That’s gone quick, and once again, the run-up to Christmas has descended just as “unexpectedly” as in previous years. However, my cards are on my desk ready for writing at the start of next week. And right now, I am savouring the lingering taste of a “Korai curry” which came highly recommended at my favourite Indian eatery which I like to frequent around every ten days.
Some weeks ago, I had volunteered to “man” a Christmas stall today, believing it would take place in a church hall or similar indoor venue. Only a week ago would I discover that this would be a part of the main (windswept and rained out) Buxton Market. And thankfully, the organisers chose to call it a day when I turned up with Tom to run the stall for 90 minutes. That wind was merciless as coverings blew away in defeat. A light lunch then became the order of the day. Tom continued his weekly stewarding commitment at St. Anne’s; I went home, achieving next to nothing, except watching Netflix for an hour or three, and some extraordinarily rare railway footage on YouTube. How can I say I’m not a fan of modern technology. It’s astonishing what is available; if I wish to hear a Beethoven concerto, or look at images of anywhere, anything from any time, it is usually available on YouTube (but not always!) And I would never have written 684 “essays” or blogs which, if they don’t become irrevocably buried, should make interesting reading decades from now. Maybe they won’t; the writings of, e.g., soldiers in WW1 are of infinitely superior quality, and of much more intricate detail than any of my efforts.
It was my neighbour over the road who, back in late 2017 encouraged me to write a blog charting a World Voyage on board R.M.S Queen Mary 2 in January 2018. Initially, I wasn’t keen on the idea; but was intending to keep a conventional diary of this trip of a lifetime. The beauty of a blog, however, is that it can be followed by anybody who wishes to, as and when published. Also, I could include photographs. Writing blogs from home is quite straightforward. But, my first writings were from on board ship, which is not so straightforward as internet connection and reliability is reminiscent of the vagaries of short wave radio, on which, as a small boy, I would be fascinated by the fading in and out of foreign broadcasts I could pick up on an old Bush wireless. The melody of the Russian national anthem remains etched in my memory to this day. I digress! I would use my new skills as a blogger just for travels to far away places and other notable events. Arriving back to the first lock-down of the current pandemic struck me as a “notable event.” The only trouble is, almost 21 months later, the “event” is far from over. Will it ever be? It seems that every effort to return to normality is thwarted by the advent of a new variant. And like winter storms, these variants get christened with weird names. Omicron! Nobody seems to know the correct pronunciation. And I haven’t yet managed to create a pun on Omicron. There’s one in there somewhere!
So endeth what I understand is my 684th blog. The daily “stats” tell me that even when I don’t write, there is a small number of visitors and views, which I find encouraging. My voyage to the Caribbean in January is still running. It will make for more interesting writing, and I shall be thankful to be venturing to warmer climes in the not too distant future.
Many thanks for reading; I shall write at least once before December 25th. In the unlikely event of this not happening, Happy Christmas to you all. Best wishes, David. 5/12/21 00.27hrs.
David's Cruise 