Roland Ladley's Blog, page 17

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Apparently, having made the announcement that all covid restrictions will be lifted next Monday, senior politicians have been on TV today telling everyone that there is an expectation that people should continue to wear masks indoors. Expected? And with numbers rising quickly? The problem with ‘expected’, other than the fact that the whole ‘lifting restrictions’ malarkey is a fillip from Johnson to a number of his backbenches (because medically it doesn’t make any sense whatsoever, when we are reasonably close to vaccinating everyone who wants to be vaccinated), is that those who won’t wear masks will be the same people who won’t be careful, who will congregate in large groups and be magnets for the disease. As a result those not wearing masks in Tescos next Monday – those sneering at C and me for wearing ours – will be the most likely to be giving the disease to us.

The second issue is that more infections, no matter how slight, means more variants. More variants means more chance of one avoiding vaccines … and then we’re back to square one. For what? So that Johnson can save summer? Like he did (not) Christmas? I’m sorry, but if you cannot continue to wear a mask in shops and keep a safe distance from people like me – and my immu-compromised daughter, for no other reason than ‘it’s my right’, then go to hell you selfish so-and-so..

Sorry.

https://amzn.to/36rvY0T

Anyhow. The book’s out there, in e-book and paperback form (hurrah!). It’s been a journey. I submitted my final wrap round cover as late as yesterday. It’s done now. And I have made the decision to work much harder on social media. It is, after all, my job. As a result I have opened my own FB page (moving on from the one I did use which was attached to C’s site). It’s here: https://www.facebook.com/Sam-Green-Thriller-Series-111304844553470. Please follow. I hope to use this to amplify what it’s like to be a self-published author – ups and downs. You do, of course, get a lot of that here, but I also drone on about politics and travel. That won’t be so prevalent on my page. At some point I will try and use FB and Amazon for proper marketing and throw some money at it all. That’s my next job.

Footy tonight. Hurrah! It would be great to see this English team win. They are brilliant, off and on the field. But, if Italy do then that’s OK by me. They’ve had a tough time with covid – let’s face it, so have we. Whatever … well played the ref!

Stay safe. As I understand it half of the covid deaths last week were of double-vax folk. Do you best to stay covid-free. 

Made it – just

Phew. We made it. It’s not been without effort, I have to say. We are now at our first stopover, our lovely, peaceful CL just off the Severn. Unusually we are not alone. There is another Hymer with us. But the field is so big you really can’t tell. Our plan is to take stock and then move on after the weekend, ‘up north’ somewhere. A big part of me doesn’t want to come back. We’ll see.

Mum’s was not without stress. We took her shopping, the first time in 16 months. Inevitably she found it difficult (mask down; not quite getting people and distances; always questioning) and she had a few sharp words with us. But that’s understandable … and, the good news was we managed to get her three new pairs of shoes and, in the end, we had a lovely lunch out.

we bought some shoes

The last three days has been mostly, for me, about getting the book sorted. It’s a bit of a story. I thought I’d managed everything at Mary’s, using her machine and Word. It took me four hours to sort the wrap round cover, but eventually I had the process and eventually Amazon accepted what I offered. On that basis, I ordered a proof copy which was to arrive on Wednesday, giving me a full day to sort any last minute issues [I have told everyone it’s live tomorrow, Friday – self-imposed pressure. But, hey ho, it keeps me on my toes].

Well, you would have thought that, having got back from mum’s and Mary’s, and having sorted the book, and having dropped the consultancy plans down a notch, I would be all set for a summer of chill. Ready for the first day of the rest of my life. Come on, Roland! 

It didn’t happen like that. I woke on both Tuesday and Wednesday down in the dumps. Wednesday was particularly bad. The proof copy of the book arrived and the cover wasn’t quite right. But I knew the process and sorted it. Tick. I had a really good run on Wednesday. Tick. We had arranged to go see an old army pal and his wife on Wednesday night … and that was lovely. Tick. My narrator delivered the prologue for Unsuspecting Hero, and that was a wrap. Tick. And another old army pal of mine came round on his huge Motoguzzi on Thursday morning for an early lunch. Tick.

the local chapter turned up

So, what was the problem?

I dunno. Well, first thing on Wednesday I got up, picked up the proof copy of The Belmonte Paradox, read half a chapter and thought … ‘this is rubbish?’. And if it is rubbish, are all the other books rubbish as well? Am I a fraud? And that left me with no alternative. I had to read book to make sure it wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be. 

frantically reading

So I started. And, much to my surprise, I found a mistake. And then another. It wasn’t littered with them, but there were a few. One or two very obvious ones – and this is post-professional proof reader. And that set me on a journey. The book was primed ready to go for Friday. But it couldn’t, not with the mistakes I’d found. So I now had a race against time. It took me all of Wednesday and most of Thursday to get to the end. By the time I’d finished I’d found 8 mistakes and about 10 other changes I wanted to make. The concern now was whether my chromebook would deliver a suitable Word copy to update the script. And I still had to make changes to the paperback copy, which comes with a different typeset. And then my mate Kenn arrived on his bike. And then Amazon told me the paperback cover I’d submitted wasn’t good enough. Aaaggh.

But, and it’s an important but, I really enjoyed the book. I really did. I’m not saying you’re going to, but it’s another ‘the best I can do’. And the narration is fab … the plan is to have that out by 1 October. And I sorted the cover. And Amazon accepted the Word document. And we made it to the campsite. And, as I said t the beginning, I have the rest of my life ahead of me. So it’s not all that bad. It really isn’t.

And, of course, England won last night. What a match. What a manager. What a team. 

No words from me on Johnson’s decision to use the UK as a petri dish. I hope, I really do, that it’s the right one. 

Stay safe, everyone. Please. 

and we packed

Well done Gareth

We made it to mum’s. I’m without my Chromebook, so I’m penning this on my phone. I think that just about sums up my dizziness. Thankfully, assuming we make it to Tuesday (and we’re taking mum handbag shopping tomorrow, so there’s no guarantee), we’re then set for a period of ‘in Doris stability’. That’s going to be fab 

Mary’s was great. We were there to help her with her ‘thank you for helping me through covid’ drinks party, and we think that went well. It wasn’t without hard work, which was compounded for me by my rush to get The Belmonte Paradox typeset properly and the wrap round paperback cover sorted. The first bit was easy – her desktop has Word. The second, not so much. It literally is a perennial issue for me. I can never get the size, nor the image quality right. In the end it took me four hours … and this time I noted the on-line programmes I used so, hopefully, next time it should be easier.

almost there …

Anyhow it means the book should be released next Friday.  My next debate is how much of a fanfare should I make of publication? We’ll see. The good news is that we have a green light for the audiobook – my narrator and technician are on the same page. How long? I’m not sure. But mid-autumn might be a good bet. We’ll see how that goes.

Finally, well done Gareth Southgate and England. He always comes across as a respectable leader – a combination of wisdom and compassion. It may well be we don’t make it past Denmark, and that’s fine. But he and his team have taken us on a journey of professionalism and hard work. I applaud that.

Stay safe, everyone. It seems we’ve decided to let covid run through our country. I’m not sure I agree with that. Doubtless we have to learn to live with the disease and as a double-vaxed person it seems unlikely that it will kill me. I do worry about the gestation of more deadly variants with more if us infected. And I can’t see the sense in lifting the wearing of masks in enclosed spaces mantra – it costs very little and must afford some protection? How are the vulnerable going to shop if they have to mix with maskless people? Is wearing a mask too much to ask for the libertarians? I don’t know …

and i did a walk. Thirteen miles with my mate Richard up and down the Avon

Anyway … keep yourself safe. 

I’ve done some stuff

Where to start? First, well done Gareth Southgate (what a top man) and the England team. Fabulous result.

the smiles hide a desire to get out in Doris

It’s been a busy couple of days. First, I have finished the 360 degree reports and have drawn a line under new work. Having said that one of the deputy heads, who acknowledges that I am restricting my work to 121s, asked me if I’d be prepared to run some leadership seminars on a 1-10 basis, like webinars. I told him that I’d think about it and get back to him in September. Currently I am unsure … whatever, I think I will have 6-10 folk who want 121 support next academic year, which is nice.

I have also incorporated my proofreader’s comments into The Belmonte Paradox‘s script. It is, from an e-book perspective, ready to go. The difficulty, as always, is prepping the paperback. And, having given my Windows laptop to a charity, getting the typesetting right and preparing the cover is almost impossible on a chromebook. I’m thinking of options. One of them is expensive. I’ll see how it goes.

I did something

And, hats off to me. Today I changed Doris’s oil. It was a task undertaken with some trepidation. It’s not a difficult job if you have the right tools and all the bits that screw off (the sump plug and the oil filter) screw off … and you buy the right oil and filter. That’s easier than it sounds. Fiat are v particular about which actual brand of oil you use, and if you get it wrong your warranty can be invalidated (Doris doesn’t have a warranty). They mandate an Italian oil (no surprise) which is tricky to get in the UK. The actual spec does offer up a number of oils, but neither Halfords nor Europarts had the stuff I wanted, so I went for a Mercedes Benz recommended oil – Petronas – which is from Malaysia (we had a flashback to the Petronas Towers, which we visited in 2019). Anyhow, all the bits that needed to come off, came off. All the bits that needed to go back on, went back on. And all seems well.

The bill was £104, which meant I probably saved £50. So why do it? Well, getting Doris too and from the garage is not uncomplicated. And if you do the work yourself, and provide your own products, you know what your getting. I like that. Garage owners will be laughing at me when we break down on the M6 with oil issues, however. We’ll see.

we love Brissol

For the record, running is going well. I spoke (on my v dreary running blog last week) about using my benchmark 4.6km run around here as a gauge. My ambition was to break 20 minutes (I have run under 19 minutes five times, but that was in the early years). Well, I went out earlier and made it round in 19.25, which I was really pleased with. Whether I can keep that up remains to be seen, but at least I’m not as slow as I thought I was.

I’m meeting up with my mate Richard tomorrow. He and Caroline are down this neck of the woods visiting family. Richard and I are going to walk a bit of the Avon way … and definitely moan a lot about everything. And then on Friday we’re on our family tour, back mid-week and then, hopefully, out in Doris for a chunk of time. We re both really looking forward to that (C needs a break; she has spent the last couple of days in the kitchen making stuff for our visit(s) – bless her).

Stay safe everyone.

Whatever next?

I promise you I’m not going to spend this update talking about Matt Hancock. I’m not. But does a week go by when this government is not laid bare for what it is? And who took and released the tape of him necking his aid? And what about Martha Hancock and their child? When is it ok to cheat on your family? And when is it ok for Johnson to accept the man’s apology for breaking his own lockdown rules and assume that normal people will get on with it? Like Cummings and Barnard Castle, the fact that Johnson would rather torpedo the very policies which are trying to make this country safe – rather than bow to ‘liberal pressure’ to sack the man who took control the coach and horses deserted by Cummings, and then drove the charabanc out the other side of policy document – meanwhile expecting his adoring public to think nothing of it, is just crazy. It is all just crazy. We are being led by a 1980s-style Italian government, full of sleaze, incompetence, cronyism and corruption, and somehow a lot of people can’t see it. It makes me weep, it really does.

Sniff.

I think our town centre, Bradley Stoke, does a really good job of reinventing itself

It’s been a bit of a time. Most of my energy has been spent sorting seven 360 degree reports – my last set. I have informed the school. As well as not taking on any new work from anyone, and restricting myself to telephone/video 121s only, I’m done. I’m not there yet, in that I have to do a final edit tomorrow, dispatch the reports and then hold debrief sessions with the candidates on Tuesday, with follow up sessions with the deputy heads on Wednesday. 360s are tough. They involve difficult conversations with people, because every report I write has criticism (none of us is perfect), and that needs to be written and discussed constructively. They are emotionally hard work … and I will be glad when they’re done. I just hope that everyone is cvontent at the end. I haven’t missed a beat yet (and I have previously completed 23 reports for the school, among others; this takes it to 30). I won’t know that until it’s over.

At the same time I’m making headway with The Belmonte Paradox. The script is back from the proofreader and I have chosen a photo of mine, drafted the front cover and written a blurb. I have a full day’s work to get it anywhere near ready, but I’ll manage. And then the plan is to do nothing ‘literally’ until September, then pen book 8, publish next year and take a year off to market the damn series. I may even start that at Christmas.

typesetting and cover design, the worst part of any self-publishing process

We’re off to Mary’s at the end of the week to help out at a summer gathering and then on to mum’s. After that we have a couple of day’s admin and, hopefully, we take off for 6 weeks ‘north’ to do some more walking and cycling. The only thing in the diary is a wedding at the end of August, so we might be away for 6 weeks. Won’t that be nice?

I made a headboard for C’s side of her bed in Doris.

Finally I’m going to try and change the oil on Doris. I’ll leave that statement there. I have changed the oil on a car before, a good while back. Doris, however, is a different beast. But I’m pretty determined to give it a go. Finger’s crossed.

Oh, and Steven has finished school and is back with Bex and Henry. They all seem very happy, even if they have to isolate for another 8 days. With that in mind, stay safe. Cases continue to rise and there are plenty of reports of double-vax folk catching the disease and, whilst there are no deaths in that bracket, people are still getting quite ill. Mask up!

I have an itch

Wanderlust. It’s a thing, isn’t it? Not for everyone, I grant you. But for some of us. The open road. The freedom. The ability to be able to move on, to find new places. To be surprised, amazed … disappointed. To carry little, but experience a lot. To do away with the need for things and replace that with the need for life. To travel, and not necessarily arrive. To meet new people, to see new things, to feel the sand between your toes and the wind in your hair (I struggling for cliches). And to do this with someone you love … who shares your desires to be out there, and not back here.

Wanderlust. It’s a draw.

I came across a remarkable couple the other day, David and Charlotte. He’s British and she’s Danish. They look like theyr’e in the 50s, and a couple of years ago they decided to give everything up (done that), buy a motorhome (done that) and waddle off into the sunset (done that). Except we haven’t done what they’ve done. They started with a bigger budget, both in terms of cash to buy a machine and ambition, as to where to travel. They spent £350k on an ‘overlander’, a urban term to describe any motorhome which is designed to get you to Cape Town without getting your feet wet, or leaving the ground. Normally 4×4 and normally truck-based, for many wealthy people it’s a thing of status. For true travellers it’s designed to go from Europe, due south … and not stop until you hit the southern oceans. It’s been a thing for a while, although many ‘overlanders’ have had their plans thwarted by war and conflict – especially in Central Africa. And this has got worse due to the pandemic.

David and Charlotte – https://www.sommertravelling.com/ – bought a nearly new Danish army truck and got a UK-based manufacturer to make a really decent overlander, so much so it featured in Ch5’s ‘Million Dollar Motorhomes’, which you can still find on My5 (we watched it yesterday). It is big … and fab, and well worth looking over, although their website does a very good job of showing you what’s what.

So that’s the truck. The ambition? Well, if you remember ours … we just wanted out of the rat race, and used our motorhome to search Europe and the UK for the answer to fundamental questions like: what’s the point of everything?; and, where’s the nearest wifi hotspot? And we did well. Five and a half years later and we eventually, sort of, settled down … although the itch to travel and explore needs permanent scratching.

David and Charlotte are on a different scale. They have a ten year plan to visit 100 countries, by travelling overland around the world – Africa, Asia, Australasia and the Americas. And then, they think, they’ll buy a pad in India and open a cats’ home. Their route is fascinating and after 14 months (I’m late to this) and mostly due to difficulty getting their van registered and covid, they’ve made it to Senegal having spent 4 months in Morocco. It all looks fab. There’s a blog (short and infrequent) and you can follow them on Instagram.

I take my hat off to them. We possibly could have found the money and we might have been able to set the thing up. Could we travel the world? I’m not sure C’s constitution is up for it. And, maybe a surprise, I’m not a great risk taker. But, and it’s a big but, it has reignited my absolute desire to get the most out of this life … and for me, and I hope for us, that’s about the freedom of travel. Sure, we have commitments – and I’ve just dropped my only work on – but we’re only on this planet once. So, Doris … get ready.

Doris looking all ‘ready’

Stay safe.

All back safely

We’re all back. Bex and Henry made it to their apartment in Seoul early this morning, and we managed Bristol last night. It’s been quite a journey for all of us. Bex had two big suitcases, a big rucksack, another holdall and the pushchair … and a baby C and I, against clear instructions at Heathrow, but fully masked up, helped the pair of them to the check in desk and the rest was easy. Henry apparently, slept all the way to Korea (10 hours); Bex didn’t. She’s not a great flyer. Of course it’s dark now over there and with Steven isolating away from Bex at a friend’s house (school rules), Henry will not know night from day and poor old Bex will miss another night’s sleep. But, she’s young and will cope. Thankfully the school closes on Friday so Steve can move back in, but Bex has to remain isolating for a whole two weeks.

my poor attempt at keeping H warm when I took him for a v early walk yesterday

It was sad to see them go, but as we had to rush out for fear of being evicted by security staff, it was a painlessly short goodbye. They hope to come back at Christmas, covid travel restrictions allowing. In the meantime we’ll have to do with video calls. We feel blessed (but exhausted) to have had a chance to see them.

I start my 360 work tomorrow. It will take me through to the middle of next week, which is fine. But I have made a decision that that is it. I’m more than happy providing 121 coaching support by video, but I’m not going to take on any more broader work. That also means I’ll drop any MoD work should it come in. From next week it’s travel, fitness, guitar and books – and family and friends. And, I have to say, I feel v pleased and relieved about that.

Mary and Henry

I’ve also started a v strict no dairy regime from today. Those of you who follow this drivel know that I have sinus problems and one of the possible causes, or amplifiers, is dairy. I have tried to be strict before and have managed up to a point. But since Christmas I’ve been eating milk stuff (especially butter … I love butter) with abandon. I’m hoping that 3 weeks on non-diary will change nothing and I can go back to smothering everything I eat with butter. Or, I will miraculously feel better. We’ll see.

And I realise that I’ve not made a fuss of The Belmonte Paradox, which I’m hoping will be out by the end of the first week in July. I have found a photo for the cover, but have yet to upload the manuscript which allows me to set the paperback cover to the right dimensions … and I need to write the back page blurb, which is never straightforward. That’s all a couple of days work, and with the school 360 stuff running in parallel I am a little concerned I’m going to miss my self-imposed deadline. But, do you know what? With the number of books I’m selling at the moment I’m not that bothered – as no one else seems to be.

we managed a 5-miler on Thursday when Bex was with friends

That’s all from me. I hope you’re keeping safe and getting vaccinated when you can.

Two up, two down

sad this has come to an end

The Henry adventure is coming to an end. And what a blast it has been. We picked Bex and Henry up from her friends on Sunday and took them to our friends Peter and Karen (so we could use their pool – and we also loved seeing them too!). Henry loved it and we had to drag him out of the water – he would have stayed there all day. Since then we’ve been trying to get into a routine where Bex, in particular, can relax. But, as we know, when babies are awake they don’t have an off button. And there have been some early mornings. But we have managed. And I think we have allowed Bex some time.

so privileged to be able to do this

We’re taking her to friends tomorrow, disappearing for a walk, picking her up after lunch and then driving to Heathrow to get a guaranteed covid test. We then stay with Mary for two nights … and the pair of them fly on Saturday. At which point life will return to normal, albeit with a huge Henry (and Bex) sized hole in it. I then have two weeks work, after which we have an empty summer to look forward to.

Having the pair of them here has reopened the perennial question of why do we live in such a small house – two up, two down? It’s an interesting debate. All of our friends live in large houses, with plenty of room and big gardens. In fact I think everyone we know lives in a larger house than we do. And we could afford to move. We’d have to realise some capital, but it’s possible. So why not?

Well, and I know I’ve rehearsed this before – we might. It depends on where Bex and Steven end up next summer (they’re pretty certain they’re leaving Seoul). But to be fair to our little place it hasn’t failed us. We had Mary with us for 10 weeks last Spring, and now Bex and Henry have stayed with us for a good slab of time. And the house has managed. Sure, we need to be organised … but it’s not impossible. And it’s not uncomfortable. You’ll know that it’s cheap to live in. And, for me, it has everything you need in a house; it all works and it’s attractive. We’re close to every convenience we need and we live in a cul de sac off a cul de sac. It’s very quiet where we are, albeit a cricket ball’s throw from the M4. And, and this is the big and, it was never anything other than a bolt hole. We had/have every intention to travel for at least six months of the year and need something to lock up and leave. Next Spring, after skiing – and covid restrictions allowing – we’re thinking of going to Central America for 10 weeks, possibly hiring a place on the beach and soaking up the vibes. If you have a big house, who’s going to cut the lawn and do the maintenance? And we know we’re out and about in August this year in Doris, and are hoping to do Orkney and Shetland in September/October.

loving CBeebies

So when the wanderlust has gone, maybe then we can get all fretful about whether or not we have to keep Henry’s pushchair in the boot of the car. But when the whole family do come to stay we have the perfect second home for them: Doris. C and I managed 4.5 years in her (and similar) so I’m pretty certain a couple and a babe can manage. In the end, it about experience, not things. Things clutter up your life. Experiences enrich it.

That’s my view. You’d better ask C what she thinks … I pretty certain our pals think I coerce her into living in a shoe box and travelling second class. For example, we’re also discussing joining Bex, Steven and Henry next year if they decide to return from Korea on the Trans-Siberian railway. It’s something we’ve always discussed doing. It’s not comfortable but, blimey, what an experience. And who’s going to paint the hall/stairs/landing next year if we’re away that long? (And when we do paint it … I can get it done in a day.)

Enough from me. By the way I absolutely respect and in some ways admire those who want to live in a palace and take a seat on the parish council. I do. But it’s not for me. (But it may be for C.)

Stay safe everyone.

I’m going to bore you with running

We’re back from Newquay. And what a lovely time it was. We haven’t been away as a family since 2012 and it worked really well. Henry, of course, made it special. It’s not just that he’s a lovely, smiley chap. It’s that he lifts my mood by a notch, just be being around him. As a result I am a bit knackered … I volunteered for every duty, including the death stag ones at 4 in the morning. And I loved it. I will really miss him, and Bex of course, when they fly home (and fly home they must) on Saturday.

anything more adorable?

Currently they’re with school friends of Bex’s. We pick them up (more driving, I am an Uber bloke) from Gloucester and we come home via Peter and Karen’s to use their pool. That is going to be special. I will report back.

C and I have continued to try and keep fit. For the first time in 6 months I put a clock on my run today. It wasn’t the most encouraging thing I’ve ever done, but you have to start somewhere. Running is what I do. And I have, pretty much, run every other day since I was 14. I was at my fittest at university where, for those of you who are interested, I put out a 17.5 minute 5 km. Leaving aside the professionals, amateur runners use 5 km as a good gauge, and anything under 20 minutes is a sign that you’re running well. Even if I say so myself, 17.5 minutes is quick. More important, at the same time I ran a 10 miler in an hour, which is right up there with ‘good running’. On that occasion I was dragged around by an Army marathon runner. Thanks Tony …

And I raced on the track (800 metres – I was the Army 800 metre champion … in Cyprus), but it was as an orienteerer where I performed at my best. There were a couple of years when I used to race twice a week. And I loved it. In fact it is an ambition of mine to get back onto that circuit. You race in age groups and, as an old bloke, I might do ok. Maybe this winter.

Anyhow, my point? Well, 10 years ago in my mid-40w, when I was a teacher at Wells, I broke 20 minutes twice over 5 kms in a road race, and was very pleased with myself. And 5 years ago, I put out a 21 minute 5 km in a Park Run. But since then, what with heart problems and a general lack of confidence in working hard, I have got slower and slower. Until Korea last autumn where, for four weeks, I ran with Steve, Bex’s husband, who clearly had a point to make and whooped my backside every time we went out on some fairly long and very hilly runs. I came back at Christmas fitter than I’d been for a while.

And then lockdown. And then my calf ‘pinged’ …

Come on, Roland, get to the point. I’ve started eating a banana and a tomato salad – every day. Within three days my calf was perfect … not a twinge. It could, therefore, have been a lack of sodium or potassium which was giving me long-term, deep cramp (thanks Alasdair). Supposedly injury free, today I set out on my marked 5 km run and set my watch.

28 minutes for 5 km. I felt quickish, and consistent. But 28 minutes?! Come on.

Indignant, I checked the route. Thankfully it was 5.8 km long. Phew. But that still has me at running at about 5 minute per km … about 25 mins for 5 km. That’s not quick and I clearly have some work to do. But, with my calf as quiet as a Tesla, I am going to work at it. What’s my ambition? I want to run my old route (4.6 km) consistently under 20 minutes – about 4.5 mins a km. By Christmas. We’ll see.

I’ve bored you all to death, haven’t I? Sorry.

For the record I put out the questionnaires for the 360s I’m doing for the school this morning, including one set for the wrong department head to the wrong staff. I apologised quickly. And we’ve got this week with R+H, including two days with Mary on Thursday and Friday. Then: relax.

Keep safe.

great view

Newquay’s just fine

we made it …

We made it to Newquay along with half of the country’s police force. Joe Biden is landing as I type this and, I guess, preparing to have a conversation with his Borisness about the Northern Ireland protocol. It’s always worth remembering that the Good Friday Agreement is underwritten by the US. They were central to its delivery. It’s difficult to see how we go forward with this. Another Brexit folly.

Newquay is lovely and I take my hat off to my family (C, Bex, Jen and Henry) for squeezing into our inadequately sized and terribly underpowered car and accompanying me on the four hours it took us to get here. To be fair the 15 year old Focus didn’t miss a beat and we all had a laugh. Since we’ve arrived we’ve run, walked, and put Henry’s feet into the sea. Like everything he’s completely nonplussed by new things … fearless, almost. He has been brilliant. You cannot fail to smile when he’s around. And he continues to make us all laugh – like sitting in the flat’s small wet room under the shower, with it streaming down at full blast, smiling away.

still smiling

The flat (Airbnb) is right on the coast with wide-ranging sea views. On the outside the block looks a bit sea-worn, but inside it’s very modern and perfect for the four of us. Again, we feel privileged to be able to afford to stay here, albeit just for a short time.

I’m cracking on with the 360 stuff for the school, but I’m making no progress on prepping The Belmonte Paradox for publication. I need to prepare the jacket and the blurb, and some other stuff whilst my proofreader does her thing. If I don’t get on with it I won’t make the end of the first week of July publication, but with the number of books I’m selling at the moment, I’m struggling to find the energy. It is interesting. When I consider giving up my leadership consultancy business, which makes good money for not that many hours, and moving exclusively onto marketing the book full time, which make almost no money for a good deal of time, you have to ask yourself, why bother? We’ll see.

it can’t be difficult?

The next time I pen this we’ll be back and Bex and Henry will be a week away from flying home. It’s going to be a wrench. But, also, after a couple of weeks work we will then be looking at two months with few commitments. I can see us getting out in Doris, walking and cycling. I hope so.

Anyhow, stay safe. I woke up last night dripping and was convinced I had covid (how I might have caught it, I have no idea). I was all for waking C and getting her to make me take a test. But I didn’t … and we’ve all just taken a rapid flow test because we’re about to visit some vulnerable people. And we’re all in the clear. Long may that continue.