
FIRST AMONG EQUALS: The Taliesin of Our Times.
'ROUGH AND ROWDY WAYS' BY BOB DYLAN Reviewed by Eric Maddern I came of age listening to Bob Dylan. Just nine years older than me he was like a mentor, an older brother. Now, following him into older age, I’m still listening to him, to his ‘Rough and Rowdy Ways’. He’s been the main musical thread in my life, full of great tunes, complex rhymes, savage wit, crazy humour, mysterious images, passionate challenge, provocative insight, extraordinary stories, sublime poetry, sweet l

Counting Lockdown Blessings
We’re on the cusp of coming out of lockdown. This will be welcome of course: the chance to see friends and family with ease, to go where we please, to make plans again after so many were cancelled. But before we get caught up in the whirl of whatever the ‘new normal’ will be I’d like to name and remember some of the blessings that have come in this time so they don’t get swamped and forgotten. This is not in any way to downplay the exhaustion, loneliness, frustration, claustr

TWO FALLEN OAKS: The Hole, the Steps, the Bridge and the Hendy Head
Over the winter two mature oaks fell from the riverbank into Afon Fachwen, the little white river. One was near the gate to the Padarn Country Park. The other toppled onto the old slate bridge. The first tree left a gaping hole where its root ball had been wrenched from the ground. Park officials put temporary fencing around it to stop people falling in. But there was no sign they’d do further repairs. So, after sawing up and removing the fallen trunk and branches, I cut back

TWO FALLEN OAKS: The Hole, the Steps, the Bridge and the Hendy Head
Over the winter two mature oaks fell from the riverbank into Afon Fachwen, the little white river. One was near the gate to the Padarn Country Park. The other toppled onto the old slate bridge. The first tree left a gaping hole where its root ball had been wrenched from the ground. Park officials put temporary fencing around it to stop people falling in. But there was no sign they’d do further repairs. So, after sawing up and removing the fallen trunk and branches, I cut back