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The Bardocrat Blog

 

Mr Adrian Hugh George Rimando-Linegar

Born July 20th 1951 in Elstead, Surrey, England.

Married to Eulanda since July 2003.  We have one daughter, Erika, a grandson, Zaren Alli and granddaughter Zoe.  Since November 2007 we have resided in Quezon City, Philippines.  We have four cats: Phoenix, Kantao, Ursa or ‘Fogi’ and Amber.

I describe myself as a Christian agnostic.

 

Curriculum Vitae:

I came from a simple village family, originally migrants from Ireland.  My father was a carpenter, my mother a domestic servant.  We lived in a two-up-two-down semi in the UK Home Counties.  There was neither TV nor internet, nor central heating nor double glazing – and every winter then was freezing.  The only two gadgets inside our house were a radio and a rotary egg whisk; outside a wooden wheelbarrow and three old bicycles. I went to village schools, but although bright, I contracted TB and lost much school time, leaving at fifteen to work on a building site.  After many years of work in a variety of low-paid jobs (mostly gardening), I paid my own way through University and emerged with a First-Class degree in English (then aged 45), which I followed with an MA at London University.  I spent the remainder of my working life in England as a care assistant in a private company, chiefly looking after the disabled and mentally ill.  This was where I met my dear wife, already many years a nurse at the Atkinson Morley Hospital in Wimbledon – the one with the world’s most famous postcode, SW19.

Apart from writing poetry and novels (one published in 1982), AngryPoet’s interests include: gardening (I worked at Chelsea Flower Show in 1967, and was secretary of Thursley Horticultural Society in Surrey for many years), book collecting, cycling, running (I am a former member of Guildford & Godalming Athletic Club and also of Ryde Harriers, Isle of Wight; although today I run little because I have developed cervical spondylosis), philosophy, motorcycling, nature study, karate, yoga (private instructor for several years), history and languages (I’m the opposite of Shakespeare: ‘little Greek and less Latin’), speak bad French and a little Tagalog (“Konti lang, po”).  In the 1960’s I played electric guitar in a rock band called ‘Minor Detail’ – which became precisely that.  In the early 1970’s I switched to the classical guitar, for which I have composed many pieces; unfortunately, since 2019 my technique has been severely restricted by the development of focal dystonia in my right-hand fingers.

Sports: athletics, the great cycling tours – especially the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and La Vuelta – and tennis.  But I have to confess that I can’t stand cricket or football.

Pet hates: hypocrisy, religious bigots, greedy sybarites, karaoke, celebrities prattling inanity – and anyone who cluster-bombs children and helpless civilians.