Alan Russell
Bio
When you read my words they may not be perfect but I hope they:
1. Engage you
2. Entertain you
3. At least make you smile (Omar's Diaries) or
4. Think about this crazy world we live in and
5. Never accept anything at face value
Stories (207/0)
Meet The Wedgehill Three
This is Rainbow. The oldest of the Wedgehill 3 who at some thirty plus years is old enough to know better. In her dotage she is not shy of feeling feisty trotting or even cantering up and down the fence line when she knows it is time to come in at the end of the day. Nor is she shy of playing 'the matriarch'. As mares do putting the two youngsters in their place with a swift nip or even a well aimed double barrel kick at one of the two geldings if they dare to enter her personal space without an invitation.
By Alan Russell6 years ago in Petlife
Southampton to Jersey
This was my first visit to Jersey and despite—or because of—the weather, I am looking forward to getting there again. My journey began at Southampton Airport. Once I had checked in, cleared security, and as experienced air travelers say "airside," I really felt my journey had started. I also still had another hour to wait before boarding.
By Alan Russell6 years ago in Wander
Christmas Lunch, Shipping Disasters and the Hadron Collider
In the marine insurance industry based at Lloyds of London there was a tradition that whenever there was a shipping disaster the ‘Lutine Bell’ would be rung to mark the event. The UK hospitality industry does not have a central forum like Lloyds but if it did and also had its own bell that bell’s clapper would be well and truly clapped out on Boxing Day after our Christmas lunch experience.
By Alan Russell6 years ago in Wander
The Sport of Kings in the UK
It is bigger than the glamorous headline grabbing festivals of racing such as Royal Ascot, Cheltenham, Epsom and Aintree, which are the meetings that infect the wider public’s imagination and interest in the sport of kings. British horse racing is also bigger than wet Saturday afternoons in front of the television pin hooking winners from obscure racecourses tucked away in the furthest corners of the United Kingdom. In fact, and there will be plenty of them in the following piece, British horseracing is a huge industry.
By Alan Russell6 years ago in Petlife
Omar's Diary to 11th November 2017
I was enjoying my week until the picture above was resurrected. Lady Servant was given this not so complimentary magazine, on one of her recent flights across the UK. Then earlier today Man Servant brought home the Saturday edition of The Guardian whose third lead headline on the front page was 'UK is most obese nation in Western Europe'. I think this article was primarily about the servant species and was not directed at me individually. I have to keep reminding servants that I am not overweight. I am breed standard and what you see in my pictures is just very relaxed muscles.
By Alan Russell6 years ago in Petlife
Fred
This is Fred who sadly had to be put to sleep in October 2017. Fred found us on a cold November day. The sort of day when there is no sunlight, just clouds and rain that was carried through the air on cold biting winds that seemed to come from all points of the compass.
By Alan Russell6 years ago in Petlife
Omar's Diary for the Weekend of October 28th & 29th 2017
I was aware of some kafuffle at the front door of Omar Towers just before seven on Friday evening. Being very reserved, some would say ‘snobby’, I withheld my curiosity about what was going on downstairs and stayed upstairs in my own room that I do let the servants share with me. Eventually I ventured downstairs and could hear some heavy breathing interspersed with comments from my own servants along the lines of ‘God that is hard’, ‘No, that hurts too much…..I’m going to have to stop there’. I hesitated at the door into the sitting room where these sounds and comments were emanating from rapidly forming images in my mind. Curiosity won the battle with procrastination and I boldly walked in. My servants were being visited by a personal trainer servant who was putting them through their, if I may say so, very limited paces.
By Alan Russell6 years ago in Petlife
Omar's Diary for October 2017
Some members of the servant species hold the firm belief that felines are a strain of their own species who just happen to wear fur coats. They believe we can empathize, comprehend abstract concepts, and have feelings. I understand the word the servants use for attributing their own characteristics on to species other than their own is "anthropomorphism."
By Alan Russell7 years ago in Petlife