List five things you do for fun.
Walking especially in a new area.
Spending time with my children and grandchildren.
Playing Words with Friends.
Watching tv.
Writing my blog every day on Facebook.
Maybe not everyone’s idea of fun but at 76 I’ve given up skate boarding, surfing and white knuckle rides. Lol Only joking.
What snack would you eat right now?
As I had a bad fall last week on the beach, while trying to get a close up of a heron, I haven’t been able to get out shopping. I bruised my ribs!
So not a lot of treats in the kitchen.
But this afternoon on further investigation discovered a bag of Tayto cheese and onion crisps ( potato chips). There was some fresh white bread so I buttered 2 slices of bread and put the crisps on top and had a crisp sandwich. 🥪 Delicious. 🤤
Try it you won’t regret it. 😉
What is your mission?
A hard question to answer! Globally or locally?
To be happy, healthy and to treat others as I would want to be treated. To love and be loved. To live a good life. To make my family proud.
When I look around this world I see the hate that exists. The fact that nobody seems to be able to deal with the perpetrators, makes me feel that things that I can control are small in comparison.
The mission of many of our leaders are governed by power, by wealth and with no consequences as to how they achieve their goals.
In a just and democratic society Trump and his fellow dictators would be arrested, tried and put in prison but they have bought the judiciary, fixed elections and their mission is to destroy the world order and to take control.
So my mission has to be family and community oriented and to live in hope that the dictators will not succeed.
What could you do differently?
I could have avoided going down slippery steps to the beach on the third day of the new year and I wouldn’t have slipped and fallen down same steps, winding myself and ending up with severely bruised ribs.
Great start to the 2026 after having the worst year of my life in 2025.
Strong painkillers and rest will help but very frustrating not to be able to move about freely.
So next time I see a heron and want a photo I will avoid slippery, wet concrete steps to get it.
Happy New Year lol
What was your favorite subject in school?
Probably not surprising but my favourite subject was English and especially English literature. I also enjoyed writing essays.
I won a prize in an essay competition during my primary school days. It was a competition run by the R.S.P.CA. My prize was a book called School under Snowdon which I read over and over again. After that I read everything I could get my hands on though I’m not sure Graham Greene was suitable for a 12 year old.
My essays at grammar school were always imaginative and my English teacher loved them.
Unfortunately it was a while before I was able to have a chance to write again. I used to write articles and short stories for my work’s magazine
I did a degree in humanities when I was older and English was one of my main subjects.
This introduced me to authors that I would not have known about.
The study of English explores fascinating elements of both literature and language. How we communicate, how words and language have developed, and what this means for us and society. Studying English literature and language gives you the tools to analyse the spoken and written word critically and creatively. Study of English explores fascinating elements of both literature and language. How we communicate, how words and language have developed, and what this means for us and society.
Then in my late sixties I used my writing skills to start my Chatter blog @apvallan.
I owe a lot to my English teacher at grammar school for making English an interesting subject and to my lecturer at University who was so dedicated to his subject and students.
Unfortunately AI has taken over the job of writing essays for students and this is stifling the creativity of young people who are becoming dependent on this form of technology.
What have you been working on?
I have been having a bit of a writers block recently. It’s not been a great year. My 48 year old son was diagnosed with throat cancer in December of last year. Life slowed down and a lot of time was taken up with visits to hospital for chemo and radiotherapy. Some days I was in the mood to write almost as a distraction but it depended on how my brave son Paul was coping. He was I might add, an inspiration to both me and his dad and the rest of the family and to all who followed his cancer journey on Instagram.
He has in the last few weeks been given the all clear and is cancer free. I can breathe again and think of other things and get down to writing again.
I did carry on my daily diary on Facebook which I enjoy doing. I didn’t have to think much just honestly record how I was feeling and what was happening day to day.
So I’m hoping some topics will come up here and I can start writing again.
What’s a topic or issue about which you’ve changed your mind?
I’ve changed my mind on a few things but there are two that come to mind. One is the moon landing and the other social media and the internet.
I’m not convinced about the moon landing.
I used to be quite convinced that men had landed on the moon but now looking at images of the landing I find it hard to believe and I wonder if was all a set up to make Russia think that America had beaten them to it.
Also if they were able to land on the moon in 1969, why have they waited so long to go back ? I’m not convinced.
I’m also rapidly changing my mind about the internet and social media. I used to think it was the best thing ever but seeing the damage it is doing I’m not so sure.
Instead of being an informative medium I feel it has become a dangerous place with misinformation leading to where we are today. It has helped to change the world order and turn America into a dystopian society with a dictator in charge.
So yes, I have changed my minds on some things.
What is your favorite genre of music?
It has to be music from the sixties. I lived in Belfast in the late sixties and before the troubles started all the big groups visited here .
I’ve been to see most of them although the Beatles were just before my time. But the Beach boys, Roy Orbison, the Kinks, Van Morrison, Tom Jones, Manfred Mann I could go on, I saw them all.
Great music that has survived over 60 years. Some artists survive as long as their last record but this genre lasts and lasts.
On what subject(s) are you an authority?
I’m not an authority on anything but I have gained a lot of knowledge over my 76 years so I could probably join in a conversation on many different subjects
There is an old saying ‘Jack of all trades, and master of none’ and that’s where I see my self.
Some say this is a derogatory statement but I feel it suggests that it is a good thing to have a broad knowledge of many subjects rather than being confined to one.
How boring would it be to have lots of knowledge of one subject but lacking knowledge on more important topics.
So I’ll be happy to take Shakespeare’s quote as a compliment rather than an insult.
How do you express your gratitude?
I suppose it depends on the situation.
I would usually buy flowers or chocolates. I have on occasions baked something like a fruit loaf or a special desert. If it was something really special I might treat them to lunch or a spa day.
I would also send a card or a text expressing my gratitude. Offering to be available should they need something in the future would be another way of showing gratitude.
CHATTER 