I had begun writing about my day on Facebook on 25th April 2012. This had been in response to pressure from family, before I had ever heard about blogging. Here is my first effort:
At last, through playing World wide Scrabble, I’ve twigged how to operate this facility – or at least a bit of it! So, here goes: recent outings with Jackie include a trip to the National Theatre to see She Stoops to Conquer – an excellent performance of a very funny play by Oliver Goldsmith; and a fundraising qiz night for Merton Mind – our team was winning until the last round – James Bond films – we got 3/20!
18 months on from my hip replacement I am walking for an hour for most days.
Playing Scrabble with people all over the world I have made several good on-line friends and have learned, for example, from first hand experience of the Japanese tsunami.
My most recent crossword for the Independent newspaper was published this Monday.
Current reading includes Ray Bradbury’s Farenheit 451 and Flaubert’s Education Sentimentale in the original (be impressed, please).
I suspect you always were ahead of your time, Derrick…even now, I don’t really ‘do’ Facebook – though of course A Bit About Britain has a page.
Many thanks, Mike. Neither do I, but I have a link to WP so that non WP members get an alert. FB have just started ‘sharing memories’
and digging out these old ones so I thought they would complete the picture (I turned to WP on 9th May)
From humble beginnings …
🙂 They were, weren’t they?
But look at you now.
Amazing how a little experience of the medium shapes us into the kind of posters we become.
🙂 And helpful comments
Are you a crossword compiler? If yes, wow!
Thanks a lot Peggy. My crossword world features occasionally. I set cryptics for 20 years until blogging took over
I adore cryptic crossword puzzles. Was introduced to them in 1977 in Cairo by a couple of Englishmen. A love affair began.
Who knows, you might have tackled some of mine 🙂
I hope so.
It’s always interesting to find out why and how blogs started up. I’m not on FB very often at all, like you it’s just a link that exists for blogging purposes – and the messenger app is handy 🙂 It’s all a huge learning curve isn’t it – it’s not that long ago none of this existed. I was very impressed with your last sentence!!
Very many thanks, Pauline. We all contribute to each other’s progress
I’m impressed with all of it, Derrick. 🙂
Thanks very much, Merril 🙂
I am impressed! I didn’t know that you could read French.
Thanks very much, Laurie
Wow – so interesting, Derrick! I was just back looking at your first WordPress post & this takes it even further back. I knew about the crosswords – but did NOT know about the French. Excellent.
Thanks very much, Jodie
Most suitably impressed 😊
Thanks a lot, Melanie
Pleasure
I am also impressed!
🙂 Thanks a lot, Lavinia
Wow, are you, Derrick, reading Flaubert in French? I’m impressed!
I read “Farenheit 45” in middle school and talked to my Dad back then about it. He had me then read, “Clockwork Orange.” It was such a graphic but very “current” to today’s madness (violence) and culture.
Thanks very much, Robin. Burgess was very far-seeing.
That took me back. We read Flaubert for A Level French. I’m impressed with you, and with my 18-year-old self. Not so impressed with myself 41 years later as I failed to build on it, so all the more impressed with you for still being able to do it.
History in the making! Glad you moved on from FB!
Isn’t it just, Rob? Thanks a lot