Breweriana

My new website dedicated to breweriana is up and running. View it here. I'm also busy writing my drinking memoirs to go on the site. I'm in no way glorifying drink, far from it. But, I have had some wonderful times whilst under the influence - I've also done a few silly things too. As a painfully shy teenager, a few beers enabled me to speak to people in a way that just could not have happened when sober. Pathetic? Well maybe, but that was me, that was then. I'm a little more confident now.

So, why not have a look at beermat mania and let me know what you think. Maybe we could swap stories. Until next time, so long...

The author wishes to remind you all that in the UK you are not allowed to purchase alcohol whilst you are under the age of 18. Don't do it kids. It's not a long time off anyway. Stick with your sweets and bubble gum.

Other age limits apply in other jursidictions.

Other people's cats.

Other people's cats, or why do well meaning neighbours take it upon themselves to feed other people's cats? We have, sorry... had four cats. We now have just the one. The other three have been cat-napped (pun unavoidable!). The first one to go was Oscar, he just never came home one day. We've not seen hide nor hair of him for about 3 months now. Could have been run over, I suppose, but I doubt it very much.

Then Toby, he was always a greedy chap. He's been invited in by a neighbour overnight - we allow our cats to be in during the day, but at night time, they're out. This neighbour has fed Toby, so he's been less inclined to come home for food. So we have actually come to an arrangement with this neighbour that they can keep Toby. So far so good, trouble is, he's very much of the opinion that the grass isn't any greener on the other side of the fence, so he's miaowing at our front door all the while to come back in. Sorry mate, no way, Jose.

And finally, M&M, aka Mini Me, aka Eminem, aka Big Fat Ginga Cat. This fella has obviously been invited in to a neighbour's because he didn't come home for a good while. But it now seems that they've become tired of him, because we do see him around our house from time to time. Trouble is, he won't come anywhere near us when we go out rattling a bowl of food. He just takes one look and scarpers.

So neighbours, please don't feed other people's cats. They don't stay other people's cats for long. They want to stay with you. They like you. Please don't disappoint them now...

Rapha Raphael Rapha Raphael

New page added to www.postcardmania.co.uk. Yes, I've been bashing the keyboard for most of the evening, and now it's here. Raphael Tuck and Sons Ltd was perhaps the most influential company in the very early days of postcards in the UK. The company's postcard of Mt Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) was one of the first to be made commercially available in 1894, almost as soon as the Post Office first allowed postcards to be sent through the post.

Anyway, that's enough of my prattling on, go and have a look. I think that you'll be pleasantly surprised. CJ

More than Nora Batty's tights...

Yes, it's true. The town of Holmfirth, West Yorkshire was famous long before Last of the Summer Wine! Check out http://www.postcardmania.co.uk/Postcards/bamforth for the gen on what really went on in Holmfirth prior to Compo, Clegg and the gand moving in...

Next up on http://www.postcardmania.co.uk, some info on Raphael Tuck and sons...

See you soon, CJ

Postcards from the seaside

Freshly added today, to http://www.postcardmania.co.uk/, a bio of Donald McGill, the king of the saucy postcard. From 1904 until his death in 1962 Donald McGill was responsible for many of the most iconic British seaside picture postcards. Over six million copies were printed of just one of his postcards, featuring the immortal lines, 'Do you like Kipling?', 'I don't know you naughty boy, I've never kippled!'

Coming soon to http://www.postcardmania.co.uk/, a brief history of Bamforth's of Holmfirth...

Re-welcome!

Weclome to my new blogger! Last time I tried it, it was just for fun. An idea that I could get some stuff published. This is gonna be a much more professional attempt. No nonsense about the weather or Next clothing or pizza or anything else. No, this time is going to be 100% better. More relevant, more fucussed. Please come back for some more soon...