So I randomly opened my secondary mail…. a sort of dead letter box… hundreds of things you forgot you subscribed to. Over 8000 emails unread and not needed. Let’s say even at 100 a ti.e it took a while to get rid of them all. The trick being to unsubscribe from each new service I spotted on the list. For a week or so I’ve had nothing in that inbox. I’m now on to email two, the main e mail.
I suppose I’ve signed up to things because, one one occasion, I was buying a gift and wanted a discount … or maybe it was something that interested me, but I’m done with that thing now. I’m sure the odd ‘newsletter’ or ‘warning’ will pop up unwanted in future. I’ll unsubscibe from the first and report the latter as a matter of course. It’s a joy opening my e mail and knowing that its not full of things I’ll never read. Sadly, I can’t entirely get rid of unwanted e mails from the Student Union in my PhD. email inbox. That’s OK. They are infrequent and who knows? I might need them one day.
Apologies for the delay on this as my hand is in a splint … don’t ask .. so this will take me a while to type!
Rolling overnight from Coober Pedy we woke up to an emu vs kangaroo race alongside the tracks and to a countryside that looked a little more like the southern end of the UK. Wheat fields and greenery. Staff made themselves available for selfies and goodbyes. We arrived around early afternoon and were taken by private car to our air b’n’b in the historic district just off Adelaide’s Chinatown and a five minute walk from the famous food market. Guess what our first stop was?
It was close to closing time but we managed to find a couple of talkative former Brits who were happy to direct us to the best bread stall and some great local produce. We were at the market daily. There are a range of excellent cafes and loads of high quality food alongside a bookstall and weirdly a camera shop. One thing I did find odd was that apart from the market there was nothing we might call an ‘Off Licence’. Supermarkets don’t sell alcohol. We wandered into a pub that seemed to indicate it sold drinks for home consumption. Yep, there they were locked up away from the bar. A bottle shop. Sad to say we had come across a number of people with varying mental health and alcohol issues on our journey and many of these were First Nation individuals. I can see the logic in making alcohol difficult to get to but when we think about Australia in the UK the pub features heavily so it was an eye opener to see the strict controls. It’s been sad to hear about the current issues in Alice Springs since we came home too
The little row house we were staying in had one window in the front and one in the back with non at all the kitchen which was served by a skylight. It was cosy but we both felt like we were still moving for a while there. The weather forecast was very British but we’d brought our rain gear so not problem. Day one and we located the museum quarter and the superb collection in the South Australian Museum. This includes an opalised fossil dinosaur and I love a fossil of any kind. Just across the yard is the Art Gallery of South Australia where we spent a good few hours enjoying the modern art and the excellent selection of Namatjura paintings.
It took us a while the next day to work out how to get hold of a bus pass having been refused entry to a buss for Handorf as they don’t accept cash. (HINT: get it at the railway station and talk to a human being to make sure you’re getting the best deal). Armed with the appropriate piece of plastic we got onto a local bus and wound our way to the former ‘German Town’ through places with familiar names and an unfamiliar location. The tours to Barossa are wildly expensive but the Handorf winery is beautiful and a normal commuter bus is a more interesting experience than a tour. honestly we saved about 350 dollars!
If you’ve never tasted good wine with good chocolate I’d suggest that you try this wine pairing when you are in town. The historic high street of Handorf had a range of cafes and niche/boutique shops. Yes, its a bit touristy but very pretty. The original Melbourne Cup was on display in the Wolf Blass bar/tasting centre and it was Melbourne cup day. With the time differences I can honestly say Adelaide was very quiet when we got back! It still blow my mind how many different time zones cover Australia.
Now I had my birthday while we were in Adelaide. Asked what I’d like to do I opted for the zoo. Out with the trusty bus pass, but no, there is a free city circular which dropped us not far from the Adelaide Oval and a short walk from the zoo. I had thought to book to walk over the roof of the oval but we decided it was a touch pricey since I’m the only one with any interest in cricket! We ran into some cricketers in the Rundle Mall …. some team, pale blue kit … may have been Australia!
The zoo was a lovely day out. We got to feed the giraffes and I could have cuddled them (you’re asked specifically not to try). You have no notion of how big a giraffe is until its eating from your hand. I love the fact that there were school kids at the zoo and that there’s a huge emphasis on conservation. People found it so funny that we through the ibis were exotic when the locals called them ‘bin chicken’. I’d not seen one so close as when it was trying to steal my lunch! They really do look like Egyptian mummies.
Finally a day to wander around and do a touch of shopping. Obviously we found an antique book store, I found an R.M. Williams belt and we found the Mall’s Balls. Then there was chocolate at Beehive Corner.
Leaving for the airport we sailed past the Journey Beyond passenger terminal. The flight to Perth for our connection to the UK proved lively with a passenger collapsing in economy and staff trying hard to maintain composure when we had seen the defibrillator coming out. We gave them some of our chocolate figuring they needed it more than we. That passenger walked off the plane into the care of waiting paramedics!
Whilst we’d grown used to business class treatment it was still wonderful to be spoiled rotten all the way home. Pajamas, food at all hours (thankfully, as I fell asleep before dinner finished being on Adelaide time), fully flat beds and a smooth flight back to Heathrow. We arrived on a strike day (underground staff) making our journey across London a quieter than expected. I hated that we had no choice but to break the strike and I’m sorry folks.
Would I recommend the whole Australian experience? Well, we’re planning the next one already. I reckon the train experience was well worth every penny. I know the flights were an indulgence but folks if this is a once in a lifetime for you, treat yourself. I’ve done that journey in economy and business is worth it if only to get some sleep. Someone said to me this very afternoon that they’d love to do the Ghan but. There are no buts. It’s well worth the experience. Make it the focus of your big birthday (like I did), get vouchers, start a travel account that you can’t access easily, ask for your Christmas and birthday money. Travel is always worth the trouble. Our next trip is somewhat shorter but already planned and Australia… we will see you asap.
Footnote: just had dinner with Karen & Smiley… in the UK. They are still wonderful. Go on their tours!
I have a confession to make. I do consumer competitions. You know the ones splashed down your chocolate bar or on a nifty collar on your fave tipple…WIN….money, a holiday, car, plastic novelty item, tickets… Another confession. I have won several such prize draws and tests of skill. The point being they are designed to affect your spending choices and to attract your loyalty. I get a magazine with all such ‘contests’ available to me listed. I do t even have to buy the thing (unless that’s an entry requirement). There are also secret oiine cabals with free listings….they even publish the answers.
My point being that way back,I those heady days before the pandemic, I won a two night trip to a rather swanky place. Hoar Cross Hall (Not sponsored) As a marketing ploy it was successful as we go back annually global circumstances permitting. My absence is due to one such brief voyage. We spent 36 glorious hours mainly underground and submerged in water… except when being therapeutically pummelled or Michelin star fed. This is the first occasion I don’t recall seeing a TV or other celeb. There was however a wedding and I realised that I’d previously missed the chapel and a walk around the church which stands in the grounds.
My parents hate the very idea of the’spa’. That’s OK they weren’t invited. Buying time away from the everyday even for a moment, even a fairground ride or a film, is something everyone dies in their own way. A walk at the beach need cost nothing, also true for urban exploration. Take some time. Sit. Think. Play.
Lockdown was a strange (and wonderful) experience. I know that we were quite content not to have to be around people we didn’t want to see. We were sad not to see friends though. After a while…you get bored. I started taking courses online. In particular Domestika. Art courses. 🎨
I’m not claiming this is a new career. It’s fun. At school I did Latin. Art was for wasters according to my parents…both of whom have had creative careers (mum wrote a newspaper column. Dad was a house painter and still makes art). I’ve always written and I’ve always drawn but not consistently. I take photos too. What I’ve learned is to relax. It’s for fun. Lots of my friend are doing this too. And I enjoy sharing (@ushiedraws on Instagram if you’re nosey)
It has made me look at things more closely. I use my phone less as a distraction. I’m not as bad as I thought might be, in fact I have a style. Faces are hard. Feet are not.
My right foot
Be thankful this is not a video of my ukelele playing.
I scuba diving, as in life, a rapid ascent can bring problems. At the weekend I had the job of taking a couple of divers in to test a rescue skill needed for their qualification. It’s that thing you need when you’re out of air! Not a recommended situation and not something that should happen in the course of a normal dive. Still we train so that if it does happen we are prepared.
Under normal conditions a diver should not exceed 15 metres per second when returning to the surface. If a diver is out of air for some reason they should signal to their buddy and take the spare regulator (breathing mouthpiece) so both can carefully get to the surface together. My trainees had completed one careful lift from 10 to 6 metres depth and dropped to change roles (hero becomes victim). All systems checked. Everybody neutrally buoyant (nicely floaty, like in space) and off we go. This should have been easy. For what ever reason my trainees shot up like a rocket and ended up breaking surface. One complained that the computer was beeping and would not stop so we made for the exit slipway and did not continue out dive.
Contrary to logic you should dump air from your buoyancy system as you rise to the surface. The air inside will expand as the pressure (caused by the depth) lessens. Forget to take the air out….result rocket speed. If you are at any real depth this can cause you to pass out. De brief over we returned to our respective homes. Now the nice thing about a nitrogen overdose is that you have to rest, complete rest, when you get home. The nasty stuff can be a rash, nausea, dizziness aching joints (hence the bends) and all manner of things. So home to the pyjamas and the sofa.
All divers involved are fit and well two days later. No trip to the chamber for us. Lessons learned.
I know, Harrogate. Scene of Agatha Christie’s disappearance. I know, spa town, source of sulphourus waters. Actually I didn’t know about the Egyption connection with its own diggers on Howard Carter’s team. Its a pretty great place for a day or two…if you don’t mind hills.
Hotel staircase
The hotel was antwacky. Mainly and elderly clientele but with a few families thrown in for good measure. Staff ever so polite. I bet the place was quite something when it had its own Turkish baths now sadly closed (although the ones in town are still open but heavily booked well in advance). There were a number of sepia photos in the lobby (formerly known as the Winter Gardens).
Day one dump bags saunter into town for lunch. Quirky bistro called the Quirky Farm. Not fast food but well worth the wait. Then on to a row of small, locally owned shops to buy fabric and best of all collect a couple of Angela Brazil novels which I didn’t yet possess. Any visit to any town with an antiquarian and second hand book store is a joy and a privilege. Diner served at 7.30 after a G’n’T in the bar. Well managed carvery style cutting down on staff as the hotel had suffered the double blow of COVID 19 and Brexit taking its staff.
Day two. Leisurely breakfast (all you can eat buffet style) and check out before wandering in to visit the Pump House museum although we did not take the waters. Found the local gallery with its exhibition of spa towns around the world in photos, paintings and historic documents. By now it was almost time … we walked slowly encountering a chap selling some sort of cd from a rack besides his beautifully restored Austin 7. Now I have a soft spot for these little gems as my dad owned one which he restored, and won prizes with, when I was much younger. I was small enough to comfortably climb through the gap for the back window then. Don’t think I could do that now. To anyone who has yet to visit a vintage car and/or steam rally with its colour, noise and smell or oil and coal I suggest that you vet to one soon before they become impossible with a ban on fossil fuel.
Mini cakes
The highlight of the midweekend (not actually a weekend but we pretended it was anyway) was afternoon tea at Betty’s. Harrogate officionados will be familiar with the queue of around 40 minutes just for tea and a cake. We took the civilised option and booked. The Imperial Room above the main shop and cafe is all that you’d imagine. White linen cloths, potted palms and impeccably dressed staff. A live pianist playing in one corner. Every care was taken to ensure allergens were removed and we ate. More sandwiches, no problem. Another pot of tea? Certainly. All in the price.
I recommend the concept of the midweekend. Some might call it a mini retirement or a holiday. All I know is that a couple of days looking at a different place is good for the soul. BTW we didn’t join in with the TaiChi in the park but may e we should have.
That is the question eh? Aren’t we supposed to be setting resolutions and reviewing the past year with a view to cutting all that is toxic from our lives and striding hopefully forward? Call me an old curmudgeon but I went to bed at the usual time on the 31st December only to be woken (briefly) by fireworks around the midnight hour. Did the usual things on the (ate, drank tea, watched telly, read) and on the 2nd went scuba diving as you do.
What is known as the ‘tank’ at the Delph Water Sports Centre, Eccleston, Lancashire. Photo is mine own
The best thing about diving I often say, is that all you can do is breathe. Stop doing that, or even hold your breath for a second too long, and things get interesting very quickly. I’m an instructor and put one of my students through his paces with some rescue skills. He did fine for a man who had been ambushed! We tootled around the shallow end (a mere 6-9m an average UK home is about 8m to the point of the house) for half an hour or so and came out a tad chill and ready for a coffee.
It’s a very meditative sport when you’re under water. If you get it right there’s a wonderful sense of weightlessness when you’re underwater (matched only by an incredible sense of ‘how heavy is this kit’ when on land). It’s a very peaceful place. Watching the fish glide by and rediscovering old friends like the tank in the image above. You have to learn patience in your preparation and in dealings with some less than considerate water users. You learn to go slow. No point in the fish shooting past in a blur as you zoom by finning like crazy. Even if you come up from the bottom too fast you stand a chance of getting a DCI (Decompression illness sometimes known as a bend). Everything about diving can be summed up as slow, patient wonder.
Today for a change I’m baking. You need patience for that too. I’m typing as the dough proves for the first time. No worries. No hurry.
ffiftypluses 