As you may have gathered from previous blogs, I am a big supporter of Sunderland’s bid to be UK City of Culture 2021. I believe that we have the most to offer and the most to gain from winning and I was proud to be selected as one of the 21 community champions adding our … More Sunderland 2021 City of Culture bid (Community champion)
Great North Run 2017 A week after the event and I think it is time to give an honest appraisal of my first (and last) Great North Run. A few weeks ago I wrote about why I was doing the run and the fact that I raised over £500 for Thomma’s foundation made every step … More Legged It (My tale of the Great North Run)
There are a number of factors taken into consideration when travelling abroad. Age, budget, going with family or friends, ability to handle the sun and level of pretentiousness being just a few. Above all, in an effort to get away from it all and unwind, you want to be confident that wherever you are going … More Learning to fly (Etiquette on a foreign holiday.)
I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m lazy. Most people are. Why choose the difficult path when there are far easier options available? I see people climbing mountains, trekking across deserts or rowing across the Atlantic and despite having some admiration for the effort, my overriding feeling is why bother? I know someone who once … More From lazy to legging it. (Why I’m running the Great North Run)
As I’ve mentioned in many of my blogs, I am passionate about my home city Sunderland. My novels are all set there and I believe that it is a hidden gem waiting to be uncovered by the rest of the world. I was recently asked my views on why Sunderland shoud win the UK City … More Local author supports Sunderland City of Culture 2021 bid.
I’ve been meaning to write this for ages. I’ve had a busy few weeks with the launch of Life In The Balance, the completion of my story for Putting Southwick On The Map and various other things. My blog has therefore become a bit neglected. I have a long list of topics still to cover, … More The Procrastrinator’s guide to productivity.
You’ve decided on your cubicle and entered with the minimum of fuss. Now what? The advent of mobile phones has been a game changer in the world of on pot entertainment but some people are still old school and prefer traditional reading material. As an author I am all for people buying books to read … More Creating a stink (Toilet etiquette part two).
I’ve covered many subjects in my etiquette guides from how to behave on public transport, to common decency when ordering a pint and how to survive the supermarket without being murdered. I believe that I have guided you well and as yet, with the exception of the Full English Breakfast blog, I don’t think I’ve … More Trump before you dump? My guide to toilet etiquette.
Now that your car is packed and you’ve decided which children to leave behind, it’s time to set off on your well earned break. Anybody who has never left their own home will tell you the journey is all part of the fun. It is not, it is an endurance test worthy of any Japanese … More The puker and the service station. Going on holiday. (Part two).
With the Easter weekend fast approaching and a lot of families already embarking on a relaxing break away from home, it’s about time I tackled the thorny subject of holiday etiquette. Whilst some may be lucky enough to be jetting off to faraway lands, for now I’m going to concentrate on those who choose to … More The sacred art of squeezing. How to pack your car for a holiday trip.
Alan Parkinson 