As Time Goes By

January 2011
As a general rule you should not laugh at the misfortune of others. But sometimes something so bizarre, surreal even, happens that you can't help it. And this was the case as I was reading the South China Morning Post over breakfast when I came across an article about a planning decision that would be impossible in the UK. And the poor people who were impacted seemed so resigned to their fate. A situation that must be translated into a story for the Dynamic Trio. I am sure they would not be as resigned as the people in HK. In fact the feathers and fur would positively fly!

Talking of HK - what a place! My first visit in 9 years, unlike the 90's when I was there pretty much every year. So much is different but so much is the same. I'll not wait another 9 years to return.....

OK - 2011 will be a big year for the tales. The Dynamic Trio stories will go through their third and final re-work. This will be the main point of focus. And there is no better place to start than a new tale about planning problems :-)

February
A tale of 2 journeys to work.

UK: Leave house. Get into car. Drive through the countryside to the office. Park in car park. Access building using security pass. Sit behind desk. Work. Very good!

South America: Leave hotel. Get into armour-plated car driven by armed security guard. Witness offensive and defensive driving en route to the office. Prior to entry to car park, car searched by armed guards and dog sniffs for explosives. Then out of car, bag through X-ray scanner and me through metal detector. Sit behind desk. Work. Muy bien!

March
Goswell Hill is an interesting place. Not because of what it is now - slightly shabby and seedy and a place where the sun never shines. Nor because of what it could become in the future - shabbier and seedier and equally sunless. But because of what I imagine it may have been in the past. The cobbled street alive with traders unloading their wares from the wagons at the Central railway station. And storing those wares, all manner of things, underneath the arches of the viaduct. And perhaps one day a stranger was in their midst, storing an unknown thing in one of the arches. An arch that only he had access to. And then leaving, unnoticed, never to return. Perhaps..... Tempus fugit!

This month I needed to travel to Transylvania on business. Makes me sound like Jonathan Harker and I did manage to stop at Castle Bran on the way back to Bucharest. But the point I'm trying to make is that sometimes fragments of possible story lines arise completely unexpectedly. And so it was at lunch in a small Transylvanian restaurant that a discussion, for some reason about drive-in movies in the US and South Africa, yielded a slightly surreal but very interesting mini story interlude. A 'vignette' as an old friend would once say. And old friend, they surely were fun evenings.

April
No more Strand, no more Square.

Just a brief update this month. The stories are now moving into the 3D stage. So you will be able to climb inside them and walk around. Although you won't have to wear the funny glasses.

Off subject I note that all Mozambique airlines have recently been banned from flying into EU airspace because of safety concerns. I also note that I will be on an internal flight in Mozambique on Friday 13th. Hmmmm.

May & June
Lots of travel at the moment meaning that my updates are a little behind. Also the stories, although I hope to get back to them shortly. As previously noted many of them are written and largely complete. In addition a publisher has been found. But I'll only go forward when I can invest the right amount of time. And that's a number of months away at present.

Talking of travel, on my most recent flight to Jo'burg the pilot decided to see whether flying through a real thunderstorm was the same as flying through one in a simulator. After we had been struck by lightning for the third time on our roller coaster ride I think he realised that the real thing is a little more dangerous. As I sat there in my type of Faraday cage, playing sparks between my hands, I became the modern day equivalent of ‘Dynamo Dan the Electric Man'. Of course that's a lousy movie, with the lead actor giving his usual wooden performance. But as ever Atwill steals the show, delivering his standard mischievous and slightly asthmatic cameo. What on earth did happen at his parties?

July
Another month of travel, from Jinja to Guayaquil, via Osborne House on the IoW. And along the way enjoying the delights (or not) of goat curry, fried and boiled plantain, prawn ceviche and grilled tilapia.

But for the moment back in the relative peace and quiet of Berkshire. And starting to plan, with a determination to complete the next ‘three friends’ story during the forthcoming trip to the US.

A curious month, of newspaper scandals and music tragedy and looming financial meltdown. And yet the sun still rises and sets every day and the birds keep singing. So perhaps it isn’t so bad after all.......

August / September
A fairly quiet time of late. Managed to miss the earthquake and hurricane in the US although not the 110+F weather on South Beach.

Most of the planning for the next story took place on the Silver Meteor and it will the see the antipodean take centre stage. Should be a lot of fun.

Following a visit to a converted Oxford gaol I'll be off to India in one week's time. I haven't visited before and I'm looking forward to it. I've got an idea what to expect but let's see.

October / November

What time zone am I in? What continent am I in?? Lots of travelling just past and coming up. Twice to Ecuador - if you go I recommend that you take Iberia rather than LAN. And the landing in Quito is one to remember! Then off to Jo'burg to enjoy the beautiful spring and the blossoming Jacaranda. And looking ahead I'll be making an undercover visit to Bucharest, then a more normal trip to Budapest.

Bacon sandwiches are very important to one member of the dynamic trio. Forbidden fruit, a thing best not spoken of? Ah, but the little sweetie has no idea. And his friends would never tell him. Or maybe they will!

Towards the end November I will attend the sale of the de Bruin collection by Dix Noonan Webb at the Washington Hotel. This will make up for missing, at the last minute, the St James auction in October. De Bruin focused on breadth rather than quality but there is one scarce piece of particular interest. We'll see.....

December

Last post of the year and given that it's Christmas Eve, I'll keep it short.

The last few months have been a bit of a mixed bag as far as the stories are concerned. I've been on the road an awful lot and this has slowed the writing down. And given that I'll be doing about the same amount of travelling next year I'm not sure that things will improve very much.

But I'll keep plugging away and will make full use of any 'windows' that may appear. I've got a deadline for the appearance of the first book (the latest in a long line of dates) but I think this one is entirely achievable even with all the travelling.

A most beautiful star has once again appeared on the horizon. I wonder if and when it will set.

January / February 2012
Broke a record in February. Although one that I won't try to better anytime soon as it wrecks your body clock. My round trip from London to Hong Kong to Melbourne to Sydney to Johannesburg to London, with a combined flying time of 45 hours, covered a distance of about 23,600 miles. That's the equivalent of flying around the world once. On the upside at least I experienced some lovely summer weather and missed the worst of the snow in the south of England.

Whilst in Melbourne I took the chance to visit the zoo. It gave me an opportunity to see, in the flesh, an example of that crafty, jelly-snake scoffing monotreme CCQ and has helped to further develop his character.

Next month it's back to Bogota. A city with a fantastic rhythm and plenty of cha-cha-cha. Better make the most of it before the regional office moves to Miami. Although South Beach has its own attractions!

Fitting to close this month with a bit of nonsense by Lewis Carroll:

"You are old, Father William," the young man said,
"And your hair has become very white;
And yet you incessantly stand on your head—
Do you think, at your age, it is right?"

Never a truer word spoken.......