Category Archives: Random stuff

University College, Oxford, in the Autumn Sunshine

Posted on September 23, 2012 by John S

I was a student at University College between 1977 and 1980. The era of punk and new wave! I studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics. The subject generally gets the blame for most things that go wrong in Britain these days, … Continue reading →

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A visit to the Poble Espanyol, Barcelona

Posted on September 16, 2012 by John S

If you are in Barcelona and fancy a few hours of tranquility and lovely architecture, I can recommend the Poble Espanyol, up in the hills – Montjuic to be precise – overlooking the city. I went there with our friends, … Continue reading →

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Summer reading, so intriguing!

Posted on August 19, 2012 by John S

One of the things I love about family summer holidays is that you get to catch up on your reading. It might be after breakfast, or on the beach, by the pool, or in the evening, before and after dinner … Continue reading →

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Cycling on a Dutch Boneshaker

Posted on August 9, 2012 by John S

The week before the Olympics, I and my family spent a week in Holland, at a camp called Duinrell in Wassenaar, which is situated between the capital Den Haag and the old university town, Leiden. It’s a mixture of tents … Continue reading →

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Slug!

Posted on July 31, 2012 by John S

Nearly crunched this beauty as I stepped out of the house this morning. It had been raining and that normally brings out the snails.  I’ve not seen a slug this big -4-5 inches? – for a while.  We don’t do … Continue reading →

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The English Summer

Posted on July 10, 2012 by John S

Saturday, 7 July, 2.30pm. Mudeford,  on the Dorset Coast, near Christchurch. Height of Summer. Lovely! The walk down the beach to Highcliffe Castle was strangely enjoyable though.  A bracing wind and a fine sea mist.  The kids stayed indoors! These … Continue reading →

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My new domain name – tfw5.com !

Posted on May 22, 2012 by John S

People who know about these things keep on telling me I should purchase my own domain name – so I have! Not really sure what difference it makes, but anyway, I’m now, as far as any readers of this blog … Continue reading →

Posted in Random stuff | 6 Comments

Blue Bell Dell, Kew Gardens

Posted on May 3, 2012 by John S

It’s now, in the cusp between April and May, that the Bluebells are at their finest.  We have some stragglers in our messy garden (see my my blog, an (Un)English garden), but the place to see them, in West London … Continue reading →

Posted in London, Photos, Random stuff | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Thanks to Freshly Pressed!

Posted on April 17, 2012 by John S

On Friday evening, 13 April,  I received an email notification from WordPress telling me one of my blogs – my Top Ten air guitar songs – was on Freshly Pressed. I was having a beer at the time outside a … Continue reading →

Posted in Music - Top Tens, Random stuff | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

An (un)English Garden

Posted on April 13, 2012 by John S

Our back garden is a mess. The front third is a football pitch and so the lawn has disappeared. The middle third hosts a trampoline, so all the grass underneath has died. And the back third is for the washing … Continue reading →

Posted in London, Photos, Random stuff | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments