Cap And Gown

Hello, dear readers!

Been a while, hasn’t it.

Yes, once again, my somewhat spotty record when it comes to consistency and scheduling has reared its ugly head. And it’s not as if last week’s sadly (sadly?) missing post wasn’t something that was always going to happen (since March of this year at the very, very latest, anyway).

No, the failing was mine. Perhaps I should have written ahead (although that might have impacted on the currentness of the affairs discussed). Maybe I should have taken my laptop to London and done a spot of writing on the go. At the very least I should have added a few lines to my previous offering detailing the upcoming omission.

Oh, and, just in case you hadn’t worked it out, last week’s post was a no-show because I spent the majority of said week in London.

Step Up
The reason for this long planned trip (which, to be fair, I’m sure I’ve mentioned in previous posts), was the graduation of my step-daughter, Sarah from dirty student to fully fledged, fully qualified paramedic (First class BSc with honours, I’ll have you know).

 Yes, much like a caterpillar emerges from its chrysalis, last Wednesday saw Sarah officially enter the next stage of her life. In a ceremony held at London’s Barbican Centre, she cast off her life of study, dissertations, and all the pressures which go with it and, resplendent in shades of green and gold (the colours of St. Georges University graduates, not the Australian rugby team), took official flight in a career she has long pursued.

Or at least that’s how I imagine it.

Step Off
As a step-parent, I was, unfortunately, the third member of a two ticket entourage. This meant that as my ever-amazing wife, Tina and her ex cheered Sarah on to the stage, I was enjoying a coffee and a crossword puzzle in one of London’s countless Pret A Mangers (seriously, you're never more than half a street from a Pret. It’s like that thing about rats, but with more caffeine).

Not that I’m bitter about this, you understand. I got to experience the best bit, which was the after-show mill-age of both graduates, proud as punch parents, and the odd glass of fizz in the courtyard afterwards. To be fair, I’m not sure the official ceremony would have been my thing, anyway. It struck me as a lot of waiting around and polite clapping of people I don’t know, punctuated by a few moments of wild whooping. Whooping I can conceivably do at any time (and without any warning, too)

The other best bit of a fantastic day, was the celebratory meal for Sarah and her partner, Ben (whose own ceremony was to be held the next day). This was also our first opportunity to meet Ben’s parents (absolutely lovely people), and the only opportunity we will probably get to eat in a restaurant on the 40th floor, high enough up that a helicopter crew waved at us through the window. Was it tasty? You bet. Was it expensive? None of your business.

To be fair, however, any expense was easy to write off, as we also used said meal to celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary (that’s myself and Tina, you understand. I’m not married to anyone else who was there. At least not to my immediate recollection), something we continued the next day.

Garden Variety
This was the actual date of the anniversary of Tina saying ‘I do’ and guided by her, we spent the bulk of the day in Covent Garden. We shopped (the window variety, in the main), ate ice-cream and Thai food (not together), and sat in the sun while jugglers, comedians, musicians, and unicyclists entertained us. I even blagged a quick spray of my favoritest, poshest, aftershave. The very same one I was wearing on the same day ten years ago.

What else? Well, we were down in ‘that London’ for four days in total, and I think I can safely say it’s our favourite trip to the capital yet. The centrally situated Travelodge we stayed in was comfortable, with friendly staff, and not bad food. The buses we utilised for the bulk of the trip, although a bit of an adventure, still blow the public transport in West Yorkshire out the water (the automatic ramp is amazing), and although we wandered up and down street most of the time, the pleasant weather, excellent company, and array of street food made it kind of a joy.

Jumping Jack Flash
Really, the only downside to what was a wonderful trip to see wonderful people and celebrate wonderful achievements (all round), was getting stuck in the basement/morgue of the Jack The Ripper Museum for half an hour, having the fire brigade called out to rescue me, and inadvertently flashing the customers of the museum my underwear in the process. We won’t mention that though, eh?

No, as we returned home on Saturday, I think I can safely say it was with a tinge of sadness. We will of course return, when funds allow, and I think we will possibly stay at the same hotel, too (seriously, for a Travelodge, I was very impressed), and probably eat at some of the places we found. It’s even possible we’ll make some time for our favourite southerners.

I guess all we need is an excuse.

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 a few anthologies my short (and in two cases, very short) stories have been included in. Feel free to check ’em out!

New Tales Of Old: Volume 2

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09TMVTX9H/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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

Pestilence

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pestilence-Revelations-Black-Ink-Fiction/dp/B09MDLZGHY/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2VP38WZDWJVAF&keywords=black+ink+fiction&qid=1654090896&sprefix=black+ink+fiction%2Caps%2C218&sr=8-1

The Musketeers Vs Cthulhu

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Musketeers-Cthulhu-Court-King-Louis-ebook/dp/B09YQKQQB7/ref=sr_1_18?crid=2VP38WZDWJVAF&keywords=black+ink+fiction&qid=1654091002&sprefix=black+ink+fiction%2Caps%2C218&sr=8-18