MAL POPE

What a fantastic afternoon IO spent with the Swansea U3A Ukulele Big Band!! For This Reason

People can get a very different view of your life than the way it is in reality. This week on social media I had gone to Prague, had a great time and got back in time for a walk along the beach on Friday morning. The truth, thanks to EasyJet I had missed Prague completely!

If I’m really being honest, looking back with 20:20 hindsight, 50 years ago when my journey with spectacles started I don’t think I really needed glasses at all. Now they are one of the most important parts of my ‘image’.

I got to go to an FA Cup Final once. It was back in 1977, Manchester United versus Liverpool. Just like so many amazing things that happened to me in the 1970’s the ticket was down to Elton John.

Last weekend Mumbles had a brand new tourist attraction. With the Mumbles Railway, the seaside and ice cream, chips and oysters the village has always been the place to go on a summer’s day. Then last weekend the news started going around that we had to get down to the front to see the big digger. The question on everyone’s lips seemed to be, ‘how could this have happened?’.

2 big stories in the news sewage in the water and Artificial Intelligence. How would I link them for this blog? Then I had a brainwave, I would ask Google’s AI system ‘Bard’ to write my article for me.

It was late last year that I got an email from the office of the Bishop of Swansea & Brecon. 2023 was going to be their Centenary. Could I write them a new Anthem to be performed at a special event in September to be held at the Royal Welsh Showground in Builth Wells?

There will be much talk this weekend of Coronations, Kings and Queens and how people will react to being in the presence of royalty. I’ve had some practice over the past ten days at not one but two special dinners.

Every time you face rejection you can tell yourself its nothing to do with you. But when what you do is so intrinsically linked with who you are then its really difficult not to take professional setbacks personally.

I know Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny are Hollywood royalty and everyone is jumping on the bandwagon and wants to be their best friends…but I should say I have always had a soft spot for Wrexham FC!