Ten Years

Ten years ago this week, I was sacked as an ADR driver at a chemical company in Great Yarmouth. It could have spent the end for my life in the tiny terrace house I shared with Molly.

In the end it opened up a new world that lead me to the North Sea, Indonesia, Kazakhstan and meeting Jools, moving to Kent and starting life in the offshore wind industry. So, for the first time in ten years, here is my account, poorly written, but with most spelling mistake corrected.

10th November 2006

Well, I guess I am getting used to the idea of a new job, and being away from home for long periods. I can't believe that something good has actually happened, and if I had not got sacked from the chemical company, I would not have found this job, and I would be as depressed as I ever was; and judging from what I hear, working maybe 18 hours a day!

Well, I guess I fell on my feet this time, and I get to travel around the world to boot!

Life will certainly change over the upcoming months, and i guess that is something to be pleased about. Jools is coming up to celebrate with me, and to discuss the future; but at the moment I know little more than I did this morning; in an infinite universe, anything is possible. Including a trip to Japan and maybe later, Peru, and just being happy. Not too much to ask for, is it?

I just wish I could share this joy to everyone I know, 'cos it's a great feeling!

Monday November 13th 2006

Well, firm news on what the job may entail; it seems like I being training in two weeks time; some kind of course. What that means is that I will have to take Miss Molly, my kitty, to stay with Jools this weekend.

Up to now it has just been the idea of the job, not what it actually means. Now this means that I have to make real choices, and the reality is really hitting home. Saying that, I am sure she will settle down, and from then on it should all be positive things in our lives, with hopefully time and money to be able to travel. What is clear, is that it is going to be very different from the chemical company, which is not a bad thing.

So, for most of the day, just been enjoying a life of leisure, and watching last nights Steelers game, and then the Giants/Bears game on tape.

Oh, and drinking plenty of coffee made with the egg nog I made over the weekend; man, that is damn good coffee!

Tuesday November 14th 2006

I guess today is the day in which the reality of the whole new job and life kinda hit home. And it is more than a little scary. And although it is the great unknown, and I thought more than once not to do it; I would always be thinking what if...? So, I now have details of the course, or the first course I have to do; a week away in Southampton, learning about the basics of life on ship, which mainly seems to be putting out fires and first aid; well, I am so trained in that already; so no fears there.

My main concern is the cat; my cat, Molly. I know when you weigh up everything, to think of the wellbeing of one small kitty, it should not make much difference. But, I look at it like this; I chose her in the pound, gave her a home, and she is so very happy here, especially when I’m not working; that to uproot her from all this seems cruel. But, if there were an alternative; another job offer, better prospects around here, then it would be a no brainer.

But, Lowestoft is a dying town, of the three big employers left; one is closing down for good by next March, another, Birds Eye has been taken over, and there are dark rumours about it's future, and the last makes accommodation modules for gas rigs, an industry which is shrinking as the supplies in the north sea run out. Where does that leave the rest of us? Working in shops? Although it is a job I have done before, and like; the average wage for a shop assistant is around £6 an hour; the average house price around here is well into six figures; hell, even my little terraced house would fetch £100,000, and my wage at the chemical place would not get a mortgage for half that. What chance does anyone have of getting on the housing ladder? Or even being able to survive?

What it comes down to is a choice without a choice. Take the job, or face an unknown period of unemployment, and no way to pay the mortgage or the bills, and losing the house, maybe moving back with Mother; or even worse.

So, I take Molly down to Jools's on Saturday, and stay there for a few days until she hopefully settles in, and then onto the course. From then on, I guess I will be spending most of my time either at work or at Jools's, which means less and less time at home; and it will feel strange. I guess I had gotten used to my little house, with my kitty, and as i said before, my travelling day were long gone; as George says 'Shows what I know!'

I guess the future is unknown, and we go forward with at least our eyes open, and embrace the chances it gives us. I was just not prepared for so many big changes so soon.

Thursday November 16th 2006

As time draws near for my life to change, my thoughts have turned to those who for some reason I have written to over the years, and they have drifted away. I am sure I have done this to other people, but not to those i thought I had made a connection with.

I went online in March 2001, and first of all registered with E-Pals.com, and made several friends around the world; in fact a couple of them i still write to now. But most, drifted away. One, the first was someone living in upstate New York, in the Adirondacks, and for a few months, we wrote, and then, nothing. She would not be the last.

Kate lived in the Carolinas, and we even met when she came over; all seemed fine. Now, I know there are reasons for her not writing now; she met a sailor some years her junior, and they married within a couple of weeks, so she does have a new life in Norfolk.

In the past year, I made friends, or thought I did, with people from Prince Edward Island, the Deep South as well as from England and Holland. Most of them would write several times a week; they had all gone through messy separations, and wanted someone to talk to. But, it seems when their lives got back on track, the needed online friends no more, and just stopped. I find it hard to accept that people would just use someone else just as an emotional crutch, and at times it has hurt, when in my mind I did nothing wrong.

Maybe it was me? I have led a fairly dull life these few years; well, with the exception of waiting to go to Iraq, and the trip last year across the States, and this adventure in the post-military world. This in no way is a reflection on those I still write to; but even some of those, from Denver, France just write occasionally, and the gaps are getting longer. Maybe it's the fact that my life is moving on; I have a long term partner now, hopefully have a great job. I know that one has her own problems, with an unemployed husband and difficult home life. And another has had a life I thought only existed in fiction, drunken, drug addicted husband, drug addicted children, looking after their children whilst their parents got through countless programs. And still she is the most upbeat person I ever talked to.

I guess the net gives us an insight into others’ lives, and that is something we would never have gotten anywhere else. After September 11, the survivors stories swept around the web, with friends of friends stories being forwarded on, and for those thousands of miles away, being able to get a grasp on how big it was. I mean, I saw the pictures on TV, but it still looks like a movie. But it those words I will always remember.

I can't promise how good an internet friend I will be from this point on; I have thought seriously about cancelling my account, as I thought I did not need to go online any more. Well, I think too much of my friends, and their lives; and i could not stop wondering if her husband found a job, or another did leave her husband and meet up with her on line best friend and make the move; or any of the other stories and the people behind them.

Thanks to all those I have written to, and to those I still do. Having met a few of my online friends; I know that they are more than e mail addys and buddies, and that there are real lives behind them, and to be without them my life would be far duller. To those that stopped writing, just to know why would be nice, even if I was told, like I was, that I was opinionated and had a closed mind, and no wonder I did not keep my friends; maybe she was right?

I wish nobody ill, and I hope that those I have lost contact with, or have moved on, that they found the happiness they were looking for. To those with whom i still write; I will try to be as good a friend as time allows, and hopefully we can move to the future still as friends. It's an infinite universe out there, with limitless possibilities, and as long as you can stand my bad spelling and grammar, we'll do fine.

Thursday 16th November 2006

On Tuesday, I went to the city for some retail therapy; I mainly bought some Christmas presents for friends, and just wandered around with Pat. In the afternoon, we went to see The Prestige; which was just wonderful. It recounts a tail about two rival magicians, and what they did to try to outdo each other, and rubbish each others acts. The film looked wonderful, and the film mirrored the three parts of a trick itself described. The leads, Christian bales and Hugh Jackman were great, with able support from Michael Caine playing himself again, as a trick designer. Scarlet Johanson played a slinky assistant, and they weaved a well crafted story that brought jealousy and envy into play, and the dark roads that they can lead. David Bowie played, well, himself, doing an odd accent, kinda like the one Pete Pothelthwite (sp?) did in the Usual Suspects an an electrical genius called Tesla, and gollum, sorry Andy Surkis played his assistant. And the film ended in two great twists, and was as wonderful as the tricks the films had shown. Two thumbs up from me.

Last night, Jackko hysteria held sway in London as the self proclaimed King of Pop was scheduled to play his first songs live in 11 years. He was as mad as ever, and even though his fans were the majority of the audience, he did just one verse of Heal the World and three lines of We Are The World. And he revealed that is youngest child might be called Blanket. Which is fine. But, an opportunity missed there to repay his fans' loyalty, and begin a new chapter in his life. Why did we think it would have been any different.

Yesterday, whilst waiting for the tsunami to hit Japan, with live pictures, Fox News announced that it had an interview with OJ and about his book, IF I did it.... Am I alone in thinking this is as creepy, and that shame on the network and publisher on letting him make money off this; either he did it, or not, his children have the right to know, but not like this on what ifs and maybes. At least her we only have to put up with Squire Madonna and her hubby and their plans to close the countryside around their country estate.

Trying to think if I should head to see 007 tomorrow or maybe wait until next week and the fuss has died down. Maybe next week.....

Monday November 20th 2006

Well, it's been quite a few days; and quite where to begin is something.

Well, I had a medical on Friday, and the upshot is the doctor was not happy about my weight, and has said that he will have to put restrictions on my certificate, and it will only be valid for 3 months. It all came as a shock to me, as the company said that weight and fitness would be no problem, in fact a lot of the guys on the boats are big. So, I am still waiting to hear if the medical will be a problem, and whether they will accept me working for them with such restrictions. The upshot of it is that I did not go back to Kent with Jools, and Molly is still here, as it seemed wrong to move her if the job was not a sure thing. If all is well, I am off to Jools's on Thursday, and staying there to help Molly settle in before going on to Southampton for the course. So, our weekend was a little different from what we thought it would be, and we just did some gentle things, did some talking, and just relaxed, as best we could. We went for a long walk beside the sea on Saturday, which is always wonderful, and collected some colourful stones from the low tide mark, and i took some more pictures, which came out well thanks to the wonderful weather. Yesterday, I took Jools back down to London in the car, so she could take the train back home, as the plan was to have driven there in my car.

I feel stunned to be honest; I thought the job was secure, and I had planned to change my whole life for it, and get others to change theirs too. Now, if it not all that secure, I am feeling more than a little let down, but at least I have found out about it now. As to what I will do if the job falls through, I'm not sure, but I think it could involve selling the house and moving to Kent; not ideal, but I am sure as i can be that Jools and I would be happy together, and finding work there should not be too difficult.

Oh, this is not how it was supposed to work out, and it all feels so flat.

20th November 2006

Not quite sure what category this comes under, but music seems to be the best fit. Jools bought me an I-Pod this weekend, and now I am downloading tracks onto it, and realising that it is, in fact, cleverer than me. Connect it to the computer, and watch it take the thing over, closing down all applications it don't like. And then there is the zen-like instructions, that make an Ikea assembly look well written, Talk about minimal! Well, I think I have it sorted now, and just have to work out some playlists; but it looks wonderful, great design, and it just has to work. The fact it takes over 7 minutes to convert WMA files to it's own apple files is annoying, and the fact I have been doing this for some 14 hours now, and still not done. Just glad it's a nano not a 40gig monster. Still, then i will have 2000 songs with me wherever I go. As long as the files are not copyright protected, of course.

For what i am listening to, take it as everything, not now, but if it works, well, could be anything.

21st November 2006

Just finished uploading tunes into i-tunes, and now the i pod is updating itself; it seems to know what it wants, and for now I MUST NOT DISCONNECT; so that's me told! It also seems to have downloaded all the photos from 'my pictures' file, which i did not ask it to do, and it did anyway. It must have liked them. Still waiting to actually hear a song on the i pod, hoping that when it's satisfied with what music I uploaded, maybe we could go for a walk as it's a wonderful day out there, again.

Still no news from either the agency or the company about the medical thing; and now I am in a couldn't care less mood to be honest. If it happens; fine, if it don't, I'll find something else. Sat up late last night drinking wine and eating cheese, and messing with the computer and i pod. Not at my best this morning, which is why I don't drink that much now.

Was going to see the new 007 today, but decided to wait in and see if I got an e mail or call about the job; but now I am bored, and need some fresh air, and i think a walk on the marshes could do me good.

22nd November 2006

Hi there; well, it has happened, I passed the medical, or told the guy not to worry, and so i go to Southampton on Sunday for the course; and of course have to take Molly away sometime before that. I guess i am getting used to the idea, as i'm not so cut up about the thought of it. But, it's still going to be hard on Friday morning, when it's time to put her in the basket and load the car. The factt hat this job is changing my life, and the lives of those around me, is really hitting home. But, I think it may be reversable if it does not work out, and I'm sure Molly would bounce back if we moved back here at some point. Jools thinks the deed should be done as soon as possible, as Pat has said she would feed Molly next week, and then we might have some more time together; but it would be avoiding the fact that at some point, I will have to go away. She is even more loving than before, and has slept on my lap all evening, and is so happy with me at home not working. Jools has three cats already, and Molly has never met another cat before; so, it should be interesting at least. At the doctors, i bumped into the guy who owns the chemical commpany, the guy who fired me, and he actually spoke to me, as if he thought I would want to talk to him. Maybe I should, call him a liar in front of his wife, and make him more uncomfortable than he already was. Being a gentleman, or close to it; I ignored him, which I think suited us both fine.

I caught the flu this week; well, that is a bit over dramatic, a clod really; but it still means i can't breathe at night, so it may as well be flu. At least got to the shop today and bought drugs; lots of drugs, and should be fine tonight.

Visited Mother this evening, and it was as traumatic as ever; she has had her living room decorated, and as it is a pointless exercise, I whad to make a point of telling her this. As usual, we sparked off each other, and quietly went into a truce. At least the cold gave me an excuse to leave even quicker than normal. Why did she not have more children to take the dutful sons' duties? Oh, it's a curse being an only child!

23rd November 2006

It may sound a little melodramatic, but it feels like this is the last day of my old life, and tomorrow I drive off into the unknown. Well, it also happens to be true. I have left most of it for the morning, so as I can pretend to myself that Molly is not really going away, and that I will wake up tomorrow, and by some stroke of luck, a job offer will be waiting for me on the mat. Sadly, that just is not going to happen, and although I could delay things until Sunday, I guess, it will just be delaying it.

So, things change, maybe forever; it really feels like that, that I will be leaving this cocoon at home and into the danger, or unknown out there. Life may well go on, but it will never be quite the same again; or that is how it feels.

Caught up on just about all my e mails today, and some I guess i will not be writing to again. All of those i wrote to last week, that group that had lapsed, all did write, and wished me well; and most of them have moved on with their lives as well.

Not sure when I will write again, probably in a week or so; certainly not until next weekend; and by then, all will be different.

24th November 2006

Well, here I am at Jools's, and molly is hiding under the armchair. It broke my heart this morning, and I cried buckets to have to pack her in the box and load it in the car. But, she calmed down, and whilst not quite enjoying it, she was alright about it, and spent most of the trip looking at me driving.

She is not very happy with Jools's three cats, and there was growling and some raised backs; but she has calmed down, and has eaten, and hopefully things will get better for her. Jools's cats are interested in their spitting and hissing new friend, and I hope that with time they will all get on.

So, a couple of days here, before the two hour drive to the centre for the course; then just 5 days and I can either come back here for a day or head home; I will have to go home quite quickly, as I will have a working week to prepare for. It all depends on Molly, really.

This has been so hard; much harder than the ending of either marriage, or even a family funeral. Maybe it's because I'm turning into a crazy cat man. Well, that's ok as I have my own crazy cat lady; so we make a fine pair.

26th November 2006

Well, nearly time for me to go; and Molly is settling in here. Quite how she'll react when I’m not here, only time will tell. But she has been exploring the flat this morning, and is not cowering all the time, which is a good sign. She has made home in the bedroom, and so far we have kept the other cats away, as Molly turns into a snarling, hissing monster when she gets a sight of them.

Went for a walk along the white cliffs this morning, and the sea was very rough, how great it is when there is a storm at sea, and the waves crash against the beach. Although it was windy, the sky was cloudless, and the cliffs shone almost brilliant white in the sunshine.

Just time to have lunch and then hit the road. Lovely pumpkin soup with more of Delia's potato bread. Mmmmmm.

27th November 2006 Dateline: Warsash, England.

Here I am at the maritime academy learning the joys of life on the open sea. And after some trepidation, turns out it's not so bad, really. All today was death by PowerPoint as is usual, and also by informative videos. We were all asleep by the end of the day. We have more of this in the morning and all day tomorrow, before going on to the practical fire-fighting phase, which should be interesting if nothing else.

Last night, when i arrived, another new arrival asked if I liked beer, and after i said I did, he invited me to accompany him to a local hostelry for sampling of the local brews. Dave is a mate, which means he is deputy captain, or whatever the proper term is, and we had a few; and gave me the benefit of is knowledge on life, the sea, and music. well, he was nice-ish, and the thought of earning the sort of wages he does; well, the possibilities are endless.

My room comes with a LCD TV with cable, a shower and wc en-suite and coffee machines, and room cleaning service; all very nice, especially on this, my first day in what may as well be called the merchant navy. No news on when we get issued with a parrot.

28th November 2006

What have I learned today? Water is not wet enough for most fires, and instructors love the sound of their own voice. And there was some other stuff, but my mind really started to wander, and it was hard to get it back on track. Tomorrow is the day of the big practical, lots of fire fighting, and lots of smoke, but it should be fun, most of us seem to be looking forward to it, but some, mainly the girls who will be working on cruise ships, do not.

Last night Dave called round, although his name is not Dave after all, it's John. And we went to a different pub, which sold the same beers, and then on to the curry house for some nice sub-continent cuisine. All in all it was wonderful, doubly so when John said he could claim it on his expenses account, and just cost be the beers.

Jools says Molly getting settled in, and she managed to open Jools's wardrobe, and was well into the task of getting all that she could out; now Jools knows why my wardrobe door was tied shut! But, it is good to hear that the kitty is settling in, and with the news that I could be at sea by next Wednesday, that means that the plan to have Molly back home will have to be shelved.

2nd December 2007

Home; although cat-less now, of course. It feels clod and unwelcoming to be honest, but it will have to do. I did not write the rest of the week due to being tired and just socialising too much.

So, I am now a qualified merchant seaman, just need to learn how to do the job. The rest of the week was taken with mainly practical stuff; Wednesday was the fire fighting practical; scary, but fun. And it ended up being fun, especially the end scenario where we entered the burning building, rescued the casualty and tried to put out the fire, all the time wearing breathing gear and all the fire fighting gear. Wow, that was real fun; but an eye-opener as to what a tough job that is.

Thursday was the emergency escape theory and practical; and we ended up in a pool jumping off a 4 metre board and having to swim to the inflatable raft, getting in and that sort of stuff. And once again, it was fun; but we learned so much from it; and just how hard it would be to get into a raft if we ever had to abandon ship in cool or cold waters. And Friday we had to sit through a seven hour first aid lecture, which was the last thing we wanted to do, as all we wanted was to get on the road and back to our loved ones; me to Jools's. In a bid to liven up things we ended up swapping grisly stories about whatever we were supposed to be leaning about, upsetting one tender young lad from Essex who was not pleased to hear about blood and gore; quite what he was expecting on a first aid course though. He plans to get a job on a yacht in the Caribbean, which is something I am sure we would all like to do. Good luck on that one kiddo. So, back home for a day, and then into work on Monday, and I might find when i will be heading out to work; exciting days! Well, it's December 2nd, and the buds are on the trees and the spring flowers are sprouting. Another year of crazy weather draws to an end. It's official; this has been the warmest autumn ever, since records began here in England in 1659. The trees are only now losing their leaves, and that is really just from the storms we have had this week. In Europe, there is no snow; the Alps are green, and in the après ski bars, they have sun loungers out as the sun still beats down, and the weather is like it is in May. September here, was the seventh warmest month on record, and July the warmest ever. I have yet to wear three layers of clothing this season, and it still feels great to go for a walk.

This does not prove global warming, but it does nothing at all to dis-prove it. Maybe winter will come next week; or next month. With it so warm even now, I have no heat on in the house, it seems odd to see Christmas decorations going up everywhere. And when was the last time we had some of the white stuff at Christmas here? 1969! Christmas is either cloudy and drizzling, or more likely, glorious sunshine.

Happy holidays

3rd December 2006

Britain is a small and crowded island. There are something like 60 million of us living in the same area as the average US state. And a lot of those live in and around London in the South East. Travelling around can be a problem, not IS a problem, and coupled with the fact that most decent roads go north/south rather than east/west, makes some trips very tricky. On Friday, I travelled from Portsmouth to Dover, a trip of about 140 miles, and according to Mapquest, should take just over two hours. In reality, this trip meant going up from the coast to London, or rather the orbital motorway that goes 360 degrees around it, the M25. The road is about 22 years old, and opened in 1984, when I passed my driving test. In the intervening years, it has been widened and adjusted, but as traffic continues to grow, travel at rush hour almost becomes impossible. Friday nights and Monday mornings are especially troublesome, and so it turned out on Friday. Traffic reports on the BBC raid that the M25 was blocked in THREE places along the part I wanted to go along, and the rest of it was very busy. Now, as both Portsmouth and Dover are ports on the south coast, it is true there is a road that runs along the coast, but it just a two lane thing, and it would have taken forever, as it would have meant going through maybe a dozen or so major towns. The one other road, which is what i took, weaves it's way through the Sussex and west Kent Wolds, and passes through some wonderfully beautiful towns and villages, as well as numerous woods and forests. But, it not the best road for going any distance. In the end, it took just under four hours to get to Dover; had I have gone the M25 way, it could have been double that.

When the M25 was first opened, it was planned to take traffic away from London, and to speed traffic along it's way. Through the years, this has been forgotten, as more and more malls and big box stores have opened, coupled with the fact it has junctions with many minor roads it passes, rather than just the trunk routes. Thus, creating more and more local traffic, and slowing traffic, if it moves at all.

And the answer to all this, make it even wider! As if this is going to make any difference, as our past experience shows us it just creates more traffic.

Spending needs to be on public transport, and taking as much of the freight off the road is possible; trucks from Poland and further a field are now so common as to be not noticed.

At the moment, Britain pays some of the highest gas prices; it equates to something like $9 a gallon, and over 70% of that is tax. On top of that, we have to pay up to $300 a year just to take our car on the road before we drive an inch; this is called road tax. These tow taxes alone could have paid for a modern, efficient railway network decades ago; but instead it has been used to prop up successive governments other policies, and now even those taxes are not enough, and it is now being suggested that every vehicle is fitted with a tracker, and we get to pay for each mile we drive, maybe as much as £1.50 a mile! So far, it is not known whether this will be on top of, or instead of, the other two transport taxes. So, in the future, only the rich will be able to afford to travel at peak times, and the rest of us will be trying to get around on country lanes. Wonderful

4th December 2006

Well, first day at work, and i really don't know much more than I did this morning. We, Tony and I, had to be in at nine, and the promised talk with HR dept fail to happen, and after being taken aboard one of the survey boats, Kevin, our boss, forgot about us for 5 hours and came to collect us at half five. In-between we were shown around, met the crew and had lunch, and watched daytime TV as they had been in port the best part of 5 weeks waiting for a window in the weather. They only have 36 hours of work to do, but so far it has taken them 5 weeks, and they are not a quarter through yet. Tony or I will join the ship at some point, and see how we get on. It all seems fine; nothing too much expected of us at first, and learning as we go. The ship is well equipped, it has a small gym, satellite TV, broadband internet, a good DVD library, and much more. And each crew member has his or her own room.

In short, it all seems fine, and nothing really to fear. The ship is heading out to Holland after this job is finished, and then on to Norway, which could mean seeing the Northern Lights again; which of course would be good.

I should know more tomorrow, so until then, avast ye landlubbers, etc

5th December 2006

Well, had the second day at work today, and the upshot is that I join my ship tomorrow. Although we may not be going anywhere soon, just stuck in Yarmouth harbour, as the weather in the north sea is so bad. But, I may be on it for some 8 weeks, and then some time off. So, life is really going to change very soon. I am lucky in that I have already been on the ship and met all the crew, so there will be little to worry me; and the IC has said that he expects little from newbie’s on the first few voyages. So, just learn and enjoy, and just think about the cash accumulating at £30 a day on top of the salary. Sorry to sound so mercenary, but it is why we work. Strangely, I’m not worried about the ship or the work, I think all will go fine. In fact I was more worried about the course last week. So, I will write when I can, otherwise I'll post again when I can. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and all the best,

Ian

6th December 2006

Well, the last place i thought I'd be is back home tonight. But, the weather is so bad at sea that the boat is going nowhere until maybe Saturday, or later. So, all those who live nearby can go home, as long as we're back by eight in the morning.

What chaos this morning was; I tried to get a haircut, but little did I know that Wednesday is the day when all barbers have the day off. I managed to find one place open, some dodgy bloke puffing away on a roll up whilst he did the work. He also sells illegal tobacco and cigs as a side line, but, shhh, don't tell anyone. And then there was the task of posting presents to my friends around the world. The small post office near to me is just 25 yards away, and yet it took an hour to get to the front of the queue.

By that time I was late for work, but I had already warned them, and it was no problem as the boat was going nowhere. So, I settled in, had a safety brief, and then dinner; and it was at this point I was told I could go home. So, here I am.

On planet Molly, I hear she has been outside, and did not panic, and came back inside of her own accord. Although it took some while for Jools's heart to start beating again, as she is so scared of losing my little darling.

As for tomorrow; back on the boat for a look at the weather, and then probably a walk into town, do some shopping. Hey, there might even be some work to do; although the ship is gleaming as it is. I am sharing a cabin with a Russian guy, just out of university, but he seems fine. There appears to be a small window in the weather on Saturday, but they said that about tomorrow, and now there are 4m seas, with 3, forecast at the weekend. Not listening or reading anything, just looking at the moon, in it's fullness glory.

11th December 2006

Man, that is just so annoying, it posted with no problems, having lost hundreds of words from the last time I tried. Well, I'll try again.

The weather has not been good, and so far we have only done about 9 hours work, and that when i was off shift, and in bed. So, not sure whether the job is for me as I have yet to do any of it. Although I did get to drop a temperature probe on Saturday night to see if the water was the right conditions. I would have written that last part differently, but my spelling sucks.

I am sharing a cabin with a Russian guy who is also a trainee, although he is a surveyor. He don't talk much; he looks about 14 and has a wife and child back home; and we all are British, mostly; it must be quite hard for him. And he was suffering with the sea yesterday. I was not quite so bad as that, but it was tough riding the waves and rolling around.

We sailed on Friday night, and soon enough the sea got up, and sleeping was just about impossible. I was alliteratively banging my head and feet in the bed frame as the boat pitched and rolled.

Saturday we spent just waiting for the weather to calm down; which it did about half ten at night, just as we were about to come off shift. The work was just about done by the morning, and soon enough we turned back to port. The sea got up again, and it was really hard not to think about rushing to the head, but I survived without losing lunch; but was still glad when we pulled into Yarmouth at nine last night.

The survey sight was in the middle of a gas field, and it was great to see all the platforms surrounding us, especially at night when all else was jet black.

I managed to finish the Joe Strummer book, and am now reading the follow up to Cold Mountain, Thirteen Moons, which is very good indeed. It's great to have time to read again, I have to say; although I will probably not get that much chance once we begin to work more. Shifts are 12 hours midnight to midday or the other way round, and once sleep and meals are taken into account, not much time for much else. But, things are beginning to make sense, and I am hopeful that it should all go well.

Hope all is well with everyone, and if I don't get the chance, have a great Christmas, and I'll post when i can.

12th December 2006

great Yarmouth is our home port, and could quite accurately be described as a pimple on the backside of the world. I wish there were something nice I could say about the place; but the endless abandoned shops and warehouses, as well as the now empty docks testify to a past more prosperous than now. It also is home to a large population that is happy to claim social security, and is happy to drink their cheques away in the cheapest pubs. On top of this, East European gangsters have moved in, and one can see them driving around in Estonian registered BMW seven series cars. Someone has money. I wish I could say my home town just ten miles down the coast has faired any better, job-wise; but it has not. The last tv factory in the country is in Lowestoft, but on Monday Sanyo announced that half the workforce would be made redundant; another nail in the coffin. My room-mate says it is the same all over Europe, and I guess the western world; most people have to survive on minimum wage, whilst the others somehow get well paid jobs and spend it on good cars and plasma TVs.

The upshot is other than to move anywhere else, I had to take this job, and even though it is well paid, and has many perks, it still feels like I had to take it by circumstance rather than by choice. And my dear Mothers' reply that I was feeling down and did not want to go to sea again? Oh, I put up my Christmas tree, and it looks really nice. Cheers Mum, just what I wanted to hear Dateline: Den Helder, Nederlands.

Well, we sailed last night, and soon hit rough weather. Something due to the angle we were going through the waves meant that it was a very rough night, and I woke up at three with everything coming off the shelves in the cabin, as well as the lights falling off the ceilings outside the cabin. It was like that the rest of the night, and it was a long three and a half hours until the sun came up, and time to make like I was going to do something. All over the ship, stuff was laying around, and bits of ceiling laying on the floor where they fell. Eating and drinking was fun, like on a fairground ride, rolling back and forth. In due course we came into port, and as suddenly as the rough stuff began, it stopped. And now we are tied up, all of us tired after so little sleep; but the prospect is to be tied up maybe until Sunday due to bad weather. I guess that at some point I will venture out into cloggyland, sorry, Holland, and do some exploring, maybe some photography if I get out before dark. Den Helder itself is a Navy town, and we saw many navy ships on our way in to dock. I guess navy towns are the same the world over?

Nearly finished Thirteen Moons, and would recommend it to anyone. It passes the time rather well.

13th December 2006

Sounds like a joke, an Englishman, Russian and Chinese man were tasked to install a cable from the bridge to the recording room, without drilling holes and just with the cable and our brains....... Well, lets just say communication was a problem right from the start, and I am sure at one point were doing what we each thought right on each deck; but it all came together like clockwork, ands now the cable is installed and not quite sure what the rest of the day holds, but, probable more beers this evening.

Last night the others went out without me; which is something of a relief to be honest, but not nice. So I went out after dark to find a bank and then a bar. What I had forgotten is how wonderful a country Holland is; even just wandering around a residential neighbourhood looking in windows, and seeing people going about their lives, all in tastefully decorated homes, and most of the times with friends. Holland is clean and safe, everything that modern Britain is not; and there are no drunken bands of youths wandering around causing trouble; all in all, just pleasant. I found a bar, and had a couple of quiet beers, did some more wandering about before heading back to the ship.

Hey, I even used the gym yesterday, and so burned off some lard; can't be bad.

14th December 2006

Yes, still here; and it's not all that bad. Den helder is a typical Dutch town, lower than the sea that surrounds it, and criss-crossed with canals and ditches to take water away. It is a small town, and I heard it called the Great Yarmouth of Holland, which is unfair. True, it has not outstanding architecture or major historical sites. Although there is a large maritime museum with a pirate ship! As well as an assortment of other aging seagoing vessels.

After having a walk around the town yesterday afternoon in the rain, I was walling past a bar and some of the geo pys team were in there, and called me to join them for a beer. Well, to cut a long story short; one drink turned into two, into four, and so on. It was dark when we came out, about half nine; but I think it was a good thing to do, mixing socially. Latest news is that there might be a small weather window in the early hours of Saturday morning, and so we might sail Friday night. If that fails to happen, then the weather is supposed to improve on Monday, and after the two day job, we could be headed back to Great Yarmouth for a crew change and a new client.

As for the rest of the day; I am guessing there will be beer involved at some pint tonight, but less than last night I am sure.

15th December 2006

So, here we are, in the middle of the North Sea, tossing on the crest of a wave, and another. Seems like a possible weather window was spotted, and we sailed in the wee small hours. But, so far the chances of any work being done seem small. But, the day is long, and it could calm down at some point.

Last night three of us went into town for a drink, and we were lead by wee Scots guy, who said he knew where there was a good bar. Well, it took an hour, and Den Helder is not a big town, and the bar was in the seediest part of town, in-between four 'coffee' shops, and lots of dodgy afro-Caribbean folks hanging around outside. What we learned is that Holland has an underclass as well, as well as those preying on the unwary. I saw girls being hassled, which shows that away from the main shopping area, danger can lie.

About ten we got the message that we were going to sail, and that cut short any festivities, and so we walked back, well, after deciding the right way to come back.

So, for now, it's just wait and see how the weather goes, and if it clams down, and then, maybe, I will get to do some work.

16th December 2006

So, yesterday we held on site waiting for the weather to calm down, it didn't. And when it was time for bed, oh the weather got worse, and I lay there until the wee small hours trying to nod off. At least I have my own cabin for a while, and what luxury is that? And not being in the top bunk is doubly good. Listened to the i pod all last night, and just how wonderful is that? And the multi adaptor thing charged it up again no probs. Weather due to be good enough for work for ten hours, might get to do something soon.

Further to my earlier post; we are still bobbing around waiting for the weather to calm down, it may be just me but it feels like it is not quite so bad. Last night was frustrating, being in my own cabin, and after turning the lights out, the sea picking up to such an extent that the door on the cupboards were coming open all night, or more stuff sliding off the desk. It's not as though it's all consistent either, it is possible to go 5 minutes without a wave, and then you hear the crash from below as another big one hits, and then another pause before the next lurch is much bigger. I guess I must have dozed off at a few points; and that when it did calm down, I managed to get off, and not wake up 'till 11, and time for lunch before coming onto shift. The crew have curry three times a day, including breakfast; can't say I would like to, but even still, stir fry for my breakfast was unusual enough.

Sp, just more waiting today, maybe some work, but as for tomorrow, looks like it will be a very rough day, and we are to sit it out on the sea, and not head for port; so it could be quite colourful, as our new Chinese geophysics does not travel well at sea, and as for my erstwhile room mate, Alex, he'll be in bed all day. Such is the life on a survey boat. One other thing to add, is that a survey boat is flat bottomed, and as such has an unusual rolling action in rough seas, more like a corkscrew, so there is more to get used to. Gladly, I seem to have gotten used to it to the extent that I don't feel too ill now, if at all. Whilst the Chinese guy was green around the gills this morning.

Until next time, avast ye landlubbers!

17th December 2006

I realise how repetitive these posts are getting, but rest assured that from tomorrow, we will be working! Which will be a good thing as this Sunday has dragged like no other, without live football and without the Sunday Times. Just listening to music, watching some free to air stuff on tv, oh, and feeling the waves. Their height at lunchtime was some 4 metres, which I can tell you is high enough, in a boat that pitches and rolls like a cork.

There is a chance that when we finish this job, and return to Great Yarmouth, I may have to leave as it is a crew heavy survey, and there might not be any room for trainees, just not sure about that yet, and probably won't know until we get into port. So, there is chance I could be home at Christmas, or just as good a chance that I would get put on another boat just as quickly.

Last night was just as slow, waiting for the sea to calm down, which it didn't, and then just going to bed early as someone put on a DVD in the crew room instead of watching football. Just wish that I could have slept, because as usual the sea began to do it's wavy thing, and I was sliding from one end of the bed to the other all night. Again.

But, clam seas for the rest of the week, and that means work, and finally learning what this black art called geophysics is all about.

18th December 2006

So, on the 12th day of the trip, the weather is good enough for us to do some work, and might be good enough for long enough to get this part done. Just time to nip into Yarmouth to pick up more people and head back here again. Such is the way of things. I will be staying on board at least for Christmas, and probably longer, which means more money at some point whenever the pay catches up with me. And to be honest, I don't really feel too festive at the moment, and so missing Christmas will not be a big thing, and I can always celebrate it with Jools and Mother at some point; so I get two Christmases for the price of one.

Suffered with insomnia last night, nothing to do, and so thought I would sleep the time away, but sleep would not come. So, the only cure for insomnia is a good nights sleep. But, I did drop off at some point, and that was helped I guess by the ship stopping rolling.

Well, back to the computer and sonar thing......

19th December 2006

So, back in port for 24 hours; just time to get back home, get the washing done and get some sleep in a stable bed before heading back to the ship in the morning.

Kind of odd being back home, as it feels like I've never been away, but I know it's just a fleeting moment, and I will be gone in the morning.

When we arrived at Yarmouth, there was fog on the land, and even that town looked quite beautiful; although I know what grimness was hiding underneath that veil of mist.

Just got the pre-trip blues again, as I don't want to sail in the morning, just want a simple life, really. It'll be fine when i get on the boot in the morning and get working. Should be off to Denmark this time, I think; or that could be the job after next. Not that it matters, one bit of sea looks the same to be honest.

21st November 2006

I think it was Jack London that made the idea of foggy ports romantic; well, I can tell you it's rubbish; just makes them cold and damp, and the thought of a rampaging sailor hiding in any one of dozens of dark alleys. We had hoped that the fog would not lift, as it would have meant another day in port; but, just as departure time approached, it lifted enough for us to sail. Before then we had all met in the nearest pub, and some of us tried to force as much beer down their gullets as possible in the hope of some sleep. There were the usual cast of oddballs in such a hostelry, and it was interesting to look at them and wonder about their stories, and just how long they spend in there. One old soak was getting through as much hot mulled wine as he could; for some reason it's being pushed this year. And he seemed quite happy with it, and I guess it would make his nose redder in due course. At the last minute, we dashed for the boat to make the 8 o'clock deadline, and then the crew made ready to sail.

Funny thing happened earlier in the day; the tanker driver from the chemical company pulled up alongside us, and I managed to have a few words, and told him to tell the MD of Raw Chem. thanks for sacking me, as I am now earning double, and the life on the sea for me. It sounds as though things are even worse there now, and he himself is leaving next week for a new job.

Amazingly, I had the best nights sleep so far on board, and work up well after 9 refreshed and ready for the days toil. Our shift took over at midday, and we continued to deploy the hydrophone; it was a real pain to do, doubly so when I managed to get my hand trapped between the cable and the boat, crushing my hand. Oh how I laughed. Well, not really. It swelled up, and was pretty warm to the touch, but all is fine now, and I am sure I will have a lovely bruise there for a few weeks. That was a warning to me on how dangerous this job can be.

The hydrophone array is some 600m long and about 15cm across, and inside the tough plastic coating are pressure sensitive things that can hear the waves that our high pressure air guns generate to make the waves that penetrate the seabed. Not the best choice of words, but I think you get the idea.

And once that is deployed, we retire to the recording room to play with the computers and then set up a run and record the data; and that is what we have been doing for the past 8 hours.

I have been working with Tommy Tourette, and although he does not do the swearing, he does pull some odd shapes at times, and is a little off-putting to say the least. At least it's free entertainment I guess. We have probably 24 more hours of this, before the less difficult other surveys take place. By that time it will be Christmas, and we will still be out here; latest estimate of a return is the 29th.

22nd December 2006

Just to make things a little clearer about my little accident yesterday: I did crush my hand, not badly, no broken bones, although I think it will bruise quite badly, which will make me look like a bare knuckle fighter. It was due to me lack of experience really, and trying to do too much without thinking, and I have learned my lesson, and will be careful from now on. It did swell up at the main point of impact as big as a boiled egg, and I was worried, but as time went on the swelling went down, and anyway, I had full movement at all times. I was just worried that I had done something to hurt my full time employment chances. But, as Tim made light of it, I think all is well, and I am looking forward to the next job which will be based on deck, helping get soil samples from the seabed, and getting £20 a day extra, which also helps, and will see me through to the end of the month on board ship, raking in the cash.

As for today, our next shift begins in about 50 minutes, and that should be the last for this complicated digital phase, then it is a short analogue phase before several days of taking environmental samples, which will be deck based work, and not too difficult by all accounts.

So, until next time, bye

With less than 6 hours to go, our seismic guns have broke, and our crack team of Russian techs are trying to fix them. Which means for the rest of us just more waiting around.

When its light, we can see several gas rigs on the horizon, and when the sun sets behind them, they look somewhat like the At-Ats in Star Wars, a geeky reference for you; and now, at night, you can just make out the lights in their accommodation blocks. All else is dark, and it is impossible to tell where the sea ends and the sky begins. How glorious it would be here with a clear sky!

As is usual, the breakdown has happened at mealtime, and the worry is not if we get the job done, but will we get fed?

More later......

Saturday morning has arrived, and work has just finished in that the other shift have taken over. The hardest part is nearly finished, and it should all be quite easy if the techs can get the equipment working. In fact, it's down to us, but as i am new here, it does not fall on these narrow shoulders.

It's funny, watching TV and it all being about Christmas and last minute gifts, and queues for Kings College in Cambridge and the suchlike; not sure if it's because of the perspective, but it all seems pretty meaningless to be honest, all the gifts and all the rubbish that goes with Christmas these days. I have felt for many years like it is just another day and I guess this year just backs those thoughts up. I guess it's still special for children, but the sheer commercialism of it is just depressing. I saw a story about families going into debt is dropping as hopefully they have seen sense. But do we really need to buy friends and family so much to show we care? Shouldn't they know that already? Although, the pleasure of giving in me is even stronger this year, and I wish I could have done more.

It's a right mix of people on the boat, and they complain about the job like everyone else does. But, they fact that they all work tax-free and have so much time off seems to make up for that, but maybe I'll feel like that after a few years? Most of the people I have been working with are going to get off at the next port call; which will be a relief; I would write more, but they could be looking over my shoulder.

Anyway, time for bed, maybe a cup of tea, and then, tomorrow is another day; Saturday apparently. Feels like it could be any day, even Christmas.

23rd December 2006

We have now finished the geophysical part of the job, and all that remains is the environmental part; which does not sound so bad until i tell you it consists of dropping a scoop over the side letting it fall to the bottom and dragging it back up and conducting experiments on the sand and minor animals we get. Sadly, we do not even get to do the scientific bit, that for the environmental techs we now have on board; the rest of us are just employed to operate the crane and winch or just stand around. And it takes ages. We have 244 samples to take, and we can do just 4 an hour; which means we will be here for days. At least till the 27th or maybe even beyond. We did just two hours it tonight, and man the time dragged; what is it going to be like tomorrow for twelve hours? And then on Christmas Day; not how I planned on spending my Christmas, that’s for sure.

The environmental techs are both female, and both Italian, both chatterboxes, and both are lusted over by some of the tech staff and most of the crew. Rafiella is ok, kind of plain I guess, but the other one has three feet long dreadlocks, and is the dead spit of Ari Up from the Slits. And Tommy Tourette is trying very hard to chat them up; which I guess is quite sweet. But then again, I have had to work with him for the previous 10 hours, and he has not shut up; either complaining or imparting advice to anyone who might be listening. No, on second thoughts, he just carries on talking anyway. He leaves the ship when we get back to port; can't wait. I mean he means well, but he is just like an eager puppy around Tim, and Tim is getting more than a little fed up.

Anyway, it's now Christmas Eve, technically, and it's time to relax and get some sleep before the twelve hour shift lifting sand from the seabed begins again. Once again there were no stars out tonight, and the only light coming from the gas rigs scattered around.

26th December 2006

Well, we had an unexpected surprise on Sunday morning, the company's server went down, and we could not get on line; and being Christmas, no one went into the office until this morning to fix the problem, or press yes on a keyboard somewhere. So, we were cut off for the duration.

So, when I was not working or sleeping, I read Charles Dickens’s American Notes; I am now more than half way through, and very good it is too, and much better than 13 moons, as the events actually happened of course. The travels by train and steamboat especially evocative.

I know my spelling is not good, but there is no spell checker on a blog, and I just don't have time to write it as a word document first.

Thoughts came to mind of several Christmases past over the past few days; the first one 1984 when two of my best friends were killed in the early hours of Christmas Day in a car crash. Somehow, it does not seem possible that 22 years have passed, but they have; and for me not having any money, and not going out with them, I could have been in the car too. So, James and Chris will always be 20 years old, and taken away from us so cruelly. And their funerals were the last time that all of us school friends got together before scattering on the winds to the four corners of the earth.

1995 was the last I spent with my Father; a wonderful Christmas as we had just started speaking again after years of strife. I had three weeks at home on leave from Germany, and we also had my friend Andrew(Rambo) staying with us, and we had a great time; and it was that year I learned the joy of giving to see the look on their faces at the gifts I had brought. Sadly Dad passed away some 4 months later, and those days are gone for ever now; but the memory still lingers.

And 1999, when at nine thirty at night, I walked out on Estelle, my second wife, and Matthew her so. It was not a spur of the moment thing, but something that had to be done, for my sanity. And as I drove back to base I played Amanda Marshall's first album, and the second track is called Birmingham, and if you get the chance, listen to that, because as I drove through Birmingham, England, it seemed to connect. Just love that song.

Anyway, Christmas here was ok, we stopped work for an hour whilst we all had turkey and pulled crackers. We have satellite TV, so we got to watch the Christmas specials on TV; or rather they did; I spent Christmas with Mr Dickens in America, and enjoyed it immensely. We have some 14 different nations represented here, and with all their customs; but we all got into the spirit of things.

I missed not seeing Santa on Norad this year, but we had a nearby gas rig venting gas all Christmas Eve, and lighting the sky up to the clouds; not sure why it was doing that, but it was some sight I can tell you. We are due to finish here on Thursday, and then once crew change has happened, head off to Denmark and Norway; if the weather holds; the weather we have been having, thanks to the high pressure over Britain is almost unheard of in the north sea, and we have made the most of it. At the weekend Atlantic storms head in, an we might be in port several days; maybe for new year, now that would be a thing

Tommy, who I have mentioned, does not have Tourettes; if he did I would not find that funny, not expect anyone else to either. He has a nervous tick about cracking every joint in his body, and looks like he is twitching. He also complains, all the time, about everything. He has several chips on his shoulder; one, he is Scottish, chip! two, he is short, Chip!!! And he wants to be thought of as useful, and will put anyone else down to make himself seem better. The fact he is very good at his job does not seem to register. Anyway, just to clear that up; and he leaves us in less than three days, and I might not see him for years, if ever. So, sorry Richard if I have bad mouthed you, but really, time would go quicker if you stopped complaining.

We have been in this area for some six days now, and have done nothing except pulling various amounts of sand from the sea bed, day after day; that or run the sonar in straight lines up and down for days on end. So, these seagulls, have been following us for all six days now, at no point have we pulled up any fish, and yet they hang around just in case; either optimistic or stupid; I'm going for the latter. We now are on the final stretch of the job; but all is not going well as we have software issues with the kit we are using; or more likely, the keyboard finger interface as used by the environmental tech, as she is scratching her head as to why the probe did not work. Again.

So, two hours off now, time to surf the net, and then just two final hours before bed. Life has settled into the sleep, eat, work sleep routine pretty well now, and the days are Billy whizzing by quickly. Been on board three weeks now, and all is well. And the Atlantic storms are lining up in time for us to be in port for new year. Hoorah, hic. Ok, excuse my language, but Tommy's a cock; instead of working, he thought he should go and watch match of the day, whilst leaving someone else to take up the slack and do a four hour shift. As for me; as I'm new here, just carry on working. Grrrrr.

Now, we are sampling water; from 30m metres down. With a heath-Robinson contraption that is as temperamental as either of my ex-wives. So, there was an Englishman, a Portuguese gentleman, a Lithuanian and an Italian, all trying to get this thing to work, and not having enough hands to cock all the levers and whistles; give me a 117 tail, never thought I would ever say that, eh Dave?

Thought for the day; imagine how much deeper the seas would be if there were no sponges?

27th December 2006

So, it is time to head for home, well, home port anyway. I guess we finished at about 5, and turned the boat around and headed for Norfolk. We should tie up just before light in to morning. And then the crew change, and that's when the rumours start; are we going to make a dash for it to Den Helder or Denmark before the storms hit, or sit in Yarmouth to ride them out? Either way it looks like we will be in port for New Year rather than working. But, that could change I guess.

I guess one of my best memories of this trip is listening to lots of Punk music as one of the surveyors is also a fan; I brought him my copy of 1,2,3,4 for him to copy, and so that has been blasting out for the past week. And pretty good it has sounded, especially Still Little Fingers and Television; but my favourite is still Part Time Punks by the Television Personalities.

So, once within sight of land, we should be able to get a signal on our mobiles, and I will be able to speak to Jools again; although it may be several weeks before we get together again.

28th December 2006

We have made it safe and sound back to 'Great' Yarmouth, and the crew change is in full swing; which means that Tommy has now left, as well as several others who I have made friends with. Poor Tommy was so excited yesterday about being home for Hogmanay, that he might even explode. But, instead he walked around all evening signing Kung Fu Fighting, and being generally excited. Poor lad, when he left he waved and said goodbye, and no one answered him. Oh well.

The plan is to sail this evening, maybe at one tomorrow morning, and head to Denmark before the bad weather hits. And bad it is going to be. Off Denmark it's expected to hit force 9 by the end of tomorrow, and maybe force 11 by Sunday and into next week. Apparently, we have just 3 days work, but could be doing it for some while, as the chances of three consecutive calmish days in such northern waters at this time of the year seem slim. Still, it will be an experience, and spending New Year in Scandinavia will be fun, if not expensive as well.

One good thing about being home is the mobile works again, and being able to speak to Jools rather than to just message is just wonderful.

29th December 2006

So, this is one of the blessings, or is it a curse? of the job; being tied up in port, maybe for days. We are still in Yarmouth, the early morning sailing cancelled due to bad weather out in the North Sea; and with each passing hour, the forecast gets worse, which means that we are likely to be here maybe until Monday. But, just to make things complicated, the captain will only make updated announcements about possible future departure times, which means it's almost impossible to plan anything even a few hours in advance. The latest departure time is three this afternoon, but by then the weather here is to be grim, with gusts of wind of 70mph, which means it's very doubtful we will sail then, or tonight, or even tomorrow. Jools would like to come up, and I would like her to, but not being able to say with any degree of certainty that we will be here when she arrives, makes it all too difficult. She may come tomorrow, but it is just going to be as uncertain as today’s will probably be.

We all had been hoping to spend New Year in either Holland or Denmark, now it seems probable we will be here in Yarmouth, which for those looking at spending as many days out of the country for tax reasons, is not the most popular thing.

Last night we retired to a local pub, and had a few too many, and a few laughs. Which was all very pleasant, and I guess helped us to get to know the new crew members. However, as it always is, drinking can be a very expensive business, and if we are to be in port tonight, then I think I will go home and save some money.

All work has been done, all equipment tested, and so we have nothing really to do until we get to the survey location, whenever that may be; so, probably a quiet day, some reading, listen to some music. All the while getting paid; not a bad job then.

31st December 2006

Due to adverse weather, we are still here in Yarmouth; although have moved berths just confuse those on the way back from the pub. The weather is forecast to be bad for the next few days still; although the plan is to try to leave tomorrow and head for Denmark; the fact that 6 metre swells are forecast, as well as force 9 and 10 winds is a little worrying. Still, it will be interesting to say the least.

Jools arrived last night, and I spent the evening with here; I have to be on board during the day in case we can sail or if there is some work to do. It's strange to be suddenly home again, as though I have not been away. And of course it was wonderful to be with her again. I will be able to go back with her again tonight; so we get to see in the New Year together, before she heads home tomorrow, and we might sail into stormy waters.

1st January 2007

Here we are, a new year, and we are still in Great Yarmouth. Bad weather forecast for the next two days meant that the departure this afternoon has been cancelled, and will be reviewed tomorrow; but the word from the bridge is that is likely to be Friday at least before we sail. To be honest, we are all quite pleased about that, as the ship does not handle bad weather well, and it would have been very uncomfortable to say the least, two days of 6 meter swells. And the ship has suffered some damage in the past due to bad weather; like losing all it's windows due to wave damage, including the bridge ones, and almost sinking, whilst in harbour. So, staying here is just fine.

New year was just wonderful; Jools came down on Saturday, and that night and last night, once work was finished, I went back home, and we spent some time together; and coming as it was so unexpected, the time was really special. The only bad thing was having to be here for 8 in the morning, and getting early enough to make it. Jools bought a bottle of champagne for last night, and we opened it a little bit early so as not to drink too much before going to bed. The fireworks from London at midnight were really spectacular, and worth staying up for; a shame about Hogmanay being cancelled in Edinburgh again due to bad weather, but probably the right decision.

Just time to wish everybody Happy New Year again.

2nd January 2007

It may well be a new year, a new working day; but, we are still here in port in Yarmouth, and the chances of sailing today are nil. And with storms in the north North Sea for the next two days, chances of sailing before the weekend looks remote. I thought I heard the engines fore up this morning, as I lay in my bed, but I guess they must just be being tested.

One thing I have learned this week is how much difference there is between high and low tides. In the morning, from my porthole, I may just be able to see the side of the quay, but within a few hours, my view is maybe a dozen feet above the quay, with view across the road into town. Just from the movement of the moon!

Yesterday, I walked into the centre of town, but all the shops had closed, and there were just families of immigrants wandering around; it is strange not to hear an English voice in an hour. Also, shops for said groups have opened up; there was a Polish one, and several Portuguese shops and cafes, all opened up in one area along King Street. It seems a shame that these people have to congregate into the poorest part of town, the part with the highest crime, and worst living conditions.

Last weekend saw Britain make the last payment to the USA as part of the Lend/Lease agreement which helped Britain after WW2; it seems odd that Allies had to repay loans whilst defeated countries got free aid. Apparently, it was going to be 'free' aid, until a socialist government was elected ousting Winston Churchill, and the White House did not want to help socialists help set up a health service.

The last part of Charles Dickens's American Notes is an essay on slavery; and although I knew it happened, the devil is really in the detail. He recounted how it was common for slaves to have parts of their ears missing as a means of identifying ownership; branding happened, but sometimes on the face, and even parts or whole fingers were removed for the same purpose. The worst part, other than the abuse and murder, was that a free black man could be arrested under suspicion of being a runaway, and locked up, and then sold back into slavery to pay for his incarceration, with no right to legal representation.

3rd January 2007

So, he news is that we are to sail in the morning; which was going to happen at some point or another. We should even be able to work on Saturday, as the weather is supposed to be calm enough. And the next port of call is Kristiansand in Norway; the land of crazy tax and ridiculous prices for beer. I'll try to give it up.

I spent the day yesterday reading manuals; procedures, health and safety and others even more dull. I just wish I could get my hands on one when I can't sleep. I managed some 5 hours of ploughing through them, and they even made some sense.

I went for a walk in the evening, and called in at a bar, hopefully to see the second half of the game on TV; but they had soaps on instead; and the place was empty, such is a bar after new year.

And I think it would be fair to say I made up for the insomnia last week as I managed 12 hours last night and 11 the night before.

The main perk of being in port is being able to use the mobile phone; and being able to speak to Jools of course. Once we sail, it will be hard to get used to once again.

I was listening to Five For Fighting's America Town last night, and what a wonderful record it is; and how amazing that the track Superman was not a hit. It's amazing that no one has covered it over here, as the words are just so great.

4th January 2007

We sailed this morning at nine, and all set fair for a good crossing; the sun was up, and the breeze, keen. But all seemed well set. However, the weather has not calmed down, and neither has the sea, and so we have sailed up and down the Norfolk coast for the past seven hours, and are still doing so. The word on the bridge is that we are waiting for the wind to turn, and then so can we. What this means is that we can still use our mobile phones, and we can now tell where we are just by the coastal landmarks. What this means is that we will have even less time on site during the expected weather window on Saturday, and may even , mean that we head straight to port; if the weather changes, of course.

As there is no work to do, we have been watching some DVDs; War of the Worlds, and has Mr Cruise actually made a decent film recently? And can he act himself out of a paper bag? And to be honest, he really cannot do men with 'issues', be it alcoholic, or dysfunctional parent; he just sucks. Anyway, the other was Batman Begins, which was much better, and quite clearly set in reality. Christian Bales is turning into a great actor, although it would be hard to spot it in such a comic based film. And Michael Caine played himself, again, and he is really very good at it now, but to be fair he has had 40 odd years of practice.

A final word for Doris, Jools's 14 year old kitty that, sadly, went to sleep for the last time today; may she pain free in kitty heaven.

5th January 2007

The day continued much in the same way yesterday evening as it had the rest of the day. Just going up and down the coast of Norfolk, waiting for the wind to turn. There was a rumour that we might even head back into Yarmouth, but it was just that; a rumour. In the end, it was 11 at night when the wind dropped enough, and turned to a favourable direction that we were able to head north east towards Denmark. And getting used to the motion of the ship in open water took quite some getting used to, and I lay awake in bed for maybe a couple of hours. It will be at least another 12 hours before we get to the survey site; and so we face another day of DVDs, or maybe reading; with just meal times to break the day up. I guess it's not a bad life. It is possible we may get 36 hours to work in, but whatever we must be in port on Sunday night, as a major storm is heading to the area for Monday, and we don't want to be out in a force 11! I know I don't.

A couple of days ago, I heard from Tony with whom I went on the training course with, and the week after began work with the company. He is in hospital, with a heart murmur, and undergoing tests. I guess this shows how much life can change, just when we are least expecting it. It is possible that the company will see him as a risk now, and not continue is employment.

So, here we are, somewhere between Scotland and Denmark, and the weather is getting worse. We should be on site by two in the morning, and maybe, just maybe, we can get some work done. The captain has said we have to be off site by midnight tomorrow, which means the opportunity to work gets ever smaller. So, we were watching Jarhead this afternoon, and quite good it was as well, when I started to move, in the chair, towards the TV. Quite an experience I can tell you. The DVDs are coming off their shelves, cups falling off tables, and I am sure cooking is quite an adventure. I am saving the excitement of a shower for later, as that can be really fun, and there is nothing quite like being off balanced by a wave and catching your pelvis on the pipes; I still have the bruise from last time.

It seems I am going to be a full time mechanic once the ship leaves port next time; not quite sure if that is a reflection on my performance so far; or that the company thinks all the technical work will be done by then, and we just have deck work to do. We take it Kevin in the office has not been looking at the weather forecast. So, Tim is leaving us. Tim, it would be fair to say, is not a people person, but becomes almost human after five pints and a few Jack and Cokes.

Tonight, we are able to buy some duty free stuff, in what is called the 'Bond.' I may even take up smoking to reap some benefits; I am guessing there will be no alcohol on sale. Still, lovely Norway on Sunday, with its £7 plus beers.

I thought I would share with you the sight out of the porthole window in my cabin; I guess it looks roughly south west, and the near full moon is high in the sky, casting almost daylight onto the sea. It is a wonderful sight, the moonlight picking out the mountainous seas in dark blues and blacks. The sea really has picked up now, and it is becoming hard to walk around, especially climb the stairs. Showers are a real blast, and something everyone should have a go at; as there is nothing like trying to keep one's footing with the ship pitching and roiling and nothing but slippery tiles to grip or hold on to. All one can really do is to lay in bed and either read or listen to music. One thing is for certain, that unless the sea calms down, we won't be doing much tomorrow, other than heading for port. But, at least we are trying to do something, which I guess was the point in us sailing.

6th January 2007

It was never going to be a good idea to try and sleep with a 6 metre plus swell outside. Of course we feel the swell in here as well. So, when I was writing the last blog last night, furniture was flying around the lab, and crockery falling all over the kitchen. So, after trying to read, I thought I would try to sleep; no chance. And I guess it was gone three by the time we arrived on site, and we stopped forward motion; that did reduce the pitching and rolling a little, and so it was down to that I did get some sleep.

This morning, we have 4 metre swells, which is still too rough for work, and the window is getting smaller. The shipping forecast says after today there are storms every day until Thursday; which should mean a few days in lovely Norway.

So, now we wait, I have a 12 hour shift now starting, and it may be that we just sit here, and wait

So, this is the exciting world of work at sea? It is half seven in the evening, and we are waiting for the weather window to happen. Still waiting. The word from the bridge is that it might get better tomorrow; just before that big storm hits, which means they want us to stay out and have a go at working in the morning. Hmmmm no one has high hopes of that, and seem to be dreaming of Nordic goddesses and cold, clear, expensive Nordic lager. The day was broken up by football; as today was the 3rd round of the FA cup, and my team even managed to win; and they were live on TV! But, they played quite badly at first, and the other lads made sure I noticed. It could have been embarrassing if we had lost.

The day is enlivened by the occasional meal, and the Indonesian chef's attempts at trying to make traditional English food. Always something on the menu to make you smile. Today it was not too bad, but some days it can be a struggle to find something edible. But, shouldn't complain, it's free.

7th January 2007

As you can tell by the title, we are still here, on site, and it's blowing a force 8 out there, and there is no news of us heading into port. On TV, the long range forecast for the week has storms at least until Friday, and it seems silly to remain out here; but we think the client wants us to at least try, or be in position, to work. In the case of bad weather, the client pays. So, it's costing someone a whole load of cash. I got up this morning, and thought I was the only one on board, as no one else was about; seems like the downturn in the weather made everyone take to their bunks. But, we all showed up come lunchtime.

I was looking through some of my old posts, and I realised that my spelling is awful; or it could just be my typing. I would check for spelling, etc, but the link for the internet is so unpredictable that I want to get a post sent off as soon as possible, otherwise I will have to write it all out again. And as usual, the server was down again this morning, which is every Sunday now, but at least there was somebody in the office to actually reset it fairly quickly.

8th January 2007

At nine this morning, the captain turned the ship around, and we are now running for Kristiansand before the really bad weather hits. We've had force 8's for the past 24 hours, and now we are moving, it's really rocking and rolling here. Furniture flying everywhere, people falling over, and some looking a little green. Due to the bad weather, soup was cancelled for lunch. Not may of us slept last night, and waking up this morning and looking outside, my porthole was underwater, which I think was not a good sign. The next moment the ship righted, and I was thrown across the room into the door. Just another 10 hours of this.....

I did not write so much last time, owing to the fact we keep losing the internet connection, and I just wanted to get that one off. See if this goes any better.

We left the survey site this morning just after 8, when it was clear that the weather, or more importantly, the sea was not calming down. We sat out a force 8 all day yesterday, and that was not so bad when the ship is not moving, we just go up and down with the waves; but, when we are moving forward, the sea effects us more, and the movement was much worse. So bad, furniture was flying across the rooms, stuff falling off shelves, and sleep impossible. In these circumstances, there is little to do other than to ride the trip out, either in a chair or in bed, and try to ignore the fact the ship is swinging 30 degrees either way every few seconds. Lunch was hilarious, as we were just sliding all over the place, and nothing really wanted to stay on our plates. Peas were a real joy to try to eat.

The client rep is not happy we are leaving the survey site, as there is a possibility of a weather window on Wednesday, but quite frankly, we have heard it all before, and the captain deems it unsafe to stay out any longer, as the weather is going to be grim tomorrow and Thursday.

As to the rest of the week, we will be in chilly Norway by eleven tonight; although I think all of us will be sleeping rather than trying to find a late night bar to try out. So, here we are about to dock in Kristiansen, Norway; the mobiles work again, and we can call our loved ones and friends; if we don't mind the cost! We are travelling across a large bay, with towns spread all around, almost mirroring the stars above. Maybe we could even get to see the northern lights? Orion is just showing above one of the towns; it's quite a sight.

Another sight was lying in bed, and looking through the porthole and seeing no sky; as the sightline would have been some 20 feet above the normal waterline, I had to look twice. And then, just as quickly, the wave passed. Looking out to the horizon, waves rose and fell, sometimes with white caps, looking like liquid granite under the moody sky.

I looked at the long range forecast, and we could be here a week at least; although I may be replaced, and I get to go home! Best not get my hopes up too much. Although on the crew chiefs message board, it says replaced at first opp!! Just think, a couple, maybe three weeks off. Can't wait.

And I saw from the paperwork, I have been on board some 25days now; it does not feel like it, and if I had to, I could last another three weeks. I guess it's because we have had so little work to do, and time does sometimes weigh heavy.

So, here we are in Norway, and the weather is blowing a force 10 outside, and we're not going anywhere. Although I may be; seems like I may be flying back home tonight, maybe. Just waiting for the confirmation e mail from head office. As well as lots of others who also may be going home. So, by bedtime I will either still be here, or at home in my own bed; time will tell.

And our current client has not 'officially' cancelled the the job, or done it in the agreed manner, and so we are still on weather hold for them. The head office want us to move ASAP to the next port, but with force 10 and 11s forecast until Saturday, with just a brief lull on Wednesday, and 400 miles to sail; we ain't going anywhere; unless it's home; on a plane.

So, no exploring the town for me today, as I have to be on standby in case I am flying home. Outside it's blowing hard, and the waves in the harbour are substantial enough to be uncomfortable if we sailed; quite out bad it would be out to sea does not bear thinking about.

The next port of call, if i am on the boat, is Kristiansand, and I guess the transit time is another day and a half, maybe. Just working that out, that means no work again for a week.

So, as they say, things change. There was I thinking that I was going to be here for maybe three more weeks; and then the party chief says I have your flight details. I leave Norway at first thing in the morning, and will be in England just after breakfast. All a bit of a whirl really. It is a good feeling though, to be going home, for a week or three. I just have to avoid the office for a while. On the ship now, there is maybe just one or two people who have been on longer, and I guess that's the way of things, meeting new people every couple of weeks or so. And of course I may meet them again in the future.

One thing I do realise is that the crew, those that do the dirty work of making the ship move, etc, as Indonesian, and they work for 8 months or so, without a break, and they all have families. And I bet they are not on the same rate of pay as we are, or have the same rules as to how much they work. How must it be for them to see us go home so quickly, and they have to work here month after month. Also, I guess that's why the ship is registered in the Bahamas, so they don't have to go by UK labour laws.

10th January 2007

I guess it was working shifts, or at least waking when we should have, if we were working; anyway, what it means it that I was not falling asleep until after two in the morning, and no matter how early i went to bed, i just was not tired. So, when it became clear that the taxi would be coming to pick us up at four in the morning, the chances of me getting much sleep was slim. Yesterday evening, we went out into the town, for a drink as far as i was concerned, the others were going to make a night of it. Bars are much the same the world over, and the British style of pubs in also now spreading worldwide. So, we sat and chatted for a couple of hours before the others decided to head for another bar. I decided to call it a night, as i thought it would not be clever to either be still drunk for the flight, or worse sleep through my alarm. And so it came to pass that I tossed and turned for a couple of hours, and i guess I may have had two hours if that.

I will say this for the company, that all the travel arrangements worked out very well, and taxis turned up at the right time, tickets were waiting at airports, and I got back here at home just after breakfast. As for the rest of the day; I guess my head is still spinning at the quick turn of events and being home again. Not much planned for today, just maybe some laundry, and catching up on some periodicals that arrived since i was away. For the rest of the week i will be staying here, and getting some chores and jobs done; on Saturday, meeting up with friends in Norwich for the football, before heading down to Jools's for all of next week. Sounds great.

You may be glad to know that I will be giving the blogging a rest for a few days, as most days for the past 5 weeks i have either read or messed around on the computer. So, have fun, and enjoy life; I will.

15th January 2007

It seems incredible that just a week ago, I was on board the ship being thrown around by the storm. And now, I have been back on land for 5 days, and it has been so easy to pick up on my own life. Be it watching TV, listening the radio or e mailing friends; like i was never away.

It was wonderful to meet up with my friends before the game on Saturday, and their attitude towards me made me feel really lucky to have friends like them. A couple of them even stayed behind with me, in a bar, until it was time to catch my train back home. Well, in truth, I did miss the first one due to having too much of a good time, and reliving better times supporting Norwich.

on Sunday, I headed south, and am now at jools's, and having a great time. Molly has remembered me, and is happy, as so am i to see her so at home here, and proves that things on the front could not have gone any better. Jools is having three days off later this week, and we are going to Wiltshire for a short break; I found a nice place overlooking a canal in Devizes, just a few miles from Stonehenge and Avebury. On Saturday, we are hoping to go Glastonbury, to see the Tor and Abbey and then on the Cheddar, where they do still make cheese.

The other joy is to just have the radio on in the background, and hear what's new and maybe hear something worth buying.

16th January 2007

This is hot off the presses; details have come through of my next trip, and it's not the North Sea, oh lucky me. No, instead i am going to Indonesia for a month on the Endeavour. I fly out on February 1st, and it's quite exciting to be honest. They have said i will be gone for a month to begin with, and when i get back, spring will be here. It certainly makes a change from delivering chemicals around East Anglia; how life changes! Alone in the house today, which is fine, just nice hanging out, listening to the radio and browsing through Flickr, where I have put a lot of my pictures. Like last night, I am cooking tonight, and one of the things I missed most on ship was not having wine; so we are making up for that. Not going wine crazy, but a glass or two of something Italian and red.

18th January 2007

As you may be aware, I will be off to Indonesia with work in the near future, and so I thought I would contact my doctor to find out about jabs, etc. Only to be told that they could not give me the information until I had gone to a website or called this premium rate phone line, and paid £4. and then i could contact them, and they would then be prepared to tell me. So, what happened to universal free health care? This is just making more money; I am prepared to pay for any jabs I need, and indeed I would have to pay, but an extra £4. If I could not afford the cost, and i caught something whilst out there, then the health service would look after me, and that would cost more than £4. I always thought preventative care was better and cheaper than the cost of curing someone. I thought, or hoped, that the lesson would have been learnt from NHS dentists. And it's £4 for each country I might be visiting. What next, paying for plaster casts? Ambulances?

So, the week down here in Kent goes on. Yesterday, we had planned to go to the town of Rye, which is supposed to be photogenic. But the weather put the dampers, literally, on that. And so we drove along the coast road to Hastings, just for the sheer hell of it. And it was good. I always loved driving in storms. Hastings is not a pretty place at all, but the drive was. The downs all with their chalk hills and green fields giving way to the flats and marshes around Dunchurch, beofre the downs rise up again and go into East Sussex.

Today, the weather was even worst, a severe, for here, winter storm swept in from the west, along with heavy rain. So, we decided to have a quiet day, and met up with a friend of Jools's for a pub meal, and a long chat. Before that, we went to St Margaret’s Bay to watch the waves roll in at high tide, and the joy of seeing the waves crash over the car, whilst we kept dry inside. Up on the white cliffs, we thought the wind would flip the car over, with us inside it.

For the rest of the day, we are planning a night of cribbage; who said rock 'n' roll was dead?

And tomorrow, we head to Wiltshire; Stonehenge, Avebury and Salisbury; which should be great. The weather forecast is not good, so maybe I won't get many pictures, but we'll have a great time nonetheless.

Outside, the sun has set, and the clouds are sweeping across the sky, and the only light showing from here is the red light of the railway signal.

21st January 2007

Sunday afternoon, and we are just back from the west country. Another great idea by myself, if I may be so bold. We really had a great time, and the weather just about behaved itself, and we got to visit most of the places we wanted to.

Friday morning it was time to round the cats up and take them to the cattery; what is amazing is how the little darlings just know when something is up, and when to hide. Molly being the worse, not even her favourite kitty treats would tempt her out. So, after moving all the furniture in the front room, she gave in, and we were able to head out onto the road, dropping them off on the way.

I won't go on again about the state of the roads in Britain; but suffice to say the trip around London was not fun, the roads packed; so it was a relief to turn off the orbital motorway and head into the west. I knew of a great little greasy spoon near to where we were staying, and thought it would be ideal for lunch. A greasy spoon is a term for a transport cafe, which, mostly, serves the traditional English breakfast; sausages, bacon, fried eggs, baked beans, fried spuds. And, the place was still there, and the food just as good; though it must be said, not healthy.

We went to Stonehenge after lunch, it was just a short journey onto Salisbury Plain, and soon enough the stones became visible on the horizon. I have to say, that the stones are not quite as large in real life than they appear on tv, but still, it was some achievement to move them some 50 miles and carve them then erect them in the ground. The sky was full of heavy clouds, and the light not good, but i got a couple of good shots, and i will post them along with the best of the others when i get back home either tomorrow evening or on Tuesday. At the entrance to Stonehenge, the guy collecting tickets asked if I was Australian, as he thought he detected an accent. I asked, do i look like a criminal (a joke). Anyway, I assured him I was not, and so the stones were safe. It is something to see the stones, in their setting; the flat plain, the menacing sky, and thankfully, not many other tourists around. It's what comes with visiting in January, I guess.

There was just time to visit one of the other major pre-historic sites; Avebury.

Avebury is another stone circle, this one with a fairly modern village inside it. When i say modern, it is about 500 years old; not so modern then. Seeing houses, pubs and shops inside such a place is an odd thing, and the place has a special feel about it. Such a shame that so many of the stones are missing, and just a simple marker shows where huge granite stones would have stood. In older times, the stones were used to build houses and barns, and indeed, some stones still bear the scars of such actions.

As the light was fading, we decided to find where we would be staying for the weekend. It was in the market town of Devizes, and the guesthouse was on the banks of the Kennet and Avon Canal. Devizes has a mix of Elizabethan timber-framed houses, and later merchants' houses, as well as more modern dwellings. And snaking through the town is the canal. Also, it is home to a medium sized brewery, which just so happens makes really good beer, which I like a lot. Could it be coincidence that we were staying here? I can say with hand on my heart, it had not occurred to me until about a week ago; just lucky I guess. The guesthouse was an 18th century town house, on three floors, with original fittings; and we really very pleasant. The owners, we a nice as could be, and nothing was too much trouble.

That night we had a walk around the town, and found a nice Indian restaurant, where Jools had her first curry; and just as well she liked it. Curry is now Britain’s' favourite meal, and there are apparently thousands of different kinds and degrees of spiciness.

Saturday dawned grey and dull, and did not bode well for a day of touristy things which we had planned. We went down for breakfast, to find we were the only guests in that night, and we had the breakfast room to ourselves. Once again, it was tradition English breakfast of bacon, sausage, etc, with added toast and cereals. And coffee or tea. So, by the time we got up, we were full.

As I said before, Devizes has a canal running through it; and a British canal is maybe narrower than in other countries, and so has special freight boats that used to ply their trade up and down them. Devizes is situated on a hill, and a series of locks were needed to bring the canal up to the town and along to Kennet. To do this, 26 locks were needed, and at the steepest part of Caen Hill, 16 locks were built one after another. So, I thought this would be a great photographic opportunity. We decided to walk to the locks, as the rain had ended, and the sun was now out. We headed off from the guesthouse and walked thinking that at any moment the first of the locks would appear. Some 45 minutes later I realised that the sun was in the wrong place in the sky, if we were walking to the locks. So, it turned out, we had chosen the wrong direction, but the walk was still enjoyable, and not wasted. We returned to the guesthouse, got into the car, and headed out. I kner where the locks began as we had passed it the day before; and after finding a place to park, we set for another canal side walk. The sight of the 16 lock, one after another was amazing, and as i thought, great for photographs. As we walked along, we passed the usual mix of joggers and dog-walkers, who mostly greeted us warmly. About halfway down the hill, we noticed a rainbow, and thinking how pretty it looked. We also realised that the wind was blowing towards us, and where there was a rainbow, there is rain. And so, lo, the heavens did open and it rained. And rained some more, and then really rained. We tried to get back to the car as quickly as possible, but soon enough we were wet as anything, but laughing all the way. Even more so, as just as we reached the dryness of the car, the clouds passed and the sun came out, and the rain stopped.

Glastonbury, it can be said, has had a bit of a makeover in recent years. Until a few years ago, it was a quiet market town in Somerset, with a nice ruined Abbey and some nice mediaeval houses and shops. Then, in the 60's and later, it became linked with all things pagan, and various linked shops opened. It was said for centuries that it was at Glastonbury that King Arthur was buried, and that nearby Avalon and Camelot could be found. Modern mumbo jumbo suggests ley lines link such pagan places, and the town is now full of bookshops and other places catering for such crowds. It still is a great place to visit, but, once again, maybe better in the depth of winter tna summer; when we have heard stoned kids lay in the gutter. Overlooking the town, is the Tor, a hill, which it is said to be a maze made from lay lines, that mark out the shape of a dragon. Indeed, in older times, it was known as worm hill; worm being another name for a dragon.

We did not make it to the top of the Tor, which is now marked by a Victorian Folly, looking like the tower of a church. But the Tor is visible from all over the area, and I suppose offers great views. We did go into the Abbey; and as usual, Henry VIII was responsible for it's sacking and destruction. What is left now is various walls and foundations of most of the Abbey and other buildings, what is missing was used to build some of the buildings in the town.

After lunch, we headed further west to Cheddar. Cheddar is were all the cheese is named after, and indeed, there is still one place that makes genuine cheddar there. Cheddar itself, is situated at the end of a limestone gorge that water has eroded into a spectacular place. Though, in fairness, in most other countries, it would not be called a gorger, maybe a valley. But here, in England, it is a gorge, and quite wonderful it is. As well as the gorge, there are caves, and in the deepest part, remains of prehistoric people have been found. As well as the cheese factory and shop, there is the usual collection of tat emporiums; thankfully, most of which were closed. We had really gone there to buy some cheese and Scrumpy. Scrumpy is the local name for farm-produced cider, which is amazingly strong, and something we will be sampling tonight. It was about a 90 minute drive back, and through some of the most unique landscapes in England. It's hard to describe, but rounded hills go into the distance, and wonderfully into the mist. Scattered about are copses of trees and farms. But, it has a certain something, maybe a certain magic?

In the evening, we drove a short distance to a country pub I knew, that does stunning food, and has beer served from wooden kegs, unchanged in ways for hundreds of years. We woke up this morning to more rain, which was ok, as we hoped it would clear up later. After another English breakfast and a shower, we bid farewell to hour hosts ho had given up a life in journalism on Fleet Steet to do this, and so spend more time with their children.

We drove to Salisbury, which is situated in the middle of the plain, and is dominated by the Cathedral. The cathedral is stunning in the winter sunshine, blinding white thanks to the local stone used in it's construction. Surrounding it is the usual mix of old streets and in the old buildings, modern chain shops. Being so early on Sunday morning, we had the place almost to ourselves; and were able to take pictures to our hearts delight. By the time we were ready to leave, the crowds were arriving, and it was satisfying to be bucking the trend and leaving. But, it was a little heavy hearts we headed back for Kent and home.

22nd January 2007

I got an email from a 'friend' I had not heard from in nearly three years. We had known each other for many years, and it was down to him I joined the Air Force. We kept in touch over the years, and when he was accused of a really bad crime, and convicted; I stood by him. Because he was my friend. And not for him owing me over the years.

When he got out, we were close again, and it was really joyous when we got together, especially the night he got out. But over the months after, his BS appeared again, and his calls grew infrequent; until in the summer of 2004, he stopped altogether.

Until today; I got an e mail, which I answered with a definition of the word 'friend', not reading it all and missing that it indicated that he would be considered a friend. He answered that right away; realising my mistake, I sent an amended copy with this:

a friend is someone who cares, someone who is always there. a friend is someone special, someone who you can tell everything. a friend is someone who will never betray you, no matter who doesn't like you. a friend is someone you can trust, someone kind of NOT like you.

So if you are reading this James, if you think you qualify as a friend, you know my number, explain yourself. As for me, i am wondering what you want this time

So, I called James, and we skirted around the sensitive subjects; like why it took some 32 months for him to try to contact me again. I could have called him, but there comes a point when, why bother? When you are doing all the calling, there comes a point when you just stop just to see how much they care. Anyway, the upshot, apart from all the BS, which is a rich and plentiful as ever, is that my first wife, Andrea, wrote to him at Christmas; just a card-with her e mail addy. So, piqued, he wrote, and it seems that she is trying to contact me, or find me. Apparently, she sat outside my Mothers' one day last year for an hour; just watching. I have made it clear to James, he is not to pass on anything about me, and he said he won't. Andrea seems just the same, and possibly unbalanced. And my life has moved on so far now, I have no desire to go back down that road.

James is coming round tomorrow night, and we'll see where that goes.

I could say here about Andrea, and what happened those 12 years ago, when we split up, and the trouble she caused me with the Air Force, and how it all but ruined my career; in fact I did write it up just a few weeks ago; how strange is that?

A simple Google search will turn up this page, and so it will become clear that I am not hiding. So, hi Andrea- now go away.

24th January 2007

Last night, in a bid to relive some old times; I dug out some old records, the old fashioned seven inch plastic ones, and had what turned out to be a sober night of listening to some classics, and some more obscure ones as well. I was intending to maybe open a bottle of wine, and possibly try some more of the Scrumpy purchased in Cheddar; but in the end, a couple of cups of tea were enough. So, here is the list of records that delighted my ears all last evening, hope that maybe you will recognise one or two of them: .

Thomas Dolby – Europa and the Pirate Twins

The Boothill Foot-Tappers – Get Your Feet out of My Shoes

Fischer Z – Marliese

Cabaret Voltaire – Nag Nag Nag

The B-52's – Give Me Back my Man

Rocky Burnette – Tired of Toein' The Line

The Human League – Empire State Human

Patrick – Immigrant

Tracie Young – I Can't Leave You Alone

Love and Money – Candybar Express

Jefferson Starship – Jane

Jesus Jones – Info Freako

The Leyton Buzzards – Saturday Night Beneath the Plastic Palm Trees

The Expressos – Tango in Mono

Talking Heads – Life During Wartime

Our Daughters Wedding – Lawnchairs

The Pogues – Haunted

The Regents - 7Teen

The Motels – Days are OK

The Comsat Angels – Will You Stay Tonight?

Aswad – 54-46 Was My Number

Transglobal Underground – The Templehead

Beats Workin' – Sure Beats Workin'

George Clinton – Loopzilla

Hamilton Bohannon – Let's Start to Dance Again

Bette Bright and the Illuminations – When You Were Mine

Pixies- Monkey Gone to heaven

Au Pairs – Inconvenience

The Headboys – Shape Of Things to Come

Billy Ocean – Love Really Hurts Without you

The Mac Band – Roses Are red

Blancmange – The day Before you Came

Friends Again – State of Art

Cook Da Books – I Wouldn't Want to knock it

By that time, it was midnight, and time for bed. TV is not holding my attention these days; several times I have sat down to watch a once favourite show, only to lose interest after 10 minutes. The latest casualty was Bones, a huge favourite, but not any more it seems. The only thing I can seem to concentrate on is The Daily Show; I guess just half an hour of satire is enough, just enough. Today, I have not one, but two doctors appointments, one a seaman's' medical and the other to see if I need any jabs, as I am going to a tropical country. After that, a visit to my Godparents, dinner with mother and then James should be coming round. And that should be the day, really.

Jools said that when she got up this morning, there was a dead thrush laying in the front room; wonder which house tiger did that? Could it me Sulu? Stumpy, maybe? Or mild mannered Molly; could be.

25th January 2007

her, I thought I would tell her that my first wife, Andrea, had been around and had even say outside her house last year. Well, she admitted that a card had arrived for me that very day-from Andrea along with a note. The basically says that she does not want anything, only to be friends. I have to take that with a large shovel-full of salt. She goes on to say that she is thankful and grateful for what my family and I did for her, crucially, there was no hint of remorse. She also had an e mail address; which i did use, from a false account, to tell her, in plain English, that she has no chance in getting me back. My old friend James came round later, and filled in the blanks that Andrea herself failed to mention. She is still married to her second husband, Andy; and has two children. She is having an affair, and hates Andy because he spends too much on himself.

And as far as James is concerned, she only contacted him to use him to get to me. I said to Andrea in the e mail, that even if she won millions on the lottery, i would not go back with her and that if I see her around here or at Mother's, I will call the police. And that's no idle threat.

As for James; it all went quite well, very civilised, although we did skirt around certain issues, but were able to be friends. He says he is blown away by this job I have, as I still am I have to say. He wants to stay in contact, and wants me to call when i am here on leave from the sea. I see no reason for not doing so; other than I feel that I will be spending more and more time in Kent, and less time here. I am selling my car today, to save money, and to put some money into my account, after what turned out to be an expensive week last week; not that I regret any of it, and it means that Jools and I could go away again when i am back next time.

Mother is the same; although I hope I have gotten through to her about keeping her door locked now as there might be an unbalanced Serbian ex wife of mine on the prowl. She sleeps a lot, and has her front door unlocked; and I have walked in to the house, turned on the TV, made a cup of tea; and she has not stirred. I could have been anyone; a burglar, or worse. And so, it came to pass, that I sold my little VW. It had become clear that to keep it would mean throwing money at it, and for the most part it would be on the side of the road, slowly rusting. I got a pittance for it, but have managed to put my account in the black- a week before pay day. To celebrate, I went and bought some new clothes; so maybe I won't look and feel like a tramp now. There was some panic this morning, when i could not find the registration document, of the annual MOT certificate; and so I had to look everywhere, and in the process sort out years of mail. In the end, the docs were where I thought they were, just tucked between a couple of books. I feel like I achieved some things today, and that this is a major landmark in moving towards my new life on the sea.