Wester Ross

This weekend both my sister and I are up to be with my Dad and, on Sunday, to go over to Crathie to scatter my Mum's ashes in the churchyard there.

But first today we went for a drive in the car. Quite a long drive actually. In fact we drove over to Inverness and then north westwards through Garve, Achnasheen, Kinlochwewe and finally to Gairloch on Scotland's north-west coast.

It was a glorious day - warm and sunny. There were people sunbathing and even swimming at Gairloch. It is a magical place on a day like this and I enjoyed just walking around, taking in the views of the mountains to the east and the sea and islands out to the west.

When I was a kid, we spend a number of holidays in this area in a caravan or a rented cottage, and since then I have visited on a number of occasions. Gairloch never fails to get to me in an emotional way.

This time of course there was an added bitter-sweet response. I had always been here with my Mum. She loved the place as well. So each time I took a photo, I remembered old photos both of the early visits when I was a kid and of later visits.

But it was right to come here and my Dad enjoyed the experience.

From Gairloch we drove via Poolewe round via Gruinard Bay - still in my opinion the most beautiful road in the world. There was a feeling of moving on, but also of remembering past visits with pleasure and almost of still being able to talk to my mum and remind her of past visits.

It was a great day.

Leonard Cohen at Glastonbury

I am really looking forward to seeing Leonard Cophen at the O2 on 17 July. He has been receiving rave reviews for the concerts he has done so far, including his set at Glastonbury. Here is part of that set.

Malaga

It has been a good week and reminded me why I love Spain, and Malaga in particular. We didn't rush around, but we spent time in the hills, time on the beach, had good meals and generally were able to relax.

This is a picture of the block in which our flat is. Still building work going on all around, but slowly the neighbourhood is improving and bieng upgraded.

Most of the morning of the final day was spent trying to pay our outstanding rates bill, but even that was an interesting experience. We grabbed a final couple of hours on the beach and that was that. Back to London.

La Noche De San Juan

This morning we were at the Malagueta where we spend a couple of hours in the sun and in the water. Then we met a couple of girls at El Poseidon in Torremolinos before heading to Reg and Gloria in Fuangirola.



Finally once we had returned to Malaga, we headed for the beach at midnight. This is the evening that the Spanish celebrate the longest night, the festival of La Noche De San Juan, by lighting bonfires all along the beaches and partying until dawn. We didn't stay quite that long, but it was an interesting experience.

Hills and beach

I really enjoyed today. We took the car into the hills up to Casabermejo, turned off to RoiGordo where we stopped for a coffee, and then took the spectacularly scenic drive via Vinuela to the coast.

Then we headed for La Herradura where we had a paella for lunch in the same restuaruant that my Mum, Dad and I had been to 18 months ago. It is strange that I feel the presence of my Mum very strongly over here, I guess beacuse I tend to visit the same places and can remember taking her to them during her two visits out here. The memory saddens me, but also I am pleased that I was able to show her these places which now mean so much to me.

Later in the afternoon we found ourselves at the naturist beach just along the coast from La Herradura, and had a pleasant couple of hours there.

Traffic was bad on the way home, but it didn't spoil the day.

Cirque de Soleil

Andrew had some work to do, so I went to the beach for a couple of hours in the morning, we had an excellent menu del dia in a small restaurant in Calle San Juan De Letran. Then we headed off to the tent at the feria ground to see Cirque De Soleil. I had never seen Cirque de Soleil before and I'm afraid I was disappointed. Yes there were some amazing moments, but it was a 30 minute show stretched to over 2 hours with a lot of padding.

Andrew's Birthday

Today was Andrew's birthday. We took the car to my favourite area around El Chorro and the lakes. I had given Andrew a flip video for his birthday, so he was able to learn how to use that and take some video footage of the lakes and gorge.

Later we had a very pleasant meal at the Vino Mio where of course we went for my birthday last year. The food was excellent and I enjoyed being able to be with Andrew on his birthday and in Spain. We ate too much, though, and didn't sleep very well as a result.

Malaga beach

Here we are back in Malaga for a week. It is some time since we have been here, and after all that has happened I am looking forward to a break. We didn't do a lot today. The morning was spent cleaning the flat and the patio, then we had a big lunch and managed a couple of hours on the beach. A gentle start.

My father

Since my Mum died, I have tried to comfort my father and help him with his deteriorating health, but of ocurse life is not easy for him right now.

Today we went into Aberdeen because he had another eye injection. These cannot be very pleasant, but at least my Dad's deteriorating eyesight has been arrested, maybe even reversed slightly. I hope that he can carry on with a reasonable quality of life and hope also that his understandable grief can lessen as the months go on.

Keith Seniors Open

I am back in Scotland to help my Dad and to take him to Forresterhill Hospital tomorrow. So I took the opportunity to play in the Keith Seniors Open golf tournament. I remember being a junior in Keith, which doesn't seem very long ago, and here I am qualified for the seniors. Scary.

In fact I played quite well and had a gross 86, net 69. Twice I landed in ditches which were not there last time I played at Keith. There were three prizes, and I finished fourth!

In the evening we went to the Delnashaugh for dinner. As always, I enjoyed the drive up there and so, I think, did my Dad.

Britain's Got Talent

Having watched most of the semi-finals, this evening I watched the final of Britain's Got Talent. And indeed it has. There were some wonderful acts. But I voted for George Sampson not only because I thought his performance was best, but because of what the prize would do for him and his mum, living as they do in some poverty in Warrington. And here is his performance.

Amro change of staff

This evening we went out for a meal to mark Charnelle's last day at Amro. She heads back to New Zealand with boyfriend Russell. It is a great pity. She has been an excellent employee and will be missed.

But we had a good meal and a good evening at Number 32 in Hitchin.

A Wet Bank Holiday

If only I had gone to Scotland - where the weather was warm and sunny. Here in London it was cold, windy and wet. Very wet. And so I rather let Sunday and Monday slip by without doing much of note. On Saturday I watched the farce that is called the Eurovision Song Contest. On Monday I watched 'Britain's Got Talent.' In between, I should have been more productive. I really don't have the energy these days to get on with things. Yet I have so many things to get on with - most notably getting my flat into a fit state to be put on the market.

But I am working every day this week, I am in Stratford next week and Scotland the week after. So I have rather let opportunity slip by for at least three weeks.

Yesterday's Birthday

The service was a bit aggressive, but the food was superb and the evening was generally enjoyable. Certainly I would return to Albannich again to eat the food. And I would hope that the staff would be slightly less touchy every time we made a request. And hopefully the music would be less loud.

It was good to See Steve and Tom again and, as always, to see Alan. I enjoyed the evening and am generally looking forward to the year ahead.

Birthday

Yes, another one - another year gone. There won't be any wild celebrations today - I'm too old for that. But I am looking forward to seeing a few friends this evening and having a meal at Albennach, a Scottish restaurant near Trafalgar Square.

But of course there was no card from my Mum - and won't be a phone call from her either. I still haven't quite come to terms with that.

Today, of course, is the first day or the rest of my life. Time to move on and look forward.

Mannings Heath

I was deeply disappointed with my golf, but I enjoyed the day anyway. Anne, at Georgia Tourism, was an excellent host, the guys who had flown over from Atlanta or Savannah were very friendly - and it didn't rain.

If only I hadn't kept missing short putts.

Gone With The Wind

This evening I was invited by Geogria Tourism to a performance of Gone With The Wind in London's West End. I was slightly apprehensive. The show lasts for over 3 hours and has had some dire reviews.

Actually it was not at all bad. Darius Danesh, in particular, was excellent as Rhett Butler. And the hospitality of Georgia Tourism was great, and much appreciated.

On Friday I take advantage once again of their hospitality at a golf day at Mannings Heath.

32 points

Not bad, I guess. Today I played in a Stableford competition at the Shire and scored 32 points. I certainly played much better than I had done yesterday.

The first hole, a par 3 over water, was a strange one. My drive landed in the water. So there was a penalty shot. And then I pitched straight into the hole for a par 3.

I was also pleased with my approach to the 18th. After two shots, I was about 130 yards from the green and with a tree in front of me. I needed to pitch over the tree, over two lots of water and stop the ball on the green so that it did not roll into the third lot of water at the back. This I managed to do and escaped with a 5.

The weather was glorious, hot and sunny. All in all, a good day.

AMD

Today's trip was to Foresterhill for my Dad to have his second injection in his eye as part of his treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration, which is the commonest cause of blindness in the UK. The best we can hope for is that the treatment stops the deterioration. It will not restore the sight to its previous level.

My Aunt, made the day easier by giving us lunch. The weather in her back garden was glorious.

And it is just a well I was up in Scotland. Otherwise my Dad would have been ex-pected to make the two-hour bus journey to the eye clinic and back. Hardly very fair for treatment for loss of sight.

Accident

At the end what had been a really good day, I was driving back to Keith with my Dad. I was keen not to add to his stress and had been worried about his driving, but that was okay because I was at the wheel. I was on a quiet road just past Tomintoul, so nothing could go wrong.

I was following a large campervan with Swiss numberplates. There was a tractor coming the other way, so the campervan stopped to let it pass. I stopped behind the campervan. When the tractor had passed I waited for the campervan to continue on its way. Suddenly it want into reverse. I had no time to react. There was a sickening crunch as it hit the front of our car.

The drive as apologetic - she could hardly be otherwise. She had seen a pheasant in the field and decided to reverse to get a photograph. She didn't see our car behind.

I have been driving for 38 years and this is the first time I have been involved in an accident. And of course my Dad is now stressed by this incident, made worse by the fact that my Sister is due to come up in a couple of weeks to drive the car back to her home in Totnes.

Three weeks ago my Mother died. And now, on its first outing since, her car is involved in a crash. To put it mildly, it is something we could have done without.

Deeside

I am back up here in Scotland for a few days. This morning my father asked if we could go to Crathie on Deeside. I was slightly apprehensive because this is where my mother was born, there my Dad met her and where they got married. The memories were going to be overwhelming. On the other hand, I was keen to get my Dad out of the house. And the sun was shining. So off we went.

In fact it worked out very well. The drive across was wonderful - I just love that view from just past the Lecht as you look down to Corgarff and over the huge expanse of hills beyond.

Our first stopping point, inevitably, was Crathie churchyard. Here are buried my grandparents, great-grandparents, assorted great-uncles, great-aunts and other members of my mothers family. And it is here in July that we shall return to scatter my mother's ashes and hopefully arrange for recognition of her on a plaque in the churchyard.

We then visited my mothers cousin in the old post office. I am not sure if I have ever met him or his wife. But I am glad we saw them. They were very welcoming.

There was a quick visit to Crathie Church, venue for many services with the Royals and venue in June 1951 on the wedding of my Mum and Dad.

Lunch was taken in Ballater, and after the obligatory view of the golf course, we took the South Deeside road back to Crathie and to Lochnagar distillery where my Grandfather was manager and where my mother was born in 1928. I took a stroll up to the top dam - a place I had only ever been to with my Mother, so a place which had bitter-sweet memories.

Of course during the day it was impossible not to recollect all those previous visits with my Mum and Dad, but it was also cathartic to go over there and to remember those occasions with pleasure.

Points

We went in to Elgin. We have applied to get my Dad into sheltered housing and now have been told that he doesn't have enough points to take him near the top of the waiting list. He is 91, poor eyesight, prostate cancer, is hard of hearing, has difficulty walking and has just lost his wife. But he doesn't have enough points. Who then, I have to ask, does?

We also had the car appraised for insurance purposes - new bonnet, new lights, new grille, new bumper. At least the garage will collect it and deliver it back once the work takes place. I just hope this will be before my Sister comes up to drive the car back south. Meanwhile it is another hassle my Dad could do without.

Golf Therapy

Every day is the first day of the rest of my life. Today in particular, though, was time to move on to once again enjoying what might be seen as mundane things. And so I played in my first competitive medal round since the Shire opened last year.

I didn't play particularly well, but I enjoyed the fresh air and exercise and the ability to concentrate 100% on playing golf and not let other emotions intrude. And undoubtedly I feel better because of this.

Of course reality hit later, because in the past I used to ring my Mum on a Sunday, tell her what I had done and discuss what she had done. That is not now possible. But I know she would want me to get on with life and this is what I will do. And perhaps my Mum's passing will help me to put life into perspective, to ignore trivial difficulties (like the ball I hit out of bounds at the 5th hole) and become more determined to get as much satisfaction and enjoyment as I can from this short and precarious life that we have.

Getting on with life

I am back in London. I went to work on Friday and played a few holes of golf today. Back into the normal routine. I know I must do that. But I do it with an empty feeling inside me.

Remembering Mum

My Dad, Sister and I went for a walk along the bank of the River Spey from its mouth to the old railway bridge a few hundred yards upstream. It was cathartic to get some fresh air. But all the time I remembered the walks we used to go on when my Mum was with us. When I took a photo of my Dad and Sister, I wanted to say to my Mum that she should be in the photo. But she wasn't there.

And I remember the final trip we went on back on October when I drove my Mum and Dad to Urquhart Castle on the shores of Loch Ness. This is the final photo I ever took of my Mother.


















Goodbye Mum. You lived a full and active life and I must now live the rest of my life without you. And I need to look after my Dad who is greiving very much. May your soul rest in peace.

Remember - and smile

Today was my Mum's funeral. I was determined to say something, and although it was difficult to do this without breaking down, I was glad I did. It allowed my to feel part of the funeral service and not just a passive onlooker.

I finished my talk by quoting Christine Rosetti who wrote the following in a poem often quoted at funerals -
'Better by far you should forget and smile
than that you should remember and be sad.'

I said that my Mum would have put it differently. That she would have said to all of us -
Better by far that you should remember - and smile.

And I must try to remember with pride, love and affection without getting too angry or sad at my Mum's passing. Right now though I just feel an emptiness.

Funeral Arrangements

On Monday I got back from the Isle of Wight and then managed to get a flight up to the North of Scotland to be with my Dad.

He had already made most of the arrangements, but I was able to confirm these. And hopefully I was able to be of some comfort to him.

On Wednesday I went to the Chapel of Rest to see my Mum lying so peacefully and serenely in the coffin. It was important that I did that although it was very tough. She looked as if she was dozing and I expected her to open one eye and say 'Oh, it's you'. But of course she did not and can not.

I try to be strong, but it is not easy.

Bereavement

As our weekend in the isle of Wight was coming to a close, I got a phone call from my father. My Mum, who had moved to a care home less than 2 weeks ago, had caught a chest infection and was not very well. He held the phone up and I could hear her wheezing and fighting for breath.

Two hours later he called to tell me that my Mum had died.

Although she had had a stroke back in November, I was not expecting this. It was a real shock. I can't quite take in the fact that I will never again speak to my Mum.

Isle of Wight

This weekend Andrew and I went to the Isle of Wight for the weekend with a crowd of his friends. We would be staying at a Warner Breaks Hotel at Bemberidge for an Abba weekend. I had been dubious beforehand. Even more so when I got there. I felt that I was the youngest person there. It was like a weekend in a care home.

But the location of the hotel was good and as the weekend progressed I relaxed into it. And I liked the isle of Wight. On Friday we went to the old Windmill, on Saturday we went to Osborne House and on Sunday we went to the Needles. Each evening there was entertainment, culminating in a show by Bjorn Again on the Saturday evening. And the food was excellent.

So in the end I was rather bemused by the fact that I was enjoying a weekend which I would not normally have said was my thing at all.

Accepting fate

I had a difficult weekend and felt really down at times. And I don't really know why. That didn't make the depression any less real. Then I saw this on You Tube. And I realised that I don't have any problems and just need to get on with life. Carpe Diem.

The Independent described this as follows -
These days, most people imagine that when they succumb to the inevitable and utter what must be their "last words", they will have time for little more than a brief, faltering sentence. If they are lucky, it will be shared with a few close family members before being swiftly consigned to the scrapheap of history.
Professor Randy Pausch is not most people, though. In September, the previously unknown computer science expert delivered a remarkable lecture to students at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Thanks to the wonders of technology, the hour-long speech did not disappear into the ether, but went on to be heard by millions. It has since changed lives, touched American politics, and is about to spawn a publishing phenomenon.
At the centre of Pausch's remarkable tale is "The Last Lecture," an old academic conceit whereby teachers are asked to imagine they're near death and must therefore sum up the entire collection of wisdom they wish to pass on to their students in a single lecture. Pausch, a 47-year-old father of three, didn't have to imagine anything when he gave his own "last lecture" on 18 September. He had just been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer.
In a little over an hour, to a packed lecture-hall, Pausch delivered a deeply moving speech on the subject of "really achieving your childhood dreams." The optimistic philosophy he espoused, in a lecture punctuated by both laughter and tears, resulted in scenes resembling a real-life version of Dead Poets Society. To Americans who have recently, through the likes of Barack Obama, learnt to love public speaking, it has provided a timely reminder of how life ought to be lived.

And I love the line 'Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted.' In other words - accept it, learn from it and move on. I'll hang on to that thought.

Here is the talk -

Root canal treatment

There was a comment on the news a couple of days ago which said that Gordon Brown going into Prime Ministers Questions was like someone heading to the dentist for root canal treatment.

So I guess I know that it was a known treatment. My Dad thinks I should just have the tooth out and save the money. And after the crumbling of my tooth, I didn't think that saving the tooth was an option anyway. But today was my appointment and the dentist said that there was still enough tooth there for him to do the root canal treatment. So I went along with that.

It was not pleasant. The main problem was the time it took. Which is why, I guess, it cost £545. The whole process took two and a quarter hours. And all the time I had to keep my mouth open - I had to ensure that I did not get saliva into the tooth. So he drilled the tooth, pulled the nerve out of each of the four root canals, drilled further, filled the canals with inert material and finally built up the tooth again. Two and a quarter hours.

But in reality it was more uncomfortable than painful. I tried not to cough, and ended up in a coughing fit. I needed to go for a pee, but had to hold on. I kept wanting to swallow, but couldn't. Finally, finally, the process was over. And I have a tooth back.

It still needs a crown and that will no doubt cost more, but for now I am satisfied. And hopefully I can start to eat properly again.

The tooth crumbles

Just as I was thankful that I am free of the pain of toothache and almost looking forward to getting the root canal treatment, a problem developed. I was having a sandwich with malted wheat grain bread. Big mistake. As I crunched into a wheat grain, a large part of my dodgy tooth came loose. So now I have almost no tooth left. I doubt therefore that root canal treatment is possible. Perhaps extraction will be the only option. And will other teeth follow suit. I am reluctant to bite into anything. Mince and tatties for the next week I think until I see the dentist on Tuesday.

Weekend in Scotland

I went up to Scotland to visit my Mum in hospital and be with my Dad as he comes to terms with living on his own. It's quite stressful, but I hope I help by being there. Certainly the scenario is much changed, and I can only hope that my Mum has a reasonable quality of life in the future and will make some improvement, although her paralysis is, I think, permanent. And I hope that my Dad can continue to remain active.

I suspect that we will have to sell the family home sometime during the year with my Mum moving into a care home and my Dad, at best, moving to sheltered accommodation.

At least the antibiotics hare working and my toothache is subsiding. And I managed to play 9 holes of golf at Spey Bay with my Dad on Sunday.

I guess we just have to accept the directions life takes us and do our best to deal with that and stay in control. No always easy, though.

The Pain Goes On

I sat in the office today trying to work but in continual agony. And now I am suffering a reaction from the antibiotics - a very itchy skin rash. I am taking the painkillers and have bought oil of cloves, but to no avail. The only thing that helps is neat whisky, swilled round my mouth. And I have to spit it out because whisky is not recommended with painkillers and antibiotics. I am worried about my trip to Scotland on Saturday - will be pain be unbearable during the flight in the low pressure?

Pain

I am in agony.

Toothache!

My fault I guess. A few months ago a bit of one of my teeth fell out. I hadn't been to the dentist for years. And since this was not hurting, I still did not go.

So over the past few months, apparently, an infestion set in that attacked the nerve. Suddenly waaah - the pain.

This time I did go to the dentist. Well, he said, you could have treatment under the NHS. It will cost £46 and I would extract the tooth. Or you can have root canal treatment, but that would have to be done privately. The cost? £545! Suddenly the paid was moving to my wallet.

And it can't be done for two weeks. I've been given antibiotics and painkillers, but I am not sure how I can survive for two weeks with this pain.

Malaga again

This weekend I tried to do the triangle. On Thursday I flew to Aberdeen and on to Keith to visit my Mum in hospital. On Saturday I took the weekly flight to Malaga. We had three days in Malaga, and then returned back to the UK to Luton.

It all worked very well, though of course three days was not really long enough. We also had the surreal experience of finding that someone had stolen out washing line from our patio. They had climbed down from level one to do this and had left my golf clubs untouched. Very strange.

On Sunday we spent some time at the bar beside the lighthouse, walked out to the end of the harbour and ended up going to the Rosaleda to see Malaga playing Ejido at football. My first visit to the Rosaleda, and although the result was 1-1 and the game was less than totally riveting, it was a fun thing to do.

On the Monday we went to Mijas to see an Irish guy who runs a guest house there. The journey was a long one thanks to a delayed bus which then broke down climbing the hill to Mijas. But the guest house was good with fantastic views and afterwards we had a late lunch in Fuengirola.

Unfortunately Tuesday was not as good a day weatherwise, but I still spend a relaxing morning beside the beach reading my book and in the afternoon, when the weather improved, I managed to lie on the sand for a couple of hours and go for a paddle in the sea.

And then on Wednesday we flew home. A long journey, because my toothache flared up as soon as the plane was airborne. But it had been a good break.

Sports recovery

Yesterday I played 4 sets of tennis - my first games for a few months.

This morning I had a sprained ankle, a sore knee and a sore elbow as well as some very stiff joints.

Old age is setting in!

80th birthday

No not mine. My mother's. It went better than I had expected. She is in hospital in Keith after a severe stroke and I really didn't think she'd really cope with a birthday. But anyway we invited a dozen of her freinds to the hospital, provided wine and nibbles - and a birthday cake - and it all went very well. My mother recognised everyone and knew they were there for her birthday. She was even able to make a short thank-you speech at the end.

The hospital were very good at getting her dressed and into a chair. And at allowing us to use the hospital lounge. And her friends were very kind and understanding.

It doesn't alter the fact that my mother is unlikely to get much better and certainly will not be able to resume her previous lifestyle. The future is very uncertain. But for today at least, we could celebrate 80 years of her life.

Snow in Scotland

I've come up to Keith for my mother's 80th birthday tomorrow. Today it snowed and although it is really cold, it is gorgeous. This is a photo of my parent's back garden this morning.

The 'no-diet' diet

Each day in the Independent, there is a free supplement which claims that it is 'the easy way to make 2008 the best year of your life'. We'll see.

The premise is that in order to lose weight permanently, one needs to change one's ingrained habits in all areas. I am not sure that I am very adaptable, but I'll give it a go. There is a different task each day. Today's task is to write something. I suppose that is proof that I have done that.

Illness

My Mum is not really improving after her stroke. The doctor today was very downbeat, talking about the possibility of her catching an infection and being unable to cope with that. Yet in fact she when I visited her, she was awake and alert and able to chat away. But I know that she will not be able to return home and that, at best, major changes will have to be made in her life, in my Dad's life and to a degree in my life. We've had a good number of years without major illness, so something like this was inevitable I guess. But it is still hard to see her so helpless when only a few weeks ago we went on a day trip to Loch Ness and she was fine. it certainly makes me think about my priorities and the need to look after myself.

Golf

I like playing golf. I am not obsessive about it. But it is an enjoyable relaxation. I started playing as a youngster in Inverness. I've never been a really good golfer, my handicap remains at 17, but I have my moments.

This weekend, I am up in Scotland to visit my mother in hospital and to assist my dad who is now 91. Suddenly this morning, despite the temperature being barely above freezing, he decided he needed a game of golf. So we had a very pleasant 9 holes at Spey Bay, where my score was a very erratic 4,5,4,3,3,9,5,4,4. A strange way to go round in a respectable 41.

Of more importance, though, was the fact that I can have this game with my elderly father, we can get some fresh air and exercise together, and for a couple of hours at least he can forget about the problems with my Mum's illness.

2008

A New Year. A new beginning? Or more of the same?

Well I am not going to produce a flurry of resolutions, all likely to be broken within days. I simply want to reflect on, and built upon, things I am doing well. And try to make some improvements in things I don't do so well. I want to improve the balance in my life and realise that there will be moment of stress and moments of happiness, but mostly there will be long moments of just getting on with life.

Yes I need to lost some weight and tone up my rather pudgy body. This will be done through eating more healthily, drinking less alcohol and getting more exercise. It's not rocket-science, it is just common sense. I just need to actually do it.

My Mum has had a stroke and the effect of that on her and on our family will be an important part of the year.

I still need to work, and I need to progress that. In particular, I will need to manage my time better and try to find specific time to relax without using that time to delay those things which I need to do.

I would like to move home this year, but first there is work to be done to my flat to make it saleable. That needs to be completed early in 2008.

But above all, 2008 must be about balance. Time for me, time for others. Time for work, time for play. Moderation, but not inertia.

And since I have just returned from Thailand, I will give myself a Buddhist thought to take with me into 2008 and keep me focused.

'As you walk and eat and travel, be where you are. Otherwise you will miss most of your life'.

2007 Retrospective

Okay I am a bit late for retrospectives, but I have been away for 3 weeks. And anyway I am not planning a major detailed review of 2007 - I did that in the blog entry on 12 December.

Last year I said the following -
´I don’t know what the future holds. Outside events may alter my life. Many things I cannot change. Many things I should not change. Many things I must change. I need to exercise judgement in deciding the right category. Of course sometimes I will be sad, depressed and angry. I need to control those emotions as best I can, and move forward just being myself, but a slightly better version of myself than hitherto´.

Did I manage to do that? Well partly I did. I didn't drive myself forward as much as I should have. I didn't manage my time as well as I could have. But I did my best for myself and for others. In the first half of the year we were spending time with Andrew's Dad through his illness. In the last part of the year I was spending time with my Mum through her illness.

In 2007 I travelled quite a lot, I played golf and tennis, I tried to give love and support to Andrew. Of course sometimes I ate too much and sometimes I drank too much. Sometimes I was depressed without reason, sometimes I was having fun.

My concern about the passing of 2007 is not so much what I did or didn't do during that year, but on the fact that life is short and it has just got a year shorter. So it is now the future which is important, not the past.

Thailand

The visit is over, and shortly we will depart for the airport.

My impressions? I guess the country took a few days to grow on me. Or maybe it is that I took a few days to relax into the country. It is a country and people without moral judgements - totally accepting in a calm and friendy way. The beaches are great, the mountains are impressive, the weather is brilliant and the people are so friendly.

It has been a long way to travel, and for that reason I do not expect to be making regular return visits, but certainly I would like to return and to spend more time in those areas where our time was limited.

I could easily spend a week in Koh Samui chilling out. I could spend a week in the north exploring. And I could happily spend some time playing golf here.

And if I say that I an looking forward to getting back to the UK, that is because of issues which need my attention there and not because of any disappointment with Thailand.

The visit was partly a research trip for Amro Holidays and inevitably that meant that hotels has to be visited, people has to be seen and we partly looked at everything in the context of whether it was suitable for Amro clients.

But we have been able to enjoy ourselves as well. My highlight was probably the Wat at Chiang Saen, beautifully peaceful in itself and with an amazing view over the Mekong River to Burma and Laos. And I will remember the friendliness of the people always ready with their 'Sawatdee Kha' or 'Sawatdee Kraap'.

I am really glad we have come here.

Bangkok

Like all big cities, Bangkok is noisy, dusty and difficult to get around. But it is also fascinating and not without its oases of peace.

Inevitably we have done some of the organised excursions which one is rather forced to do for the sake of expediency. This meant that the grandeur of the Royal Palace was muted by the huge number of visitors there and by the fact that at each stop we had a ten minute photo opportunity before we were herded on. No time to stand and stare.

And the trip to the River Kwai suffered in the same way, although nothing could dim the moving experience of visiting the graves of the thousands who gave their lives during the notorious building of the railway during World War 2.

Of course we sampled the nightlife in the Patpong area - an extraordinary mishmash of restaurants, sex clubs and massage parlours. The climax of the Dreamboys show was, well, interesting.

Last night we welcomed in the New Year. We had a meal at Richards, made more interesting by meeting a couple from Finland and Mark, a lovely Australian guy, with whom we had a few further drinks before we moved down to one the bridges to watch the fireworks as 2008 started.

And today we had a trip on the river which showed the city at its best.

I guess anyone who visits Thailand should spend at least a couple of days in Bangkok and I am glad that we have done so.

Still in Pattaya

I really hadn't expected to like this place. Yes it is brash, yes in parts it is noisy and yes in parts it is very sleazy. But it is clean, the beach is quiet, the sea is warm and reasonably clean and the people are all so friendly. I played golf yesterday and really enjoyed that. It probably helps that we are staying is a wonderful place, the Rabbit Resort .

But certainly this is a place that is growing on me. I can understand why some of our friends stay here for weeks and a few have moved here permanently. And I am grateful to two of them for hosting a party a couple of days ago which we thoroughly enjoyed.

But today we move on to Bangkok which I expect to be very noisy, very busy but probably fascinating in its own way.

Pattaya

I don't suppose that 'laid back' is a term normally used for Pattaya, but compared to Patong it is.

Our hotel, the Rabbit Resort, is fantastic and right on the beach. And the beach is great - warm clear water.

This evening we had an excellent Christmas dinner in Boystown in Pattaya - turkey and all the trimmings. It was strange to be eating this on Christmas Day overlooking the clubs of Boystown.

Tomorrow we meet friends for a lunchtime party on the beach.

Taking the train

We drove back to Chaing Mai via a different, and beautidul, route. Gave back the car and boarded the overnight train.

The journey was not withour problems. For a few hours all the lights failed and getting an engineer to fix this meant that the train arrived 2 hours late into Bangkok. But we managed some sleep and, as ever, I found the train journey to be fascinating.

We were met at the station and are now in Pattaya.

The Mekong River

I cannot really believe that we are sitting having lunch on the banks of the mighty Mekong River. But here we are and it is such a magical place.

The driving was fine. We stopped off in Chiang Rai and then went onwards to the Golden Triangle and our hotel close to Chiang Saen.

Today we went for a leisurely drive along the road to Chiang Khong and back via the road which skirts the Mekong.

And we did a boat trip on the Mekong. The scenery is wonderful, tall mountains, the mighty river and trees everywhere.

It is amazing to think that I am here in the very north of Thailand overlooking the countries of Laos and Burma. I am very lucky.

Chiang Mai

We are now up in the north in Chiang Mai. Today we did an elephant trek followed by gentle rafting down the local river. All amongst the heavily wooded hillside so typical of the scenery here. I really like Chiang Mai - much more relaxed, no hassle from street vendors and plenty to explore.

I was visiting a local Wat when one of the young monks approached me and asked me to help him with his English pronunciation. I had an enjoyable few minutes doing that and he then allowed me to visit the Wat.

We pick up the car tomorrow and drive northward.

Koh Samui

We have of course only scratched the surface, but nonetheless Koh Samui is much more beautiful and much less frenetic than Patong. The beaches are wonderful - white sand blending into shallow, warm, blue water. Yes it is true that all beaches we have seen are fringed by hotels. And these hotels have commandeered a large part of the beach space for their sunbeds. So those who are not staying at beachfront hotels, and particularly the locals, are finding their available space severely restricted. But the hotels are not high-rise and the trees and greenery hide most of the hotel anyway. So lying on a sunbed at the beach is close to idyllic.

It has rained for a time every day, and very heavily. But in short bursts, so we can put up with it.

I am sorry our stay here is so short. We are heading for dinner at the Library this evening, we might catch an hour by the beach tomorrow, then we head north.

Tsunami

It is strange, and not a little frightening, when we are lying on the beach at Patong, or having breakfast in the ground-floor cafe, that one day only three years ago, the sea rose from the ocean and charged ashore here wreaking havoc and killing many many people.

Reconstruction is complete and life is back to normal. Sure there are now Tsunami evacuation routes and thankfully there is an offshore warning system, but otherwise there is no trace of that dreadful day.

Today we did hotel inspections for the travel business. An exhausting but very useful day. Now I am tired and suffering a bit from the heat.

Patong has been an interesting place, frenetic, full of street hassle and available sex of all types yet safe enough and still with a superb beach. Sleazy and raucous certainly, but endearing nonetheless.

Tomorrow we head for Koh Samui.

Patong

We are in Patong in Phuket. It is even bigger and brasher than I had expected. Like Blackpool on an even bigger scale with added sun and even more sleaze.

Yes it is a fun place and I am relaxing into it.

The Thai government have decreed that no alcohol can be served for 3 days this weekend and next weekend, bizarrely because of the forthcoming election. Apparently it is to stop voters being bribed with beer. So in all the bars in Patong, and there are a lot, everyone is drinking orange juice or Coke.

Yesterday we did an all-gay boat trip to one of the outlying deserted islands. Interesting dynamic! And a beautiful beach. Good way to start the holiday.

Rest day today. We will relax on Patong Beach. I am just about over the jet lag. And becoming laid back and less stressed. A good start, I think.

Thailand

We head to Heathrow in about an hour for the flight to Thailand for a three week trip - part holiday and part research for the travel business. I hope I'll have a chance to report from Thailand on this blog.

Christmas message

Every year I do a round-robin letter at Christmas to insert with certain Christmas cards. It is a good round up of last year, so I am repeating it here.


2007 – time passes ever faster

Work
I started the year as the Finance guy at the Association for Geographic Information http://www.agi.org.uk/. I was working 3 days a week and was happy in the knowledge that I was bringing some financial discipline to an organisation which had not exactly shone in that department in the past. I was also happy in the knowledge that my lack of knowledge about Geography did not really matter in my work.
Then in March my boss resigned. I had been banging on about the need to reduce overheads, so I piped up and said that we shouldn’t replace her. ‘ So who will do her work?’ came the retort. I opened my mouth and found the words ‘I will’ coming out.
So here I am, now working 4 days a week, still doing the finances but also, as Chief Operating Officer, having to get involved in discussions about the world of Geography. So I’ve been in Edinburgh discussing the ‘One Scotland One Geography’ initiative, in obscure parts of Wales (Llandrindod Wells) discussing Geography in the Principality, in Glasgow discussing Geography in Education, going to UK Geoforum meetings, discussing the UK response to the European INSPIRE initiative, arguing for the retention of a UK geospatial metadata service and, strangest of all, being a judge for the best paper at our annual conference in Stratford upon Avon. It’s all a bit weird.
It’s been a steep learning curve, but has given me a whole new interest and I’m really enjoying it. It is certainly true that redundancy from the Festival Hall a couple of years ago has led to a positive change, workwise.

The blogs
The diary is dead – long live the diary. But this time it is called a blog. Everyone has a blog, don’t they. So I have two. One is a general blog – http://www.alansalmanac.blogspot.com/ and one follows my learning curve in the world of geography http://www.ageogblog.blogspot.com/
Both started with much enthusiasm and a large number of blog entries in January. Both have rather slowed down and had much fewer entries later in the year. But both are just about still in operation.

Sport
The golf and tennis trundle on. My home golf course, after years as a building site, reopened in July now called ‘The Shire London’ http://www.theshirelondon.com/. Designed by Sevvy Ballesteros it is a really tough test of golf, lots of water, no flat bits, bunkers everywhere and some thick rough. But it is fun to play.
In June I came first in a corporate golf day at the Buckinghamshire to which I was invited by one of our clients.
In July I took myself off to Antwerp to represent the UK at Eurogames 2007. And I was really chuffed to win the bronze medal for the UK. It was a really fun weekend – 3000 competitors, opening and closing ceremony in the Grote Markt in the centre of Antwerp, and loads of parties. http://2007.eurogames.info/index.php
Antwerp is a lovely city.
I arrived in Antwerp without any golf shoes. So we went to a huge sports shop and I ended up buying a tennis racket, as well as the shoes. When I returned to the UK, suddenly I was playing tennis better than I had done for years. I had thought I was useless at tennis – now I find that the racket I was using was useless. The first bit is still generally true of course, but we did reach the semi-final of the men’s doubles (veterans!) in the club tournament.

Travel
Not so much jet-setting this year. Indeed the year was notable for the trips I turned down – invitations to Iceland, the Caribbean and New Orleans were all declined. Well I do have to work 4 days a week now. But there were still some fascinating trips this year.
Malaga, where we have the apartment, was of course a regular destination – 7 visits during the year. I still love the city.
In late June we drove all the way up to the Orkney Isles. My first visit. I loved Orkney - the amazing story behind the Italian Church, the almost unbelievable fact that Scara Brae was a thriving village before the Pyramids were built and the stunning scenery on the island of Hoy. We were there during the St Magnus Festival which was an added bonus.
I made a number of trips to Keith to see my parents, but as usual these only lasted a couple of days each time so I was unable to visit friends in the North of Scotland. Sorry.

Amro Holidays
The travel business is still doing well, http://www.amroholidays.com/. I help out where I can, which I admit is not much, doing the accounts, checking copy on newsletters, and helping out on our stall at Brighton Pride. But it is Andrew who works very hard at making the travel business more successful. And we have 2 members of staff now. And it led to a meeting with Dolly Parton. (too long a story)
As I mentioned, I had to turn down some research trips, but we are heading for a Christmas trip to Thailand. We don’t like to sell a destination of which we have no personal knowledge and neither of us has been to Thailand. So we are going to remedy that. I am particularly looking forward to visiting Chaing Rai and the Mekong River in the North of the country. And I hope to spend some time relaxing on the beaches of Phuket and Koh Samui.

Family and friends
It was great to see some people in 2007 that I hadn’t seen in years. I need to try to catch up with the others in 2008.
My sister is still living and working in Totnes. My Dad is reasonably well. I played 13 holes of golf with him recently at Keith and he played really well for a 91 year-old. But Mum had a stroke recently and is in hospital in Elgin. It is too early to know the eventual prognosis, but certainly we will all have to adapt to a changed situation. It happened just a week before the whole family were due to meet up in Malaga, as we had done in the past two years. I guess I can be thankful it didn’t happen in Malaga.
Sadly Andrew’s Dad died during the year, but we’d made his last years as comfortable as we could. He bravely endured the pain of illness and always had a twinkle in his eye. He was very kind to me and always pleased to see me.
Andrew and I have been together for over 10 years now and he has remained a tower of strength for me during the year.

Getting older
I can no longer leap out of bed. I hobble to the bathroom – and usually have to visit it during the night. I have a pain in my knee when I play tennis and a pain in my shoulder when I play golf. I’ve been to a few functions where I was the oldest there. I needed stronger spectacles this year. Bits of my teeth are crumbling. Running to catch a bus is a fond memory.
Yes, I guess I am getting older. The mind doesn’t get older, but the body certainly does.
However, recently I was at a quiz night in a church hall and realised that I was the youngest person there. So thank God, literally, for the Church of England – the only remaining place where nearly everyone is older than I.

Well that’s it for another year. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all.

Illness

My Mum has had a severe stroke. She is in hospital in Elgin and will be there for some weeks. My Dad, at 91, therefore has to travel 20 miles each way by bus to see here which is quite a strain on him. I've been up three times in the past three weeks, but feel so helpless.

And now we are due to be going to Thailand. I was going to cancel, but then Andrew would have to go on his own which is hardly fair. And since my Mum is hopefully stable, I have decided to go. But all the time I will be thinking of home.

Life plans

The best laid schemes of mice and men gang aft agley.

I guess I knew this day would come. In past years I have made a few trips up to Scotland to see my parents and to play golf. When and for how long these trips were depended on my diary. The last visit was a few weeks ago when I took my parents for a drive through to Inverness and down to Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness. We have booked to go to Malaga for a week at the end on this month.

Then on Monday, my Mother had a stroke. A serious one. She is in hospital in Elgin and went up to visit her this weekend. She is paralysed down the left side and having difficulty swallowing. The hospital is 20 miles away from their home, so my Dad, at 91, is having to make the journey to Elgin each day by bus. A bus shelter can be very cold in Scotland in November.

So there is the short term aim to try to see an improvement in my Mother's situation. But there is also the long term scenario to consider. I doubt she will be able to return home. My Dad will not be able to look after her. So what do we do? I live 600 miles away. Suddenly there is a big decision to be made.

Edinburgh

Today I was in Edinburgh for the AGI Scottish annual conference, entitled 'Inspiring Scotland 2007' a reference to the INSPIRE European Directive on sharing of geospatial data.

It was a very successful conference and I enjoyed my brief time in Edinburgh on a very bright October day. The previous evening I'd enjoyed a few beers in the bars along the Cowgate.

I am pleased that my new role at work allows me to do a bit of travel within the UK. Next year I'll try to stay a bit longer so that I can visit some friends while a I am in Edinburgh.

Leicester

I travelled today to Leicester for a SPLINT (SPatial Literacy IN Teaching) meeting. I left from St Pancras and this just happened to be the first day of the new Eurostar service from St Pancras. The renovated station looked fantastic.

Scottish Independence

Yesterday I watched Alex Salmond, the new Scottish First Minister, deliver the keynote speech at the SNP conference in Aviemore. I was hugely impressed, just as I have been impressed with the performance of the SNP since they took power in May.

And now David Cameron is playing into the hands of the separatists with his populist bandwagon to deny Scottish MPs a vote on English matters at Westminster. A cynical opportunistic ploy.

For the first time, I now think that full Scottish independence is likely within a decade. And I wouldn't be unhappy to see that take place.

Getting Older

I get out of bed more slowly than I used to because of my sore back. My left knee hurts every time I play tennis. My shoulder hurts every time I play golf. I've just had to get a stronger paid of glasses. My teeth are starting to crumble. In the evenings I sit and watch TV because I have no energy to do anything else. Jobs around the house remain undone.

I guess it is called old age.

On Friday we were invited to a function in Piccadilly by the organisers of Chateau Mystique, an upmarket weekend break for affluent gay men. I was the oldest person there.

Last week in Malaga I watched groups of people in bars and restaurants having a good time and regretted the fact that my Spanish was not good enough to start a conversation with any of them. But in reality, even if my Spanish was fluent, they would not have wanted me to speak to them because I am 30 years older than most of them.

More signs of old age.

Then last night, I was invited to a quiz night in a church in Potters Bar. Not only did our team win, but looking around I realised that almost everyone there was older than I am. Yes, older.

Thank God, literally, for the Church of England. The only place these days where I can still feel young!

malaga beach

I have never seen the beaches here in quite such a state. Apparently it is all due to storms a week or so ago. There are stones, bits of wood and huge amounts of bamboo canes strewn all over the beach, especially just above the high water mark. A lot of work will be needed to get the beaches back to their previous state.

Today was sunnier and I went out to Guadalmar and to the naturist beach there. It was quiet but I enjoy the freedom of that beach and spent about three hours in the sun.

This evening I will find a bar, I hope which will be showing the rugby world cup final, probably an Irish bar. So a Scotsman will be supporting England in an Irish bar in Spain. I am sure they will lose, but they have done extremely well. Now we need Scotland to qualify for Euro 2009 by beating Italy in their final match. It´s a big ask I know.

I enjoy my visits to malaga.

Back in Malaga

Currently I am relaxing in Malaga. On my own unfortunately as Andrew couldnt make it this time. Yesterday I had a short swim in the sea but today the waves were really high, so I didnt bother. Rushing back to the flat now as I have some lamb stew on the boil.

Visiting Scotland

This weekend I went up to visit my parents in Scotland. On Saturday I played 13 holes of golf with my father at Keith, then took my parents in the car to Inverness, up the Bealy road, across to Drumnadrochit, stopped at Urquhart Castle and then returned to Inverness. We had an excellent meal at what was the Kingsmills Hotel, now the Marriott Inverness, before we stopped at Dalcross Airport for me to catch the flight south. My father then drove back to Keith. He did really well to cram that all into one day at the age of 91.

The weather in Scotland was amazing for October, warm and sunny with not a breath of wind. It was a short visit but very enjoyable.

Culloden

Today I sent an email to my friend Yura in Tomsk in Siberia trying to explain to him the battle of Culloden. This was the last battle on British soil, in 1746. As a kid in Inverness I often used to cycle to the battlesite at Culloden.

Wikipedia says the following -

The Battle of Culloden (April 16, 1746) was the final clash between the French-supported Jacobites and the Hanoverian British Government in the 1745 Jacobite Rising. It was the last battle to be fought on mainland Britain. Culloden brought the Jacobite cause—to restore the House of Stuart to the throne of the Kingdom of Great Britain—to a decisive defeat.
The Jacobites—most of them Highland Scots—supported the claim of James Francis Edward Stuart (aka "The Old Pretender") to the throne; the government army, under the Duke of Cumberland, younger son of the Hanoverian sovereign, King George II, supported his father's cause.
The aftermath of the battle was brutal and earned the victorious general the name "Butcher" Cumberland. Charles Edward Stuart eventually left Britain and went to Rome, never to attempt to take the throne again. Civil penalties were also severe. New laws attacked the Highlanders' clan system, and even highland dress was outlawed.


Then I was browsing YouTube and I searched for The Skye Boat Song. This was written about Bonnie Price Charlie's escape after Culloden to the Isle of Skye, helped by Flora MacDonald. From Skye he set sail for Rome and ended his days in France. This version is sung by the Corries, the best of Scotland's folk duos. Ronnie is sadly no longer with us. But anyway here is the Skye Boat Song.

The golf is getting better

Ever since The Shire opened in July, I have struggled with it. There is so much water, loads of bunkers and some fiendish rough. The picture is of the short par 3. Off my 17 handicap it has proved to be really difficult and I have lost many golf balls.

But in the last 2 rounds I have started to improve. As a discipline I have tried to keep a score each time I play, even if I start with an 8. Well last Saturday I managed to go round in 88 and this week I had a 91. That's 71 and 74 net which I am quite pleased about. I have the day off tomorrow and am playing at 8 am, so I hope that the good form stays with me.

2 out of 3

Inverness Caley Thistle won against Falkirk 4-2
Scotland won against Italy 18-16
but
Richard and I lost our semi-final 4-6, 4-6.
We played well but our opponents made fewer errors. And there was a disputed line call when we were 4-3 ahead in the second set which we let get to us. We lost all three games from that point.

Pity - it would have been good to have featured in the final.

AGI 2007

I have just returned from our annual conference, which this year was held in Stratford-upon-Avon. I think it was a great success and that seems to be the feedback from delegates. We put in a lot of hard work both in the planning stage and during the event itself. It was worthwhile.

I am exhausted, but satisfied.

Tennis quarter final

This evening Richard and I played our men's doubles quarter final at Totteridge. We were playing a pair who play in much higher teams than we do, and I expected to lose easily. But I played well and somehow we scraped through 6-4, 2-6, 7-5.

So now we are in the semi-final.

Malaga again

We've just returned from 6 days in Malaga. I had meant to do loads of things, but I slept far too much, spent some time on the beach every day and did quite a lot of cooking. There wasnt time for anything else.

It was a good break though - and the weather was fantastic.

The Ultimate Golf Shot

I have enjoyed recently playing golf at my recently reopened and revamped golf course now called The Shire London. So far though I have not mastered the fiendishly difficult par 4 18th hole. The hole slopes gently uphill. The is a huge 'S' toward the end of the hole shaped in water with the green enclosed by the lower part of the 'S'. So the shot onto the green has to go over two large expanses of water and not go through into the water behind the green.

On Saturday I was making an even bigger mess of the hole than usual. My drive went into the thick rough on the lest. I chopped the ball out but it ran into the bunker about 200 yards from the green. Bravely but rather foolishly I took a 3 wood to my shot in the bunker. I hit it solidly without taking sand. It soared towards the green, over the water, and landed softly about 30 feet from the hole. Miraculous.

Once I got to the green I hit the put confidently and it rolled down the slope, broke to the right and went straight into the hole. A par 4 - when I had feared at least double that. Now I need to try to repeat something like that when I next play in a competition.

Car Man

Last night we went to see the Car Man at Sadlers Wells. Wow!

It was fantastic. A dance adaptation of Bizet's Carmen set in an American mid-west town in the fifties. The music was great of course, and played live. The choreography was stunning and the dancing was sexy, physical yet tender, and wonderfully competent. The whole thing was riveting. Well done again to Matthew Bourne and company.

Eurogames 2007 - final thoughts

The closing ceremony in Antwerp was quite moving. We rightly gave thanks to all the volunteers who had done such a magnificent job. One of the volunteers suddenly proposed on stage to her girlfriend. A young kid sang movingly as part of a choir of the children of same-sex parents. There were more music acts including a superb 'Shirley Bassey'. Then finally the games closed and were handed over to Barcelona for them to take up the baton in 2008.

And we watched it all in the happy company of Michael, Ottmar and Heinreich over a few beers,

The weekend was well worth the journey. I think we will

revisit Antwerp.

Eurogames 2007 - a review

Well we have arrived back from a fantastic weekend in Antwerp. The organisation of Eurogames 2007 was excellent, the local people were really friendly and supportive, the city is small but vibrant and the weather was fine.

I enjoyed hugely being part of the opening ceremony and marching into the main square behind the British banner. And then came the golf. Having missed out on a medal in Sydney 2002 and Munch 2004, I was so keen to win a medal in Antwerp. But as my round progressed and I started to hit a few wayward drives into the trees or out of bounds, I thought I'd blown the chance. But I scrambled some points and then with a few holes to play, felt that I might, just might have a chance. I really concentrated especially on the 18th tee. I hit a good drive there, but leaked my second shot to the right of the green with a large bunker between my ball and the flag. Watched by those in the clubhouse, I managed to pitch the ball over the bunker to about 10 feet from the hole and then rolled in the putt for a par and 3 points to give me a total of 32 points. My playing partner, Michael finished with 33 points, so I knew I was behind him. I just needed to have only one other player ahead of me. And that is what happened. One of the other guys had 36 points to win the gold medal, but my 32 points were enought to win bronze. I was really chuffed.

Eurogames2007

I am off on Thursday to take part in Eurogames2007 in Antwerp. Five years ago I played golf at the 2002 Gay Games in Sydney and somehow lost out on a medal by three-putting the last green and losing the bronze medal on countback. This time it would be nice to do better, but I am not playing very well and will be happy just to take part and enjoy the weekend.

Italian Chapel, Lambholm

I cannot leave Orkney without a mention of the Italian Chapel. During the war a number of Italian prisoners of war were sent to Orkney. In camp 60 at Lambholm one on the prisoners, an artist called Chiocchetti, asked to be able to create a place of worship. He was given 2 old Nissen Huts. Using materials which were available, he created a magnificent chapel. It still survives, a testament to his wonderful artistry and to the people of Orkney who have maintained the chapel to this day.

As one of the original prisoners of war, Bruno Volpi, said on his return to Orkney in 1992 - 'People cannot be judged by their precarious situations. Their culture, spirit and will to express themselves in creative thoughts and deeds are stronger than any limitation to freedom.'

Italian chapel from the outside

And from the inside

Orkney

Back from a week in Scotland with the main destination being the Orkney Islands.

Despite being born and brought up in Inverness, I have never been to Orkney. The Islands are much greener and much more beautiful than I had expected. Perhaps that is just because they are so close together, so one is never far from the sea and a view over a number of islands.

Most are flat, but we spent a full day on the mountainous, magnificent Island of Hoy. we took the car and drove right round the Island from Longhope in the south to Randwick in the west. And Randwick was stunning.

I also enjoyed Kirkwall especially since we were there during the St Magnus Festival. And of course the Islands are full of history. Skara Brae was so impressive - amazing to think that it was inhabited long before the building of the Great Wall of China or the Pyramids at Giza.

Yes I really enjoyed the few days on the Orkney islands.



St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall



Randwick Bay, Hoy

Near Birsay

Birthdays

This week brings my boyfriend's birthday, my sister's birthday and then my father's birthday. And I don't know what to get any of them. Time to put on the thinking cap and try to come up with a series of original presents.

Festival Hall weekend

The Royal Festival Hall officially opened this weekend and there was a 48 hour non-stop extravaganza 0f free events. Despite the manner of my departure, i still feel a tremendous amount of affection for the place. Not only did I work there for 19 years, but I found out recently that my parents went there for a romantic weekend in August 1951 - exactly 9 months before I was born. No wonder I feel attached to the place.

This is what it looked like on Sunday.

Golf Club reopening

Another day another reopening. This time, at my golf club. After years of playing golf in the midst of a building site, we were finally allowed to play the refurbished course. The new name is 'The Shire London' and it is fabulous. The holes are all difficult, require tactical play and a lot of skill, and have bunkers and water hazards galore. But I really enjoyed the round and played quite well for a 94, net 77 which I hope I can improve upon when I get to know the course better.

The course has been designed by Sevvy Ballesteros and had been very well laid out and professionally done. I think it will become a well-known golf course in a few years time. In the meantime, I shall enjoy trying to master it.

Royal Festival Hall reopens

Next weekend marks the official reopening of the Royal Festival Hall after the £100m refurbishment.

I am of course somewhat ambivalent after the way I was treated in the latter period when I worked there and the fact that I was made redundant a couple of years ago without any real logic to that decision.

But generally I retain a sense of pride in my work there over 19 years and still have a feel for the spirit of the place. This evening we were invited to a pre-opening concert. There was a technical hitch so the official concert had to be cancelled. Actually that allowed me much more time to talk to staff both current and previous. It was great to catch up with old faces and I guess to show that I have moved onwards from my time there and have made a successful switch into the world of Geography. So I'm glad I went.

And I wish the RFH well for the official reopening next week and into the future.