Are you a leader or a follower? I follow those who are worth following and lead those who need to be led. I went for a government interview once, to fast-track into senior leadership of schools. The interview was in… Continue reading

List your top 5 favorite fruits. 1. 🫐 2. 🍇 3. 🍓 4. 🍌 5. 🍒 Continue reading

What’s one small improvement you can make in your life? Small improvements I should make in my life: I should exercise more. Really fit people go jogging. I should do that. I should eat less crap, and only eat fresh… Continue reading

What does freedom mean to you? Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves Abraham Lincoln I don’t have any personal experience of oppression. I haven’t had my rights denied, been racially abused, or sexually oppressed. I’ve… Continue reading

What public figure do you disagree with the most? It used to be common for politicians to resign if they were caught lying. John Profumo resigned in 1963 after lying to parliament about his affair. Yet, Boris Johnson lied to… Continue reading

What is your career plan? My first job aged 15, was working on a market stall every Saturday selling ladies clothes. I got that job myself, I had no support or encouragement to do it. I was always very determined… Continue reading

What was the last live performance you saw? The last live concert I saw was at the Glasshouse, Gateshead. It was a performance by the Northern Sinfonia orchestra of Brahms’ Third Symphony, and Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 17. There was… Continue reading

What’s a job you would like to do for just one day? I found it very difficult to think of a job I would like to do for one day. Every time I thought of a job that would be… Continue reading

List the people you admire and look to for advice… I admire and listen to my wife. She diffuses my emotional outbursts and gives me sound advice. ❤️ I also go to my brother and sister for advice. They have… Continue reading

Do you vote in political elections? I’m what they call a floating voter. I don’t affiliate myself to any one party because I prefer to use reason and judgment about which party I think will best represent the country or… Continue reading

What gives you direction in life? Continue reading

Do you have a quote you live your life by or think of often? “Before you speak, let your words pass through three gates: Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind?” – BUDDHA You have power over your… Continue reading

What is your favorite holiday? Why is it your favorite? I’m not that good at going on holiday. I think you’re meant to relax and unwind but my ADHD brain doesn’t let me do that. I have to be active… Continue reading

Have you ever been camping? I have had many happy holidays camping. When I was recently divorced I was unable to take my two kids on expensive holidays, I bought a second-hand tent and some stoves, and we went camping.… Continue reading

When do you feel most productive? I feel most productive when I’m inspired. Inspiration comes in many forms, but is most often derived from reading or listening to new insights about a range of topics. I love podcasts, and they… Continue reading

What topics do you like to discuss? I do sometimes feel like I’m a potato growing in a field of cabbages. I like to talk about culture: art, music, philosophy, religion, and science, but those around me detest them. My… Continue reading

Write about a time when you didn’t take action but wish you had. What would you do differently? Looking back on my life, there are many occasions when taking a different course of action would have led to much more… Continue reading

What makes you nervous? What makes me nervous? Hmmmn well, I’ve had anxiety all my life so I guess I’d say that, free-floating anxiety plagues me really. It’s pretty weird. I worry about all kinds of stupid little things like… Continue reading

How do you unwind after a demanding day? How do I relax? The thing is, we have the luxury to be able to do these things. How fortunate are we, that most of us have a safe, comfortable home we… Continue reading

How do you use social media? I don’t use social media much at all these days. I can’t stand it to be honest. The world seems full of people ranting and raging about injustice, espousing all manner of ill informed… Continue reading

Jot down the first thing that comes to your mind. The first thing that came into my mind this morning was Dark Matter. I need to get out more. I mean, really. Who is even bothered? 😕 Why do we… Continue reading

Describe a decision you made in the past that helped you learn or grow. A decision I’ve made that helped me grow? All of them. I think that it is important to understand that every decision we make, good or… Continue reading

What place in the world do you never want to visit? Why? The place I would never want to visit, at least in winter, is Oymyakon, in Russia, which is the coldest permanently inhabited human settlement on Earth. I hate being… Continue reading

Describe a positive thing a family member has done for you. My wife is a constant, kind, loving, gentle presence in my life. She is always giving, always supportive, always ready to give me a hand up. She never loses… Continue reading

What is your favorite restaurant? I don’t go to restaurants. I live on a modest retirement income, so I can’t afford them. However, I’ve never been a foodie and am slightly irritated by all those people who drool over tiny… Continue reading

Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Where do I see myself in 10 years? Dead. Or if not dead, then the pretty close to it. I’ll be 72 then and I do not want to live a long… Continue reading

What are 5 everyday things that bring you happiness? Continue reading

Describe one positive change you have made in your life. I would have to say retiring early at 61 was the most positive thing I’ve done. It wasn’t until then that I realised how much of my thoughts and actions… Continue reading

What animals make the best/worst pets? Our Mam was severely asthmatic, so animals were always problematic as kids. More than that though, she hated animals. So much so, that when my Dad brought an injured dog home that he’d found… Continue reading

What job would you do for free? I volunteer at a local nature reserve, giving classes and tours of a protected woodland to local school children. Mostly I do art classes, but also do other activities such as pond dipping,… Continue reading

How would you improve your community? Five years ago, I investigated what environmentally friendly building materials were commercially available, that could transform my local community into a nature friendly one. I feel that, with a few modifications that wouldn’t really… Continue reading

How have you adapted to the changes brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic? I was lucky. I didn’t get too ill and nor did most of my immediate family, except my nephew who got long covid and is still quite… Continue reading

If you could have something named after you, what would it be? What horrible narcissism is this? I couldn’t think of anything worse than having something named after me. But if I had to, maybe: A special spoon that stops… Continue reading

What makes you laugh? Dad Jokes daily is a superb app that delivers me free jokes to start my day. It’s a lovely way to remember that smiling lifts our spirits. Continue reading

When you were five, what did you want to be when you grew up? I’ve always wanted to be an artist, even as a little kid. Sometimes that fluctuated between being an astronaut or a singer, but art was always… Continue reading

What is your favorite type of weather? There’s something about a storm. The power, the foreboding, the potency, the strength and might of it. Especially at sea, when the waves thunder and violently roar in response to the anger of… Continue reading

Who was your most influential teacher? Why? I thoroughly loved my primary school. It was small, cosy, the teachers were kind but firm and I excelled at art, music and maths. Mr McCormack read me stories, and Mrs Gallagher was… Continue reading

What do you wish you could do more every day? I used to always be rushing around. Hyperactive. Always working, always busy, always something on my mind, always trying to do one last thing before bed, always up early and… Continue reading

What tattoo do you want and where would you put it? I have three tattoos, the first of which I didn’t get until I was 56! I decided to get one of my own raven drawings done as a tattoo… Continue reading

What is one word that describes you? My wife said – ‘grumpy’. I would say – sensitive. 😂 Continue reading

You’re going on a cross-country trip. Airplane, train, bus, car, or bike? Personally, I prefer to travel by train – so long as I get a decent seat in the quiet coach. It’s lovely to not have to think about… Continue reading

What strategies do you use to cope with negative feelings? Negative feelings have been the mainstay of my mind all of my life. Negative thoughts crept in through the back door when I was a child, locked all the doors,… Continue reading

What activities do you lose yourself in? Psychologist Mihaly Csíkszentmihályi: Flow is a pleasurable psychological state people experience when engaged in an activity that is both appropriately challenging to one’s skill level, often resulting in immersion and concentrated focus on… Continue reading

What movies or TV series have you watched more than 5 times? I can’t think why I would ever want to watch a TV programme 5 times, but I know a fair few I’ve been made to watch. Growing up,… Continue reading

Are you superstitious? Am I superstitious? You’re asking me this the day before the 13th? Are you crazy? I’ve thrown some salt over my left shoulder just in case you’ve jinxed me. Next, you’ll be putting your shoes on the… Continue reading

Which animal would you compare yourself to and why? I’d compare myself to a penguin. Particularly a Gentoo penguin. They are the ones that woo their potential partner with a pebble. If she accepts, they mate for life. Any infidelity… Continue reading

Write a letter to your 100-year-old self. Superb news! That £1 bet you made back in 1986 that you’d live to 100 has paid off and you can collect your £1 million winnings. Open the champagne! You’ve still got the… Continue reading

Where would you go on a shopping spree? I HATE shopping! My wife doesn’t like going shopping with me. I just like to go in the shop, find what I want and leave. I find no pleasure in browsing and… Continue reading

What is your middle name? Does it carry any special meaning/significance? I don’t have a middle name and it was a such a source of irritation for me for the longest time. In fact, my whole name was. My parents… Continue reading

What is one question you hate to be asked? Explain. There are lots of low-level questions that irritate me: Dad, can I borrow…? Have you vacuumed the stairs yet? Will you take the bins out? Can you give me a… Continue reading

How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? I really struggled with the prompt today and I couldn’t figure out why, until I realised that I don’t assign the label ‘success’ to any of my… Continue reading

What are three objects you couldn’t live without? Obviously, I’m going to sidestep essential things such as food, water, a home, electricity etc. in the interests of keeping this post interesting.  1. My wife – I know she isn’t an… Continue reading

What experiences in life helped you grow the most? My first thought was: grow in what way? Growth can be negative as well as positive, and so, all life is growth; some good, some not so good. Next, I’d ask:… Continue reading

Describe a phase in life that was difficult to say goodbye to. Good health. I was fit, lean, young, and quick. Time, entropy and gradual physical decline has made me older, slower, and less able. I miss being able to… Continue reading

What is your favorite drink? I used to LOVE red wine but then in 2015 I gave up alcohol because my liver scores weren’t very good and I wasn’t well. I have a weak liver and my Dad died of… Continue reading

Who are your favourite people to be around? My wife. We spend all day together, every day and I never tire of being with her. However, my other favourite person is my granddaughter. Once a week we take her for… Continue reading