Why keep the old when you have the new?

Well it never fails to surprise me here in Manchester how every back street, back alley, out of the way avenue or edge of the city route keeps coming up with a new announcement.

Like today we have an area near my new apartment named Spinningfields. In this district it’s very state-of-the-art, very futurist with construction that makes me say WOW!

If you walk behind Armani, past Nicky Clarke and Flannels you come to an old red brick building that has the words engraved in stone above the top that declares, ‘working men’s church’. 

Next to it is a newer construction site that surely will be more glass, more steel and more 21st century living.

Yet I wondered for a moment as I look up and see the old buildings. I see the men on cloth caps, hammering, loving, shaping, molding the building the way it should be.

They would carve etchings like the name, like faces, like flowers into hard timeless stone that had been quarried from the hills of Manchester’s surrounding areas.

They would add a window because it had to be there. They would make a door a certain way because it felt right. They would create stone entrances because stone just looked amazing and felt powerful.

They did things because in those older days, it felt right, it just had to be.

Cars were designed to attract the eye. Motorbikes were designed to look cool. Clothes were designed to be what they were and look good at the same time.

continue reading

… continue reading

I’ve known Annie for years now. She is a beautiful woman with a lot going for her. Smart, married, kids, great job and drop-dead gorgeous. Like I said, she has a lot going for her.

Four years ago I saw changes in her that were to redefine her life forever.

She had read about how women in particular were to find their life purpose and stop at nothing until they found it. She was ready for he message, her life had become a bore with nothing taking place on any day of the week. Her man had become dull, her home life had become an endless routine, she thought more and more about her self.

In the past she had looked for more meaning. She had studied Taoism a simple almost stoic life. She had looked into many aspects of christian belief then quickly moved on into Indian culture studying life, time and reincarnation.

So when she heard someone on a stage saying, "would you like me to show you how to uncover your life purpose", it really was music to her ears.

It sounded so easy, the women spoke on stage that she was getting messages from a divine source and these messages gave her the knack of being able to intuitively just ‘know’ a strangers purpose for life.

Annie loved the sound of it and fours years later her life is very different.

Annie is broke. Annie is alone. Annie is part of a pack. Annie is no longer searching, she goes home every night and cries to her Gods, asking them, "why, why, why are you not showing my life purpose?".

Sadly Annie is not unique, as a speaker myself on my world travels I have met so many people that are… continue reading

This I suppose is a little off topic for me but the response was so huge on Facebook I really wanted to share it for the simple reason it might help you.

I posted this small not on Facebook

‘Being alone is an interesting and very human process. It forces me to discover who I really and truly am at a much more subconscious level. I ask myself… Are you happy? Are you sad? Do you need a partner? Can you be alone and happy? These are the kind of questions and more I have been forced to ask myself. This is about me and what I want and need for my life…’

Think about this….

You are with people all of your young life, then as you get older your almost always with others,  family, friends and more. You get married or you are in a long term relationship and again you are always with someone. You are never alone and rarely get time to think, exercise your own mind and own way of being… BE – IN.

Then suddenly for the first time in your life after a relationship breakdown… suddenly you are ALONE… A-LONE.

If you are not used to this, it can have massive shock on your system and does have a huge shock on most peoples system.

The void.

The biggest challenge is suddenly a life that was full has been emptied and left a gap. A huge gap. This is the void.

Your initial instinct is to fill the gap right away. It’s panic, fear and more rolled into one. The tight knot is in your chest. The sleepless nights. The bed with you on one side and no one on the other. Feels horrible right?

You begin to ask yourself questions …

Will… continue reading

As I walked along the old railway in the distance I could see a figure sat in the shade to the left.

The closer I got the more detail I could see. It was a man, he was alone, he was sitting down, looking almost staring at the floor.

It was sunny yet he was sat in the shade. There was lots of free space yet he sat still, silent and unmoved at any visible level.

The closer I got the more I could feel the almost dark depressing side of the character. At this point I was around 10 feet away from him I looked at him to say good morning, I knew he could see me but remained still, unmoved sitting silent without a flinch as I walked by. He was in a wheelchair.

All I could feel is this mans…DEAD-SELF.

I kept on walking for another 10 feet but this guy was filling my head with thoughts of ‘is he ok?’.

I turned around and went back. I said…’excuse me, I hope you don’t mind me asking are you ok?’

He looked at me with water filled eyes and told me this story…

10 months ago I could walk up and down stairs, to the shops, play with my kids, play with my dogs and just be normal. Today I am half a man with no legs, no ability with nothing to give’

I have to say the conversation went on for around 30 minutes, we talked and cried together, it was nice. He never told me how he had lost his legs. I never asked. He never told me where he lived or what he does, I never asked. He never told me about his wife and family, I never asked.

What he did tell me… continue reading

Did you see it, read it, the news?

Hooked, addicted, news, abuser … this is the world of the News Narcotic!

I was in my village today where I live and a guy asked if I’d seen the news all week? I said ‘no’

He reply, ‘no are you serious you don’t know about this guy killing his ex-wife, shooting a policeman in the face hiding for days and then shooting himself live on TV in the head?’

‘No’ I replied. He looked at me as if I had just landed from another solar system on a day visit to Lymm!

The conversation ended. Then as I looked along the line EVERYONE was talking about this news incident. Even worse Jean (the till girl) would say to every single person at the checkout the same line…

‘did you see that man on the news shooting all of those people and then killing himself, Terrible wasn’t it, terrible’

I eventually got to the checkout and she repeated the same one liner to me. I replied to her…’are you enjoying the hot  weather?’ Jean replied… ‘at least it was good weather for that guy on the run and to shoot himself’

I thought, how can it ever be good weather to shoot yourself? Has Jean gone crazy?  Has the people in the shop been taken over by some insidious invisible airborne virus?

When I got outside I then could see the same story on billboards, on a TV across the road in an electronics window and as I walked past people up the street I could easily hear how they were all talking about the same subject.

This is the effect of News Narcotic.

Think about this.

You go to bed at night and your brain and body refreshes itself from… continue reading

Music Teacher and Married Mother of 5 Runs off With 25 Year Old Music Student

Adulterous Bitch!

Shocking right but true. Or is it?

Just a few doors away from me lives a lady of 74 years old.

Just yesterday as I was putting out some washing to dry I heard a voice shout ‘Alan, Alan’

I went to the path to see this frail, unstable woman calling me. It was my neighbor Hilary.

She wanted to talk. Honestly I was busy yet I knew she wanted some time so I sat down and listened.

I asked how she was? She has got shingles and clearly lost a lot of weight. I asked her… ‘where is Roger?’. Roger is her husband.

She replied…

‘we are still deeply in love you know from the day we met’

Interesting I thought as I never asked her anything like that but she still offered to tell me that.

I smiled, she smiled, she then told me her story.

She said…

‘There’s a big age gap you know. I am 21 years older than him. I am now 74 and he is 53′.

I sat in silence and listened.

‘Yes we met when he was at college. He was just 23 and I was 44, married with 5 children’

We were in love right away. Can you imagine the scandal? It’s always ok for an older man to be with a younger woman but when an older woman is with a younger man it’s a scandal.’

I just smiled and sat there in the sun soaking up the story.

She lifted her small thin arm to her mouth. Took the remaining half a cigarette from a time earlier in the day, put it to her mouth, lit it and carried on.

Looking back… continue reading

Have you noticed…

God for cash, God for love, God for living, real God, no God, I’m God, Your God and… this is just an observation but…

I met this lady.

She was wonderful. We went for a long walk in a long open space and she spoke to me in a gentle kind manner about how her life has been revealed, opened and guided.

She used to believe in God.
Now she believes in herself as a god.

She used to rely on God.
Now she relies on herself as a godlike being.

She used to pray to God.
Now she chants endless repetitions about how she has arrived to save the World.

Now this is JUST AN OBSERVATION… but is there more and more of these people coming out of the woodwork?

She had given up everything.

Her car, her home, her husband, her regular life. She was now flat broke and had no plans. I asked her why? She replied because the Universe has plans for her, big, huge plans. The Universe will bring them to her at the right time. All she has to do is wait for the universe.

I said… is that realistic? She said… I have no expectations, no thoughts, the universe works alone and deliver when ready.

I must admit my brain was working overtime at this point.

Here was a beautiful young woman that had given away everything, walked away from everything. She must have needs. I asked her… what about your needs… she said I no longer need anything. I said anything, she replied yes anything.

Now I don’t know about you.

I need Tea.
I need gadgets.
I need my guitar.
I need my lover.
I need carrot cake.
I need… continue reading

4 Years ago Ste left his job because of the Profit Prophet’s.

He had a great home, a great car, a great wife and kids. Not anymore, 4 years ago Ste left his job.

Ste was in a rut. His job meant he woke at 6-30am, left his home at 7-15am, spent the whole day watching a clock, looking and waiting and praying for the end of the day to arrive. When it did, he got back in the car that was costing him a fortune every month, drove home to his wife, his two kids and his ideal home. He arrived home around 7pm, relaxed, got ready for bed and did it all over again.

Until one day Ste got an email.

The email promised the lifestyle he had always wanted.

The car, the holidays, the travel, the big house and work at home as much or as little as you liked.

It was exactly what Ste wanted in his life. He ordered the course and made a start.

After just 3 months he told his wife that he wanted to leave his job of 22 years and do this full-time. She asked him but how much are you making now? His reply was nothing but I can make it work.

They talked, they rowed, they sulked, they did everything. She was dead-set against him doing this. He had worked out that if he left his job it would give him enough cash over 7 months to make it all happen.

He left his job.

Ste worked and worked and worked and worked. More hours than ever before but he loved it! In one week alone he did over 16 hours each day, never saw his kids and only saw wife for 10 mins.

This went on for… continue reading