One of the artworks in the Panopticon Sculpture Trail, Lancashire, UK Panopticom? Is that a word? And, if it is, what could it mean? Well, 'pan', as a prefix, is the Greek for 'all'. 'Optic' is also Greek, and it refers to the eye. So, perhaps, a panopticom is a device that sees everything. But,…Read more Panopticom
Track
I Believe In …
Sunday is the target day for a regular Crotchety blog post. This year, though, the fourth Sunday in December falls on Christmas Day, and I will have other things on my mind. Quite apart from the present giving and the usual festive meal with the family, there is also a funeral on the near horizon.…Read more I Believe In …
Goodbye Treadmill
Sometimes, everyday life feels like a perpetual treadmill. Faceless people stream by, burdensome responsibilities pile up, events are never under your control. But you must keep going; if you don't, you will fall, suffering injuries to both body and pride. If the engine powering that treadmill is your job, retirement must seem like the end…Read more Goodbye Treadmill
Metamorphosis
Metamorphosis of Narcissus, Salvador Dalí As a teenager, when other kids my age had photos of their favourite football team on their walls, I had a poster of Metamorphosis of Narcissus above my bed. It was the first example of surrealist art I had seen, and I found it fascinating. The composition is striking and…Read more Metamorphosis
Running
Back in the dim, distant days of my youth, the school made us play rugby in the autumn, cricket in the summer, and go on cross-country runs in the winter term. Now, the Crotchety Lad was a bit of a swot and not very sporty at all. Distance running, in particular, I hated. It would…Read more Running
Shingles
The Milky Way above a shingle beach in Suffolk The word 'shingle' has many meanings. It could denote a roof tile or small pebbles on a beach. Several places have 'Shingle' in their names: Shingle Cove (in Antarctica) and Shingle Street (a community and conservation group in Suffolk, UK), for example. And, in the plural,…Read more Shingles
Prayer for Amerikkka
It's been a hectic time in Crotchety Land for the last few weeks. Old Man Crotchety has done little other than move his 92-year-old father into a retirement apartment, and it's proved to be much more burdensome than anyone could have imagined. Quite apart from the unbelievable mass of belongings in his old house (see…Read more Prayer for Amerikkka
Changes
Here in the UK, summer has slipped gently into autumn. It's always a season of change, but recent events have been much more dramatic than usual. We have a new prime minister. We have said a fond farewell to our queen of the last 70 years. And, closer to the Crotchety home, my father has…Read more Changes
Bloom
Roses bloom, algae may bloom, and musicians bloom sometimes, too. Yazz Ahmed, trumpeter and flügelhorn player, has been blooming since 2011, when she released her debut album, Finding My Way Home. This Track of the Week is from her second album release, La Saboteuse (2017). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHDayLZdPIY The general style of Yazz Ahmed's work is ambient…Read more Bloom
Bite the Bullet
To adjust to unpleasant circumstances. e.g. "The severe drought is forcing everybody to bite the bullet and use less water." dictionary.com A few days ago, a drought was declared in half of England. Crotchety County falls within the drought area and this part of the English midlands has sizzled to 30+ degrees C. Our once…Read more Bite the Bullet
Crotchety Man 