When I started to draft these pages it suddenly became very difficult to think 
of the best way to describe myself without seeming at best average or even just
plain dull - mind you I suppose there are few amongst us who have a skill or 
talent which makes us anything more than average in the overall scheme of 
things.  Anyway, I enjoy a wide range of hobbies that I'm sure some reading this
will find sad if not utterly mad, If only there were just a few more days in 
the week to allow me to do more.  There's just so much I am interested in and
everytime I switch on the TV or surf the net I tend to find yet more to 
explore.

I enjoy a wide variety of foods and wine always willing and looking to try
something new, I go through patches of cooking different things and so far my 
efforts in the kitchen have not killed anybody in fact some actually come back 
for more (it's amazing how a bottle of wine or three takes the mind off exactly
what you are eating)!

Meanwhile back to food, we are just so lucky in this country with all the 
varieties of foods which are now available from all round the world, it's 
finding someone who knows how to get the best from them that is the problem 
now - sod the TV programs that go on about food and wine, there's something about 
them that gets right up my nose, I get the feeling that the people who 
present them would not know a good meal if it was put in front of them unless 
it said so in their script - anyway a good meal can be a simple pie and a pint 
it's all down to how it is served and if it is taken in good company.

I'm increasingly less of a TV person as there always seems much better things 
to do, if I need some background noise it tents to be the radio i float between 
radio 2 and 4, in my opinion Terry Wogan and his listeners were the only link
to common sense left in the world so as he is now gone radio 4 is the only 
option although even the quality of some of that is getting on my nerves.

As for books I'll give anything a go as you will see by those authors detailed 
in my authors and artists pages the link to which can be found in the contents
section of this page.

I'm not really into sport although I like to keep myself in a reasonable 
condition.  For exercise I walk my dog quite a bit, will swim, cycle and when 
time and money allow have been known to jump on the back of a horse - if that 
doesn't do the trick the housework and gardening will!

Although I enjoy socialising I am equally happy sitting down of an evening 
listening to a CD with a glass of 1 of my growing collection of single malts in 
my hand and my dog next to me, (scanty clad blonds are an optional extra but can 
be quite distracting).

The collection of whisky mentioned above has been quite a journey, there are
just so many of them, I've tried around 30 up to date and they are so varied.
If you have tried 1 and did not like it do try another! for example if your first 
introduction was to something like Laphroig which has a very unique and intense 
taste you might well have been put off so I would suggest trying something like 
Jura origin or maybe even Penderyn a very good malt produced in Wales.  Do take
a look at my whisky page for details of dozens of distilleries in the British 
isles, the link can be found at the top of this page amongst other places.

I'm very proud of my home and really enjoy any time that I get to spend here 
but I do love to travel, so far I have made it to the USA, Cyprus and Turkey 
once, many trips to various of the Greek islands and a couple of the Canaries.  
An ideal holiday for me has to have a bit of everything from spending time just 
sitting in the sun relaxing to seeing the real country, food and the people - I 
want to see so much more so watch out world here I come!

Whilst on the subject of travel I am attempting to learn a bit of Spanish, I 
have always regreted that I left school with absolutely no knowledge of any 
other language than english.  So fired up with a suddern burst of enthusiasm I 
purchased an 8CD course in spanish by

now I have to confess that I have not got past CD 1 yet but what I have heard
so far is very good and come the long winter nights I intend to dig in properly.  
Now there is another dimension to this story, my mother decided that she rather 
wanted to learn a bit of french so I got her a copy of the french course,
guess what? 2 months later she had gone through the lot once and was now on her
second time through having taken to it like a duck to water - puts me in my
place good and proper.

Like most people these days I have an interest / need for a computer not only
for work but also for my private life.  I try to avoid spending too much time
tapping away at the keyboard but I tend to find that whatever I want to do 
somewhere along the lines it will involve some time sitting at the desk or
using a smart phone.

Live music has always been a love of mine, I've been attempting to play guitar 
and mandolin in various styles for many years thrashing away not getting very 
far but largely enhjoying myself in the process.  Like many bedroom musicians 
my collection of instruments increases year by year so I now have many guitars
& mandolins in various shapes and sizes which you can find out more about here:-

there is a long list of MP3's to listen to which show just what you can do with 
the instrument, everything from classical to rock.

Thanks to my friends Tom and Margaret Cunliffe I finally discovered my local 
folk club and dipped my toe into a bit of playing to the public! have now done 
a few open mic events and so far have not had anything heavy aimed in my 
direction so I suppose I must be doing something right!

it's a lively club with a range of guest artists and an amazing group of regulars
who perform most weeks and the quality is mainly very high - sometimes
the guest artists have a very hard act to beat the locals.

Take a listen to my attempt at a couple of tunes recorded at the club
one Friday night a few years ago:-

As I said my musical taste is large and varied, my neighbours never knowing 
whether it's going to be Classic, rock or folk.  Have a look at some of these 
artists and see what you think, I've included links to their home pages
where I could find them.

Recently pointed out to me by my friend Eamonn is a site  which previews
and shows CD's and MP3's of scottish folk, worth a look!:-

These music download sites are all very well but I do think that they push
their luck when it comes to pricing! I mean how much does it cost to set
up a web site etc. I'd rather pay  10 for the CD and have the art work &
details to go with it than 80p per track - when I cut my first disc it
won't cost anything like that price.  Now before you start to rant at me about
pricing I am fully aware that creating an album costs money.

As for sources of music I now have spent many a happy hour searching YouTube
& the thousands of internet radio channels for new artists and old favourites
alike.

Sorry but I find them a pleasant distraction, I am the proud owner of a large 
N gauge layout which is still under construction and a 5 inch gauge 
garden railway which runs right round the house - don't get an image of someone 
who takes pictures at the local station or records numbers in countless note 
books I just like playing trains and the garden railway is a great way of
spending time with friends chatting and drinking beer.  "The Blatchington 
branch" has now held over 2 dozen public running days which have been very successful 
in that everybody has appeared to enjoy themselves and we have also raised 
several thousand quid for charity in the process.