Recording my life in diaries and photographs, from heady days as a student in London in the 1970’s to being a pensioner on a low income today. My writing is a mixture of insight – from knowledge & experience – and history. I explore my professional and personal interests – energy & climate change, history, politics, music, film, food & drink… the list goes on!
Rather apt for current events! A photo taken on iPhone 6s in 2016.
It is quite windy out there; I am guessing a ‘fresh breeze’ on the Beaufort scale. Waste teams have not yet caught up with the Easter Bank Holidays, as the garden waste bins remain firmly planted on the pavement. I only put out two of five bins on Monday evening – food waste and garden waste. It struck me this morning that if I have a full garden waste bin I should probably not have a food waste bin.
(more…)Day 3 and our intrepid geographers make the short trip from Swansea University to the Gower Peninsula. We were here to gain a ‘feel’ for the place in a combination of coach tour and very windy hill walking.
I am fairly sure that the objective for the day was to ensure we were told as little about the objective as possible, in order to ensure we would develop as objective a view of the landscape as possible. Does that make sense?
Possibly not, but all became clear as we headed back, sooner than anticipated, to university. An early dinner followed by “…a bloody great long lecture on landscape evaluation…” according to my ever-so succinct diary entry.
I was not expecting this, and I suspect most of us were now thinking that perhaps we should have paid more attention on our little tour. For some reason I found that many of my classmates seemed to be focussing a greater than usual degree of attention on me. Very nice, but why?
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I recently came across a photograph I took in 1977 of a fire appliance, which immediately triggered memories of Newton Abbot Fire Brigade, the nearby clay mines – and why my father owned a Volkswagen Beetle. There was a powerful link between these seemingly disparate elements.
Two days on the Gower Peninsula evaluating the landscape. How can you apply a score to hills, valleys, lakes and rivers? I had no idea, but that is what we had to do.
Swansea days 1 & 2: fast train from Paddington, numerous beers, late night parties, cooked breakfasts, Old Grey Whistle Test. Oh, and a bit of geography too.
My LSE Diary posts – reflecting life as a student in the 1970’s. I was at the Joint School of Geography – King’s College & the London School of Economics.
Not only that but also 30 years living in London – life on a south London council estate… and more!
My home town in Devon since 1956! Many of these blog posts will be featuring Newton Abbot through the years but some will also be from around Devon.
I love music – especially live – and tend to home in on bass, although I also like ambient music which is generally bass-light. Blues, reggae, jazz, funk, soul have been a constant thread throughout my life but you will also find me writing about prog rock, punk and other styles too.
Pictured left: a snap I took at an Ashburton Blues event 2025 – The Robert West Band
Everything from saving energy to gardening, interior design to lighting. I love my home. Sometimes I will feature previous homes, including my 10th. floor flat in a south London council block. You will find useful tips and advice. I love my home!
A Devonian with stories to tell and a love of history, science, philosophy, environment, & entertainment.
An increasing number of people I know are either down the rabbit hole or caught in its event horizon, which I find distressing. I prefer the real world and, like a frantic sponge, I cannot help but soak up knowledge, insight & quality.
Which I like to share…
Colin Anderson 