Latest Posts
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Explore Paul Carney’s Two Unique Albums
Paul Carney has released two albums, “Dying Days,” produced by Mike Franklin in 2008, featuring a tribute track for his late mother, and “Suspicion,” recorded in his home studio in 2010. He also performed covers with the band Red Book.… Continue reading
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Hand of God?
Many years ago I had a marine fish tank which took a lot of hard work to keep. I had to make sure it was always at the right temperature. I had to check the pH levels and ensure the… Continue reading
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The Spirit Within Me
How important is spirituality in your life? I define the spirit as the living essence of a person, which includes consciousness, and the bioelectrical life force within all living things. In this way, the spirit is my mind and my… Continue reading
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Beyond Words
All of our thinking is through words, all of our actions, all of our science, all of our literature, all of our history, all our technology, all our kingdoms and empires. All of it stems from language and communication. And… Continue reading
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Valuing our Values
Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your values, your values become your destiny. Mahatma Gandhi We all have values that mould and shape our… Continue reading
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How to lead a good life
What are the most important things needed to live a good life? Dear Margot Here are five life lessons I’ve accumulated over the years. I hope they will help you become happy and healthy when you grow up. There are… Continue reading
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I Believe…
Beliefs are the foundations upon which we build our sense of self. They are pivotal to our well being and happiness. But our beliefs are also personal, insecure and subjective. That’s partly because of the nature of knowledge itself, but… Continue reading
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Get away from it all
It’s hard to be happy if you’re constantly looking inward. When we focus on ourselves too much, when we live inside our own heads, or even when our ailments occupy more of our time than they should, we suffer. It’s… Continue reading
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The will to live
Throughout recorded history, thinkers and natural philosophers have commented on the innate, energetic spark that is imbued within all living things. Eastern and Western civilisations have simultaneously described a will to live, an internal life force, a spirit, or soul,… Continue reading
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What should life be like?
What should life be like? What can we reasonably expect from our existence? I’m not referring to those ultra people, with extreme lifestyles, who live as monastic monks or who have blue blood and live in palaces. I’m also not… Continue reading
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Draw Like a Boss
In this interview, author Ashley Edge and Paul Carney explore the purpose of drawing and learning to draw, including explicit instruction. Ashley Edge is a Lake District based artist and the author of the Draw Like a Boss series of… Continue reading
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It’s Life Jim!
Some scientists now believe the chances of life emerging on Earth by itself are too remote. In a very honest, refreshing, (but complex), scientific paper, Robert Endres of the Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London in December 2025, explored… Continue reading
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Finding God in an age of reason
What evidence is there that God exists? In my opinion, the likelihood of the universe springing into existence by itself, for no reason, is so remote as to be non-existent. The mathematics of this universe forming event are mind-bogglingly extreme.… Continue reading
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The Blob
A short story. The blob floated mindlessly in the darkness. It had no eyes, or senses, save the ability to touch. To feel. It had no explicit conscious thoughts as such. But, driven by impulse, it knew what it wanted.… Continue reading
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One in a billion
In the Big Bang, when the universe was formulated, there should have been a blinding flash of radiation as these opposing forces cancelled each other out. But that is not what happened. By the order of one particle in a… Continue reading
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Welcome to the spirit world.
A short story. It had been another excellent meeting, Wendy thought, as she tidied her props away into her handbag and picked up her phone. Her back was killing her from sitting on a hard seat all night, but she… Continue reading
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Stephen Hawking: Is there a God?
“One could define God as the embodiment of the laws of nature. However, this is not what most people would think of as God. They mean a human-like being, with whom one can have a personal relationship.” Hawking refers to… Continue reading
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Beyond Words
All of our thinking is through words, all of our actions, all of our science, all of our literature, all of our history, all our technology, all our kingdoms and empires. All of it stems from language and communication. And… Continue reading
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Pure awareness is heaven
What are your thoughts on life after death? Where do you think we go when we die? Perhaps you think you’ll live eternally in a heavenly paradise surrounded by your loved ones. Maybe you don’t believe any of that stuff… Continue reading
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Movie Night
‘Where the hell am I?’ she muttered to herself, as the vortex gave way to a dimly lit room, complete with brightly-coloured, patterned furnishings and the kind of Jamaican, cultural furnishings she was familiar with from her childhood. ‘Oh wow,… Continue reading
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Roads to Happiness
Two eastern mystics with profound insights into the nature of existence and how to lead happier lives are Sri Ramana Maharshi and Thich Nhat Hanh. Maharshi was a Hindu sage who lived around eighty years ago in India, while Hanh… Continue reading
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How can an inanimate force become a God?
When we think of a force such as the quantum field, we don’t think of an omnipotent, personified being, we think of an abstract mass of crackling energy; a bubbling froth of excitable forces, where a myriad of particles might… Continue reading
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The axis of evil
Aristotle’s geocentric model of the universe, with earth in the centre, fitted with western Biblical ideologies and so stood for two thousand years until Copernicus upset the apple cart and proclaimed the sun was at the centre of things. Despite… Continue reading
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True Survivor (the pom-poms)
Harry woke up before the alarm and instinctively woke his wife, Jacinda, too. ‘Hey Jac, come on, you’ve got a long day today, you’re on lates.’ ‘What? Huh, oh God, my head hurts.’ ‘I’ll let you go in the shower… Continue reading
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The grand coder
A computer coder creates a virtual world which replicates our ‘real’ world, and the characters have a form of artificial intelligence. Characters in this world have the ability to sense their environment, and assume what they experience is real. In… Continue reading
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An odd thing to find
‘Tonight, we bring you a special report on the mysterious phenomena known as sea pyramids – the strange, glowing triangular prisms that have washed up on the beaches of Japan and the Philippines in recent months. ‘Professor Richard Binks, a… Continue reading
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The True Self
The true Self is the spiritual self. The true Self is the single self; it is not scattered, disorganised or divided. The true Self has no ego. The true Self does not crave attention, fame, status, wealth, or ambition. The… Continue reading
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The Secret of Life
There is a secret to life that is so simple, yet so elusive, and it is this: all the life that has ever existed, in every corner of the universe, has one primary purpose – to find happiness. What is… Continue reading
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An Origin Story
A young girl was seated alone in a plush café, talking into her friend through her smartphone. The friend was on speakerphone, and the girl, although clearly distressed, made no attempt to hide her conversations. The girl sobbed and wailed… Continue reading
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Last Night in Middlesbrough
The old man winced in pain as he leant forward to pull the flimsy blanket over his calloused, gnarled feet. Even thick, thermal socks weren’t enough to keep out the icy cold depths of winter. It wouldn’t be long now,… Continue reading
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Dragged kicking and screaming
Do you trust your instincts? Everybody talks about the good old days, the good old days, right? Well, let’s talk about the good old days. As bad as we think they are, These will become the good old days for our children. Gladys Knight… Continue reading
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The Fundamental Spirit
Reality has a fundamental layer that pervades and connects all things. The Hindus call it Brahman; the invisible essence that permeates the whole universe. The Chinese call it the Tao. Buddhists call it the Dharma. Scientists might call it the… Continue reading
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An Almighty state of being
God for me, isn’t a being in the sky, but a creative life force all around me, present in all things. As my regular readers will know, I’ve been on a journey of self-discovery over the last year and an… Continue reading
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Finding Patterns
Pattern Is religion just the brain seeing patterns in things? Human beings have a tendency to attach supernatural meanings to everyday phenomena. Seeing faces in clouds (pareidolia), believing there is a pattern in random events (like in gambling), or confirmation… Continue reading
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Believing in Nothing
No one believes in a God who does nothing,” G. K. Chesterton Something rather than nothing It seems obvious to me that something, rather than nothing, created the universe. Proving it, however, is extremely difficult, if not impossible. It is… Continue reading
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If everything that exists has a cause, who or what is the cause of God?
Preface: Some people associate God with that described in religious texts, others like me simply say that God is an unknown higher power. The cosmological argument for the existence of God says that nothing exists without a cause. The universe… Continue reading
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The Ouroboros
How are you feeling right now? “The sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being.” Carl Jung For me, one of the hardest aspects of having ADHD is emotional dysregulation. I’ve struggled… Continue reading
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An Atheist Rebuttal
A rebuttal of a New Scientist article by atheist Victor J. Stenger In his 2012 New Scientist article, the God Hypothesis, Victor J. Stenger focusses on the Judaic-Christian-Islamic version of God, and then looks for empirical evidence for it. Here… Continue reading
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Melding our Minds
A mind meld is a fictional, telepathic link that the character Spock was able to perform on other organisms to connect their minds. But could it possibly be a real ability? Might we be able to connect our thoughts with… Continue reading
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Part of something greater
If the Earth were a hydrogen atom, and I looked out from my window at the electron whizzing past in the air above, I might be tempted to think that this was all there was. After all, I wouldn’t know… Continue reading
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What is the purpose of our existence?
Reading time 10 minutes For the majority of the world’s population, God is the purpose of their existence. According to the 13th-century Italian scholar Thomas Aquinas, the ultimate goal of human existence is to attain a supernatural union with God,… Continue reading
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A universal SATs exam
What are you curious about? I’m curious about God. I’m pretty sure God exists, but I’m also pretty sure there is no Divine Intervention. This is because I have enough evidence to say that the universe creating itself is highly… Continue reading
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A Spiritual Journey
What are your future travel plans? Life is taking me on a journey at present and it’s one I didn’t seek. Of course, all life is a journey, but this is something completely different. These last few years, I’ve felt… Continue reading
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Near Death Experiences
I’ve been reading an old book about Near Death Experiences called Life After Life by Dr Raymond Moody. It very much relates to a topic I wrote about a while ago Where Do We Go When We Die? in which… Continue reading
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The effects of infinity on finite systems
“Imagine you had a perfectly sealed box. Nothing can come in, and nothing can escape. Into this box you placed an apple and sealed it shut. If you waited long enough, the apple would go through various states of decomposition.… Continue reading
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Life and time
Which activities make you lose track of time? Einstein showed that, rather than there being a single unified time, time is relative, and so every phenomena has its own time. There isn’t a single entity of time, there are numerous… Continue reading
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Why Isn’t Life Easy?
Why isn’t life easy? If a God created life, why make it so difficult? I mean, if you were omnipotent, and you were designing life, surely you’d make it so that things ticked over nicely, you’d want them to purr… Continue reading
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Splashing in Puddles
So many of us are finding the world overwhelming these days. The constant hostility on social media, the lack of empathy and tolerance for other people’s’ views, not to mention the depressing news stories, climate change and soaring crime, it’s… Continue reading
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Was the world made for us?
Imagine there was a safari park, complete with big cats, monkeys, zebras, giraffes etc. Now, imagine that the human keepers became extinct and the park was left to its own devices, with all the cage doors left open. There would… Continue reading
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Thanks for the Memories
Describe your most memorable vacation. Every journey holds memories. Every trip we do cements itself in our hearts and minds. Every place becomes an emotion. I’ve sat at the foot of the Sphinx, and taken a camel ride around the… Continue reading
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From art expert to student of life
On what subject(s) are you an authority? I spent almost thirty years in education, predominantly teaching art and design. During that time, I built a website www.paulcarneyarts.com to offer free advice to teachers on the teaching of art and design.… Continue reading
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True love cannot be spoken
What’s your definition of romantic? Once upon a time I thought romance was grand gestures, expensive gifts, petals on the bed and all that showy stuff. Over time, I’ve learned that love is bringing a cushion to your wife to… Continue reading
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Counting my Blessings
How do you express your gratitude? Gratitude When I wake, I look around me. I see the beauty of the new day, I listen to the birds, and smell the fresh dew on the morning air. I’m thankful for my… Continue reading
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Make your own future
What are you most worried about for the future? I try not to worry about the future. There’s no point worrying about things I can’t change or affect, so I look to my own space, my own environment. How can… Continue reading
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Teaching is Passion, Connection & Resilience
What makes a teacher great? A great teacher is someone who has something worthwhile to say, and who can inspire pupils to want to learn it. This isn’t about doing a performance, or putting on theatrics, it’s as much about… Continue reading
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The Winds of Dissonance
Have you ever had surgery? What for? I can’t think of any more wonderful application of science than medicine. The knowledge we have accumulated, the abilities we have, are simply astounding. In years gone by, it used to be that… Continue reading
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Habitual Contentment
What are your daily habits? Every day I wash, cook, clean and look after my pets. Every day I water the garden and tend to my plants. Every day I do some form of recreation: read, write, watch TV, do… Continue reading
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Sustainability Lifestyle
Are there things you try to practice daily to live a more sustainable lifestyle? I don’t drive my car very much these days, so I’m reducing my carbon footprint a lot in that respect. Also, I haven’t flown in an… Continue reading
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Lumpy Mash
What’s the most delicious thing you’ve ever eaten? I’ve written in earlier blog posts that my Mam was not the best cook in the world. She was very slap-dash, and her motto in life was: ‘Oh, that’ll do’. When cooking… Continue reading
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Uniform Police
If you were forced to wear one outfit over and over again, what would it be? I have been forced to wear lots of clothes throughout my life, most of them were formal and stuffy. When I was little, I… Continue reading
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My Care Package
How do you practice self-care? Seeing mates Doing something different Music via headphones Singing and playing my guitar A candle lit bath Dancing! My heat pad A quiet space A woodland walk My garden Crossword puzzles Scents and aromas Meditation … Continue reading
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Sensory Time Machine
Which food, when you eat it, instantly transports you to childhood? I hated lots of the food in my childhood: tripe, offal, ox tongue, liver, mutton, whitebait; we had to eat anything and everything. We couldn’t pick and choose. There… Continue reading
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King Alfred, the Great.
Who is your favorite historical figure? A man I admire is Alfred, King of the Saxons and commonly known as Alfred the Great. Born into a noble family around 849, he was sickly child (he probably had Crohn’s disease), and… Continue reading
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Judy, Judy, Judy
Write about your first crush. My schoolboy crush was Judy Delphine. I was in primary school, so just a wee lad really. She was so pretty and had such a beaming, beautiful smile. We sat on the same table and… Continue reading
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Home Sweet Home
What countries do you want to visit? I want to visit the British Isles. I live here, but I still haven’t seen as much of them as I’d like. In my mind, Great Britain and Ireland are the most beautiful,… Continue reading
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Sceptical of sceptics
My answers to some climate change sceptic beliefs: 1. Global warming is a con. The Earth naturally goes through cycles of warming. Reply: Ok, you think all the scientists are lying fine, but why would you take a gamble on… Continue reading
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Top of the Class
What’s your favorite thing about yourself? I can’t answer this question. I never ever think about myself in that way. I’m only pleased bits are still working. Every day I wake up, sit on the edge of the bed, and… Continue reading
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Smug and self-satisfied
How do you want to retire? How do I want to retire? Well, I’m sitting here in smug, self-satisfaction, because I already have retired. I took the decision last year when a big contract I was working on ended. I… Continue reading
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Marvellously Old
What’s the oldest thing you own that you still use daily? The oldest thing I own is my Marvel comics. I bought them as a child in the 1970s and have kept them for 50 years. I did have a… Continue reading
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Laughing in the face of it all
Describe one of your favorite moments. How do you select a single moment from a lifetime of moments? There are a lot to choose from. Stuff happens. First words, first steps, first birthday, first girlfriend, first beer, first love, first… Continue reading
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The wonder of nature
What notable things happened today? I was going to say that the most notable thing that happened to me today was getting up out of bed, feeling refreshed. The sun was shining, and I felt good. It was one of… Continue reading
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Passions of Paul
What are you passionate about? I’m passionate about my art: I’m passionate about my music: I’m passionate about my writing: I’m passionate about nature: I’m passionate about education. But most of all, I’m passionate about my wife and my family. Without… Continue reading
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A Small Space for Nature
We should never underestimate how much we can influence and affect nature, even on a small scale, and even when we see such depressing reports about the decline of nature and the loss of species. You can make a difference!… Continue reading
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Birds are singing over the bull rushes
What is your favorite season of year? Why? My favourite season is Summer. When the sun is warm on my skin, the birds are singing, the sky is blue, and the flowers are in bloom, what could be better? It… Continue reading
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Artists and their beds
What’s the one luxury you can’t live without? I couldn’t live without my bed. I love it so much, and beds have been a constant theme in art for centuries. Here are some artists who have depicted beds: Continue reading
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My Taglines
If humans had taglines, what would yours be? Some ideas for my taglines are: ▪️ Man of Flint ▪️ The Procrastinator ▪️ The Ultimate Moaning Machine ▪️ There’s some things people want to buy. For everything else, there’s Carney’s art.… Continue reading
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Two rocks sitting side by side
Who do you spend the most time with? Now that we’re retired I’m home all day with my wife. We’ve been married 20 years and it’s fair to say that we have little in common. I’m a culture vulture, she… Continue reading
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Embarrassing Names
If you had to change your name, what would your new name be? I have no interest in changing my own name, but there have been some quite hilarious name changes over the years. Londoner Sam Smith (not the Sam… Continue reading
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Chocoholic? Not me!
Describe your dream chocolate bar. I don’t have a dream chocolate bar because I don’t eat chocolate. It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s more that it makes me feel sick, and I put weight on. If milk chocolate… Continue reading
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Faraway and Free
Do you remember your favorite book from childhood? The impact Enid Blyton has had on children’s literature is impossible to quantify. Her books have been enjoyed by millions of children around the world, for over seventy years. They are so… Continue reading
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Well thumbed Trollope’s
List three books that have had an impact on you. Why? If you asked me this question on any other day, I would give you different answers. I’ve read so many influential books. What I think is important however, is… Continue reading
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Make your head a nice place to be
What fears have you overcome and how? Phobias have been a constant ‘associate’ of mine throughout my life. They have sometimes been so crippling that I have been unable to work and my relationships have certainly suffered. Breakdowns and traumas… Continue reading
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My Glorious Garden
Describe one simple thing you do that brings joy to your life. A simple thing that brings joy to my life is my garden. The garden has always been the heart and soul of every home I’ve lived in. If… Continue reading
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Serene Sennheiser
How do you know when it’s time to unplug? What do you do to make it happen? My noise cancelling headphones are the best thing I’ve bought recently. I’ve become very sensitive to noise as I’ve got older and it… Continue reading
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Bezzie mates
What quality do you value most in a friend? I’ve been best friends with Mark since I was five years old. That’s 57 years of friendship. I can still remember meeting him on my first day of primary school. There… Continue reading
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What jobs!
What jobs have you had? Aged 15 – pools money collector Also aged 15 – Saturday job working on a market stall selling ladies clothes Aged 16 – factory worker Aged 18 – guitarist in a professional country and western… Continue reading
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Unitarians
Do you practice religion? A few months ago now, I began attending services by a Unitarian church in Newcastle. Unitarians believe in the oneness of God and they affirm the essential unity of humankind and of creation. Unitarianism has no… Continue reading
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I remember…
Do you remember life before the internet? Do i remember life before the internet? Of course. I was born in the early 1960’s. I remember crying when the Beatles split up. I remember watching the moon landings on TV. I… Continue reading
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What am I?
“What am I in the eyes of most people? A nonentity? An eccentric? An unpleasant person. Somebody who has no position in society and never will. In short – the lowest of the low. Well, even if all that were… Continue reading
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Chemical Queen
In the nitric town, The furnace fires have faded, And melting pigs lie cold and charred on foundry floors. Desolate towers of concrete and steel, Like tombs that betray the blackened hearts of beaten men. Trains of fire and flame… Continue reading
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Carney’s Got Talent
What are you good at? I’m good at: Eating, moaning, sleeping, snoring, cursing, swearing, being ill, and farting. 🥗🤬💤😴💨 Continue reading
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