CARDIFF, PAST AND PRESENT

I lived in Cardiff as an adult during the 1980s and 1990s but my ties to the city go back to my early childhood. My father was from Canton. No, he was not Chinese; Canton is a well-known area of Cardiff and has nothing to do with Canton, China.

SUMMER HOLIDAYS FROM BRITAIN TO BRITTANY

When I was a child, my family lived near Bristol in South West England, so summer holidays usually meant a fortnight on the beaches of Devon or Cornwall, all within a few hours’ drive of Bristol. Anyone who has been to this area will know that it is of outstanding natural beauty.

ARE YOU TRYING TO BE PUNNY?

I am a big fan of puns. You know how they say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach? The way to my heart is with puns! I cannot resist a good play on words and find myself drawn to people who are “punny”.

SPORTS DAY

Sports day is an annual event which dates back to the end of the 19th century and takes place at the end of the summer term in almost all British primary schools and also in some secondary schools.

MAY DAY – WORK OR FLOWERS?

In many countries, the first of May, or May Day, is associated with a celebration for workers. Celebration may not be the best word to describe it.

APRIL FOOL!

In the UK, and several countries around the world, April 1st is known as April Fool’s Day. It’s a day for playing jokes and pranks on people and, if they fall for it, they are then labelled an April Fool.

ELEGANCE AND HOME REMEDIES: A GRANDPARENTS’ TALE

I’ll readily admit that I under-achieved in my life, though some would say, due to the type of childhood that I had, I probably ended up over-achieving, and I owe a debt of gratitude to my grandparents for that.

FOOTBALL MAD

The rules of modern football were first developed in Britain and many of the first football clubs in Spain were established by British expatriates.

NO LOVE LOST FOR VALENTINE’S DAY

Almost as soon as school starts in September, the back-to-school promotions end… But it’s once the Christmas things are taken away that the shops begin to promote my most hated festival of the year; Valentine’s Day.

HAVE YOU SEEN MY MUMMY?​​

As a connoisseur of all things spooky, it’s not much of a surprise that my favourite lesson is Gothic Legends, where we go over some of the most popular horror stories and characters in English literature.