Adrian Phelan

Post 20

Happy Valentine’s | 20 vision| Win win| The filim bit| Physio stories| Marking Groucho| Goodbye and thanks| Links to previous posts

Welcome to this week’s blog  

Violets are blue  

Before I start rattling on about this being blog post 20 (Yay), a word on Valentine’s Day. For me there’s only one poem/ditty that cuts it, and it goes, ‘Roses are red, violets are blue, most poems rhyme but this one doesn’t.’ If you ever sent me that, I know it’s true love.  

St Valentine was from Terni, Italy, but believe it or not, some of his remains now reside in White Friar Street Church in Dublin, with many lovers making the pilgrimage each year.  

We will spend Valentine’s evening celebrating the 50th birthday of a good friend in a very cool restaurant/bar. I am always grateful that we get invited to such occasions, particularly as I’ve lost half my friends since starting this blog. I’ll let you know how it goes in the next post.  

Mad Dog 20/20  

Well well, we’ve got to number 20. Not quite old enough to order a drink in America but can vote and be arrested for crimes against online content.  

I’m glad I’ve honoured the commitment (mainly to myself) to get these weekly posts out. I’ve set myself this comms task in the absence of having a structured role that tells me to do so, and I hope that proves that I am a self-starter, and sustainable at producing regular content over a substantial period. (Potential employers take note). My CV is here.  

Win a £20 or €20 book token 

To mark reaching 20 posts I’m giving away a voucher for either Waterstones or Eason’s. If you win and you’re outside the UK or ROI I’ll send a voucher for a popular bookstore in your country. Enter by 23.55 on Thursday, 19 February with the answer to the following question: 

The strapline for this blog is ‘Fairytales of a beta male.’ What was the original strapline?   

A Fairytales of a right eejit 

B Fairytales of a middle-aged Mick 

C Fairytales of a jobseeker  

Send the answer to adrianphelan@hotmail.co.uk See all the legal bits at the bottom.  

The filim bit  

I went to see 100 Nights of Hero on Tuesday after a match I had a ticket for was called off. It was a whole heap of odd, including random appearances by Richard E Grant and Charli XCX. It’s described online as ‘Julia Jackman‘s beguiling feminist fairytale’, and I suppose it was. The story was nothing new; frustrated princess married to disinterested prince seeks comfort in the arms of – in this case – one of the maids. But the principal actors were very watchable, particularly Emma Corrin (She was Princess Diana in The Crown) and Nicholas Galitzine (I have no idea what else he was in).  

It was also filmed mainly at Knebworth House which as we know from films like Tim Burton’s Batman is a compelling gothic setting. That helps its cause too.  

It is one you can watch on TV, however. You don’t need to dash to see it at the cinema.  

Physio update and bravo NHS 

I saw my physio on Wednesday, (See last week’s blog) and she was lovely. I didn’t get too much of a ticking off for not doing my exercises and I have promised to do them over the next month.  

I must pay tribute to those who work for the NHS. Anyone who comes to work to put their hands on my 50-year-old trotters is worth their weight in gold. And unlike many other countries, I didn’t have to hand over a penny. I’ve decided I’m going to have a pedicure before I go to the next one, so if you know a good pedicurist, send me an email.  

Do good well and do a grouch a favour  

When looking for a charity to support this week I came across National Do A Grouch A Favour Day and although it’s American, I thought it was too good not to share. The site says, “It is a call to kindness on February 16th. Everyone knows a grouch, and some of us may even be guilty of being one. On February 16th, maybe you can be the one to find the sweeter side of a grouch.” 

I think that’s genius. If you, yourself are a grouch, maybe buy yourself something nice.  

Another place you might donate this week is the Marie Curie Great Daffodil Appeal which is helping people to die with the care and support that they need.  

Goodbye and thanks 

So that’s 20 down, which is tweaking the nose of my whimsical personality. Thanks so much for staying with me and as ever, do keep me in mind if you need any extra capacity.  

Competition terms  

• Anyone anywhere in the world who is over 18 can enter.  

• You enter by emailing your answer to adrianphelan@hotmail.co.uk 

• The competition is open now and closes at 23.55 on Thursday, 19 February 

• Each entry will be given a unique number and the winner will be chose at random out of a hat 

• The prize will be delivered by email or post 

• Anyone outside of my immediate family can enter 

Socially viable

Connect with me on Facebook and:   

Instagram: @adrian_phelan1  

Bluesky: @adrianphelan.bsky.social   

X: @AdrianPhelan1  

TikTok: @adrian.phelan  

Threads: adrian_phelan1    

Past posts

7 February

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a beta male

1 February

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a beta male

23 January

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a beta male

16 January

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a beta male

9 January

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a beta male

2 January

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a beta male

26 December

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a beta male

20 December 

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a beta male

12 December 

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a beta male

5 December 

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a beta male

28 November 

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a beta male

21 November 

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a jobseeker  

14 November 

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a jobseeker  

7 November 

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a jobseeker  

31 October 

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a jobseeker  

24 October 

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a jobseeker  

17 October 

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a jobseeker  

10 October 

Adrian’s All – Fairy tales of a jobseeker

3 October 

Adrian’s All – fairy tales of a jobseeker