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Dr Richard Meyer's avatar

Hurrah! Welcome to the otrovert club; it's pretty exclusive, well, it has you, Helen and me in it. Loved the piece. My first trip to Ireland was to attend a wildfowl meeting in Cork, a long time ago. My brother and I hitched from Dublin, and got a lift with a mad priest who drove like the devil and killed a chicken on the way. "Bugger," he said, "I'll call in on the way back."

Hugh Warwick's avatar

that hitch sounds not dissimilar to my first visit - which included the Puck Fair in Kilorglin (sp?) which was, in retrospect, probably not the best place for two English kids (well, 19) to go - drank a lot of Guinness that trip, got into a school at 0300 when we had been kicked out the pub as it was Sunday morning - and slept with the teachers gowns for comfort - and later had to skedaddle as the girl I was making friends with had a boyfriend playing pool ... and I had drunk his beer ... then we hitched ... not a mad priest, but still ... terrifying!

Dr Richard Meyer's avatar

Love it, Hugh. I was exactly that age too, my brother 3 years older, but much longer ago than yours, I'm so much older! And I didn't have any pending girlfriend or angry suitor to deal with. The Guiness, yes.

Emma Buckett's avatar

You left the Shore and returned with rich stories and new friends having had an adventure. Sounds perfect 👌

Helen's avatar

Hugh- you need to read The Gift of Not Belonging. You are clearly an otrovert!

Hugh Warwick's avatar

that is fascinating - not a term I had come across before ... read this ... https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/aug/20/are-you-an-otrovert-why-this-personality-type-could-be-your-greatest-gift

and really do see quite a few points in common!!! Thank you!

Helen's avatar

My other half and I read it from cover to cover and then read it again straight after. At last a book about people like us 😁We can fit in but not if we don’t want to, we want to engage sometimes , but on our own terms…Enjoy!

riverdaughter's avatar

I’m confused. Why don’t you leave your postcode? What’s the importance of leaving your postcode? I’m so confused. 😭

Hugh Warwick's avatar

I am sorry - I was being silly - the day was VERY long and tiring and I could have chosen to stay at home and work on my new book ... but I am also glad I went! It is a conflict I have - I love meeting new people, but I also really like being in my shed!

riverdaughter's avatar

Ooooohhhhhhh. Sorry. I thought you meant you don’t want to leave your postcode on the visitor logs that some charities or events have to keep track of where their visitors come from and I was so confused. 😂😂 I agree. I like to stay home in my hog-friendly garden too.

Amy Harlib's avatar

Enjoyed your recount of your trip to Ireland, thanks for sharing!

Ivar Gabot's avatar

Hugh Warwick

Love Hedgehogs - Used to see Most walking home from the Pub late at night ( No Alcohol since week before Lockdown ) . Keep Bottom of Mother's Garden Wild & Very Hedgehog Friendly

For Reference I OWN ALL BEUKS I QUOTE

Few Beuks from MY Cleadon ( Reference ) Library :-

The complete hedgehog

Les Stocker

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Huff the Hedgehog - green book 5 a book for me to read

Ruth Ainsworthard & Roland Ridout

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The New Naturalist - Hedges ( First Edition 1974 )

E Pollard , MD Hooper & NW Moore

( Bought Last Week - Quite Expensive Online - First Provide & Protect the Habitat )

I did say the Other Day - This is the Beuk I would " Lend " to King Charles III from My Cleadon ( Reference ) Library

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My Blog developed into Informing my Public so they can Search Online or Libraries once they know the Author & Title. All the Bar Maids ( Bar Tenders !!! Says Dragon Lady ) & Accountant Ladies Love my Beuks Sooooo Much they decide to Keep Them for EVER !!!

Songs are a " Bonus "

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Ivar Gabot

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Philosopher Pauper and a Poet

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" The Empress that doth Opprezz " Ninety Song Songbook available on Request ( For Artists & Poets ) on Excel - Index Jump to Song - Jump back to Index - Set to Print by Song

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Bard of Cleadon

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Barred of SLInked-In

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Barred of HFMA ONF Website

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Barred of Kier Starmer's Substack ( & Another Lady Barista previously )

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ALL Autobiographical & TRUE !!!

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Other ( Fellow ) Poet's Thoughts :-

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Willie McBride's Dozen - Song V

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I wrote my sister Kate a song about my Sycamore Trees

Lisa O'Neill didn't say (in New Zealand) she liked trees for you to please

I sent it to the Woodland Trust and called it Tree Babies

Posted it to Lisa , she may like it possibly maybes

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Tree Babies/Woodland Trust

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I was born under the shade of a Sycamore Tree

Most Wonderous, Wonderful, Beautiful tree it seems to me

It means more to me than Human Beings

It means more than money or worldly things

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My brother says I'll Crown it to keep it in trim

Don't dare chop it down I replied to him

It marks the spot that I was born

The first thing I look at every morn

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It's leaves are covered in the little black spot

It must be affected by some type of rot

It failed to produce Sycamore Helicopter seeds

"Tree Babies" to prosper and grow that it needs

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I collected some seeds & acorns years ago and let them dry out

To go far and wide to plant them about

To send them to Ireland for Lisa O'Neill

"Tree Babies" to replace all the Oaks, Oliver Cromwell did steal

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Lyrics by © HughofDurham@Gmail.com

© BardofCleadon@Gmail.com

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Chorus

Tree Babies/Woodland Trust

Tree babies we grow for the Woodland Trust

Oxygen they provide is a great must

If you chop one down remember to plant

Three more Tree babies with a Government Grant

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Lyrics by © HughofDurham@Gmail.com

© BardofCleadon@Gmail.com

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Other ( Fellow ) Poet's Thoughts :-

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The Empress that doth Opprezz

Song No. LXXXI

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SLINKED-IN / Free Speech - Impeach

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SLINKED-IN - Rattlesnake Jake

SLINKED-IN - Honour Forsake

SLINKED-IN - Free Speech

SLINKED-IN - Honour Impeach

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SLINKED-IN - Bastard Childer

SLINKED-IN - Harpy & ( Himmler ) Hitler

SLINKED-IN - Suppress Dissent

SLINKED-IN - Sad Lament

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Lyrics by © Cog Weale

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Other ( Fellow ) Poet's Thoughts :-

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Le Poete / Irish T'inker

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Rodin's Thinker

Irish T'inker

Represent Intellect

Le Poete - Respect !

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Lyrics by © HughofDurham@Gmail.com

© BardofCleadon@Gmail.com

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Ivar Gabot

Chartered Management Accountant

Lowest Paid Qualified Accountant for The Empress for over Twenty Years

( & THE BEST )

Philosopher Pauper and a Poet

Chilled Skilled Wordsmith

One Hundred and Sixty-Six Songs since Lockdown

One Hundred and Ninety-Two in Total

Cleadon Library - Not a Business but a Mission to Educate the World One Book at a Time