At The Deep, a famous tourist attraction in Kingston Upon Hull, UK. The biggest fish tank I have ever seen is the one pictured above. It's the size of a small church, and there's a glass tunnel that runs through it. All kinds of fish swim beside you and above you, as you walk through.…Read more Sitting with the Fish
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Longing
Longing for ... what?, I wonder. It's been exceptionally wet in some parts of the UK for the past couple of months. Many of us here have been longing for the rain to stop. But Lis Wessberg is from Denmark. I have no idea what the weather has been like over there, but the chances…Read more Longing
Fish’s Corner
The fishmonger's corner shop If everything went according to plan, the man who came to fame as Marillion's singer and lyricist retired to one of the smaller Scottish islands last year. Although born Derek William Dick, readers of this blog will, no doubt, know him by his stage name of Fish. The track I have…Read more Fish’s Corner
I Remember William
William Shakespere, The Bard of Avon How many 'William's have I known? In truth, not many. In fact, I don't remember actually meeting anyone calling themselves William. History gives us William the Conqueror, literature proffers William Shakespeare, and the first in line for the throne here in the UK is our Prince William. But time…Read more I Remember William
Fundamental Values
The human touch Spotify searches on the topic of "core values" threw up several pleasing tracks: Justice's Groove by Stanley Clarke, Compassion by the Dalai Lama, and Fundamental Values by Nils Frahm were particularly enjoyable. I could have chosen any of those for this blog post, but (as you can see) I plumped for the…Read more Fundamental Values
One For All
For the first entry of 2026 in this blog, I'd like to set a warm and welcoming tone. Let's forget 2025 and the unforgivable antics of the egotistical bullyboy leaders of the East and the West. Instead, let's cross our fingers, and hope for better things to come. The key to a happy new year,…Read more One For All
Latibulate
Little Jack Horner, waiting for his promised Christmas pie In 2025, we were promised many things. The war in Ukraine would end. The terrorists of the Hamas organisation would be eradicated. The European nations would take back control of their borders. A golden age was just around the corner. But what we got instead was…Read more Latibulate
Shchedryk (Carol of the Bells)
A detail from a Ukrainian postage stamp from 2022 At the turn of the last century, the composer, Mykola Leontovych, arranged a traditional Ukrainian folk song for a choir of students at Kyiv university. The song, sung in March in those days, tells of a swallow heralding the coming of the Spring. But the timing…Read more Shchedryk (Carol of the Bells)
Cons and Clowns
Courtney Marie Andrews has managed to sum up the state of the world in three words: "Cons and Clowns". It's bad enough when we encounter confidence tricksters and misguided fools in our everyday lives, but when we elevate them to positions of power, the situation becomes well-nigh hopeless. Fortunately, though, the ever-optimistic Ms Andrews was…Read more Cons and Clowns
Wild Is The Wind
Living wild. Old Man Crotchety is in a sentimental mood today. Sentimental, but not at all gloomy. Outside, it's sunny, and the air is autumn fresh. It is a bit breezy, though. So, here's a version of Wild Is The Wind by the wonderful blues-rock singer and guitarist, Joanne Shaw Taylor. https://open.spotify.com/track/3PWcYUrHSwfFubOB2NLdMH?si=8a5ec2f3f750418f A track from…Read more Wild Is The Wind
Crotchety Man 