David's blog

Last week I got a text from the housing association saying someone would be coming round to do some plastering, which I assumed was to deal with the damp in the living room walls. I wasn’t looking forward to the disruption, but figured it had to be done, so I agreed. I remember someone coming over to talk about the damp problem, explaining what they planned to do, and we both agreed there was no point plastering until the issue was fixed. On the day the plasterer arrived, I told them they needed to sort the problem first.  They eventually agreed and left, but came back a few minutes later claiming someone would be coming to fix some slates and put something on the roof, and that the boss would call me. I let them go ahead as they sounded plausible enough, but later it hit me they were probably just messing me around. I haven’t heard from the boss or seen anyone working on the roof, which is frustrating and makes me feel conned by these cowboy builders.  Now the job is done, an...

A long time ago, I had a mental health episode and began reading self-help books. I came across a writer named Dorothy Rowe, who discussed mental illness in relation to introverts and extraverts, drawing on Jungian theory later expanded by Eysenck. According to her, people are divided into two types: extraverts and introverts. This book had a real impact on me, and after reading it, I discovered that I am an extravert. This I calculated from a test that was in the book. From what I gathered from the book it was about different realities that people experience, one sees the outside world as real and the other as the inside world, your mind as real, I guess one fact I omitted from my understanding was that this was theory and not actual fact I think I took it too literal   I asked an AI chatbot about this, and they said the theory is correct, but there’s a tendency to box yourself and others in, which can limit growth. I guess, according to the criticisms, it’s a bit too black a...

 I I went for a walk yesterday with a few people around a village not too far from here. When I first heard about it, I had a feeling I’d been on this walk before—well, at least started it—about three years ago, just after I’d been in the hospital for treatment that left me temporarily incontinent. At the time, I hoped it really was temporary, but no one at the hospital bothered to reassure me. It turned out it was, but back then I was still dealing with anxiety over the incontinence. The whole thing had been a horrendous experience, and the hospital staff hadn’t prepared me for it at all. The words “temporarily faecally incontinent” didn’t even begin to cover what I went through, and it messed with my head.   Yesterday, as I started the walk, the route began to feel familiar, and I reached the point where I’d panicked and turned back before. I told one of the guides about it, felt a bit of panic again, but managed to keep going and finish the walk. I’m so glad I did beca...

I played a gig at a venue on Thursday with a few friends, but we were stuck in a corner and had to move furniture ourselves. The person who booked us wasn’t even there, which wasn’t a great start—especially since the place clearly had a lot of money put into it. We played, but hardly anyone paid attention, and we didn’t get so much as a thank-you drink for playing for free—or even a simple thanks—which doesn’t exactly inspire us to speak well of the place.   Lately, I’ve been feeling tired of playing the same old songs, and when no one’s enjoying it, it feels even worse. Maybe that shows in my performance, I’m not sure. I don’t know how to get the group to try different material, but after years of the same routine, it’s starting to feel stale. I wish I could find a new group to play with and mix things up, but there aren’t many music setups around here. Moving is an option, but it’s a big step.   The most disappointing thing about last week’s gig was the lack of gra...

I went out on Tuesday and saw a chap I know who had a stroke a while ago. He was in his chair and doesn’t speak too well, and since my hearing isn’t great, I didn’t stop to chat. I’ve been thinking about how he could manage not being able to speak and came up with the idea of using the Google keyboard, where you drag your finger along the words. Today at Tesco, I saw someone who was his friend and told them my idea. They said his motivation isn’t great, and honestly, if I were stuck in a chair, I don’t think I’d be that motivated either—especially at his age. I might even be wishing I hadn’t been found. I hope the finger thing works and it helps the chap get some control of his life back its very sad to see him like that

Here we go again. Yesterday, someone asked me about an incident in the village. I had no idea what was going on, so I looked into it and discovered it was yet another neighbor-versus-neighbor feud—though this time, they live across the road from each other instead of next door. I’ve had my share of issues with neighbors on both sides, and honestly, it’s no wonder there are wars in the world. Maybe it’s a miracle we get along at all, considering how different we are.   This latest dispute seems more serious than usual, involving assault by someone old enough to know better. It’s tied to another major feud from a few years back, but one neighbor in that issue has since passed away. I guess, as they say, all relationships end in death and acrimony.   I know the person accused of assault well—I know them all. She comes across as a sweet elderly lady, but I guess you never really know. Regarding my own issue with the neighbor next door, I spent a morning cutting down weed...

Earlier today, I saw a van on fire in the street. It’s since been removed after the fire brigade put it out, though they seemed to take ages to arrive, apparently coming from the next town. I’d just crossed the road after getting off the bus and noticed parcels scattered on the pavement, with a man I assumed to be the driver on the phone saying, “my van is on fire.” It didn’t really sink in until I walked past the front of the van, felt the heat, and saw flames. I asked someone nearby if they’d called the fire brigade—they had—and someone shouted at me to get water, but I didn’t want to get too close in case it exploded. Eventually, the fire brigade arrived and put it out. The van’s now gone, and I suppose they’ll be investigating the cause, though I’m no expert. I’d posted a video on social media to warn people and stop them using the road—it spread quickly online—but I’ve since taken it down, thinking that was for the best. The people wh wer expecting parcels have still not got them

I had a real blast from the past the other night in the pub. I spotted a woman I didn’t recognize, but she seemed to know people I knew. Eventually, I got to talk to her and learned she used to live around here before moving to London as a child, where she was originally from. She mentioned her parents had a shop in the next town, and her name slowly rang a bell through the brain fog and beer haze. When she told me, I asked if she had a brother named David—she said yes. I told her I remembered him, though she said she didn’t remember me. I had a vague recollection of her from my late teens when a bunch of us used to hang around her father’s shop. She was a bit younger than me so I guess I did not associate with her that much her brother is my age. I can’t clearly recall who else was there, though I have a feeling about one or two, one of whom has sadly passed.   I never expected to be transported back over 40 years into the mists of time. I remember those days as innocent ones...

It’s another dreary Sunday—cold and miserable. Even though the sun’s been out, it was much nicer this time last year. I’m not sure why I keep up with this blog since it doesn’t seem to have much of an audience, and maybe it’s time to just give it up. Abyway its another Sunday and the weather has been ok all week in fact its been quite nice I have finally decided to get new monitor, I think the old tv which I used as a monitor has had its day, the problem is, that I have to get rid of the tv now, it will not fit in the bin so it will involve me having to break it up I guess, which is not ideal but I am not paying the council to dispose of it or fly tipping it. Breaking up an old tv is not tha easy to do really a lot of screws to undo. While out walking earlier I saw a matress on the side of the road just under the bridge a few yards from here, who would want to fly tip in the middle of a village, the world is strange of place these days. Well its the easter weekend with its reduced publ...

I was hoping to go for a walk with a group on Thursday, but the weather was terrible, so it was cancelled. They said they would rearrange the walk and the talk, but I didn’t think it was for the same day. The walk was off, yet I got a text saying the talk was still on. I managed to make it there, though I wasn’t too keen on listening to someone talk about trees. Anyway, I gave it a try, and it wasn’t as heavy as I expected. They spoke about tree bathing, the Japanese practice of immersing yourself in a forest environment to reduce stress, enhance mindfulness, and support overall well-being. It’s about slowing down, being present, and appreciating nature with all your senses. I live quite close to woods so I guess I can give it a a go sometime. I was not aware that trees lived as long as they did, for thousands of years apparently, if they are not cut down, there is a drive to get trees planted much more than there use to be something to do with climate change. I have one growing in the...

  Have you ever opened a letter from a "professional" – a lawyer, bank, or government office – expecting clear advice or official notice, only to find yourself squinting at illegible scrawls, typos galore, and sentences that make no sense? You're not alone. What was once a hallmark of expertise has devolved into rubbish on paper. Let's unpack where it all went so wrong. The Golden Age of Professional Correspondence Picture this: the 20th century. Letters from professionals were crisp, typed masterpieces. Secretaries or typists ensured perfect grammar, logical flow, and readability. Even handwritten notes from doctors came with legible script trained through years of practice. These documents commanded respect because they looked professional – no smudges, no errors, no confusion. Standards were high. Legal firms proofread contracts multiple times. Banks used templates honed over decades. The result? Communication that informed, persuaded, and protected. The Digi...

Three years ago, I went to the hospital for a pain I’d been dealing with for years. They tried all kinds of treatments, but nothing worked, and eventually decided I might need some sort of intervention. I realized this when they handed me a piece of paper outlining the procedure and its awful side effects. I felt I had no choice, but hoped they’d explain more about it. No one told me anything beyond what was written.   was in pain and felt stuck, so I went ahead. When I got home, the side effects hit hard — they were awful. The treatment temporarily left me weakly incontinent, which was a horrific experience. You take control of your body for granted until it’s gone. If I’d been properly informed, I might have coped better. Instead, I was caught short in all sorts of places, which was frightening, and I worried it might never end. No one reassured me, and to this day I still have anxiety about it because it was so traumatic. I’m angry they didn’t warn me or explain the consequ...

I have to make these videos about the history of this place Well what I know of the history of this place anyway and it seems quite popular with some people Some people like to see the videos because they haven't doubts for a while Others they've moved away and like to see the local scenery and the ones who moved away seemed to be getting in touch The people from the village again which is quite nice. Has someone said I am keeping the history of the place alive A woman going to have I'm going to run out of places to make videos about and then I will have to move further afield to make videos places I don't know as much about due to the videos I seem to be getting more followers on Facebook Not that I'm not bothered about getting followers The videos about places in the round the village And I try to get facts about the place I am filming yesterday I filmed an old farmhouse which has fallen to but which has been family for hundreds of years I think it's probably ...

I went for a walk the other day, and for once, it stayed dry. I headed to the part of the village with farms, crossing the River Cynfal. There’s a well-known old house there called famous locally and beyond as the birthplace of Morgan Llwyd in the 16th century. I’ve been there many times since it’s only about a mile away. This time, I wanted to take a short video for social media, as these little clips tend to get lots of views and fit my theme of interesting local spots. The walk takes me down to the river, across it, and through a field, where I filmed my short video. That evening, I got a message saying a photo of me had been posted on a Facebook page, accusing me of snooping around their house—which would have been impossible given where I was. They were basically making up lies about me. At first, I planned to ignore it, but when the accusations came, I felt I had to act, so I threatened to involve the police, and the post was taken down. It’s sad that such important properties ar...

There hasn’t been any football at the local club lately, mainly because of the weather. The wintry conditions have left the pitch waterlogged. There’s been talk about moving the season to summer, which I think would be better. It wouldn’t be so stop-start — a game, then a few weeks off, then another game, then more weeks off. It just drags the season out when people want to keep it going. Playing in summer would also make grassroots games easier since there’d be no need for floodlights, and matches could be held in the long, lighter evenings. I’m not sure why they don’t switch the season except for tradition. As for the long, dark winter evenings, I guess we could always follow football in another country, like England. This arugement has been gojng on a long time aned is yet to be resolved, it maybe one day hnpeuflly,

Dwi wedi bod yn gwylio rhaglen am yr Alban sy’n cael ei chyflwyno gan hen ffrind i mi. Roedd Ian yn y coleg gyda fi yn Hereford am ddwy flynedd, ac roeddem yn yr un hostel. Fe ddaethom yn ffrindiau’n eithaf sydyn, dwi’n meddwl, gan fod o o’r Alban a fi o Gymru – y Celtaid efo’i gilydd, am wn i. Roedd o’n nabod rhywun arall o Gymru ychydig yn well na fi, oherwydd roedd bachgen o Gaernarfon yn y coleg hefyd ac roedd e wedi bod yno ers blwyddyn. Roeddwn i’n rhannu’r ystafell fyw gyda’r boi o Gaernarfon; ges i fy symud yno i drio gwneud i mi deimlo’n fwy cartrefol oherwydd mynd i’r coleg yn Hereford oedd y tro cyntaf i mi symud i ffwrdd o adra. Roeddwn yn 19 ar y pryd, ddim yn ifanc ond yn dal i deimlo’r torriad gyda’r cysylltiad adra.  Oherwydd yr hiraeth, fuas am fisoedd,  yn mynd adra ar y penwythnos, mam a dad yn dod i fy nôl i Shrewsbury. Aeth hyn ymlaean am ychydig o fisoedd. Yn y diwedd nes i benderfynu aros yn y coleg a dim ond mynd adra adeg y gwylia, fyswn wedi medru myn...

 This morning, I turned on the TV and started watching a program about a place in Scotland, and there was a friend I hadn’t seen since our college days about 40 years ago—where has the time gone? Ian was a year ahead of me in college and a painter back then, but I don’t think he can paint anymore as he has completely lost his eyesight. He was on the show *My Kind of Town*, where he travels around towns in Scotland and learns about them. I’ve never been to Scotland, but after seeing the beautiful places, I might just go someday.

I went for a walk yesterday, and as I was heading down the road, some guy shouted abuse at me. I think it’s linked to a long-running grudge his father has with me. What he shouted was strange and a bit mad, though I suppose it was slightly funny in the end. I wasn’t sure how to handle it at first, but I decided to report it to the police so there would be a record. I filed it online and didn’t expect a call, but the police phoned me, and the officer was very nice. My calls are recorded these days—no idea why—and I’m not sure if that influenced how kindly the officer treated me on the phone. The person who is behind the abuse There's a well known bully in the village He's been beaten up badly in the past but obviously doesn't learn from his mistakes which is a bit sad really I suppose

Where has the time gone? The Senedd election is just a few months away in May, yet it doesn’t feel that long since the last one—though it’s been five years. I remember feeling so disheartened when Labour won again, meaning another five years of the same old mess. My biggest gripe is the failing health board I’m unlucky enough to live under, which I’ve had bad experiences with in recent years. By all rights, there shouldn’t have been a Labour government in 2021, but somehow they pulled it off. This time, though, I think they’ll be out for good—and it’s about time. It’s a chance to make sure they never govern Wales again. I’ve grown to despise the arrogant, high-handed, lazy, and useless ministers they’ve put forward over the years—the “any old thing will do” party.   I know devolved power is still retained power, and independence is a long way off. These days, I’m not even sure I care as much about independence; I just want a new government to bring change after 26 years of dis...

Saturday was supposed to be the day the local football club started using their new camera to stream games on Facebook. Since it was an away match, I assume they needed permission. At kickoff, after checking the game hadn’t been cancelled—a common issue this season—I saw it was still on, though some nearby matches had been called off. I waited for the stream, but nothing appeared; probably just teething problems. Hopefully, they’ll have it sorted by next week.   They still won five-nil, with four assists from a player who’d just returned. Despite not playing for weeks, they had the confidence to convincingly beat a decent team. They’re currently fourth in the league, quite far from the top, but with a strong push could grab the second promotion spot. The top place seems out of reach, but you never know—it’s a funny old game.   The wintry weather seems to have passed for now, and we’re back to the usual rain. I got a link to the game, which was a bit pointless since I...

I usually don’t leave the village on a Sunday, but even if I wanted to today, I couldn’t because of the weather. A lot of snow fell overnight, which someone had warned me about, but I dismissed it. I was wrong—it’s stuck, and it’s pretty thick out there, the thickest I’ve seen in years. Lately, it feels like something is keeping me in the village. On New Year’s Day, there was no public transport, which is silly in a rural area, and then the day after, there was a crash. Yesterday was fine—I managed to get some shopping done—but today we’re back to no bus service. If the sun doesn’t come out to melt it, things might be the same tomorrow. At least the snow looks quite pretty around here—this is a view of my back garden. I had planeed to get some lunch from the pub but they are not making any due to the weather, so will have to do my own...the sun has appeared the snow might get melted now...there is more snow on the way apparently, I went out for a walk its nice to see the kids out sledg...

 today is the first day after the wretched 'holiday'.  I was a bit late going out this morning and going down by they road the bus came to a stop , there had been a car crash up ahead. I was not sure what to do the bus was not going anywhere. I decided I would walk back to the village which involved walking up a bit hill. The weather was not too bad spot the walk wasok.   All the traffic coming towards used was going too have to turn around but no one o offered used a lift. Maybe they sulked as we did not warn them I don't know. I started up the hill but the chap I was with decided he was going to walk up the public footpath, oh AI went on my own up there hill and two minutes l later then bus came along and picked me up. The buses driver had initially said he'd was not going to reverse back to turn around, her head to in the end it would have been stuck in there for hours and it's an electric bus and might have running out of charge compounding the issue