Your Stories

Well brought up in Gateshead and now living at the coast, I retired from working on civil service IT projects and love my new life. Married to Cath who works full time so I'm a dab hand at housework, washing and ironing, cooking (?) etc. I like everything about the North East - its history, scenery, culture, even the weather. And I love music - especially good local live music - jazz, blues, rock, folk, bring it on!

Probably like everyone else's, my main hope is that the worldwide economical nose-dive levels out soon and Britain is not damaged beyond repair. I also hope that the new man in the White House delivers his pledges and we see an end to these costly and pointless wars. My fear is neither of these will materialise and Britain goes into freefall.

Impoliteness and poor customer service - these should be improving with the competition for jobs and business but I'm afraid they are not. Bad spelling and grammar - especially dodgy apostrophes - I know this is an age thing and the emphasis isn't there in today's education but it does niggle me. Litter and dog fouling - no doubt worse living near the seafront - but I wish we could find a way of making people more proud of their own area and look after it better. Indifference - a lot of people, old and young, work hard to make the area better and more interesting or entertaining but too many others are 'glued to the box' to join them. One life - live it!

People and especially my wife Cath who is fabulous. Of all my possessions I would be most lost without my computer, as it provides me with so many daily essentials, like e-mail and the Internet - for up to date news and sport but I also use it for online shopping and banking. I definitely couldn't live without my self respect - that's priceless

My first paid job, as a teenager, was working in a cattle auction mart at weekends, mainly mucking out. It was a bit niffy but great fun. My first full time job was as a ledger clerk in the civil service- certainly less niffy than the cattle mart but less fun too.

Ant & Dec. They can always make me smile and they would make it an enjoyable experience, probably ending up as a TV hit series - something like 'I'm in a lift - get me out of here!'

I argue with the radio - honestly - fortunately nobody else is around to hear this. I am too chirpy early in the morning and late at night. I snack cheese even though I know it's bad for me. One beer is never enough. I collect things.

Passing my driving test always springs to mind because it is such a life-changing event. But, more recently, doing the Great North Run was quite a buzz

Never learning to play a musical instrument properly. I learned a few guitar chords but I wish I had stuck with it.

The shoreline on Tynemouth beach usually helps me to put things into perspective.

To see the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) - preferably from a pleasant hotel or cottage. One of my favourite movies is Local Hero and this got me hooked. To be brave enough to join those hardy souls in a festive dip in the North Sea. Maybe once before I die should be my aim. To learn to play the rhythm bones - I have started on this and have been in touch with a fella in the States who used to be world champion.

Lots of things, but what immediately springs to mind are: Impose a worldwide minimum wage to end the exploitation of poor nations - we don't need so many cheap clothes and we throw away far too much food. Provide clean drinking water for everyone as a right - we shouldn't need charities like WaterAid who do tremendous work right now. Introduce electronic fourth officials into football - we could escape from the banal banter of television soccer pundits about what was/wasn't a goal. Worldwide ban of all forms of hunting for pleasure - but not for food.