11 days ago
That is not the Jonathan, my friend the Euroloon who is with us this year. Poor fellow, he suffers from severe #TrumpDerangementSyndrome and even more severe #BrexitDerangementSyndrome as well as being, like me, a lifelong West Ham United supporter so he has enough to drive him mad anyway. I refer to another Jonathan who came a couple of years ago and insisted that only he could get the complicated heating system working at the Greek Hovel or light an end of harvest fire.
33 days ago
The kids know that for Father Christmas to bring them presents rather than a lump of coal in 2026 they will have to be good. Otherwise Daddy will send Santa an email to flag up any naughtiness. But we also have to make sure Santa enjoys his lightening visit to the last house before the border with England this year.
671 days ago
In today’s podcast I discuss: Vast Resources (VAST), Versarien (VRS), Canadian Overseas (COPL), swearing and Nigel Wray vs Catriona and Matthew’s Dog, Kefi Gold & Copper (KEFI), Belluscura (BELL), Helium 1 (HE1) and a statement needed, Tortilla Mexican (MEX) and Nightcap (NGHT) where alarm bells must now be ringing very loudly.
930 days ago
You may remember an aggressive debate in April between a fat Aussie penny share promoter ( D. Lenigas Esq) and someone who trained as an oil equities analyst (me) as to the financial health of UK Oil & Gas (UKOG) of Horse Hill infamy. I insisted it needed a raise, Big Dave said that I did not know what I was talking about. Well guess what, guess who was right and who was wrong and should be sending a case of Metaxa to the Sheriff?
1062 days ago
I end by thanking the kind reader whose gift of a bottle of Metaxa has just arrived. The Mrs says thank you as well. Elsewhere I chat to Lucian Miers and discuss Cineworld (CINE) – after yesterday’s legal hearing – and Canadian Overseas Petroleum (COPL). then it is onto Tern (TERN), Bluebird Merchant Ventures (BMV) and what Versarien (VRS) is so desperate to hide. The references in that section are to the great film Zulu.
1494 days ago
A reader asks what sits on top of the Christmas tree here in Wales? It is the same as it is every year, as you can see below.
1510 days ago
I reported yesterday that my first guests, R &S, were due to arrive that evening. I hoped that neither were vegetarian or non drinkers as many folks in sophisticated London are these days for that is not what we do here in Kambos. It is like not owning a gun, it is unnatural, freakish. As I feared R is a non drinking vegetarian.
1630 days ago
You will, no doubt, have seen the reports of huge forest fires hitting southern and central Greece and might just have wondered if the hovel has yet been affected. Yes and No.It is okay, its occupants are a bit jittery.
1856 days ago
My four-year-old Joshua has been talking of little else for days. Yesterday, he really did get a card from Santa in the post which told him that he must be in bed early so that Santa could pop in and that he must leave a drink for Santa and something to eat for both Mr Claus and for Rudolph.
1941 days ago
The countdown to Christmas for Joshua starts on September 16, his Birthday. That means it is exactly 100 days to Christmas and, almost immediately, we start discussing stockings. Who will get presents and who will be left a lump of coal by Santa? Critically, it has already been agreed that Santa likes to be left a glass of Metaxa and so I guess I need to stock up on a bottle of Greek brandy. Shucks.
1969 days ago
It was Uncle Johnny’s last full day with us and after the trek to and from Mistras the previous day it was agreed we would do nothing all day. Nothing all day at the Greek Hovel used to mean wandering around snake spotting. These days it means dipping into the library of books out at the hovel or just dipping into the swimming pool which, notwithstanding the water shortage affecting us and the whole village of Kambos, was full at all times. Yes, I do know what you are thinking!
2217 days ago
Some of you have suffered only three years of being branded thick, ignorant, xenophobic, narrow minded and racist since you voted to leave the EU. For my family there is 45 years of hurt. But on January 31 it is all over and so I have today invested a few quid for my own personal celebration, which I will – of course – record though it will probably be classed as a hate crime.
2684 days ago
The lady at the vet called during last week and in a very sweet and sympathetic manner said that the ashes of the King of cats, the late Oakley, were ready for collection. And so on Saturday morning I drove to the cat hospital and said who I was and why I was there. "Would you like to settle your account before collecting?" said a mean faced old shrew. It was not a question.
3980 days ago
The man at the hardware store in Kambos said there was no need to buy snake repellent canisters as they will not wake up till June and I’m back in May. I am not so sure about that as I distinctly remember meeting a snake on what is known as the snake veranda on my first visit to the hovel in April. But I did not argue, I said efharisto and shook his hand warmly.
