I like words.

I like the sound of words, even in languages not my own, and the pictures they create in my head; perhaps that comes from being a child of the age of radio. I particularly love the creative opportunities that come from using, and mis-using, my own English tongue. I’ve always written, especially short stories, even at school. My ability to write became a tool in my professional life, and for long periods my impulse to write was sublimated into professional writing (sometimes too much, to the frustration of colleagues and employers) and occasional ‘letters to the editor’.

In 2009 I joined a writing group and became a founder member of the Highland Literary Salon in Inverness. Encouraged to write more I had a story performed as a radio play, by Monster FM in 2011 and, in 2012, had a 100-word story ‘published’ on the Readers Digest website (both competitions). I was persuaded to take my creative writing seriously and put it “out there”, so ‘Near Horizon’ is my foray into the world of blogging. I called it ‘Near Horizon’ because, despite spending much of my life scanning the horizon, metaphorically and literally, I have come to appreciate what has often been overlooked nearer to home. In another part of the UK, I joined a new writing group, which precipitated a new stream of writing after many months of inactivity, and that spawned another group of more dedicated writers which I also joined. Then I moved back to The Highlands in 2023 and so it goes on.

As a consequence my ‘pile’ of scribbling has continued to grow, if sporadically, and some of it is posted here. My autobiography is all but complete and I’ve made the draft available here, restricted to family. I’m falteringly into my first novel. Whether it sees the light of day, or is even completed, remains to be seen but I’ve started serialising it here and might e-publish it. So, ‘Near Horizon’ is organised into categories which you can search. At the moment these are Writing (subdivided into Short Stories, Stories for Children, Flash Fiction, Micro Fiction, Poetry and Biography), Random Thunks (odd thoughts that skip across my brain), Rant (occasional blasts at the idiotic and unacceptable things in life), Politics, and Boring Legal Stuff, which is an attempt to address the thorny issue of copyright. Boring Legal Stuff also points out that what I write here is my own work, my opinion, and is founded in my own experience. This is important to note if you look at the tab called Lyme disease, a condition which changed the course of my life and which, if unlucky, might do the same to you. The posts I have published about Lyme disease, its politics, diagnosis, treatment, and effects, has accumulated over a period of time. During this time both my understanding of the disease, and indeed the science around Lyme and tick borne diseases generally, has developed. Therefore nothing I have written should be taken to infer I recommend a particular treatment or a particular course of action: Lyme disease is very ‘tricky’ and if you are affected by it, or know someone who is, then you should read widely, make your own decisions, and seek advice from trusted, science-based, sources of information such as the charity Lyme Disease Action. Finally there is a ‘tab’ called Covid-19: this global viral disaster upended all our lives, and ended many, in 2020.

My non-creative writing is in often in the form of, what used to be called, essays. If you read on I think you’ll find my creative writing is a bit ‘curved’: I don’t think in straight lines. What I write is therefore often thought quirky, which I don’t mind. It is frequently allegorical, sometimes funny (I’m told) but I think it definitely has a ‘voice’. I hope you’ll enjoy reading something of mine and, if you do, feel moved to post a comment. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

Privacy and Security Policy

The following text also appears on the page “Boring Legal Stuff”.

‘Near Horizon’ is my personal blog site which has unlimited public access via the internet. Comments are presently allowed, but this may change from time to time. I do not, ever, share personal details about anyone else, nor do I comment on anything which is not already in the public domain. I do not ‘share’ content from other sites. I rarely embed links in my writing to other sites, or posts of other people. If you see one it will always be from trusted sources, but it is up to you whether you ‘click’ on it. I do not email from ‘Near Horizon’ or harrygoldjazz.com so if you receive something purporting to come from either, assume it is malicious and act accordingly. ‘Near Horizon’ is no more or less vulnerable to ‘hacking’, malware, trojans, bots or any other form of internet misuse by others, than any other internet based medium. Anyone who accesses ‘Near Horizon’ does so in the full knowledge that they should keep their own data, systems and information safe and private – I cannot.