Barrie's Podcast

One of the many joys in my life is writing and hopefully sharing some joy and maybe amusement with others, be it in written or audio form. I have always written and, later when I became a teacher, I did my best to encourage my pupils to write too, not only for themselves, but for others. As a young teacher, I remember encouraging pupils to “Think about the audience that you are writing for.” Later...

One of the many delights of living in the Canary Islands and Spain is the enjoyment of a huge range of wines that are readily and cheaply available. Although wine snobs will no doubt disagree, bottles of good quality, drinkable wines are always readily available for less than five euros. As well as a growing selection of excellent Canarian wines that I always enjoy, my reliable standby, particular...

The cost of living and energy crisis are having a devastating impact upon many families in the UK. My mind turns to refugee families, currently living in hotels and elsewhere whilst their claims for asylum are being processed and I wonder how they cope with many often-unrecognised issues that they must be facing. I wonder how they manage to keep clean, to wash and dry their clothes? Presumably man...

Will you remember to put the clocks forward one hour? Sadly, I completely forgot to attend to this bi-annual nonsense last time, but thanks to my smartphone and watch it was done automatically, and so there was no need to be concerned. My laptop and other devices all managed to adjust to the new time too. It was only a few years ago when the first part of the day would be spent adjusting the time...

I felt a sudden rush of excitement when I read a recent report that chocolate may be one of the best remedies for dealing with a nasty cough. Forget all those revolting cough syrups, but simply suck chocolate. Now this is the cure that I do approve of, but does it work? © Barrie Mahoney 2023 You can find out more about Barrie and his books by clicking here  

I winced when I heard the BBC’s business correspondent being asked about the current shortages of tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. “Is it anything to do with Brexit?” asked the news presenter. “It’s all to do with the weather, nothing to do with Brexit”, came the earnest reply. I knew then that we were hearing the BBC/Tory Government’s official line, which has nothing to do with facts or accuracy...

My goodness, staff working in charity shops in Devon are a picky lot! They certainly know how to stick their noses into the air, and reject items offered to them. I wonder if this is the same throughout the country? I hope not, because many good quality items that could be of use to someone will end up in landfill. © Barrie Mahoney 2023 This article is part of the book 'Travelling Hopefully' by Ba...

Travelling Hopefully   After many years living and working in Spain and the Canary Islands, Barrie and his partner David return to start a new life in the UK. Challenges that they had not expected were waiting for them; Covid lockdowns, political and health challenges were just the start of it. The UK had shifted significantly to the right of politics, more jingoistic, flag waving, suspicious and...

After many years living and working in Spain and the Canary Islands, Barrie and his partner David return to start a new life in the UK. Challenges that they had not expected were waiting for them; Covid lockdowns, political and health challenges were just the start of it. The UK had shifted significantly to the right of politics, more jingoistic, flag waving, suspicious and unwelcoming of ‘foreign...

Synopsis:  Prior’s Hill in the early 1980’s seems like a tranquil rural idyll, with its picture postcard cottages, small village school and church. James Young, the new head teacher of the village primary school, soon discovers that beneath the surface there are some difficult challenges to overcome. He must contend with demanding parents and local politics, as well as the steep learning curve tha...

Prior’s Hill in the early 1980’s seems like a tranquil rural idyll, with its picture postcard cottages, small village school and church. James Young, the new head teacher of the village primary school, soon discovers that beneath the surface there are some difficult challenges to overcome. He must contend with demanding parents and local politics, as well as the steep learning curve that comes wit...