Author: oyster28catcher (JRA)

Holibobs 2026: H to the Z, C to the  G

oyster28catcher (JRA)Leave a comment

Huizhou Peach Blossom Spring Scenic Area 桃花源景区 (广东省惠州市惠城区激流坑路) sits within touching distance of Huizhou’s centre. It offers a 5km running track circle, electric cart hire, leisure and pleasure, and a refuge for nature such as fireflies. Whilst we didn’t see fireflies, we did see a revolutionary link to Eire, a half-dozen ducks, and some bird-life.

The ducks, I was told, carry various values,  “this black one would be 200RMB in a restaurant”, the common mallard-looking one around 50RMB, and the mottled white and black one midway in price. And, “the black one is better at feeding. More strong and healthy. More clever.” Duck eugenics, I guess, are thoughts at the farm. Thoughts of plum sauce and cucumber are my contradiction to their cuteness.

Walking past a fella clad in a Che Guevara t-shirt, I wonder how much said man in China knows of the artwork or its intended depiction. Does he know the original two tone work was made in Ireland by Irish artist Jim Fitzpatrick? Ernesto Guevara de la Serna did of course visit China. Perhaps an ancestor of the young-looking man was in the crowd when Che spoke to all. Or perhaps at a school or a chicken farm. Or not at all. The effect of Che signing a communique of friendship between Cuba and China may have been a bridge between nations but Che’s revolutionary leanings can be controversial and a tough nut to crack. Self-contradictions within Che Guevara’s lifetime make it easy to blanket over a man seen as both hero and opportunistic.

Spying an opportunity to feed well, a school of fish shot after the tail end of a duck in water. A group of  red-billed blue magpies (Urocissa erythroryncha) fluttered through the trees soon after other long-tailed species. Our four seater cart trundled along at no risk of breaking land-speed records. It barely crept above walking pace. Still it was a relaxing 5km loop around Peach Blossom Spring. Oddly, few mosquitoes bothered us and the warnings of dangerous snakes did little to cause worry. The ever-present heated air and occasional distant flashes of thunder ensured all clothing a good soaking of sweat.

Fresh orange juice greeted us ahead of a Thai meal in a more central-Huizhou location. Sleep called ahead and eventually after a refreshingly juicy ginseng fruit (人参果) fruit or two. They’re unrelated to ginseng. And they extend your life, according to The Journey to the West (西遊記). Those extra 47,000 years may be useful for buying the right farm of ducks to become as rich as mythological tech-Führer Elon Musk.

Holibobs: A quadrillion degrees heat

oyster28catcher (JRA)Leave a comment

Some say there around 1,000,000,000,000,000 mosquitoes on Earth. A quadrillion is a number that is so large we cannot imagine it. Or its a number if supposed fans that follow Manchester United online. That number of mosquitoes represents what animals are alive. I’d estimate the full 100 types that feed on humans (of the 3600 species) have had a nibble on me this week. Or so it feels.

“People change
But you know some people never do
You know when people change
They gain a piece but they lose one too” – Seasons (Waiting On You) – Future Islands

Passing a field some kids invited me to play football. This was the day after playing football with adults and my mate Thom Powers (from Texas). That night in sweltering 35°C heat (feeling closer to 44°C with humidity) I scored 2 (plus an own goal), not that it mattered, it was just a great run out with good local Huizhou people. I’m certain a mosquito cloud followed my sweaty body back and forth. The game with the kids was less serious, with my pigeon Chinese, and a smattering of English from them doing something for Sino-Mancunian relations.

The Huizhou Museum (惠州博物馆) offered up a regular slice of historic Huizhou and some links to its famous ancient and contemporary residents. Located close to the Science Museum (惠州科技馆) and not too far from the Cultural and Art Centre (惠州文化艺术中心), a rainy or steamy from hot weather day can offer an opportunity to peruse varied galleries. Some live music on traditional instruments was on display during our visit.

Many people know Hùizhōu (惠州) as a city famous for its coastline. After all, it has around 223.6 km² (86.3 square miles) of coastline. Much of the Guangdong provincial city sits just 15 metres (49 feet) above sea level. Yet the vast plains and river networks of Huizhou stretch out scattered with mountainous hills and, through various counties, stretches northwards to Qingyuan within the Guangdong province.

The entire region of Huizhou covers 10,922 km² (4,217 square miles). Wales, in the U.K. sprawls over 20,737 km² (8,007 square miles). Huizhou is roughly half-a-Wales in size. Wales is a recognised international measurement. Cymru is the proper name of Wales. When Sū Shì (苏轼) was exiled back in Song dynasty times, few would have expected much to come of his new homes. Nobody would anticipate seafront property prices rising astronomically in the 21st century. Su Shi stayed in Huizhou between 1094–1100, during his second of three banishment experiences. He was a very naughty boy.

Aside from Huizhou forming around the former residences of Su Shi, AKA Dongpo (東坡) AKA Zishan (子瞻), the city has gone in to grow as a manufacturing hub. The city has a motto, displayed regularly on signs, “City to benefit people” (惠民之州). The West Lake (XiHu) base of the city on Feng Lake definitely provides a much-needed lung for a growing city of twentieth-century onwards concrete.

Hak-kâ (客家) people and their culture make up the bulk of the local region. Hak-ka means “guest families” and forms a sub group of the majority Han Chinese ethnicity group of China. Hak-ka people are warm-hearted, welcoming, and love their food. Hakka dimsum is delicious for breakfast or lunch or any of the other non-stop meals enjoyed on Guangdong. You’re more likely to hear Kèjiāhuà (客家话), that is, Hakka language, than Cantonese or Mandarin in Huizhou.

Whilst Su Shi, the Chinese poet, essayist, calligrapher, painter, and scholar-official may have enlightened the region, the city now is know for a huge number if sea resorts, hot springs near to Heyuan and its seafood. Bordering Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Dongguan, the city is well connected by railways, roads, and waterways. The 40,000-seater Huizhou Olympic Stadium (惠州奥林匹克体育场) has yet to host the Olympics.

Huizhou, a place with long humid summers is twinned with Worcester in England. The weather is slightly different in Worcestershire. No sauce from Worcestershire can be found in Huizhou, unless at a lesser-spotted import shop, however other fish-based fermented sauces. If it repels mosquitoes, I’ll be rubbing it deep into my muscles.

Contract

oyster28catcher (JRA)Leave a comment

At birth we entered a contract to navigate the world together.

No matter the size of the storm, we must navigate a path ahead. As the world turns to fire, we’ll seek out the cold. Every lesson will teach you survival and push you closer to leaving the nest. You’ll go solo, but not yet. Not yet. Until then we’ll seek enrichment, bring you sunshine, and celebrate your presence. We are blessed.

Some days there will be swings, other days a seat out of reach. Often they’ll be skies and mountains to ponder and explore, whilst a bed to lay down and explore the world from pages within a book.

Some things will explain other things whilst much will leave questions. Questions will lead to answers and more questions. Stay curious. You must always explore. Choose your passions and share ours too. Seek your own world.

Hop, skip, jump, and leap far. Stay still if you wish to do so. Reach for your targets and never look back. Make glorious mistakes and add moments of regret to learn from. Develop wisdom of your own. Watch out for cars.

Envelope yourself in a blanket of love. Be kind. Respect life. Walk your walk with your head held high. Do your best. Wear a smile like a badge. Never give in.

Reading Passports Ready

oyster28catcher (JRA)Leave a comment

What we read leaves a trace, just like what we eat has an effect, no matter how small or big. If you read propaganda intended for ill purpose, expect to bend to its ears, even just a little. Yet, all the positive and heart-warming or enjoyable content sticks better. We embrace it with ease. We will it to be a permeating presence in our soul. And reading cleanses the soul of clogged up muck. It helps us switch off and relax. It is a form of entertainment that doesn’t actually require batteries.

Thinking back to what I’ve read and I could not quite quote or remember lines. However, I do recall the warmth, the action, and many feelings. I treasure some authors and titles far above others. I don’t recall which book or author was championed with medals or prizes. I do know that I often hunted the author’s works down.

Each style of writing offers a pattern to follow, emotions to be kicked our of their slumber, things to explore, or an opportunity to add meat to the bones of my knowledge. Perhaps even reading a Trip Advisor review may offer an opportunity to cross borders that I cannot physically transcend. Will I discover, uncover, or reveal these new pathways without a book?

Books are like passports to the forbidden cities. A visa without application. They open the world, even if it is imagined through the words or pictures of others. Michael Palin has transported me to a whole list of countries, yet I’ve never watched his television adaptations or accompanied him on a flight. J.R.R. Tolkien has whizzed me off to many lands – some corrupted by move interpretations. Those flicks just give me an excuse to pick up the pages and reimagine on demand. That’s a gift to rediscover and enjoy the texts again.

If wisdom is acquired by experience and time, then books are a source of data for the mind’s visual map and developments.

Keeping Appeared

oyster28catcher (JRA)Leave a comment

Goalkeepers stand tall at the back,

Plucking out shots: crack after crack.

Adding a line to assured defences,

Soundly secure, heightened in senses.

Somehow gloved and ready to lift cold,

Showcasing an art form increasingly bold.

Gia Gi, Weaver, Hart, Schmeichel all caught plucking and flapping;

Some days even the alert get caught napping.

Back the reliant James and our Willy with their big hands,

For Williams, Trautmann, Corrigan and co are names across many lands.

Holibobs 2026: CN v Fly tipping capital

oyster28catcher (JRA)Leave a comment

“Stop, stop, talkin’ ’bout who’s to blame
When all that counts is how to change” – Born of Frustration, James.

Back in April, I started writing this: What have we become? Passing Asda in Eastlands, Manchester, I spy a band of kids picking up litter in the car park. A man uses a Go Pro to document and likely add the happening to social media. A woman in an Asda Foundation beams smiles. On walking to the far end of the car park, I discover a pile and spread of litter dumped in a disabled bay at tax-avoiding Starbucks. The rubbish could fill two bags. It is reflected in the coffee store’s whoring windows.

Nigel Farage, April 29: “This money was given to me so that I would be safe and secure for the rest of my life”.

Nigel Farage, May 14: “Frankly, it was given to me as a reward for campaigning against Brexit for 27 years.”

Where did the litter pickers at Kwik Save supermarket go? Many moons have passed since April. Resurrection of the mothballed writing begins now.

Over in Guangdong, the often nicknamed factory of the world, living conditions and the environment have drastically increased since I first stepped foot in Guangzhou in 2014. In just over a decade, the air appears fresher, even if the wrong side of 37°C. More tree-lined streets, cleaner water channels, more bins, less litter, and a plethora of electric car brands have helped. Dense populations and crowds will always place strain on facilities, as I found at the world’s worst toilet (the canteen in South China University of Agricultural 华南农业大学 AKA SCAU).

Being at SCAU to see the museum and some cows was an unexpected journey (driven by someone intent on lapping the huge campus on the lookout for invisible cows). Apparently the cows are headed around the campus in the morning and hunker down in barns during the hot day. Although autocorrect changed barns to Barnsley. Imagine the cows on Juneyao Airlines all piling on for a flight to The John Stones Barnsley International Aerodrome. That’d be some upset cattle at the in-flight meal: beef. The museum was simple enough and thr grounds green with star fruit trees and all manner of leaved species. Unlike the toilets that resembled a brown Tarantino scene.

Graphic rendering of original content.

And back when I came to China, pizza, coffee and western food was rare outside of modern city centres or areas with heavy foreign populations. McDonald’s sadly was and remains everywhere. F*** you Ronald McDonald and your shit burgers. As China develops and grows at gargantuan rates, so do tastes. You can pass an Argentine restaurant in Huizhou’s suburbs or jog into a burger joint in Guangzhou, and pizza stalls aren’t too far away. Pulled along by 3 wheel, these mobile kitchens cam be found selling sushi, barbecue, teas, coffees, and oddities like tacos made of seaweed. What a wonderful world we live in! Or just eat pies.

P.S. Orange juice with Americano coffee is growing on me. Iced of course. And Manchester is the said Fly Tipping Capital. I defy anyone to say otherwise, having cycled many routes and seen many parkland areas of Manchester, we have a huge fly tipping and dumping problem.

It started on paper.

oyster28catcher (JRA)Leave a comment

It started on paper. I wanted to write it. Desire burning like fire.

Drive, drive, and drive within. Exposing vulnerability. Good ol’ honest expression.

Blending raw intuition. Discipline for the win. Easy reading? Hard writing! Daily practice for success. Rolled up paper balls of failure.

Technical skill going for the kill. Persistence from the emittance. Composed from the heart. “Write drunk, edit sober.”

Paper breathing a new start. Drafts, repetition, edits. Now craft from the head. Filled with details. Record.

Draft, compose formulate, outline, pen, scribble, set down. Make the reader think. Refine. Edit. Rewrite. Revise. Polish it up. Redraft and recast.

Voice: The unique personality or tone of the author. The powers of a word following a word. A dream, a movement. “Writing is driving a car at night.”

Syntax – the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences. “Kill your darlings.” A goal from the soul. Prose your written language in its ordinary form, without metrical structure. “…cross out the wrong words.”

I must write. Couldn’t find it, so wrote it. “Writing is a way of seeing.”

Diction: dictate the choice and use of words and phrases. “Writing is a way of bleeding.”

Conventions: The mechanical correctness of writing (think spelling, punctuation, grammar). Break conventions where it fits. Narrative: The story or account of events. Express: Phrase, couch, articulate, word it. “Show, don’t tell.” Serve only purpose. Just write.

It started on paper.

Finis.

oyster28catcher (JRA)Leave a comment

Torn is the branch that might have grown fully upwards and straight,

And ripped are the roots from down below

That one time grew from within this tall trunk.

The leaves are gone: regard its fiendish fall,

Where misfortune did exhort thy life

Only to wonder at scattered saplings,

Their deepness doth entice such forward hope

To return to heavenly heights as nature permits.

Holibobs 2026: Doctor Faustus & the A.C.

oyster28catcher (JRA)Leave a comment

“Look at the bee! It looks like a goth!”, I said to nobody in particular. The hovering jet black bug landed on a flower with such delicate motion yet the tank-like structure of its body screamed not to be messed with. Think Rocky meets The Rock. But, almost entirely black with some white facial features. Not to be confused with racist minstrel men of dated television shows.

When the Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzén touched me. So much so that the last few chapters had me in and out of my eyes doing impressions of waterfalls. Empathy and that book seemed inseparable. I haven’t cried at many books. In fact, I can’t think of any off the top of my head, not even Bambi (the book, not the film). Felix Salten’s written words didn’t quite torture my young soul like the Walt Disney animation.

Exploring Huizhou has seen many wanders to various parks such as West Lake (西湖); Dong Ping park (东平公园); Dongpo Temple (东平公园); Dongpo Jing Park (东坡井); Hejiang Tower (合江楼); & Zhongshan Park (中山公园). A mesh of flowers, temple-like structures, wooden platforms, and traditional realms can easily be found. And mosquitoes.

I firmly believe that where I step, the mosquito conservation programmes improve. As a knock on effect bat populations improve. Their guano feeds a realm of trees. The mosquitoes dive from leaves onto my skin and top up theor dietary needs. I am part of the circle of life. Eternally bugged by the little winged terrors. And the relentless humidity and heat partners such things.

Many wanders were had on the banks of the Dōngjiāng River (东江), which stretches 523 km (325 miles) from Mount Yajibo in Jiangxi to Machong in Dongguan where its mouth opens into the Pearl River (Zhūjiāng/珠江). China’s third longest River system has many tributaries along its whopping 2,400 km (1,500 miles). Amongst its flow through Huizhou, there are tree-lined banks. Many have their own passports with species names and locations fastened on the side. Esch wander was toasty and way above thirty Celsius.

Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus was first performed around 1594 survives via two texts published around ten years and 22 years later. An Elizabethan peer of Shakespeare’s times, this play shook the apple cart with themes of dark arts, devil worship, and occultism. The religious focus of the text is interspersed by witty moments. It is a challenging text to read, yet, once you start the short play flows towards a morbid conclusion. I finished reading the play script in a Luckin Coffee by Huizhou’s Xinkai River. A friendly partner to the cathedral city of Worcester, I enjoyed my cappuccino, thinking how much I’d like cheese on toast with some Lea and Perrins Worcestershire Sauce. A.C. firmly on chill.

“Solamen miseris socios habuisse doloris” – Latin for ‘Misery loves company’, Doctor Faust, Christopher Marlowe

Holibobs 2026: Legacy

oyster28catcher (JRA)Leave a comment

Roughly 7.3-7.6 million souls are in Hong Kong Right now. I doubt many (if any) are listening to Orbital. Hong Kong being a gambling centre, I’d go all in to say none have turned their ear to Tonight In Belfast. The poet featured on the track is Mike Garry. He has a distinct voice, one that I compare to that of the late and great Kevin Evans from Shenzhen Blues. Another great orator, although less published in music.

Kevin brought the party and always had a snooze towards the end. Watching games in Shenzhen and enjoying a League Cup final in Hua Hin with Blues like Kevin and his loving wife Maire remain fond memories. A home from home. Always welcoming. Always relaxed and kind. My deepest condolences. Peace and love to the friends, family, and those who met and were touched by Kevin’s presence. My thoughts go out to Maire.

“We can build new mountains for us to climb
And when we reach the top
We will count all we own and all we built and all that we survey
We’d happily give it all away
Because we have each other and we have love today” – Tonight In Belfast, Orbital feat. Mike Garry

I found myself whizzing by train at 1326 from Meizhou West Station (梅州西站) to Hong Kong via Shenzhen North. Arriving at 1631, I boarded the underground transit at Austin. Soon after, I checked into a cupboard doubling up as a guesthouse room within the grim Chungking Mansion “ghetto at the centre of the world” (Professor Gordon Mathews, anthropologist). Shirt off. Wash down. Clean shirt on. Teeth brushed. Back out to East Tsim Sha Tsui station. Up to Sung Wong Toi, and over to the Kai Tak Stadium. Bumping into Michael from the South Stand at City, I then met Miranda of the Shenzhen Blues to collect a ticket. Heavy rain pounded down. Into the air-conditioned and roofed stadium, I went.

Plush escalators, swanky coloured lobbies, expensive food options, and upto 3 rows away from the back of the Kai Tak Stadium. The attendance was said to be 42,826 in the 50,000 seater arena. I call bull pooh on that. Swathes of empty seats proved that the pricing (1299HKD; 2399HKD; 799HKD etc) was beyond value for money. Outside the ground, a trio of pop up City shops were cashing in well. That should keep financial fair play in a positive light. A pre-season spectacle was unlikely so close to the end of the FIFA World Cup and many players still on holiday. I managed to bag a rare 399HKD ticket (from Allen who couldn’t go). Thanks Allen!

The new season friendly featured many Elite Development Squad members. These mostly U21 players are marked for good things, whether at City or not. Looking around the Premier League (especially Chelsea) you can see many players. The oddly-quiet atmosphere seemed refrained. Occasional chants and half-hearted Mexican waves passed around the ground. I’ve seen many games before a season starts and this was no Thomas Cook trophy. The stadium itself was impressive but had no heart. Hong Kong FA have a great league and many good clubs but this new ground felt very impersonal. Almost like the AO arena or Coop Live in Manchester.

I’ll think of Kevin when I have a Tsingtao beer later and toast his passing. There’s a growing legacy of Manchester City fans in Asia, especially Shenzhen and that’s down to warm characters like Kevin. When Kevin was compere at the McCawley’s Futian in July 2016, he was sincere, witty, and looked a natural with a microphone. I’m sure Willy Cabellero, Mike Summerbee and co appreciated the occasion.

Fair winds and following seas.

Rest In Peace, Kevin Evans 27/12/1965 – 17/07/2026

Storming

oyster28catcher (JRA)Leave a comment

You’re riding from dark clouds.

They’re passing over you

But the storm approaches

Whichever way you go

Lost thoughts from yesterday

Up in the wind away

Words you no longer say

Mindset stuck in clay

The light fades ever so fast

No longer having a blast

Your rod is poorly cast

A ship sailing at half mast

This uncertainty casts shadows

All along its pathways

Flashing light with no chance to see

This day is the way it’s going to be

Holibobs 2026: Strengthening

oyster28catcher (JRA)Leave a comment

After cooling the delicious watermelons in a river, the Typhoon Hongxia’s first storm hit. Twigs and small branches rattled down onto the metal rooftops of a shanty-like eating village at the river. The river level rose covering all stones and the edge of the pathway. Our group awaited a short time of little downpour before jumping in a car back to the house.

Bamboo scaffolding has always impressed me. Coming from a place that rarely has anything but steel scaffolding or heavy duty frames, the comparison to that of long slender bamboo poles is distinctive. Each rod of bamboo is marked with natural offshoots and imperfections. Yet somehow the strength seems to hold. I know that in Hong Kong there are strict regulations on this material. I guess the same is present on mainland China. The lightweight material grows fast on farms and in the wild. I’d imagine its cost to be far below any of the metal options. It being binded by ropes and threads must make it easier to install too. I wonder who inspects for rot, infestation, or structural defects. That must take time and skill. These lattice of bamboo are impressive to see framing new and old buildings. I salute the bamboo scaffolding industry and its 800 years or so of usage.

Three wheel carts, vans, and bikes have been the mainstay of delivery drivers throughout China since horses made way for engines. Nowadays the fuel tends to be from a battery compartment. Nevertheless, these tuktuk-like vehicles can be found from the city to the countryside. The auto rickshaw is here to stay, providing people stop using their phones at the handlebars and online shipping remains constant. I would certainly like to see more of these trikes in the UK, subject to the same driving rules and regulations of motorised vehicles.

We were lucky, in respect of Typhoon Hongxia, which left a trail of flooding, felled-trees, toppled fences, and other human-made structures strewn in its pathway. The overnight brunt of the storm seemed to hit like a bombing raid. Trees seemingly exploded like matchsticks as each gust struck like an angry wall. The air indoors seemed to be pulled out leaving alternating vacuums of coolness and pockets of heat. It was deafening loud at times. Every joint in each window rattled, yet held firm, as sounds of crashing carried from the garden complex outside. Nature holds us in its hands and we should never forget it!

Following the stormy arrival, a platter of succulent fruits, barbecue sticks in cumin-rich sauce, and trays of snacks punctuated the following days of the storm. We were lucky and distracted. Or unlucky. If like I, you chose the durian bread roll. How stinky!!!

Holibobs 2026: Watermelon seeds

oyster28catcher (JRA)Leave a comment

The sweat seems to swelter beneath every pore. Your skin refuses to cool your body temperature. Every sinew is at an exhausting saturation point. 35°C sits two digits or so beneath your body temperature. With the added 74% humidity, the dew point (26°C) is long passed. It feels like 43°C. Saying, “It’s too hot”, has long become a fruitless task.

As is tradition, a flock of angry and hungry mosquitoes, descended upon me within Guangzhou Airport’s confusing subway/railway transit system. I arrived to a vast modern terminal by Guangzhou Baiyun (白云机场东) East and only needed a 5 minute train ticket to get to Baiyun North (白云机场北) but it took nearly an hour to transit. My eSim card failed to get a signal in the last 50 metres of underground tunnel to the ticket booth. A kind staff member provided a WiFi hot-spot after I’d attempted to buy a ticket only to lose the eSim signal at the ticket booth. I would make it back to my waiting duo no matter what.

Tastes of Guangdong 2026.

“…she doesn’t give a solitary shit what I want.” – Bo, When the Cranes Fly South, Lisa Ridzén

The same happened at Baiyun North as I crossed onto a subway train. A man dressed all in black wearing only a body CCTV camera on his chest provided the WiFi hotpot. He was either Public Security Bureau or another government body. His English was crisp and clear. The subway took me to Guangzhou East Railway Station. Here a WiFi signal was found at the mall’s H&M clothing store. From then on it was plain sailing but I was regretting a lack of sleep on the flight to Shanghai from Manchester. My aches, pains, and caffeine-withdrawal-induced nausea were in full flight. That Costa Coffee in Shanghai certainly boosted me through a 3 hour delay.

During the journey, Ironwood, by thriller writer Michael Connelly, alongside When the Cranes Fly South kept me company. The former focuses on Detective Stilwell based on Catalina (a filming location of the nudist swimmer scene in the movie Jaws). Whilst not quite as sharp as the Harry Bosch or Ballard series of novels, the pages move fast. Due to time waiting in Manchester Airport, the book was finished by my 3rd day in Huizhou. Many welcome distractions and a spot of jetlag allowed a balanced approach to reading and pleasure. The journey also featured the movie Mr Burton which was a lovely flick about the rise of actor Richard Burton. “No one would have believed…” Eventually a solo became a duo that hooked into a trio.

After an early afternoon of swimming in a river by Aiwei village (隘尾村 – see also 五塔云山农庄 广东省惠州市惠东县梁化镇七星墎隘尾村), our reunited triplet hunkered down for a night and day inside sheltering from Typhoon Hongxia/Whatitsface. The big bugger flattened the majority of the garden complex’s trees and crushed a few cars and bikes. The air mostly felt comfortable throughout Sunday the 26th. By late evening, the relentless humidity was back to ensure my lack of suitable t-shirts would remain ever drenched.

To be continued…

Plastic: idealistic mantric v morphic fabric

oyster28catcher (JRA)Leave a comment

False like a handful of plastic rice
Rubbery, supple flexibility
Released from captivity through shredded fabric
Adjustably tragic creator of the graphic

From our shores to the Arctic
Along the Scandic, by articulated truck
Monkeys have it, as does the Antarctic
Some handpick the – unstick – unstuck

The mantric is it is morphic
Ever so domestic this neurotic
Nondemocratic ounce resists all Politik
psychokinetic, claustrophobic and non-charismatic

“Get rid!”, yell the idealistic.

Trees means more

oyster28catcher (JRA)Leave a comment

I love trees, I try to share one a week. I try to connect with trees. Ever since the Sycamore Gap tree was illegally fell, people are worried that it’ll happen again. The fellers won. Those who chop down protected trees have won. The saws, chainsaws, and axes are worn by us now. That’s such a shame. Our trees need championing. They are great to hug.

Baby tree saplings seem to be in cages. Protected from vandalism and caged micro-sanctuaries. Bark, earth, and stones allow flowers and weeds to profit and flourish. The cages age and dent and twist away over time. The teenage trees burst through. There are many examples in many parks of trees escaping their youthful guards. In my local park, a Sycamore Gap has hit a staggering metre or so tall. Its small number of leaves wave in the breeze and offer a ray of delightful hope. Manchester’s parks are scattered around and it is good to see new trees. We need more.

Hugging trees is a connection that shouldn’t be laughed at. To feel the rough or smooth barks, so many different kinds, and all unique to that spot of that piece of tiny land. Some resemble each other. Many offer shelter to insects, preying spiders, lichens, mosses, and countless microscopic lives. As many juvenile humans detach from nature, trees offer coolness on hot days. That shade and cooling factor can be brought to streets and roads adding to carbon dioxide absorption. Adding much-needed oxygen production to areas that support life. Our climate is better regulated with trees at the heart.

Air pollution goes down with trees. Trees, with their roots, bond the earth and spils reducing spil erosion. They support wildlife habitats – some locally unique and others part of a wider global tapestry. That enhances biodiversity and allows support for the water cycle. The filters and layers of protection a tree offers are humongous. On top of that trees muffle sound and offer protection against noise pollution. Having a neighbour who has just chopped two trees down, I hear that difference. Tweeting birds happily perching has been replaced by a road a few hundred metres away. Whilst infrequently-heard, it is now an annoyance. Trees matter.

Alongside rivers, with or without beavers, trees add to flood risk reduction. A well-managed tree can offer property value increases. Just ensure no branches or roots opt to move in with you. And like the countryside, a tree offers landscape beauty. We often, as kids, draw a house with a chimney and a tree next door. We know the trees matter. The chimneys may disappear in time. Our mental well-being sees the benefit of trees. More trees now!

Many trees are fast-growing and can be replaced as fast as they are chopped, allowing for renewable resources if managed correctly. Trees can provide foods such as apples and pears, nuts, olives, and so on. Another layer to the environmentally sustainable lifestyle many of us crave. A park with trees offers recreation and outdoor life for our enjoyment. When did you last plant a tree?

Guards of Honour: The Mancunian Way

oyster28catcher (JRA)Leave a comment

Two guards of honour for players going off in a game. A game, the final one of the season, and the last one under the stewardship of Josep “Pep” Guardiola Sala: one that would fade to memories for the final dose of football but live on for the best gaffer in the land and all the world. A decade of emotions from losses to evolution to triumph.

After a deserved wait, a huge guard of honour at full time came for former players (Gundogan and Ederson) returning to receive a proper farewell. Then for the outgoing club legends John Stones and Bernardo Silva. Each as decorated as their manager. Each battlers and proud servants of the badge, colours, and Manchester. Their football did the talking and if clearing a ball with 11mm to spare shows you anything: the boys in blue never give in.

Pep Guardiola bowed out with his 95 year old Dad present. Pep has mentioned his mother passing away previously and the support fans and the club gave him. Video messages from former club custodian Manuel Akanji, and others, mentioned the camaraderie and protection for incoming players. Hats off to anyone who can tolerate Mancunian weather – having come from warmer climates! The message was clear, City are more than a football club. You see it with the youth and women’s teams. Manchester City is a family. Now the Guardiola name will brandish the North Stand. A tie for life.

The farewell ceremony’s incredible atmosphere capped a fine period of football stretching back to 2016. No manager has had such an impact on English football or enjoyed such a send off. The Noisy Neighbours may say otherwise and much will be debated, written, and accolades given. The Mancunian Way should be closed and a police escort to allow Pep and family to drive out undisturbed on his next adventure. What a journey!

I can’t believe all the skriking about something players on the field wanted to be part of. I have never seen this guards of honour going off the field once, let alone twice. Those feelings will stick with both sets of players, fans, and be seen by youngsters. Who wouldn’t want to be like Bernardo or Stones after their career?! What an example of sportsmanship and love for the game. The officiating even spotted the moment and I’m sure VAR edited Foden’s cheeks out of line with the guard of honour.

The only way to end is with the honours earned since Pep took over. Practically mad levels of rewards. It speaks for itself. The human side has done plenty of speaking and has been felt throughout the stands week after week. We’ve experienced some of the best football ever: a treble, domestic doubles, 100 points, and lovely trophy parades. So, what now?

Premier League x 6

2017–18, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24 (4 in a row)

FA Cup x 3

2018–19, 2022–23, 2025–26

EFL League Cup x 5

2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21 (4 in a row), 2025–26

FA Community Shield x 3

2018, 2019, 2024

UEFA Champions League

2022–23

UEFA Super Cup

2023

FIFA Club World Cup

2023

Monday’s after party:

The event lasted too long yet just the right amount of content. Nothing felt out of place and it celebrated players and Pep leaving, showcased our Youth and Women’s team, whilst giving a platform to coaches, backroom staff and can opportunity for our fans to cheer and see the spectacle.

Lining trophies up interwoven amongst club legends past, present, Pep’s family and playing out to a backdrop of local musical brothers and their banging tunes sent the energy higher than any forced chant. Doves ticked all the boxes. Mike Summerbee and Vincent Kompany, alongside a variety of legends, family, and coaches carried in each of Pep’s 20 trophies. The Coop Live bounced.

Now, what’s the name of my new favourite Catalan band? Manel? Must add that song to my Pep era list. It’s been a blast.

Thoughts about reading for teenagers

oyster28catcher (JRA)Leave a comment

To teenagers identity is important. Moreso, that of choice. Limited representation will turn pupils away from reading. As adults and teachers, we must ensure varied cultures, diverse backgrounds, and a range of identities are shown. Only through positive representation can we capture interest.

What most school libraries have and showcase, usually involves adult-centred narratives, traditional story arcs, and popular canonical texts (the ones adults were brought up on). Enid Blyton, Charles Dickens, and Roald Dahl are there, but do they truly represent the here and now? Young adult fiction needs to mirror lived experiences and feel contemporary. Not everyone can relate to miserly Ebeneezer Scrooge and his transformation from skinflint to benefactor. Likewise, stereotypes have long filled bookshelves and the shackles of copy and paste heroes of old seldom reflect the drive of a reader. Move over James Bond, hello complex characters.

Graphic novels cost money and can often be deep and encourage inference building. As can verse novels, fantasy. and a range of LGBTQ+ fiction aimed at young adults. Through expanded genre variety, readers can grow their reading repertoire.

The cold hand of teachers opting to select reading lists keeps the shop well and truly closed. Allowing agency for pupils to move away from assessment-driven choices to give their input is key to true reading for pleasure. take away those restrictive barriers. Finding pathways within units to allow choice and book circle groups could unlock more doors.

When is reading available? Timetables limit independent reading time. Everything else is a priority and rarely does a ring-fenced opportunity to read present itself. Something else pops up. So how can a pupil make choice? A lack of library space does not help. One condition that currently enables reading for pleasure is our centralised library location. Within this space there is a suite of computers for usage on homework, research, and revision. The space has been streamlined to focus on fiction, with a limited space for non-fiction. However, the library size and space is highly limited.to an area a 1/4 of its original size. Two classrooms and a maths intervention space have swallowed 3/4 of the original library building space. This creates a hustle and bustle ill-fitting for such an area. The space is now limited to breaktime (25 minutes) and lunchtime (just 10 minutes) due to a timetable restructure whereby classes are present in the adjoining rooms. Where’s the opportunity to integrate a library offer?

Could online reading, fandom fiction, Manga etc offer more opportunity? How can it be framed as an academic task that feels good? Or, turn it on its head, frame it as an opportunity to express personal identity in practice?

Valuable reading could be literary, slightly challenging, and transferable to curriculum-aligned text. It does not always have to involve and award-winning text or use a classic novella. A piece of well-written journalism could add academic capital through its complexity and worthiness. Or even a transcript from narration (see also: Sir David Attenborough).

With respect to the broader view of literacy, all forms of reading, whether digital or visual need to be considered and included. Choice motivates. Options encourage access. If a teenager or pupil can see themselves in the story, then those genres could reflect who they are. Surely that will motivate and capture their focus. Relating to something encourages active reading skills such as empathy and connecting outside of the text.

It is important to not only stretch a pupil’s mind but to take them beyond the clinical academic realm. Fan fiction, blogs (well-vetted), audiobooks, podcasts, and graphic novels are valid pathways to expanding comprehension skills through real gritty routes. Foster lifelong love of reading over compliance.


Think further about:

Identity: representation gaps · canonical bias · limited YA · narrow genres

Agency: teacher-led · assessment-driven · little student input · restricted pathways

Choice: limited independent reading · underused library · undervalued informal reading

Assumption: valuable = literary/challenging/canonical

Re‑frame: multiple literacies · choice increases motivation · relevance matters · broaden definitions of “real reading”

See also: Go All In, National Year of Reading 2026

Labouring for Green – How I Switched Allegiance

oyster28catcher (JRA)Leave a comment

For the last few weeks, I have been thinking long and hard. Deeply looking within. Unhappy with how things are within politics.

Labour lost me. Not because they’re red. And not simply for one clear reason. They just don’t feel socialist and centre-left. They’re closer to the Conservative party than at any other point in my lifetime. They’ve become a party that fights inwardly and blocks good leaders stepping up. They’ve also let the cost of living crisis slide. And when people struggle they’re vulnerable and divided. That’s how the Fascist right side of politics of the UK has been allowed a greater voice.

Regarding immigration, Labour have whored themselves to populism. Rather than stand with humanity, they’ve gone for the reshuffle method of playing into short-term distractions and showing no cojónes. Like many, I can’t seem to fathom out what ambitions and drive the Prime Minister Keir Starmer  displays or shares. They say he’s ruthless and charismatic, yet he has often appeared in crisis.

Options for the Denton and Gorton (and Burnage and Longsight) constituency since the disgraced Andrew Gwynne departed were limited. Voting Sir Oink A-Lot was instantly dismissed. His satirical party, The Monster Raving Loony party, share my age. Not my vote. Advance UK sounds like a pharmacy, yet are a far right party ran by a British-Pakistani, Ben Habib. I don’t do the far right. I strongly believe the far right stand against cultures mixing and the world progressing for the benefit of humanity. I very much subscribe to Blues Brothers’ mantra, “I hate Illinois Nazis.”

I won’t vote the Liberal Democrats, despite their boisterous fun loving leadership, since they formed a coalition with the Tory Bastards™ and would probably send Sir Oink A-Lot to former Prime Minister David Cameron. The tentacles of doom wrap deep. Rejoin EU, nope, as it’s too costly and that boat is flogged, so probably better to reciprocate deals with other nations and have a lighter EU version for now. Communist League? Give over. SDP are too right wing socially, so no thanks. The Libertarian Party would be a wasted vote. Although, in 2008, they promoted literacy by sending a copy of George Orwell’s 1984 to every sitting MP. It had a note, “this book was a warning, not a blueprint”.

I did my homework on the Greens, their candidate, Hannah Spencer, complete with skeletons in her closet. She plumbs and I need the toilet fixing. In all seriousness, a technical mind, one that knows the area, and she has a good record at Trafford Council. There’s something that the Greens and Hannah Spencer have brought to this bitter campaign and that’s a sense of hope. Manchester has been built on radicals. We can’t go on the way things have been going on. More of the same? No thanks. Shake the apple cart.

Even with Reform U.K.’s right wing Matt Goodwin A.K.A. “a concerned neighbour” lurking in the shadows, I chose to abandon Labour and the Co-operative Party. So, I voted Green. More as a protest vote. Will I vote Labour again? Only if better comes. Until then I’ll follow my heart and mind.

Brookside

oyster28catcher (JRA)Leave a comment

You’re extremely important to many.

How you got here matters not.

Yet, here you are, standing strong.

Moody at times, witty at others.

A dependable rock for your true love.

Leaving no argument or bad spot to cross days.

“I’ll give you a lift.”

“Shout if you need a hand.”

You deserve celebrations.

Waft away all you like.

Your big heart has been on show for all to see.

This is your day and I’m glad to know you.

Peace and love.

Now go eat your big cake on the right day.

“Stick to football.”

oyster28catcher (JRA)Leave a comment

Football is a platform, like many sports, that can allow views of politics to reach regional and global audiences. The days that should be over: when Manchester City refused the Nazi salute in 1937, only a year after Jesse Owens, was snubbed by extremist right-winger twat Adolf Hitler. The reality: in 2026, we have a world fragmented and divided by capitalism and an orange-faced leader hell bent on chaos in a way the Joker could only have dreamed of. And he’s got the Olympics in 2028, two years after a football World Cup.  No politics for either?

“This is a manifesto for Palestine, and a manifesto for humanity,” Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola donned a keffiyeh at a recent fundraiser, “These past two years with these images on social media … I always imagine them saying: ‘Where are you? Come help us.‘ And even now, we haven’t done it.” This was of course about Gaza and its seemingly endless embedded presence within the lands of State of Israel (established 1948). Perversely Pep Guardiola is employed by one of  U.A.E.’s big families, who have been slipping funding to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) who aren’t a football club. Their presence is messed-up-since-2023 and foreign weaponry has been the biggest factor in the maintenance of war.

Boycotting South Africa during apartheid led to change. Allowing Russia to host a football World Cup led to empowerment and the invasion of Ukraine. Giving Qatar a World Cup in football led to a new region engaged in international sport. Many controversial moments ensued. Beijing had the 2008 Olympics. The sports and the games often mirror discrimination and international friendships.

Prestigious events with copyrighted logos, like the establishment’s Olympics, are political tools, far from neutral and their to enhance diplomacy and relationships on a global stage. They’re not just set aside for watching Usian Bolt destroy records. The hoops carry symbolic and political power.

Commercial involvement, nations casting their shadow over Olympics and international tournaments, and huge legally-backed contracts have made the division of sport from politics impossible. To have marquee sponsors and investments that hold conflicts of business alongside silenced people whoring the names of sponsors is normal. The complicity is rarely spoken about, yet to engage allows opportunity to pursue avenues of peace and the notion of justice. Or not.

Pretending that sport is apolitical is a big shiny lie. The deals done in dark alleys are often in plain sight. Former Thief-FA boss Sepp Blatter and International Olympic Committee member Giovanni Vincenzo Infantino levels of accountability are there for all to see. Nothing beats accountability. Legal and society standards are met, naturally. Honestly. Sochi 2014 (XXII Olympic Winter Games) was opened by President Vladimir Putin. He was there for a FIFA tournament in 2018. Hasn’t budged since and still hates Pussy Riots.

In 2005, Muhammad Ali received a Presidential Medal of Freedom for his battling views and politics. History loves a radical. Without the Black Power salutes in 1968, would the U.S. have evolved to be more open than before? And how has it become so divided since? Sport needs radicals. Sport needs protests and it needs voices. The Kurdish flags at the City game versus Galatasaray no doubt raised a profile of a forgotten front. Not as big as Donald Trump humping the FIFA Club World Cup last year. Politics can’t keep its nose out of sport. Nor should we hide politics from sport.

It seems silly that politics can only be in sports when it suits the few at the expense of the many. Or fits a narrative. That feels far too much like a dictatorship-like run of ideas.

The eyes see all*

oyster28catcher (JRA)Leave a comment

Wandering eyes

Creeping over the page 

Avoiding me

Glancing sideways 

Catching nothing

Yet seeing all

Ambling eyes

Hiding in plain sight

Delaying time

Advancing slowly

Catching all

yet seeing nothing

Straying eyes 

Alert, wise, and sharp

Procrastination twinkles

Sparkling shiny

Emptily vacant

Frozen moments

Departing eyes

Frosty, glazed, and lifeless

Withdrawal confirmed

Fleeing entity 

Frozen moments

*Emptily vacant

End the battle.

oyster28catcher (JRA)Leave a comment

End the battle. End all wars. Lay down all your tools of doom;

Tuck your weapons in your belts. Better still, melt them down.

Factories and dealers move away from producing death;

Instead create bridges and boats and border-fence cutting breath.



Let adversaries cuddle and hug down the local pubs;

Wage laughter and reunite the exiled in communal hubs.

Change your hearts and minds to gentle call;

End refuge, opening up nomadic homes for all.



Feed the rehomed homeless, give orphans homes;

Stop Idris Elba making films about childhood soldiers (on phones).



Respect the woman and the women and the girls;

Marginalise nobody, empower the disadvantaged

Equal rights for all not just the healthy and wealthy;



Deliver truth like mail,

Reconciliate

Bring mercy and compassionate use of power to every picnic

Respect all whether they choose faith or none at all

And stop using the word woke as a joke to soak

Up all your petty vibes and tirades you sad old gammon bloke.

Strive to be better and leave this world a better place;
That would be ace!

Grounds for believing that something good may happen

oyster28catcher (JRA)Leave a comment

Hey little aspiration, where have you been?
Confidence joins us on this fair night.
Wishes, expectations, and ambition grow from the roots of the earth.
Aimed with a plan, hope is in sight.

To dream once more and long, and yearn, and let the heart burn.
Hankering for a brighter day.
We now crave like never before.
Optimism litters the day.

You aspire, I desire.
In faith we both trust.
Our joined conviction bonds expectation’s belief.
Conviction casts aside doubt to dust.

Have in mind that intent is in our grasp.
An assurance hugs deep within my heart.
There is a bright light at the end of the long-walked tunnel.
The grounds for hope a tuned-up fresh start.

Last year’s judgement

oyster28catcher (JRA)Leave a comment

Disaffected, dissatisfied, and disgruntled, I plodded along;
Discontented, frustrated, and restless was my last year;
Each passing hour filled my malcontent mind.

Alienated, estranged, and fed up, my heart grew disloyal;
Rebelliousness, sedition, and dissidence clouded my vision;
An insurgent dread dampened my nature.

I could be up in arms, a renegade, hostile to all;
Insubordinate, mutinous, unfriendly thoughts cast over;
I feared the darkness and its insurrectionary guidance.