A chance encounter in Asda sparks a daily diary of Cwmbran Life, funded by a reader’s generous coffee money.
Jeanette’s kindness gave me an idea. I plan to write a daily diary, and it will cover the funny things that happen running Cwmbran Life.
After a year, I will make it an ebook. I’ll sell it for a small price with no plans to move to Benidorm!
Here’s an extract from February 23, 2025. I was hunting for chicken kievs when a woman said she liked Cwmbran Life. I chatted with her, and she mentioned her kids went to my school, adding that people enjoy the stories.
Kind words make leaving Asda hard. Tea would be late that day because talking to people is the best thing.
I revealed a secret to her, a crazy plan for Cwmbran Life, something only my wife and daughter knew before. Jeanette wanted to buy me coffee, but couldn’t online. I should stay a journalist, not a spy.
She gave me five pounds for coffee. I almost refused it, but I accepted because it’s a story for my diary. At 4:10 pm, I drank cappuccino at Coffee #1 and started the first diary entry. I wonder about tomorrow.
Ben Black is 48 and a quarter years old. The secret must stay secret!