Alan on Instagram

  I am on Instagram

Latino Street Bites

My friend, Michelle, who runs the Latino Street Bites cafe in Redcliffe, Bristol, keeps asking if I am on Instagram, so today I joined. Mainly to see if I could bring more customers to add to her success

Depression

 Depression confusion

                                  eBay confusion

My depression over losing my wife a year ago is having an effect on my my performance as a seller on eBay. I am losing track of which films I am posting to my customers

The Sandbaggers Mystery

 Downed by the Russians?

The Missing Writer

In 1980 writer Ian Mackintosh was in an aircraft which was shot down, crossing the border between Alaska, and Russia. Mr. Mackintosh is rememberred for writing the series called The Sandbaggars.

The series is about a government agency which sends agents to rescue people whose discovery would cause a political uproar if it was found, they were doing something in a country, they should not have been in.

One theory about the incident is the plane flew across Russian air space, and saw something it shouldn't have. The pilot logs, didn't record any messages being recorded before the fight ensued. No bodies were released after the plane was pulled from the seas. If the incident was innocent, it still leaves many questions unanswerred

Apple scam

 Rule 101

Too good to be true

A few minutes ago, I was contacted by a young lady "claiming to be from Apple, apparently I won a contest run on WhatsApp for people who bought Apple cards.

The trouble is I didn't know the existed, the account is based in Nigeria (scam capital), and I have no interest in Apple products.

Latino Street BItes

 Dish of the month

An expanding menu

My friend, Michelle, who runs the Latino Strret Bites cafe, in the undercroft of St. Mary's Church, Redcliffe will be expanding her menu soon, featuring a dish of the month special.

Michelle used to run a successful stall in the market, but she moved to the undercroft in September, and the business has taken off since then, most lunch times, the staff are fully occupied.

Against the odds

 Romance in Redcliffe

                                         A hard struggle

The prospect of a romance with my friend, Clara, who lives in Redcliffe, Bristol has been an uphill struggle as her phone is broken, and communication is hard, but our relationship is lasting the course and getting stronger for our struggle, if something is worth having, it's worth fighting for.

More readers in Japan than the UK

 China leads

The blog is thriving in Asia

As I expect, without me checking on what is happening, my blog has few readers in the UK. The blog now has more readers in Japan than the UK. The overall leader, by a long way, is China.

The blog is getting read, finally, in Australia, and South Africa, as yet I have no readers in Israel, despite masses of posts about the country

Freaky Friday rerun

 Freaky Friday

All our Yesterdays

A week before Christmas, I had a scary episode crossing Bedminster Bridge in Bristol. You could put it down to the stress of constantly trying to build a romance with a friend who lives in Redcliffe, yet constantly finds an excuse, not to meet me, or a sugar imbalance. The issue is this wasn't the first time it has happened to me near the water's edge.

I almost had a repeat, yesterday, I was walking along Bedminster Parade, on my back to Asda, to get an Apple card for my friend, when I noticed, not only could I not focus on the the herringbone pattern of tiles forming the pavement, the ground appeared to be undulating below my feet. Again, this could have been from the stress of going to a meeting, which ended in a cancellation.

Or are these incidents the start of something more dark?

Alone at the end of the day

  I am NOT seeking romance

50+ ladies

A few months ago, I may have considered a new romance, my children offered to set a new profile for me on dating sites for senior people, but I declined. At the time, I was unsure if any lady would be interested in a 69-year-old widower living in Bristol.

I was still getting over the loss of my wife in January, 2025, and had little interest in another relationship. 

Since late November, 2025, I have been trying to form a relationship, which has now turned into a friendship, with a lady who "claims" to live in Redcliffe, not far from where I live in Hartcliffe.

However, despite her chats, which have become erotic recently, she refuses to meet me. That is why the relationship is now a friendship. She keeps asking to see me, and when I go, she keeps giving me excuses, today, I drew the line in the sand, and I am not going out of my way to meet her. I told her she can meet me at my friend, Michelle's, cafe - Latino Street Bites - on Wednesdays and Fridays. I can't stop her going, as the cafe is a public building, and I wouldn't, if I could, Michelle has done me no wrong, so I wouldn't harm her business

Was there any attraction?

 Romance in Redcliffe?

No more rushing

Today, I draw the line on what I thought was a romance.

The lady above, who "claims" to live in Redcliffe, Bristol, wanted to meet, and promised lots, what did I get? The same as the many other dates she planned with me, NOTHING.

I didn't want to believe she was running a scam, but the more dates she cancelled, the more I was convinced she is.

If she contacts me again, she will find a colder person than she knew, a man less likely to run to her call, now she has to be willing to do some running after me, not that it will do a lot of good. Any passion I had has drained away

I am aware of my attraction to ladies

 Alan Place - Sex Object?

Why do ladies feel safe with me?

The title could be read two ways, depending on how well you think you know me.

At first glance, the title could be read as arrogance, I could be saying I am attractive to ladies, as I have known for years. However, to those who do know me, or read the blog, the title has another meaning. It is only since my wife died, a year ago, that I have come to the conclusion ladies find me attrative, as seen by the numerous requests from ladies on Twitter, Telegram, and WhatsApp to form a relationship. 

The only lady I feel is genuinely interested in me, is my friend, Clara (above) who lives in Redcliffe, Bristol, not far from where I live in Hartcliffe. Clara and I are forming a strong relationship, despite my constant self-doubts

Crab Invasion

 Christmas Island

                                            Amelia Earhart

There is a concern that the Coconut crab could be in danger of extinction.

These creatures have claws which can crack a coconut, hence their name. I am in no doubt, in some part, they are responsible for the death, and disappearance of Amelia Earhart. If they can split a coconut, a human head is no problem to them.

Some people question whether they bred on the island, or moved from nearby Christmas Island on a coconut, another reason for their name. I am in no doubt, they did have the ability to migrate on the tides. Christmas Island has its own crab problem with a massive, growing, crab population. Experts reckon less than 2% of the eggs don't hatch, when a female can lay thousands of eggs at a time, and there are hundreds of them, this is a serious issue.

The problem is though they are numerous, there is little meat on them, and they eat the crops. The main crop is also attacked by a weevil making it poisonius for humans to eat, but harmless to the crabs

An expanding readership in South America

 Buenos Dias Mexico

                             A growing Roman Catholic following

The largest group of readers for my blog yesterday was in Mexico, well ahead of even the USA, the UK was down in 7th place as I didn't check in often, as I was out most of the day.

The strength of attraction to readers in Mexico is representative if the readers in South America as a whole, were the blog has a steadily growing readership. For some reason, this blog has a growing readership among Roman Catholic countries, probably because I am in favour of the UK returning to the Catholic faith. After all, how can you worship the son of God, but not his mother? Without the mother, there is no son

How long will it be before my Depression will overcomes me?

I am NOT seeking romance

                               Romance in Redcliffe?

I didn't want to think a lady who "claims" to live in Redcliffe, Bristol was trying to scam me, but after TEN cancelled dates, I cannot deny my earlier thoughts. 

I was trying to combat the depression of losing my wife in January of 2025. I wonder how long it will be before I lose interest in everything?

The fool on the hill

 No fool like an Old fool

I am NOT seeking romance

Today proved what a deluded fool I have been for the last two months, yet again, my "friend" who "claims" to live in Redcliffe, Bristol, asked me to go into town to meet her, and never turned up. That is the the tenth time this has has happened; I didn't want to see her as a scammer, but now I do. I'd had my suspicions for weeks, now doubts are almost certainties

The UK is shrinking

 It is the truth

A Sailor's Love

The headline is NOT a grab for readers, it IS a geological fact.

As mentioned in my eBook, A Sailor's Love, the coast, especially the English Channel coast is collapsing into the sea. The problem is the coast is made of chalk which is easily eroded by the tidal effects of the waves.

Each month for the last year, there have been reports online of large chunks of the coast from Devon to Kent falling into the channel. These are not the usual small chunks you can miss, these are slabs of of hundreds of kilos, causing beaches to be cleared.

There is a report online of a builder who began building a luxury hotel, only to find the land below his site is riddled with caves, the extra weight of his building caused a major subsidence, which stopped only 40 meters from the site of the building

Why did I get so many Twitter followers?

There is no secret

                 I never considered myself attractive to ladies

I was chatting to a young lady on Twitter last week, we were talking about books, and decided to check her profile. The thing which struck me is she will not succeed on Twitter for one reason. Her posts are about her books.

One reason I gained many followers quickly last year is my posts are rarely about me, and are varied ranging across many areas of interest.

One aspect of my rise in followers still amazes me, why do ladies find me attractive? Will I see myself as attractive? Probably not.

One reason could be I treat everyone with respect, and unlike some men, I don't view a lady online as a lady looking for a hook-up.

What is the difference?

 Baptists

Anabaptists

For years, I had the thought of studying Religion, the reason was more from curiousity than faith. One thing which interested me was what was the difference between Baptists, and Anabaptists?

Years later, when I came onlne, I found my answer. Baptists believe a child should be baptised within months of being born, wherras as Anabaptists believe the child could wait until the age of 10, and be able to decide for themselves. At the time of my birth (1956), it was still common for a new-born baby when taken out, to be gifted.

 a coin by friends of the family.

It was suggested to me, when I was in the Royal Air Force, that perhaps I should consider becoming a padre, as my nature is kindly; I did seriously consider the idea for several weeks. I also seriously considered joining a religious order in Clevedon, North Somerset for several months, when things in my life apeared to have no hope.

My views on the Bible are controversial, I consider myself a Christian Scientist, not the weirdo variety, but I believe things written in the Bible DID happen, but the basis is in Science, not religion. 

If I held a recognised faith it would be a return to the Roman Catholic faith. Not for the ceromonies, and the worship of the Saints, but for the simple reason how can you worship the Son of God, but not his mother? Without the mother there is no son.

My belief is in Spirituality, I believe there is life after death, which explains the popularity of my ghost stories.

Sunday Vibes

 Romance in Redcliffe

                              A Positive outlook

My Sunday vibes today are on the up, after three days of knee pains from walking, my right knee has decided to ease up, at last.

Also, my friend Clara, who livs in Redcliffe in Bristol wishes to meet tomorrow, this will not be our first date, we planned to meet for weeks, but fate kept us apart. I was getting to the point of thinking we'd never meet. Clara told me she has a nice surprise for me, being able to finally meet is all I need, though my imagination could do more, but I keep it under control (most of the time).

Another plus for the week is the constant sales for my DVD selection on eBay. I have not had a month as good as this week since I sold my Warhammer books four years ago

Do I have a type?

 An often asked question

I have no type

A question I have been asked many times by ladies I chatted with online is do I have a type?

The answer is no, I have not type of lady I look for. I am willing to chat any lady.

I do have types I am not into, ladies with enormous breasts, or bottoms ARE a turn-off for me; I lady who is a BBW (big beautiful women) IS a turn-on for me, though. The difference for me is a lady who is BBW is a lady with a well-proportioned figure. Another turn-off for me are girls who have no figure, as one person on Facebook said years ago, "Only dogs like bones."

The Page Turner

 Classical Music

Polina Osetinskaya

Several years ago, there was a minor film which went barely noticed called The Page Turner. The story is about a person who is vital in many long pieces of Classical Music, the page turner. They are vital to the flow of the music, as the pianist concentrates on their music, and the piece would be interrupted if the artist had to stop to turn the page.

The Mating Game

 Romance in Redcliffe

Will she or won't she?

In the last month, I have been trying to build a relationship with a lady in Redcliffe, Bristol.

We get on well when we chat on WhatsApp, and we've arranged several meeting, yet she is yet to meet me.

The outcome of my various attempts to meet her is my right knee is now so painful, I can't walk far. Despite being told I've been either ill, or in pain, she has pleaded to meet me. Now, the tide has turned, she wanted to pick me up this morning (Sat, January 10th), but I told her I will be unable to walk far until Tuesday, though I may be able to have met her on Monday. I am waiting to see if Clara will remain in contact as she knows I am not at her beck and call for a long time?

Defund the BBC

 No TV License

Netflix and YouTube

I realise my effort will have no effect on the larger project to Defund the BBC, the cancelation of my TV license will help my finances a lot. I don't see the point in having the license, when I can't recall the last programme I watched on BBC, as I usually watch Netflix or YouTube.The other factor is we intended to connect the ariel in the attic to the tv, but never did.

TBH we never missed the BBC.

I have hundreds of DVDs to watch too, so there was a very tiny possibility of me watching the BBC.

There is something Supernatural selling on eBay

 US tv series for sale

Adding DVDs to eBay

I am adding the series Supenatural to the list of DVDs I am selling on eBay from this month, there are several reason why I am selling these sets

China Exclusive

 The New Frontier

China

The regions my blog gets read never fails to amaze me, nevermore than today. The blog has been almost exclusively read in China today. 

I did a few posts about China, mostly abour cyber-crime, and Covid.

It was my late wife's wish to visit the area, but she never got there

The New Frontier

 China

                                   The expanding world of my blog

The Breaking News for my blog today, is that the largest group of readers is in China. Years ago, on my old blog, the largest group of readers was most often in Russia. I have nothing to back up my concept, other than I can relate better to readers in countries with little money.

This is not always true, for several months last year, my largest readercontact was shared between Hong Kong and Singapore.

The story I almost never lived to tell

Dracodreaming

 A Published Dragon Story

The story behind my published dragon short story is one I almost didn't live to tell, that IS the truth, not a headline grabbing piece of trend.

The photograph of the castle is one I took in Germany. I didn't want to visit the castle, it is on the top of a slope, the only up is by ski-chair. On the way up, I kept my eyes on the people in front of me; as the chair turned, I found myself trapped on the front of my seat with the ground rapidly dropping away below me.

This story is published in a book compiled for The Peacock Writers, a charity I wrote for, many years ago, before I earned an award for writing

From Bollywood to Film Noir and Beyond

 Why do I enjoy Film Noir?

The Pat Canella Story

I have alwas had a thing for Film Noir movies. probably because like life, there is no real right or wrong, only shades of grey. 

The first eBook sale I had was for a Film Noir themed short story (shown above).

I got the idea for the story while on vacation in Lac La Biche, Alberta, Canada when I saw a lake beginning to freeze in the November of 2009.

Google refund

 Morrisons

Google Play

Apple Pay Card

With no possibility of a chat with my "friend" in Redcliffe, Bristol, for the next few days, I can use the time to attempt to resolve some mishaps involving Morrisons.

In the last month, I have bought several Apple Pay cards for my friend, and most have been faulty. They are aware of this issue, and an order from the bosses has been issued to take the cards off the shelves. what they didn't know, until I told the staff yesterday, is that the problems aslo affect Google Play cards too. One of my aims for the upcoming week, is to attemp to get a £50 refund from Google for the card I bought before Christmas which was faulty

Plans for 2026

 Welcome 2026

Tropico

As it appears my friend in Redcliffe, Bristol had no intention of turning our friendship into a romance, I am changing my plans. I am not interested in forming another relationship at my age, 69, though I have several ladies on Twitter who are intereted in me.

One of my targets for now, is locating a Bob Hoskins film I misplaced last week. Later this month, I may buy the latest edition in the Tropico pc game series, I have been a fan of the Tropico series since it began

Welcome 2026

 A great day for eBay sales

The Lost World

I welcome the New Year, with news of good sales from my eBay selection. Already, January has brought me £20 worth of DVD sales :).

I could have started the New Year with hopes of a romance with a lady in Redcliffe, Bristol, being realistic, I don't think she was serious. I could view this as a downer, if I had thought she was serious about a relationship, but I was never truly taken in. She is v attractive to me, and appeared to have a serious attraction for me, reality dictates I shall end my days with no female company.

One mystery I have to solve is what happened to my copy of The Lost World featuring Bob Hoskins, I had it only last week, but now it can't be found. As my lady friend is not available, I can concentrate on finding my DVD.