People are certainly feeling angry about the vandalism and anti-social behaviour (thinking discarded dog poo bags) around the village these days. Let me think: what’s been reported recently (within the past month say, back to 7th April anyway), in Allendale…
Category: Reminiscence
Sparty Lea Poetry Festival . . . piqued!
Anjelica Falterfoot makes an enquiry about the (in)famous Sparty Lea Poetry Festival, held over the Easter holiday in 1967: “For many years the story piqued my imagination; my partner introduced me to Barry MacSweeney’s poetry and by chance I got…
First Quarter Thoughts
So that’s the first 90 days gone now — maybe it’s time for a bit of reflection on where we’ve come from, and where we’re going with this effort. Well, a bit of statistics first I guess: 90 individual entries;…
Ancient hens, empty nest
Far up on the fellside of Sparty Lea, we’re no strangers to clichés, but it would be nice too if we could develop a few independent thoughts on aging without resorting to the ‘tried and true’. Ooops, probably impossible. After…
Triplets of renown
Got a PM the other day, oh, yesterday I guess, from Pierre Schryer, and that felt like quite a blast from the past! When ‘Northumbrian Music Nights’ was in full promotions mode (between ’95 and ’05 I guess), we were…
Isaac Holden, a very odd and wonderful person
Isaac Holden is probably older than the ‘guysers’ and the bonfire on New Year’s Eve in Allendale’s Market Square, though he must have seen them during his last decade, but he’s maybe not quite as famous as Allendale’s Tar Bar’l…
49 years, still going strong . . .
Now back in the premises at Scotch Hall where he started the Allendale Motor Company business in 1970, Mick Robson has a busy day ahead, taking care of two Land Rovers from the estate, but he kindly obliges me with…
Snowdrops to keep us going
Still the middle of winter, though it’s been soft so far, but snowdrops bursting through the soil in their multiple clumps seem to tell us that spring is not far away. They could be great pretenders too, of course, and…
Walking the circuit . . .
Yesterday I alluded to ‘the circuit’ and wondered if anyone might comment on that somewhat obscure reference. Maybe it’s one of those things that everybody knows about, which often feel like the most fun sort of things to comment on…
Downhill all the way . . .
As Liz Conway notes, life feels like it’s all going downhill when you reach 70, but on the other hand, a ride downhill on a bicycle is one of the most exhilarating adventures you can actually have. Especially if there’s…