Wednesday 9 February 2022

Past And Present

Hello, dear readers!

And welcome to a rejuvenated and reinvigorated blogger.

Yup, the B12 injection I mentioned in last week’s offering (which you can read here) is safely flowing through my old veins, melting away at least some of the tiredness I mentioned, leaving me with an oddly motivated mindset; which is unusual to say the least.

And it’s all happened with such perfect timing, too.

Away Days

To set the scene, we need to travel back in time to a couple of Christmases ago, and a thoughtful present my parents presented to myself and my ever-fabby wife, Tina, a fully paid mini-break. A weekend away, at the hotel of our choosing (from a short-list, you understand. The Royal Sweet at Claridge's would have been a stretch on, well, reality). Given the year we'd all endured (Tory cabinet ministers aside), it was something we accepted with heartfelt gratitude.


Of course, the Covid pandemic was in full effect, that Xmas with the shiny new delta variant causing havoc to the most meagre of plans. It meant, having chosen our destination, a waiting game was in order, until such time as the hotel  and life in general, opened up again, and we could be confident in our safety.

Save The Date
We played this game of patience until the week before the voucher for the gift was due to expire, at which point our nerve broke and we gave them a ring to book ourselves in at the nearest available, covid safe date.

Which, as it turns out, is next week.


Yes, before we get to enjoy our lovely Xmas 2020 gift 14 months and one more Xmas will have passed. It's been a hell of a wait, but, in truth, it couldn’t have come at a better time.

Ever since we relocated the email with the detail of our stay (because we forgot exactly when we were going it’s given us something to look forward to, after two years of staid disappointment. A bright spot of glimmering light at the end of a very, very long tunnel (Hopefully not a train). Yes, I think it's fair to say both myself and Tina are somewhat giddy at the prospect of packing our bags and enjoying four different walls for a couple of days.

Mainly On The Plain
It’s not just the change of scenery either. Although the hotel we’re booked into is reasonably local, being situated in nearby Harrogate, it looks a bit on the posh side. We’ve been promised a wheelchair friendly room, too, and although we’ve had fun with such a promise before (see here for details), I’m confident, having spoken to someone who actually works there this time, that our chief difficulty will be using the approved pronunciation of Harrogate without conjuring up the spirit of Eliza Doolittle, or the woman from that Heineken advert (It’s Harrow Gate, not ‘Arragut, you see. I can feel my mother flinching from here), and remembering to stick one's pinky out when sipping one's tea.


We also get, as part of the package, breakfast and an evening meal, to make the break a proper pamper. Add some not too manky weather, and a stroll round the town (perhaps taking in Betty Tea Rooms and the hotel Agatha Christie was found in after her mysterious disappearance on the way), and I think the rest, the repose, and a sedate change of scene, will do both Tina and me the world of good, and perhaps help us forget Covid, and lockdowns, for a while at least.

Now, repeat after me… The water in Majorca….

Until next time.

***

Hey, folks! If you would care to take a look at some of my more creative writing, then the links below will transport you to the magical worlds of two anthologies my short (and in one case, very short) stories have been included in. Feel free to check’em out!

Death Ship

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/9198684140/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_TWEMTA3KWK7T89QEZPF6?fbclid=IwAR322Fx5nfgVUQAA62ZZ6CUsNnBm8pbSxPanzz6Qkjg3vAv4ESipq7iKKhs

https://www.waterstones.com/book/death-ship/david-green/s-o-green/9789198684148?fbclid=IwAR2gP4CXHSG7wTccO39wOqXFtI81k0259Ep8DUM48Ki6kTUdlKoF3yafojA

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/9198684140/ref=ewc_pr_img_1?smid=A2XZ7JICGUQ1CX&psc=1&fbclid=IwAR2Wa6sGxb82_VCsC7l1CGXwHjsSwTheqba6jDX_G8EDsywZoGpC93nXr2w

Reaperman

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reaperman-Drabbles-3-Legends-Night-ebook/dp/B099NNPTQ1A

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