The debonair Basil Marigold's

I am sat in a pub tonight, not any old pub, but the pub. The one I used to frequent, a lot. It used to be the best and busiest pub in the bay. It used to be standing only, even in weekdays. I am sat alone tonight. There is no one really here, yet the same music is playing on the jukebox that we used to play. Except when we played it, it was new music. I can still look out of the windows and see the lights dance on the bay outside, the view will never change, i have. For example, this is my third drink in two days. I uses to be able to do three in twenty minutes, here, in this town any way. I could spend the night watching the ghosts of memories and people in this pub, walking past that bar, uttering the same conversation we used to have. I first met the girlfriend my wife saw for the first and probably, only ever time yesterday, in passing. She was a huge part of my life, for a time. It was a strange experience. I used to be able to walk into this pub alone but then drink with co...

me, that's who. After my daughter locked me out of the back door. In the cold winters evening as I wore a t shirt, as I nipped out to put the rubbish out as my wife was upstairs changing the giant baby. As I knocked on the door my daughter, being ever the fount of initiative then disappears to help out. She then appears at the back door, squishes her face against the glass and smiles, a knowing smile, a proud and clever smile as she then attempts to help daddy by opening the back door by using a plastic fork to try and turn the lock. At this point she then disappears to tie some bows around the legs of the boys highchair, while smiling at me. Cold is obviously defeated by making bows! I knock on the window and she ambles to the door again. I say to her, 'go and get mummy'. She smiles again, and repeats parrot like, 'mummy' and them I stand and watch through the window as she then approaches the downstairs baby gate. Picks up her ikea step places in front of the...

That London is the most amazing place in the UK. I've not been down for a good few years, possibly 5yrs or so. If any city felt like It was a living organism, then it would be London. If you listen carefully, I swear you can hear it's heart beat made from the energy of every living soul. Everything about the place fascinates and excites me, in one degree or another. The vast size of it's scale in relation to all the cities I've visited. The world class architecture of the enormous Victoria. Imperial period, blende into the tiny villages that once, made London. From walking past some. Granite and stone neo classical edifice, tagged onto or build around a mews house, seemingly blown wizard of oz style from the Cotswold into the centre of one of the worlds most vibrant cities! That blows my Devon, farmboy mind. I am awed by walking down streets vaulted on both sides so that you cannot see the sky unless you vertically look up! Did I mention the people? I love walking p...

This morning finds me on the 9th of the 10 trains I will have travelled on since Wednesday morning. You would be mistaken if you thought I was tired of trains, I'm not. Tired of the journeys perhaps. This morning was an earlier start as I am heading to London, arriving in time for the tube rush hour, one of the many joys I have experienced in life. In a herodotean type digression, I once did central London to heathrow on the tube with a suitcase as I was flying to Madrid! How popular was I then! Still, one of the very many reasons I enjoy trains is the view. And Autumn/Winter is arguably my favourite time, especially coupled with starting in the dark and still being on the train as daylight begins. Why you may ask? I shall explain. Mainly, at this time of year there is an absence of sun rising in the sky when Dawn breaks, usually blocked by a thick layer of cloud. This makes the day break darker and more emotive, to me. When you travel through the countryside and see the un...

It has been proposed by GP's and other health professionals that smoking is now banned in cars (it already is if your car is your place of work, taxi's, etc). Moving aside from the civil liberty issues of the state legalising what you can do in your personally owned car, there is more of a concern as to whats the point of doing this. A few years ago it was made illegal to use your mobile phone in the car when driving (this led to hands free kits). When I am driving home, I would imagine at a rough estimate that 20% of drivers flout this law, by holding the phone, talking or texting an I've even seen the police do This. If the mobile ban is not going to be enforced, what chance do we have of a smoking bam being endorced, seriously?

It happens and probably every one could relate a story of how what you assumed to be the case turns out to be a little more deceptive than originally considered to be. Tonight I had a refresher course in this. Coincidently the last time involved a female singer/songwriter, who this year won a music prize that the girl I went to see tonight was nominate for. If you are a musical fan you could begin to understand the similarities between PJ Harvey & Anna Calvi. Having now heard them both, there are some similarities, musically, between them. And some quite fundamentally nuanced differences. Anna Calvi, is not a large girl. She looks tiny and frail. Women shaped like this always remind of tiny little birds you will occasionally see, those which inspire a desire to nurture and care for them. Anna Calvi is still pretty new to the music business as can be gleaned from her almost zero interaction with the crowd, beyond the polite 'thank you' after each song. She stands dwar...

I am a strong advocate for public transport. It allows people to live, it really does. But, an interesting side effect Is the high percentage of lunatics that use it. For instance, tonight while journeying to the big smoke I was sat behind a young lad who was practising with some determination the hand movements from, I'm guessing, karate. This is quite a sight on a bus. A sight the type I have missed since becoming a driving person. Buses are truly the home to humanity in all it's glory and on may this continue.