english matters

An interesting question arose last weekend at a party I was at and I thought I’d put it to the readers of this blog too: If you could spend one year in three different countries, which would they be? Ok, there are almost 200 different nations so narrowing it down is never going to be easy. But it’s a great question to ponder. The three I chose were: 1) United States of America - To me, each state is like its own separate nation. Visiting each one individually would be amazing and something…Czytaj dalej …

There was sad news over the weekend as we heard that actor and all-round legend Bill Paxton had passed away. You don’t need to be a film buff to know the legacy that Paxton had on the world of cinema and his face can be seen in some of the biggest Hollywood movies ever screened. He started his career back in the 70s, but it wasn’t until the 80s that he began getting into bigger films, such as ‘Terminator’, ‘Aliens’, ‘Weird Science’ and ‘Commando’. During the 90s, he played roles in titles such…Czytaj dalej …

As readers of this blog will know, every now and then (ok, very often) I like to treat myself to a pizza. We are quite lucky in this neck of the woods as we are blessed with three very good pizzerias - two specialising in deep pan pizzas and one which produces fantastic thin and crispy ones. So no matter which type you crave, your needs are catered for. But the same argument always arrises whenever we go to order. I like to be quite adventurous and mix it up a bit (I…Czytaj dalej …

If there’s one thing us Brits are renowned for, it’s our bizarre and unique sense of humour. We’ve looked at some classic British sitcoms in the past here in this blog, but this week I’ve watched a number of episodes of one of the all-time greats and a personal favourite of mine ‘Auf Wiedersehen, Pet’. The programme, initially broadcast in 1983, featured a number of UK migrant construction workers sent to work on a building site located in the German city of Dusseldorf. As well as providing plenty of laughs, it looked at…Czytaj dalej …

For those unfamiliar with the North East of England, then allow me to introduce you to one of its finest delights - Whitby. This quirky little seaside town is one of the region’s sightseeing hotspots and tourism began way back in the Georgian era (late 18th century) and developed with the introduction of the railway in 1839. These days, thousands flock here each year to enjoy what it has to offer. A functioning fishing town, Whitby is perhaps most famous for its Abbey, which dates back to 657 AD. Today of course, it…Czytaj dalej …

The weekend is fast approaching and the cinema tickets are sold out - that can only mean one thing... time to hit the bowling alleys! Ever since seeing The Big Lebowski at the age of 16, I’ve been obsessed with the game and my friends and I have spent manys an hour (and pay packet) at our local bowling complex knocking down the pins. At one point as a teen, I even had my own pair of smart Linds shoes and a bowling shirt which I had to get a small Saturday job…Czytaj dalej …

As the WHOLE WORLD is rushing out and buying smart phones, I found myself in the very embarrassing position of having to resort back to my old Nokia 3310 this week! Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t through choice. It occurred when my brand new Christmas smart phone got left in the hands of my three-year-old niece who then did her very best to completely destroy it. Normally I’m quite a forgiving uncle. But when you have an important meeting with two of your firm’s main bosses scheduled at 10am, bringing out a…Czytaj dalej …

It’s always the same in January - Should we make any New Year resolutions? Or do we just continue onwards and hope things will be better. It’s a well known fact that most resolutions fall by the wayside after a few weeks and we just resort back to our old habits. Less chocolate, take up jogging, give up takeaways... It all sounds good, but do we really stick to them? So why bother?! Well this year I’ve gone for a different approach. I’ve chosen four things I want to change, and done it…Czytaj dalej …

It’s that perfect time of year when you get to spend time with your loved ones, pig out on chocolates and cakes and exchange gifts. It only comes around once every 12 months, so you best make sure you make the most of it. This year was particularly special for us as we had the added addition of two puppies to share in with the fun times, which meant even more presents to buy and wrap! But seeing the delight on their faces as they ripped open their new dog chews made it…Czytaj dalej …

When you think about an evening spent at the theatre it usually conjures up images of grand designs, smart dresses and a night of culture. Not so on Saturday when I visited Edinburgh. The event was a bit of a surprise and I wasn’t told what we were going to do when we got to Scotland. So imagine my astonishment / horror when we pulled up in the taxi outside the Edinburgh Playhouse and I saw the signs for ‘Mama Mia’ - The ABBA musical. I’m big into music, but being surrounded by…Czytaj dalej …