Tuesday 10th October 2023

Suppose they gave an audit, and nobody came?

So went the anti-Vietnam poster.

Nearly.

So, here I was in Wales, to do two audits over two days, the first of our UK head office, and the second the windfarm I would be working from both days.

The office of the windfarm, I don't actually climb turbines anymore. In fact, I never have climbed a turbine.

I wok at six when the alarm went off, it was still dark outside and the wind howling.

The plan was to go to breakfast when it opened, then drive the 15 minutes to the Port of Mostyn, and get settled in.

Which is what I did, though no fruit or bran based cereal to eat, I made do with some yogurt followed by a sausage and bacon butty.

And coffee.

Then went to the car, programmed the post code in, and set off down the hill towards the sea, or the Mersey estuary which I think it was.

Along the coast road, passing by closed shops and pubs, a small ship which used to be a tourist attraction, then over the railway to the port.

"Henry Bolingbroke (later Henry IV) disembarked at Mostyn Quay in 1399 before wresting the Crown from Richard II at nearby Flint castle.

In 1485 Henry Tudor eluded capture at Mostyn Hall by Richard III, escaping by boat using Mostyn Quay. History tells us he later went onto to defeat Richard III at Bosworth Field."

What industry there had been; steel making and mining for coal, have been cleared away, and now the port deals with the wind industry, with several farms having their offices and warehouses in the port.

A severed railway line crosses the road into the port, no rails either side now. I arrive at the offices, go to book myself in, and prepare for the day ahead.

I was last here, as I said, on 12th March 2020, the day when things went really serious with COVID and the Government froze, not for the last time.

All here survived, and the office and farm has thrived.

Sadly, no one turned up for the audit.

Zero.

I was lost for words.

But I could do the second day, an audit of the wind farm and offices, so we get cracking. I had plenty of time, so we broke for morning coffee and lunch, and i was still done by three, and also having typed up my notes.

So back to the car and back up the hill to the hotel, were the lycra-clad were arriving for some classes at the spa. I went to my room, put some music on and lay on my bed until I got hungry at ten to six.

So down to the restaurant for dinner: carrot humous with pesto followed by burger and fries.

It hit the spot. And I decided against the cheese for desert too, though had a coffee and finished Mr Maconie's book, with his glowing reports of his stay in the fine city of Norwich.

Time then to go back to my room, have a shower and laze around until i got tired.