Tag Archives: southsea

Why Conan Doyle’s Southsea Life Should Inspire Writers

Posted on June 27, 2018 by Matt

Writers looking for reasons to keep going when times are tough, should look no further than Arthur Conan Doyle’s early life in Southsea. It’s one reason I decided to celebrate him and his greatest creation Sherlock Holmes at Holmes Fest. … Continue reading →

Posted in Inspirations, Writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Snow encounters

Posted on March 20, 2018 by Matt

Sometimes when the cold grips the town it grips my heart, too, and I feel the need to get out in the snow and walk. Just so in winter’s late flowering yesterday, when I headed out in a flurry of … Continue reading →

Posted in Opinion | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

14 things Eddie The Eagle taught me

Posted on May 28, 2017 by Matt

Eddie the Eagle has an ambivalent reputation in the British psyche. As a boy, I remember the Press sneering at him and implying he was in some way an embarrassment for Britain, or painting him as a kind of likeable … Continue reading →

Posted in Inspirations | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Review – Cirque de Glace, “Evolution”, King’s Theatre, Southsea, 8th May 2017

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Matt

Anyone who knows me knows I’m a sucker for the circus, so when I saw Cirque de Glace were performing at the King’s Theatre, I couldn’t resist going. I LOVE CIRCUSES, and this was one with a difference. The whole … Continue reading →

Posted in Pleasures, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Talk at The Temple of Spiritualism, Southsea 5th Aug 2016

Posted on August 7, 2016 by Matt

A lovely email from Sue Hayes at the Southsea Temple of Spiritualism, where I gave a talk about Conan Doyle’s faith on 5th August 2016:   Dear Matt Thank you so much for your talk, knowledge and enthusiasm that you … Continue reading →

Posted in Events and Products, Writing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Does Disney’s new Jungle Book do Pompey’s Rudyard Kipling justice?

Posted on May 21, 2016 by Matt

Disney’s 1960s adaptation of The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book is a classic of silliness with great tunes. It also has, apart from the title and the names of the characters, nothing to do with the pair of children’s books written … Continue reading →

Posted in Inspirations, Opinion | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

My Little Life

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Matt

Up early and the sky is a muddle of whites and blues above the white villas cum flats opposite. A summer morning, but with that tinge of damp in the air that nearly the whole of this summer has had, … Continue reading →

Posted in Banana Republic, Pleasures | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Moderate Depression, Wiped Out With NLP (And Hot Chocolate)…

Posted on November 10, 2010 by Matt

I had a  lovely result today.  On a sparkling day in Southsea, I met a client in a cafe, over a cup of hot chocolate. She was a young woman with a slightly lost expression, looking pained and a bit … Continue reading →

Posted in Pleasures | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

The Birdwoman of Southsea

Posted on November 3, 2010 by Matt

Walk into a pub in the Banana Republic,  not far from the old Royal Marines Barracks on a Sunday afternoon, and you might be lucky enough to hear a woman singing some jazz numbers, backed by a pianist and a … Continue reading →

Posted in Banana Republic, Inspirations | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

A Little Boy, Lost In The Moment

Posted on November 1, 2010 by Matt

A tiny moment of pleasure.  Scene: The Street Outside An Acupuncturist’s Clinic on Palmerston Road, Southsea.  Time: 3 p.m.  The shop is divided into the clinic, and a private living space, and the door to the living area has been … Continue reading →

Posted in Banana Republic, Pleasures | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment