M y father was born into a family of comfortable farmers who had farmed in the Bredbury/Denton area of South east Manchester for the whole of the 19th century. They had come out of a family of saddlers who had plyed their trade in the Poynton area of south Stockport […]
Married life
Old Age
It is now almost eight weeks since I plighted my troth, eight weeks since I cut the nail and a piece of finger off my left index digit. Although the arrangement I had with my Selene I thought could get no better both finger and arrangement have improved considerably. First […]
What Is It?
Good morning and hello again. It is nearly seven weeks since I last posted. All of it taken up with preparation, actuality and recovery from my marriage to my beautiful Selene on 13th August 2021. Some people might think in this modern age how stupid we were whereas others might […]
Once A Catholic
I am always amazed at the way the Catholic Church makes a fool of itself. In its bid to have the Prime Minister of Britain amongst its faithful, it allowed itself to be drawn hook, line and sinker into allowing a horrible piece of humanity into its midst. Now I […]
Poor Phil Is Dead. “That Is No Country For Old Men”
Well poor old Phil is dead. He died yesterday 9th April 2021 two months short of his 100 years. Would Lizzie have written to him then as is her want with centenarians or would she think she has said enough in their 74 year married life? Do you know I […]
Historic Boyle Part 2
On my walk into town from our abode at the Wooden Bridge we have come to Shilling Hill, in the townland of Knocknashee, a reasonably modern area, with Boyle Abbey and Abbeytown Bridge on our left. This road and roundabout area was reconstructed about 30 years or more ago when […]
Out of Darkness Into Loving Light
As most of you will know Helen my dear wife of nearly 44 years passed away on Christmas Day 2016 and what followed was six months of darkness, loneliness and absolute hell, poorly controlled by foreign travel to England, Malta, Morocco, France, Belgium and Italy. Travel I thought might help […]
A Trip To Malta
Helen, my wife, had died on Christmas Day 2016. The late winter and early spring of 2017 were real hard days for me but by April the corona of light that signifies the end of the tunnel, the dispenser of gloom and despair was growing larger by the week. Helen […]
Helen Patricia Teresa Malpas nee Towey
She died at 5.30pm on Christmas Day 2016 in an isolated single room in the Women’s Medical Ward of Sligo Hospital. 43 years and 252 days after our “I wills” were said on St Patrick’s Day 1973. 43 years and252 days of hard work, six kids, much happiness, some sadness, […]
A 21st Century Comedy of Errors
The main players in this incident packed story are Dr Kathleen Finan, medical consultant at Sligo General Hospital, Dr Una Clyne, urological consultant at Sligo General Hospital and Dr Kilian Walsh, urological consultant at Galway University Hospital. There are two separate scenes, Sligo University Hospital ( now referred by SGH) […]