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)
Omar's Diary for March 2022
A new itinerant servant Our regular itinerant Lady Servant has not been available as much as usual during March. So, without any consultation or involvement in the selection procedure my Servants have engaged an itinerant Male Servant. Mitzi likes him very much and always makes a big fuss of him when he comes to Omar Towers to do his duties. As I have already said, I was not involved in his selection so I will remain a little reserved about this change. I am sure he is extremely nice and caring otherwise my Servants would not have engaged him.
By Alan Russell2 years ago in Fiction
For Sale - 1960's Oldsmobile
Backstory laden with optimism and altruism - fictional of course "The Man From U.N.C.L.E" was a TV series that aired 105 episodes between 1964 and 1968. It successfully slip streamed in the wake of the block buster success of the early Bond movies; Dr No 1962 and From Russia With Love 1963.
By Alan Russell2 years ago in Journal
Skylark
I was travelling by myself along a motorway one early spring morning. The roof was down and I could feel the air buffeting me. Sometimes it was cold. Other times ,when it held the heat of the sun, it was soft and warm. Despite the surrounding noise of the traffic I could still hear some birds singing and music from the radio. It was the early morning show on Radio Three from the BBC playing an eclectic mix of music. Around eight thirty there was always a break from the mainstream classics of Beethoven, Mozart, Handel and the like. There would be "classics" within their own genre be it pop, rock, folk or my favourite; Jazz.
By Alan Russell2 years ago in Journal
Yah Boo sucks to the walking group Part II of III
As luck would have it near where we parked the car in the centre of Lyndhurst was a book fair taking place in the community hall. We were determined to enjoy our day. This was going to be in spite of our earlier rejection from the group walk and here, just a few steps from the car, was the start of the path to that enjoyment.
By Alan Russell2 years ago in Geeks
Marlow - in a pub 1,835 miles from Kharkiv
The Times 28th February 2022 The front-page feature picture is chilling. A burning Russian military vehicle, an immobilized one in the background and in the foreground the bodies of soldiers lying face down on the unforgiving and cold surface of a road in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second city. This front page image brought the war on to the table where I was having my lunch in an English pub in Marlow 1,835 miles from where it was taken over the weekend.
By Alan Russell2 years ago in Journal
Marlow - in the steps of Daniel Defoe
New York Times 23rd February 2022 It has been quite a while since I bought a copy of this august international paper. For some reason the newsagents dotted about Ringwood where I live in the New Forest region of England do not deem it worthwhile stocking next to the indigenous national dailies. Isolationism and exceptionalism? Whatever the reason I have not seen one available since we officially left the EU. Today’s purchase was a luxury I enjoyed over a full English breakfast at the Strawberry Grove restaurant in Marlow.
By Alan Russell2 years ago in Journal
Storm Eunice
Storm Eunice and hoped for genetic cul de sacs Storm Eunice roared in from the Atlantic and arrived here in the UK on the morning of 18th February 2022. We braced ourselves for a semi lock down with people advised to work from home, only travel when it was absolutely essential and the closure of schools.
By Alan Russell2 years ago in Journal
The Observer Sunday 13th February 2022
One person can make a difference, and everyone should try – John Fitzgerald Kennedy On a very wet Sunday afternoon in February what better activity can there be than to hunker down next to a warm radiator, read a Sunday paper and enjoy a mug of coffee?
By Alan Russell2 years ago in Journal
Omar's Diary to 12th February 2022
Quite a big gap since my last diary (Omar’s Diary November 2021). No excuses apart from paraphrasing Oscar Wild in that “Life is the curse of the writing classes”. Despite this gap rest assured that everyone resident here at Omar Towers is keeping well.
By Alan Russell2 years ago in Humans