Category Archives: blog

There are days when you know deep in your being, that something has changed; something monumental, something irreversible. Like the coming of Autumn, everything around you speaks of an ending and of a beginning – the chill in the air; the colours of year’s farewell; the growing quietness of nature’s weariness. Mostly, it’s something intangible;Continue reading “Rest easy, Ma’am”

It would be blatantly obvious, to anyone who knows me, that I’ve never had a Latin lesson in my life. With lots of subjects I, like many others, Google what I need to know at any given point, which can lead to contextual difficulties and the danger of outright misinformation (it seems that anyone withContinue reading “Id est quod est”

They say that once you start getting tattoos it can be a little addictive. I’m not sure I fall into that category (yet) but I have been thinking about adding to my collection. OK, I’m definitely adding to my collection. You may remember that I created a design for my right forearm that was madeContinue reading “Creed”

Well done if you got past the title of today’s blog! It’s not as bad as it sounds. We went on an Art Day yesterday, to recharge ours souls and to get challenged by stuff we don’t necessarily like. First we went up to HOME and then across Town to Manchester Art Gallery and sawContinue reading “The Shadow of Death”

So, my friend’s son reached the significant age of 18 recently which brings up all sorts of questions like, how did that happen? Wasn’t it just yesterday that I held him in my arms? Surely only last week that I played “catch the Autumn leaf” with him in Tatton Park? As part of the celebrations,Continue reading “The Wisdom of Steve”

Very excited. I finally got to use my Wacom drawing tablet, which means I can draw straight into the laptop without having to scan or use the mouse to draw (not easy, believe me). It also means I can develop my Bodkin characters, which are in their fourth incarnation (at least), and move away fromContinue reading “The Return of the Bodkin”

Ever had one of those days where you nip out for a quick errand which turns into a whole day? Yep, one of those days. I took the car in for its MOT and settled in a local café for the 90 minutes it would take the garage to do their thing. I had breakfast,Continue reading “Punk Prayers”

They slept on, unaware, as the dawn stalked Jerusalem.In the city and the towns and the villages, they navigated dreams and nightmares, stretching out as in the freedom of flight and curling back as if returning to the womb. Amber sunlight gently warmed the death-cold stone, illuminating diamond dew, and elbowing shadows out of theContinue reading “That Morning”

What good about this day?A day of betrayal and fear and absenceA day of pain and grief and the lowest expressions of humanityWhere life is cheap and death is so common as to not draw attention What’s good about this day?When even the Maker is rejected and goodness despisedWhen games of power are played outContinue reading “What’s Good About This Day?”

As I’ve got older I’ve started to notice things more, particularly rhythms of life. The seasons are the obvious ones when you live in the North of England, although you can get several seasons in one afternoon as it hails, sunshines, rains, one after another. So, I find myself waiting for the Blackbird to sing,Continue reading “Rhythms”