Whenever I mention Mrs B to anyone I like to emphasise that the two of us are very much a team. Without her I wouldn’t have been able to fulfil my writing dream for she is my harshest critic, my publicist but most importantly my wonderful wife. I have maintained my blog, The World According(…)
The Brown Family
Preparing to say goodbye to 2011…
What do you have lined up? Do you have any resolutions? What happened in 2011? What lies ahead in 2012?
Why Fezariu’s Epiphany will always be my favourite book of 2011
I’ve seen the work and effort and commitment that went into Fezariu’s Epiphany and whilst my intimate involvement with the story and its author prevents me from reviewing it objectively, I feel utterly justified in proclaiming my love for it.
You may say I’m a dreamer…
When I was a child my dreams were so elaborate that my parents were convinced that I must be making them up. “They couldn’t possibly have gone on that long,” my mother later confessed they would say to one another. It is only as an adult that I’ve managed to convince them that my dreams were elaborate and full of unusual imagery. I know this for certain because they still continue now.
Things you probably didn't know about me #1
Following on from the excellent idea given in ‘things you probably didn’t know about me – 25 at a time’ I have compiled my initial list. So 25 things you probably don’t know about me… 1. My middle name is Michael 2. When my wife adopted our 5th and 6th rescue cats I found out(…)
Animals, essays, little sleep and something a little unexpected…
My blog and I parted company for a while. It took me a while to get through the login screen today. It obviously wasn’t very happy with my absence. “I’m sorry I’ve been so neglectful!” I wailed. “Please…” After dutifully explaining that – like most people on the planet – I have been doing battle(…)
New Year Resolutions for 2011
Every time the New Year comes round I join with millions of people in making resolutions, ones that I never stick to for long. Previously I’ve promised myself I’ll get fit, eat more healthily, drink less and for a time I’ve been successful. By mid-January the occasional lapse will have crept in and eventually I’ll(…)
Cologne – Drinking Kolsh on the Banks of the Rhine #6
View Day 5 On the 30th August Mrs B and I set out for Germany for a five-night stay in Cologne. Mrs B had been there once before on a school trip but, for me, this would be my first visit and my first real taste of Germany. Armed with the words for “Hello” and(…)
Cologne – Drinking Kolsh on the Banks of the Rhine #5
View Day 4 On the 30th August Mrs B and I set out for Germany for a five-night stay in Cologne. Mrs B had been there once before on a school trip but, for me, this would be my first visit and my first real taste of Germany. Armed with the words for “Hello” and(…)
Cologne – Drinking Kolsh on the Banks of the Rhine #4
View Day 3 On the 30th August Mrs B and I set out for Germany for a five-night stay in Cologne. Mrs B had been there once before on a school trip but, for me, this would be my first visit and my first real taste of Germany. Armed with the words for “Hello” and(…)
Cologne – Drinking Kolsh on the Banks of the Rhine #3
View Day 2 On the 30th August Mrs B and I set out for Germany for a five-night stay in Cologne. Mrs B had been there once before on a school trip but, for me, this would be my first visit and my first real taste of Germany. Armed with the words for “Hello” and(…)
Cologne – Drinking Kolsh on the Banks of the Rhine #2
View Day 1 On the 30th August Mrs B and I set out for Germany for a five-night stay in Cologne. Mrs B had been there once before on a school trip but, for me, this would be my first visit and my first real taste of Germany. Armed with the words for “Hello” and(…)
Cologne – Drinking Kolsh on the Banks of the Rhine #1
On the 30th August Mrs B and I set out for Germany for a five-night stay in Cologne. Mrs B had been there once before on a school trip but, for me, this would be my first visit and my first real taste of Germany. Armed with the words for “Hello” and “Thank you,” the(…)
Not the Stuff That Dreams are Made of…
For a while now I’ve been having this bizarre recurring dream. The setting is often different and the circumstances of the dream vary but there are key factors that are present every time. There are two snakes in the dream. One is supposed to be a grass snake but is actually just a very tiny(…)
Amsterdam – More Than Just Red Light Districts and Cannabis Smoke-Filled Coffee Houses!
On 5th August I boarded a plane with my wife, Mrs B, and made the short flight from Leeds/Bradford Airport to Amsterdam. My mother was supposed to join us but announced at the airport that she had forgotten her passport! In case you didn’t know – the first rule of travel club is you always(…)
Misery Likes Company But Happiness is a Good Gatecrasher
When I think back on the last couple of weeks it seems like months have passed. So much has happened. We tried to rehome a ‘cat-friendly’ dog who turned out to be lovely but less than fond of cats (not good when you have four). After spending a frankly ridiculous amount of money to kit(…)
Three Kids? Great! Three Cats? Weird!
I used to have two cats. It seems like two is a perfectly acceptable number and won’t leave non-cat owners looking at you as if you are, literally, some strange cat lady with knotted hair, wrinkles and hobnail boots who happens to live in a shoe. For many cat owners, two is just worthy of(…)