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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

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 –
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
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.