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BarrieMahoney created a boo
12 August 2012
play0:00 / 5:58Visitors to the Canary Islands may remember that at the end of a good meal in a local restaurant, and before the bill arrives, they are p... -
BarrieMahoney created a boo
12 August 2012
play0:00 / 5:28Visitors to the Canary Islands and Spain will notice that the flying of flags is a popular pastime. Public and government buildings, as w... -
BarrieMahoney created a boo
08 July 2012
play0:00 / 5:01Bankers Go Bananas I thought that I recognised the voice over the underground station’s speaker system; it sounded familiar, but I cou... -
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BarrieMahoney created a boo
24 June 2012
play0:00 / 4:36Live and Let Live One of the many things that I love about our island in the sun is the ‘live and let live’ attitude of most of its pe...-
BarrieMahoney Live and Let Live One of the many things that I love about our island in the sun is the ‘live and let live’ attitude of most of its people. No, I don’t mean the thousands of tourists, but the true Canarian people, those who were born here and have stayed in this little corner of Paradise. As long as it is broadly legal and does not interfere with anyone else, in the main, anything goes. For many of its present day expat population, with its heady mix of faith, culture, colour and sexuality, it takes time to get used to not being judged. Maybe this stems from the time, it is said, when Spain’s General Franco, intolerant of gay men in the military, would ship them off to Gran Canaria, which became a kind of penal colony for homosexuals. www.barriemahoney.com and www.thecanaryislander.com
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BarrieMahoney created a boo
22 February 2012
play0:00 / 4:57I admit to being a proud European. Although English born and bred, and I still love the United Kingdom, including Scotland if it remains ... -
BarrieMahoney created a boo
22 February 2012
play0:00 / 4:22The World recession has claimed the hopes and dreams of many expats, as well as local people. Many expats who finally achieved their dre... -
BarrieMahoney created a boo
22 February 2012
play0:00 / 5:11A recent announcement by the Chinese Government to axe more than two-thirds of prime time light entertainment shows and replace them with... -
BarrieMahoney created a boo
22 February 2012
play0:00 / 5:08Many of us have fallen out with credit cards. Individually, as well as nationally and globally, we can now see that being encouraged to s... -
BarrieMahoney created a boo
22 February 2012
play0:00 / 4:20Expats in many countries, and particularly those in Spain, Portugal and France, will quickly discover many wonderful bakeries. Forget the... -
BarrieMahoney created a boo
19 February 2012
play0:00 / 4:18As many Canary Islander residents and visitors already know, Carnival is celebrated with a passion in every major town in each of the sev... -
BarrieMahoney commented on a boo
28 August 2011
324.101“Regular readers of ‘Twitters’ may recall that an emaciated, flea ridden and sickly kitten burst into my life last year, and a number of readers have been asking about what happened to him... www.barriemahoney.com and www.thecanaryislander.com” -
BarrieMahoney commented on a boo
16 July 2011
1723.45Barrie Mahoney - BBC Radio Solent Interview with Charlie Crocker
almost 2 years ago1310790688
““Journeys and Jigsaws” is the title of the first of a series of novels by Barrie Mahoney. Although not autobiographical, the book draws upon many of the incidents that Barrie experienced as teacher, headteacher, school inspector and journalist. 'Journeys and Jigsaws' follows the early career of a young headteacher, James Young, and his appointment to a village school in crisis. The novel deals with the many challenges and hard won successes faced in increasing pupil numbers and bringing the school back to financial viability, as well as keeping the villagers happy. Glimpses of easy going village school life in the days before the National Curriculum and school tests, include the chaos caused in the village when James decided to remove the school stage, a near riot when the school swimming pool is closed. However, there is support for James from a surprising source when his own personal life hits crisis point. The novel also deals with entrenched attitudes and misunderstandings relating to HIV/AIDS and public expectation of professional people living and working in a parochial and inward looking community in the 1980’s. 'Journeys and Jigsaws' explores the complex relationships between people who do not fit into society’s expectation of them. Lies, suppressed feelings and desires in a remote, feudal village are exposed, leaving many hurt, betrayed and broken. The book chronicles the attempts of the main characters to achieve self worth and to become part of this backward looking society, despite being different. The book also reflects on how most people are different to each other, and celebrates these challenges. 'Journeys and Jigsaws' by Barrie Mahoney. ISBN: 9781843865384” -
BarrieMahoney commented on a boo
16 July 2011
1723.45Barrie Mahoney - BBC Radio Solent Interview with Charlie Crocker
almost 2 years ago1310790688
“Barrie's interview with Charlie Crocker on her BBC Radio Solent show about his first popular novel, 'Journeys and Jigsaws'. ” -
BarrieMahoney commented on a boo
08 July 2011
254.093“Do you dream of a better life, more money, less pressure at work, sunshine, beaches and blue skies? How can you achieve your dream? Living the Dream is for those who plan to escape to another country, another climate and another lifestyle. It is a dream of opening a new chapter in life and to expose the reader to a new culture, a new pace and perhaps a new language. Living the Dream paints a picture of Barrie's real life experiences on an island in the Atlantic. Experiences that turn out to be hilarious, frustrating, unbelievable and heart warming, which are meant to entertain and amuse, as well as to encourage and support. www.barriemahoney.com and www.thecanaryislander.com ” -
BarrieMahoney commented on a boo
04 July 2011
175.151“In the late 1980’s, Prior’s Hill is a quiet village community that has secrets. Secrets that threaten the lives of the people that live in this rural retreat. James Young, the head teacher of the village school, has to deal with a tragedy that will tear the village apart. As these secrets unravel, James attempts to thread together pieces of information to learn about what is really happening behind the closed doors in this charming, picturesque setting. However, the secrets that are unveiled, lead him to discover threats to significant people in the village and to the very community itself. Is James able to cope with the mysterious and strange events that are unfolding in front of him? Is he emotionally stable enough to deal with everyone else’s confidence in him to find a solution to the crisis? Can James tell the difference between reality and fantasy in the community he lives in? How can impossible events be explained and will forces of evil result in murder? Threads and Threats is a fast moving, intriguing and exciting crime thriller. We see what we believe, but should we believe what we see when someone is insanely intent on murder? Publication date: July 28 2011 For more information go to: www.barriemahoney.com ” -
BarrieMahoney commented on a boo
04 July 2011
275.644'Threads and Threats' - An extract from Chapter One - Barrie Mahoney
almost 2 years ago1309779789
“In the late 1980’s, Prior’s Hill is a quiet village community that has secrets. Secrets that threaten the lives of the people that live in this rural retreat. James Young, the head teacher of the village school, has to deal with a tragedy that will tear the village apart. As these secrets unravel, James attempts to thread together pieces of information to learn about what is really happening behind the closed doors in this charming, picturesque setting. However, the secrets that are unveiled, lead him to discover threats to significant people in the village and to the very community itself. Is James able to cope with the mysterious and strange events that are unfolding in front of him? Is he emotionally stable enough to deal with everyone else’s confidence in him to find a solution to the crisis? Can James tell the difference between reality and fantasy in the community he lives in? How can impossible events be explained and will forces of evil result in murder? Threads and Threats is a fast moving, intriguing and exciting crime thriller. We see what we believe, but should we believe what we see when someone is insanely intent on murder? Publication date: July 28 2011. For more information: www.barriemahoney.com ” -
BarrieMahoney commented on a boo
04 July 2011
290.691"It's hot up my barranco!" - 'Twitters from the Atlantic'
almost 2 years ago1309779262
““Phew, it’s hot up my barranco today, darling,” gasped Miranda as she staggered down the street carrying two large and heavy bags of clattering bottles from the local supermarket. Before you get too carried away by imagining a doctor about to don a pair of surgical gloves for some emergency female probing, I should explain that Miranda is one of the village’s more colourful characters. She is a school assistant in one of the less classy private schools by day and a tattooist by night. I once asked if there was any conflict of interest between her two jobs. She screeched loudly in my ear, before resting her mug of gin on top of my car. www.barriemahoney.com and www.thecanaryislander.com” -
BarrieMahoney commented on a boo
22 June 2011
265.247“"My eye was drawn to a young man in a wheelchair being pushed by an elderly woman from the arrivals lounge and into the main airport corridor. He looked painfully thin, with a pallid unhealthy looking skin, and his frail body was strapped into his wheelchair. An elderly man followed the wheelchair, pushing several suitcases on one of the airport trolleys. It was clear that these passengers did not travel light. I immediately recognised the Welsh accent as being from the valleys when the elderly woman began speaking to the young man. However, I could not decide whether the elderly couple accompanying the young man were his elderly parents or grandparents." www.barriemahoney.com and www.thecanaryislander.com” -
BarrieMahoney commented on a boo
22 June 2011
310.753“"I have been a vegetarian for many years. I was a vegetarian when it was seen as cranky, receiving comments such as, “Are you sure you can live without meat?” to the time when vegetarianism became the thing for weight loss, or as a declaration by students, mainly to annoy their parents. It then became fashionable to be vegetarian, later it was definitely for the health conscious and now vegetarianism is seen as the way to conserve the world’s scarce food resources. My personal reason for becoming vegetarian so many years ago was very simple; I like animals and I do not wish to eat my friends." www.barriemahoney.com and www.thecanaryislander.com” -
BarrieMahoney followed Adam Howard
26 July 2010

BarrieMahoney commented on a boo
24 June 2012
Live and Let Live - 'Twitters from the Atlantic'
BarrieMahoney
11 months ago1340536756