Ten Years

Just after breakfast on the 26th August 2008, I disembarked the survey vessel I had spent the previous eight weeks at Peterhead. It is the only time I have been there. I had hoped to be relieved the day previous, as it was my birthday, but it didn’t happen. My shipmates helped me celebrate my birthday in fine style, from what I remember, cheering me from my slough of despair at not being home on what was my 43rd birthday. But I would be home the next day, after a taxi collected me from the quayside and took me to Aberdeen airport for my flight home. I think it must have been to Heathrow, as by then I had moved to Kent. Jools met me at the airport, and we went home, three weeks before our wedding.

I say this, as August 26th this year sees the 10th anniversary of the Jelltex blog, and quite a ride it has been.

I have gone from being a survey engineer in the North Sea to one working on the Caspian Sea before the company that poached me went bust, and I ;lost my job, and soon was reduced to working for minimum wage at the box factory. At times it seems that despite all my different qualifications for driving, quality, engineering and the rest, it would be an impossible task to get a job.

In 2010, I short term contract surveying for the Thanet windfarm, turned into working for the WTG supplier for the windfarm, and the rest, as they say, is history.

I am now an International Playboy and quality expert, flying round the globe doing quality related malarkey, and taking photos when I can.

The blog has followed the fortunes of Norwich City and the England team in football, although I doubt many folks read those. But in the past ten years, I have photographed butterflies, churches, trains, orchids, pubs, wild flowers in general, and anything else that takes my fancy. And with those, we always find something interesting to do, exploring the more remote areas of Kent, walking the downs, woods and meadows of the county looking for that rare orchid.

I am guessing that many find the orchid season a bit repetitive, but it gets me out of the house and walking, which is almost like exercise. And in the meantime, have learned more than most about the UK Hardy Orchid.

Thanks to friends like Simon K, John Vigar and those from the GWUK group, I have caught the churchcrawling bug, and have an eye for detail, and people who I can share these passions with. Thanks to the power of the interwebs, I have met many of my online friends and contacts, and all such meetings have been like meeting old friends, yet it is a first time meeting. Long may that continue.

We have stayed with friends in other countries, and friends from around the world have come to stay with us. Always a pleasure too, although some of the cats may have other thoughts.

What will the next decade bring? I hope to complete the Kent church project; I have no idea how many more there are to visit and snap, but it is something I enjoy. I might even work out what to do with the photos from all 292 churches, making it a real resource for people. Although I did find out this week that at least one person is using my shots to plan tours he arranges for people. Nice that someone has use for the shots.

Both Jools and I hope to retire in the next ten years. As soon as possible, really, but that it is more likely to be in eight or so years’ time, and then we can really concentrate on our hobbies, or just sell up and buy a narrow boat and live on a canal somewhere. We have choices. Which is always good.

Jools and I have worked all our lives, Jools with just a few weeks of unemployment after she lost the job at the box factory, and me when UTEC went bust, and also when the job at the box factory suddenly ended. I think we have both earned our retirement, when it comes, but with the recent deaths of friends and family, at the moment we just hope that we both live long enough to enjoy our golden years.