Category: Vicissitudes of Life

I hope that my readers will indulge me for this post: I have written a (very) short story – my first – based upon a photograph. * * * * * * * * * * Bryn Roberts slung his Leica over his shoulder, turned into Vaughan Street and crossed the road near the Imperial…… Continue reading Every Picture Tells a (Short) Story

Early in January of this year, I spotted an item in a local publication where I live in Solihull, in the West Midlands region of the UK, which gave notice of an event held in the town to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day on January 27th.  It is seventy-one years since Auschwitz concentration camp was liberated…… Continue reading Don’t Stand By

Firstly I wish to extend a sincere thank you to all of my readers in 2015; I hope that you will continue to read me in 2016.   Secondly, it was kind of those of you who sent me a message in your Christmas card letting me know that you read my blog. As long as…… Continue reading The Politics of Hope

If you have been following Part One, Part Two follows. ————————————————————— We didn’t notice the border between Germany and the Czech Republic during our long train journey between Berlin and Prague; only the names of the stations alerted us as to which country we were in. The railway line followed a wide, attractive river valley…… Continue reading Twelve Trains: Part Two

It took twelve trains to complete our journey from home, near Solihull in the West Midlands area of the UK, to a number of central European capital cities and back again in September of this year. If I recall correctly, the idea grew out of a notion to visit Vienna and the holiday escalated from…… Continue reading Twelve Trains: Part One

My last blog post generated 90 views to date: thank you, whoever and wherever you are for taking an interest in my musings. I have titled this blog post In the News, as a result of our experience – that is myself, my wife and two close friends – upon passing through the main railway…… Continue reading In the News

A friend, Jenny, asked me last weekend why I have stopped blogging. I haven’t really; it is just that the holiday season has got in the way. It is both comforting and gratifying that Jenny told me that she reads my blog and that she is looking forward to the next one: thank you for…… Continue reading Old Friends and Absent Friends

It is almost two months since my last blog, which had over 100 visits: thank you to all those who visited that page. The reason for the hiatus is that I have been busy responding to edits of my second novel. I hope that the long interval between this and my most recent blog will…… Continue reading Outlook on Humanity

A few weeks ago, whilst shopping in Solihull, my local town, I noticed an elderly woman coming towards me. Nothing unusual about that: the busy shopping centres in the town are used by shoppers of all ages. As we approached one another on what seemed to be a collision course, I could not help noticing…… Continue reading Womanhood and Motherhood: Or, Sisters do it Better

The number of visits to my previous blog (about an aspect of Sikhism) is, at the time of writing, 170. A huge thanks to everyone, whoever and wherever you are, for taking an interest in my blog. This is the highest number of visits to my blog pages to date. There has been quite a…… Continue reading On the Trail of my Grandfather to the Western Front