A traditionalist’s values are gleaned from all that is good in the past.

Those with traditional sense will follow what their heart tells them is right.

Believe in something important. Pursue it wholeheartedly.

A man is biologically incapable of giving ‘the look’.

Life is a wonderfully fine thing. Go live it.

Nurture a desire to be free from the clock.

Character and purpose are directly linked to confidence and conviction. What links them? Courage – to be oneself, no matter what others might say.

Walk free from the long shadows cast by small people.

Friends can create our most cherished memories.

Have a dream in your head and a fire in your heart.

Being gentle doesn’t stop us fighting for our dreams.

The act of fishing – for fish, dreams or whatever magic is available – is enough.

Find a part of yourself hidden in the twilight.

We have the freedom of choice, to choose what’s right.

Enjoy the contented silence.

You need to be outdoors. Away from here. You need a holiday.

There’s always an opportunity to fish for something – even if it’s just for laughs or ideas.

In with the new, out with the old.’ That’s what we’re told. We have to change, adapt, compromise.

Change, it seems, is inevitable. And so is compromise.

Things today ‘sure ain’t like they used to be’. They’ve changed, moved on, progressed.

Seek and see beauty in the watery world.

Reveal the timeless beauty of Nature’s special places.

Study the nature around you, but also within you.

Workdays are, I imagine, rather like learning to ice-skate Torvill and Dean’s The Bolero. They start and end easily enough; it’s the bit in the middle that causes the pain in the arse.

Catching fish is secondary to the immeasurable joys of the watery world.

Seek a slower, simpler life.

Be seasonal, ethical and gentle.

I’m likely to stay here, pen in hand, until dusk comes and my writing melts into the twilight.

As the daydreams grew longer, the distinction between what was real and what was imaginary grew less. Soon I existed in a blissful world of my own creation.

The world grows ever complex. More urban. Less peaceful.

You need energy and purpose to become the person you’re destined to be.

Stand up for your beliefs, and be different.

Compromise is a choice. As is the defence of one’s self.

Have courage to go your own way and fulfil the dreams that are unique and important to you.

There’s merit in being different, inspiration in being individual, courage in being unique, and freedom in being yourself.

People might consider you eccentric for being different, but this is good. Leaders and visionaries are not conformists afraid of standing out.

What I am interested in, what I write and care about, exists in the slow lane, somewhere between hand-ploughed fields and a pint of real ale.

Reality is in the ether, a blend of present-day experiences infused with one’s memories and dreams. A life that is real to one is surreal to another.

Reality is just a matter of perception.

Fine Things are reservoirs for the heart.

It is possible to be happy and successful by living on one’s own terms.

The bright light of brilliance keeps the darkness away, but it can be so very exhausting.

I’m a classic eccentric, living at the extremes of high mania and low mood. There’s no middle ground, only madness and sadness.

Eyesight can be so blinding. We need to look beyond the face of things.

There’s no such thing as writer’s block, so long as you’ve had plenty of time to think about what you want to write.

Individuality and creativity are slowly dampened by a normal job with normal people.

I admit to being prone to deep thinking, which – given that I’m emerging from dark times – can take me to some very sombre or profound places. But this is no bad thing. I always resurface wiser and with a way of viewing things that is different to before.

The greatest moments of creativity come in absolute solitude, when one’s mind is free from distraction and able to probe the depths of the impossible.

I like working among ‘creative clutter’. It gives me a sense of activity and achievement.

Doing nothing can be as rewarding as doing something. And doing very little can be as productive, in a creative sense, as doing a lot.

The process of creation begins way before one starts writing.

Soar to heights where you may view the world from a new perspective.

I needed some space to lay myself out, so that I could decide which pieces I wanted to pick up.

Time is not something to be killed. Doing so suffocates a part of us, writing off part of our life that could, or rather should, be spent doing something meaningful.

Life can be impossibly tough. At times it seems like there is no escape from either the pressure or monotony of a world where you are corralled into being something or someone you are not. But there is an escape, to more peaceful and gentler places, and a happier state of mind.

We are so blinkered by progress, so preoccupied with where we want to go and how fast we can travel, that many of us have lost the ability to simply ‘stop’.

Imagination is the real magic that exists in this world. Look inwards, to see outwards. And capture it in writing.

In the dream world, anything is possible. It requires a fertile imagination, and a desire to explore the half-light between the known and the unknown.

A consultant: someone brought in to build a one-handled wheelbarrow.

Life. It’s about adventure, of having a dream and following it.

Eventually, after much dreaming, the dream no longer suffices. You have to physically be there.

Sentiments, as I have found, can be harvested from places where our memories are fondest.

Time alone can help us to look inward, to fish for things that others can’t see.

Be confident enough to show your true self to the world.

A person has to be comfortable in his or her own skin.

There’s no point pretending to be someone or something we’re not.

We should be authentic: the ‘real deal’. Neither a clone nor mimic be.

I keep on dreaming, but to find freedom, one must first search inwards.

Time alone helps us to remember who we are.

If we have faith, then we can see the beauty around us. If we don’t then we are just blind followers, not knowing why we are on the path.

You gotta look backwards to go forwards.

The past informs the present.

Preserve the spirit of a ‘lost’ age, when time moved slower.

Recent generations seem to consider ‘old-fashioned’ thinking as out-dated and without place in the modern world. I beg to differ. After all, who has greater faith? He who looks to and learns from the past, or the man who cares not for consequence?

Only the present exists. The past is gone, and the future has not yet happened. There is only ever time present.

Dive deep and make your discovery.

Water creates so much beauty, life and mystery.

Water is intrinsically linked to the mystery and excitement of discovering new worlds.

As a child I would play with such imagination that the ‘real’ world was never real at all. It was full of mystery, adventure and possibility.

Often I have found myself gazing up at clouds – yesterday’s seas and tomorrow’s streams – to think of them as floating on an ultraviolet sea, beyond which is the infinity of space that presents so much wonder and so many questions.

Having a fishing rod in your hand is merely an excuse to explore out-of-sight depths and reveal mysteries that previously only existed in dreams.

It’s the wonderment of water that makes it so appealing: thoughts of what’s beneath the surface, or out there beyond a watery horizon.

Having a ‘taste for life’ is about knowing its various flavours and awaiting the next meal.

Some will say that searching for your dreams is like looking for unicorns in an emerald forest.

Be oblivious to city high-rises, work-related stress and microwave popcorn.

You can escape completely, seeking an alternative life, or you can play the game and go absent without leave. How you do it is up to you.

There is a difference between ‘off-limits’ and those places you can visit without getting caught.

I’ve made it my mission to discover that which is off the beaten track. Somewhere in the undergrowth of the impossible.

I’ll be off exploring, searching for those out-of-bounds places where dreams exist.

Breathe deeply, focus your thoughts, and say out loud, “The quest begins here.

To sit on the stile would be to continue a familiar existence. To cross the stile would be to begin something new.

My tent doesn’t look like much but, as an estate agent might say, “It is air-conditioned and has exceptional location.

Life in the wild, as I’m observing, is about survival as much as pleasure.

The promise of adventure is often more exciting than the adventure itself.

To see more than a reflection requires us to filter what we see, to view the world with honest eyes.

Choice and perception are closely linked. They are unique, personal and emotional.

Wear your heart on your sleeve. Write about what you think and feel. And share it with your friends.

Michelin Star? I’d rather chew a French rubber tyre.

Yearn for the opposite, to buck the trend, to be different.

Be individual, break free from the flock to avoid the predictable midsummer haircut.

There comes a time when you just have to say, “No!” – to the requests and to the system.

Choice is the mortar that binds together the things that make us who we are.

Disconnect from society’s pressure to conform. Do things your own way.

Freedom within is embodied in things as well as people. Like coins tossed into a wishing well, they contain our hopes and dreams.

Rural and traditional escapism. That’s my angle. Places and events where we are free to relax and be ourselves, where nobody tells us to hurry along or conform or grow up. Somewhere we can properly live.

Don’t lose yourself in the fog of normality.

Playing safe, hiding among the masses, will rarely get you noticed.

It’s better to be individual than a clone of someone else.

The things we place greatest value upon are prioritised by their context in our lives.

Live humbly and for the moment.

Leaps of faith tend to favour those with long legs.

Old buildings whisper to us in the creaking of floorboards and rattling of windowpanes.

It’s not always best to know what’s going on beneath the surface.

Think about it: send SLASH receive. Email is the frenzied killer of proper communication.

Creative people need strong encouragement.

Nature or nurture? A talent needs both.

Everything from the humble woodlouse to specks of dust moving through a ray of sunlight. Each tells a story.

Confront the page that taunts you with its whiteness. Face your enemy and fill it with words. You are bigger and stronger than a piece of paper.

Writing ink is the magic that allows nothing to become something. It catches the fleeting idea and seeks out the glances of those who wish to see. Even a random ink splat will mean something to someone.

Look back, but never look down.

The pen that was once a gift has come to represent all that I hope to achieve.

Never interrupt an author when he or she is ‘in the zone’, else you’ll understand the real meaning of ‘writer’s nib’.

Being an author is to have a toe in the creative pool and a foot in the vat of commerce.

Editing one’s writing is as easy as lighting a match while riding a bicycle.

If a pen can communicate our thoughts, dreams, and emotions and be the voice of our soul, then ink is the medium that carries the message.

I am happiest sitting against a tree, with my notebook or sketchpad on my knee, capturing the moment.

When sitting down to write a letter, it always pays to calm one’s mood, collect one’s thoughts, and have a plan.

Putting pen to paper without first deciding the route and pace at which to scribe is like setting off on a bicycle without first checking the tyres.

Writers who copy or plagiarise others are dreaming in another man’s sleep.

I’m pretty sure I’m the only author who intends to take the longest possible route to a destination that will always be over the next hill.

I write into an old book that smells of dust and whose pages are floppy with damp. Sometimes the ink splodges onto the paper, other times it will barely leave the nib of my pen.

Rarely will I write indoors, even if it means getting wet during rain, or my hands numb in winter.

A pen that has clocked up a million words, a lifetime’s memories, is worth more than the centrepiece in a jeweller’s window.

Where the writing takes place doesn’t matter to a publisher, but it matters a great deal to the author.

What compels me to write now is the same as all those years ago. It is the love of writing and storytelling, driven by a desire to escape.

Be patient, persistent and above all, believe.

The greatest gifts are those that say, “I know you”.

We seek not for forgiveness, but the freedom and time to do more than ‘exist’.

Angling is a sport, so sporting ethics should apply.

Smile, tip your traditional hat, and enjoy your time by the water.

The speed of modern life is an oppressive thing, and the corporate world is quick to punish those with an honest heart. Qualities such as ‘nice, honest, kind, happy, relaxed, sincere, innocent’ are frowned upon as weaknesses. Yet these values are the essence of a good person. Unfortunately, if you don’t keep the balance, they can be lost like sand through your fingers.

If ever the adventure proves tiring, or you lose sight of your dream, look to the west at sunset. There, on days when the skies are clear, you might see upon the horizon a thin layer of amber mist. When it appears, you will know its purpose: it is the mist of believing.

Eight months in the woods have hardened me, or at least firmed up my beliefs that if a man’s going to fend for himself, then he needs to leave his credit card at home.

Most of us, at some time or other, get sucked into the lifeless vacuum of work; the cogs of the corporate machine that we keep turning until one day, when we depart this Earth, we may earn the word ‘lubricant’ on our headstone.

I wasn’t born to fetch, or sit, or accept a beating. I’m here to be me, to write, and know my purpose.

It’s ironic that those who lack self-confidence are often the ones who find it hardest to say no.

We are all Clapping Monkeys, but while some of us smile, others look around to see if anyone has noticed.

Why should we change that which makes us unique?

The thing that matters most is what matters to you, not anybody else.

If, like me, you suffer from lack of self-confidence you’ll know that the term is made up of two conflicting words, and that confidence isn’t easily found in the self.

A man can never be truly free when he knows that he is neglecting his duties elsewhere.

We all need to believe in something, a dream that gives us optimism and faith.

Our best canvas is all around us, in everything we touch and do.

If we spend enough time dreaming, then the dream might eventually become real.

Dreams free us from normality. Daydreams, especially, take us somewhere between the real world and the dream world.

Progress isn’t always good. There’s a reason why ‘breakneck speed’ is described as such.

Enjoy being you. Have fun. And be different.

A man can never have too many books. Neither can he have too many fountain pens, hats, fishing rods, waistcoats, tea caddies, paintings or whatever helps him to feel at home in his surroundings and communicate his personality to the world.

Proudly buck the trend. Dare to be different.

Be batty, be traditional, and be proud.

Take a step back and view the world through your eyes, not someone else’s. Listen to your heart and decide what you really want.

There is a fine line between fair criticism and jealous assault.

Publish a book before you’re too old to read it without glasses.

Writing with a biro is the emotional equivalent of giving your loved one a plastic rose on Valentine’s Day.

Proper writing ink comes in a bottle, can be swirled like brandy in a glass, and smells like apple blossom after rain.

As with writing by candlelight, one’s greatest ideas come from ‘the flickering’ between darkness and light.

Committing your thoughts and feelings to words is like putting your soul on a plate and hoping the diners will like what they eat.

Every layer of complexity creates greater distance from life’s simple truths.

To not use a talent to the best of your ability is to stifle the thing that makes you most special. It is like plucking the wings off a butterfly.

Books are the most important of all my possessions. They capture the thoughts, feelings, dreams and lives of their authors, welcoming us into their worlds and inspiring us to emulate their adventures.

Listen to your heart, not your head.

Traditional angling is a mindset. So,have you set your mind?

As an angler and a gardener, I cherish each drop of rain that falls.

One cannot help but identify with the life-giving quality of water, not just to quench our thirst, but for our emotional and spiritual wellbeing.

Lake water, even when boiled, has an effect on my digestive system similar to the movement of a hangman’s trapdoor.

Organic life cannot be far from water.

If I can’t garden in it, then I won’t wear it.

Satnav will get us quickly and all-too-predictably from A to B, but the path of life is more interesting when we’re allowed to explore the side streets.

There comes a time in one’s life, perhaps in middle age, when we stop and assess who we are, and the life we have.

Sounds simple, doesn’t it, this notion of simplicity? Simple things done simply by a simple person. But it’s not as simple as it seems.

December, being the last month of the year, cannot help but make us think of what is to come.

You have to feel the bite of the wind to appreciate the warmth of a winter coat.

It is the quietening of the day that most appeals.

Stop – Unplug – Escape – Enjoy.’ This is the message of the Priory, and the key to enjoying a peaceful and rewarding life.

It is possible to escape the complexities, challenges and pace of modern life. All we have to do is close our eyes and picture a quiet world where time moves slowly.

The speed of modern life is an oppressive thing, and the corporate world is quick to punish those with an honest heart.

Isolation serves as the ideal antidote to the bone-aching stresses of work.

The ever-increasing weight of responsibilities that enmeshes our lives keeps us locked into the system. We become the pulse that keeps the beast alive, but the cost is our own lives. The natural world around us shrinks, crushed beneath the suffocating might of work.

Identity and self-belief: a courage that swells from within, borne of waters drunk deeply.

Cherish the moment and the time in which you live.

I dropped my gardening tools, threw my bicycle over a hedge and went in search of fortunes laid beneath the hangman’s noose.

Being here is such a contrast to where I’d otherwise be.

A traditional Englishman drinks tea to the point where his blood has long-since been replaced with an infusion of Ceylon, Assam, and Darjeeling.

We have a calling: a need to be close to Nature, where she may cleanse our souls and wash away the stresses of yesterday. It is emotional recompense for the cost of living.

Savour a slow-paced contented life.

I wish for a simple life.

Leaving the rat race is easy. All you have to do is quit your job, sell your house, and go and live in a tent in the middle of nowhere. It’s staying out of the rat race that’s tricky.

I like to start slowly, and then ease up as the day progresses.

Status: the perpetual carrot that entices us from the front and prods us in the back.

There’s no such thing as ‘not enough time’ out here in the woods. I don’t even have a watch. Time is my own, categorised as nothing more than ‘morning, afternoon, evening and night’.

It is this brighter side, the romantic side, the emotional side, that appeals to me.

Angling is just a way of relaxing and escaping in the countryside.

It was a country life, a precious existence.

We get so used to the gregarious nature of our towns and villages that we forget how crowded our existence has become.

The only person to blame for your situation is you.