockdown slowly releases us from our house arrest and the sun is warming our backs A more normal life seems to be opening up for us holidays can be booked a future seen It seems that we have been restrained for years but in reality its more like eighteen months It has caused… Read more

Your world stops when you are sick. When you can’t go to work because you feel too sick When you can’t walk your dog because you feel too sick When you can’t do anything in the garden only look at it because you feel too sick Then you must justify your reason for being sick… Read more

The storm that came in a long awaited rush. It roared and it shouted its way from the west into the east. Assembled by nature in a complicated fashion. Born in the south Atlantic it came steadily on. It claimed its lives on the uncaring alter of nature. Giving us a reminder that nature runs… Read more

Your done they said it’s time for you to leave I left without a plan to face a world of work No qualifications or worthwhile experience to help me on my way Only youthful optimism and a need to earn some pay I gave up childish things and accepted the fitting of my ball and… Read more

The global organisations that use songs of love and hope to shackle the masses. Ritual and hierarchy that reinforce the power they wield. Secrecy and fear to hide the corruption. Huge cathedrals and churches decorated with the golden trappings of wealth. Dressed in gold and silver embroidered robes, but a pig with a gold ring… Read more

What a cruel twist of fate To be born into a species that is aware of their own mortality The birds in the garden sing with such joy’ no concept of an end to life The rabbits in the fields make the most of every day Only humans spend time contemplating their own demise Only… Read more

My uncle Terry went out to fight in WW2 the place I don’t know for certain, but they ran out of ammunition for their weapons and were told to roll the guns over a cliff and then surrender. This they did and he was taken into a camp in Italy. Terry was not keen on… Read more

All my heroes are dying, John Lennon murdered in New York Mamma Cass a sandwich in the toilet Lou Reed drugs and alcohol Bowie, cancer but kept discreet and unknown Johnny Cash old age with some dignity Woody Guthrie with sadness and humility Dean Martin with style and coolness till the end Groucho Marx with… Read more

In 1953 my uncle Carol was living in a cottage on the marshes in Blythburgh Suffolk. As the flood water started rising, he with his wife moved upstairs to safety. This was an exceptional tide and the waters continued to rise. Watching from the bedroom window he watched as his rabbit hutches floated away with… Read more

During world war two my uncle Bill (Crown) used to get asked by my father and others why he did not join the home guard. Bill always just shrugged it off saying I don’t want to join that lot. Running around with broomsticks, they did not have rifles when it was first formed. He continued… Read more

The morning’s mist that does not clear. The day that passes without a breath. A grey calmness has descended on our world. Enjoy the stillness let it pass to us its calm. The days are short and the darkness feels too long. Enjoy the pleasure of long winter evening’s cosy inside. When spring does arrive… Read more

It’s been going on to long, the work life balance is all wrong. The European Union says forty eight hours is too long, I agree but how many of us have opted out of this clause. If the wages weren’t so poor the workforce wouldn’t need to work so many hours. Damaging their family life,… Read more

On the journey down from the clouds. Through the rain that envelopes like a shroud. Down towards the tarmac ribbon. Scanning for the meat feast it provides, With his unblinking eye small creatures and carrion he can spy. Armed with a fearsome beak and talons. He soars above the victim he has chosen. This will… Read more

Walking with the dog along the greening hedgerows The spring sunshine bringing life back to our world Drying out the ground that didn’t get frozen or a covering of snow Now the trees are coming into life their leaves unfurling The days grow longer more hours to spend in the garden Beach hut cleaned and… Read more

I can’t be like John cooper Clark. I’m not northern, I can’t say bastard and sound like I mean it. I come from Suffolk and my accent is soft. I come from Suffolk so I must be a bit daft. I might get red glasses as an homage. I might get red glasses because my… Read more

Getting old is easy you just have to stay alive It comes with problems ailments that wait for the old painful joints that make every day tasks hurt life becomes problematic stairs get to hurt the knees walking can become a challenge distance is reduced but its worth the challenges because life is mostly good