Ashleylister

LATEST ARTICLES ( 2360 )

• Brambles

  

  I had a conversation once with a dear friend about whether brambles and blackberries are different fruits. My friend sought to assured me they are - but I've... Read more

  Posted on 05 April 2026 BOOKS, CREATIVITY, CULTURE, SELF EXPRESSION

• Bramble

  

  So the question is:What was established in Torquay, UK on the 24 February 1951 by 7 founding members Denmark, France, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland an... Read more

  Posted on 01 April 2026 BOOKS, CREATIVITY, CULTURE, SELF EXPRESSION

• Bramble

  

  From a Railway CarriageFaster than fairies, faster than witches, Bridges and houses, hedges and ditches; And charging along like troops in a battle, All... Read more

  Posted on 01 April 2026 BOOKS, CREATIVITY, CULTURE, SELF EXPRESSION

• Dismembering Enjambment

  

  Prejamble.From the French enjamber, innit. Literally means to encroach or straddle (the lines) - see helpful illustration below, but don't try this on your loca... Read more

  Posted on 29 March 2026 BOOKS, CREATIVITY, CULTURE, SELF EXPRESSION

• Lancashire Dead Good Poets' April Open Mic Night

  

  Our April online open mic night follows hot on the heels of April Fools' Day.Cap and bells optional and comic theme not compulsory. Come and do your... Read more

  Posted on 26 March 2026 BOOKS, CREATIVITY, CULTURE, SELF EXPRESSION

• Enjambment

  

  I was surprised when looking into the history of enjambment to discover that its use went back much further than I had expected. Read more

  Posted on 25 March 2026 BOOKS, CREATIVITY, CULTURE, SELF EXPRESSION

• Illustrating Fairies

  

  Two words: Arthur Rackham. He was probably the pre-eminent illustrator of children's books in Edwardian and Georgian England, during the golden age of British... Read more

  Posted on 22 March 2026 BOOKS, CREATIVITY, CULTURE, SELF EXPRESSION

• Fairies

  

  By way of YouTube I’ve just had a look at Cottingley Beck as it still flows over rocks and is overshadowed by trees. Back in 1917 it was the favourite spot of... Read more

  Posted on 18 March 2026 BOOKS, CREATIVITY, CULTURE, SELF EXPRESSION

• Fairies - Tinker Bell v Titania

  

  Long before I’d ever heard of Shakespeare, I was introduced to ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ through excerpts in story board style in an annual for girls. Read more

  Posted on 17 March 2026 BOOKS, CREATIVITY, CULTURE, SELF EXPRESSION

• Chicanery

  

  : clever, dishonest talk or behaviour that is used to deceive people. It is derived from the French 'chicanerie', meaning trickery, (not that the French were/ar... Read more

  Posted on 17 March 2026 BOOKS, CREATIVITY, CULTURE, SELF EXPRESSION

• Chicanery

  

  When I first saw Chicanery as the word of the week my immediate thought was to twist it a bit and have a look at the way chicanes are used in motor racing to... Read more

  Posted on 11 March 2026 BOOKS, CREATIVITY, CULTURE, SELF EXPRESSION

• On Coffee And Cafés

  

  Not such a lengthy blog for a change, this Saturday night. Having written essays in recent weeks about curry and kings and tangerines, this post will be as shor... Read more

  Posted on 07 March 2026 BOOKS, CREATIVITY, CULTURE, SELF EXPRESSION

• Cafés

  

  Writing about cafés is a bit of a problem because I don’t really know where to start. There are so many places I love going to and a few I wouldn’t go within tw... Read more

  Posted on 04 March 2026 BOOKS, CREATIVITY, CULTURE, SELF EXPRESSION

• Cafes

  

  I’m pleased to discover that one of our familiar cafes in Kirkcudbright has re-opened. I think it closed last year and the business was up for sale. Read more

  Posted on 03 March 2026 BOOKS, CREATIVITY, CULTURE, SELF EXPRESSION

• Curry

  

  has become a modern catch-all label for pretty much any spicy stew from Jamaica to Jakarta. The word itself is an anglicised form of the Tamil 'kari', meaning... Read more

  Posted on 02 March 2026 BOOKS, CREATIVITY, CULTURE, SELF EXPRESSION

• Curry and My Family History

  

  When I was in the top end of primary school in 1959 or thereabouts, I used to go to Burnden Park every other Saturday to watch Bolton Wanderers home games. Read more

  Posted on 27 February 2026 BOOKS, CREATIVITY, CULTURE, SELF EXPRESSION

• Curry

  

  I have a feeling that some of my colleagues on this blog will be delighted to write about curry. Probably go out for one to research in greater depth. Read more

  Posted on 25 February 2026 BOOKS, CREATIVITY, CULTURE, SELF EXPRESSION

• Lancashire Dead Good Poets' March Open Mic Night

  

  Sign up for our 5th March open mc night on Zoom, 7.30pm GMT. No headliners, no set theme, just 20 x 5-minute slots on offer. Everyone welcome to two hours of... Read more

  Posted on 23 February 2026 BOOKS, CREATIVITY, CULTURE, SELF EXPRESSION

• Charm

  

  Preamble: With royalty commanding so much media attention in the last few days, I thought I'd write my Saturday blog about Henry VIII, considered back in Tudor... Read more

  Posted on 21 February 2026 BOOKS, CREATIVITY, CULTURE, SELF EXPRESSION

• Hag Stone Charms

  

  According to the dictionary, charm can mean a quality that makes you like or feel attracted to someone or something. For instance, “she was a woman of great... Read more

  Posted on 20 February 2026 BOOKS, CREATIVITY, CULTURE, SELF EXPRESSION