Turlough
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I have 165 stories published in
7 collections on the site.
My stories have been read 375379 times
and 224 of my stories have been cherry picked.
696 of my 2,593 comments have been voted Great Feedback with a total of 729 votes
Terence Mullan
During the hot Balkan afternoons it’s grand to lie on the settee with jugs of glacial tea and a summer soundtrack. Joni Mitchell, Joseph Canteloube, Bob Marley and Mississippi John Hurt on scratchy vinyl all sooth as Pavlovian mosquitos snarl from their sides of insect screens.
Those afternoons will be back soon, I hope. I don't care for this having to wear socks nonsense.
My stories
Kathleen’s Secret
Based on an oft-told story of my father’s. Kathleen and the hat definitely existed until the early 1960s but I’d be a fool to promise that the rest of his tale is true.
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- 13 comments
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- 2788 reads
Boško’s Clouds
You never know what might happen when you delve into an old plastic ice cream tub.
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- 12 comments
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- 1195 reads
The Tale of the Housemaid’s Knee
My contribution to world events during the second half of October 2024, again described at the rate of one hundred words per day.
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- 18 comments
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- 3661 reads
Seven Roofers Roofing
My contribution to world events during the first half of October 2024, described at the rate of one hundred words per day.
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- 18 comments
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- 4069 reads
Wee Plastic Hats Off to Ole Kirk Christiansen!
A small box of Lego is just enough to give your kids a treat.
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- 1097 reads
Flimsy legs
Posted on Fri, 28 Feb 2025
If pond skaters took to drinking whey protein shakes they could become our planet's dominant species. I think it's worth a try.
Read full commentPosted in Skating Without Ice
And without skates.
Posted on Fri, 28 Feb 2025
And without skates too, which is just as well because they'd struggle to fasten them up.
This is a great poem. And I like your choice of song too.
Nice one Jenny!
Read full commentPosted in Skating Without Ice
Gotta Getta Götterdämmerung
Posted on Tue, 25 Feb 2025
It's incredible that your piece on such a dark and gloomy topic raised smiles, and even chuckles, as I was reading it.
The gloomiest part was the bit about the Clactonian flint knappers. Life went so badly wrong for them 400,000 years ago...
Read full commentPosted in Götterdämmerung
Ras Gombo
Posted on Thu, 27 Feb 2025
Unfortunately I never went to Ras Gombo. I just sailed past it in the night... three times actually during the course of my seafaring days. Those waters around the Horn of Africa are a dangerous place to be now. I doubt if I'd be falling into a...
Read full commentPosted in The Lighthouse Keeper of Ras Gombo
Roberta Flack
Posted on Tue, 25 Feb 2025
That's a wonderful song.
Her other huge hit 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face', written by Salford's Ewan MacColl, is a very moving piece to read as poetry even without the music and Roberta's beautiful voice.
Read full commentPosted in In Twilight Years
Without moons
Posted on Tue, 25 Feb 2025
Gustav Holst in written word. Lovely lines of great mysteriousness.
I smiled at the concept of Top Tweet Tuesday. It gives the impression that Elon Musk has a fluffy side to him. I tend to forget about Mr Blue Sky. I'll go and have a look...
Read full commentPosted in Pluto’s Ode To Charon
And it would last 'til the end of time...
Posted on Tue, 25 Feb 2025
I get this Jenny.
Roberta Flack's passing a few days ago brought heaviness to my heart as another morsel of reality morphed into mere nostalgia.
Read full commentPosted in In Twilight Years
Bullied bullies
Posted on Sat, 22 Feb 2025
From my experience it seems that the bullied often go on to be bullies themselves. A real 'vicious' circle. Maintaining constant awareness of the problem's potential is probably the best approach.
An interesting read Jane.
Read full commentPosted in Nicola's Privilege
The phone and the IPA
Posted on Sat, 22 Feb 2025
Your woman with the phone and the IPA is much more a hero than the likes of Robbie Williams or David Beckham have ever been. How many people's heroes are true heroes? How many truly brave people have gone unrecognised?
This is a wonderful...
Read full commentPosted in Like dolphins can swim
Twilight
Posted on Sat, 22 Feb 2025
I wish my brain had a record & playback facility
I wish that too, for remembering those dreams that are dreamt in the half awake half asleep no man's land and which are lost the second that the waking up process is complete,...
Read full commentPosted in Half Remembered
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