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Family

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Vancouver Days 4 & 5

August 9, 2021 in Flotsam and Jetsam | Permalink

Photo by Andy Dawson ReidThe last two days of our brief but highly pleasurable visit to the mainland were dedicated to visiting some of The Girl’s family – for the first time since the pandemic began. On the Sunday we had a most enjoyable dinner in Port Moody with cousins and then on the Monday retraced our footsteps to North Vancouver to pay a call on The Girl’s ninety five year old aunt. It was wonderful to sense just a glimmer of normality after such a long time with little but our own company – vastly pleasurable as that always is.

We had made only the most tenuous of plans for the last day so had not booked a place on a ferry crossing to the island, guessing that the Monday would be fairly quiet and that we could just pitch up and jump aboard.

Wrong!

As The Girl negotiated the maze of routes out of Vancouver towards Tsawwassen I looked up the status of the sailings on the InterWebNet. At this time of year ferries depart hourly – on the hour – but we could see that the 1 o’clock and 2 o’clock sailings were already full. As The Girl put the ‘pedal to the metal’ (she likes that!) we watched the rolling updates from BC ferries indicate that the 3 o’clock was filling rapidly and that the 4 o’clock was not far behind. When we finally reached the terminal at Tsawwassen we we told we might be on the 4 pm or it might be the 5 pm!

Having not yet had lunch and mindful of the long wait to come we headed for the terminal building to source ourselves some victuals – only to discover that a power failure had resulted in all of the concessions being closed – barring the confectionery stand and they were only able to take cash as all of the machines were ‘hors de combat’.

Bah!

That was not the most healthy repast that we have ever consumed.

No matter – we were determined not to let such small things spoil a most enjoyable trip and we were soon home again.

A final flurry of images from the journey home.

Photo by Andy Dawson ReidPhoto by Andy Dawson ReidPhoto by Andy Dawson ReidPhoto by Andy Dawson ReidPhoto by Andy Dawson Reid

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The Journey Home – 2

May 31, 2020 in Flotsam and Jetsam | Permalink

If the first week of our epic jaunt to the UK and to Europe this time last year was all about me revisiting people and places that I had not seen for a goodly period – more than three decades in some cases – then the second week was about two things: visits with family and an opportunity for The Girl to catch up with those with whom she worked and played during her time in the UK.

Once we had enacted a joyful reunion at Heathrow airport (full details withheld to protect those of delicate sensibilities) The Girl and I boarded our hire car and navigated our way around the M25 to the town in which I grew up and where my brother still lives. It had been our intention to stay with him for the following week but as a result of the unforeseen circumstances detailed in this gripping blog episode we found ourselves rattling around a mostly empty grand hotel just down the road.

Photo by Andy Dawson ReidNow – as it turned out this worked out particularly well for a number of reasons and we owed a great deal to my brother both in terms of smart thinking and also of massive generosity on his part (for he footed the bill!). Kudos!

Not only was the hotel a very good base for our excursions into Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and other nearby haunts where The Girl (and I in appropriate cases) was reunited with some of those with whom she had worked and some with whom she had become good friends (to the great joy of all concerned) but staying in a place with a bar and lounge that was open to service all day meant that those who had not been able to attend other gatherings could call by and one or other (or both) of us could spend a happy hour or so catching up with all of the news and gossip from the previous half decade or more. I was delighted to make connections anew with others from my musical and theatrical past and – as was the case with all of those whom we met throughout our stay – I was overwhelmed by the expressions of joy and love with which we were bathed.

Photo by Andy Dawson ReidWith regard to family it was good to see my sister and brother again – though in both cases we have in the interim been fortunate enough to have had visits from them in Canada. My brother and his Lady in particular went out of their way to entertain us and to ensure that our visit was a success. There was dining and quaffing – a boat trip to Hampton Court – a visit to the Victoria & Albert Museum (with lunch in the Members’ Room!) and much more. In short – they treated us royally and we were most grateful.

Photo by Andy Dawson ReidWe were quite sorry to leave our grand hotel but the third part of our expedition was to take us on a road trip around some parts of southern England to stay with other old and dear friends. More on that next time!

Before I go – the image below is of my alma mater’s boathouse, the which is on the bank of the river Thames opposite Hampton Court Palace. It is named the R. C. Sherriff Boathouse after one of the School’s famous alumni. The playwright had been a great sportsman, had rowed for the School and subsequently raised funds for rowing both at the School and for the nearby Kingston Rowing Club. On his death in 1975 his house – Rosebriars – was sold and the monies from the sale put into a trust to help support the arts in the district. The youth theatre with which I was associated benefited from these funds during the 90’s, which enabled us to commission a writer to create a new play for the group.

Photo by Andy Dawson Reid

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A family affair

August 14, 2018 in Life as we know it | Permalink

Image by Sacha Grosser on WikimediaMy sister and nephew (her son) have both been involved for a good number of years with the Scout movement in the UK. They lead a troop (probably not called that any more) in the area not far from where we all grew up.

I was in the Scouts myself – as a nipper! – and then stayed on to become an assistant leader for a few years back in the early seventies. I learned a great deal from the experience – how to read maps and charts and to use a compass for navigation; how to build things out of ropes, pulleys and spars; how to get by in the great outdoors; how to cook and care for myself in less than optimal circumstances… how to pitch a tent blindfold!

I also learned how not to do a fair number of things – including how not to try camping even in the summer months using just a mountain survival bag and a sheet-sleeping bag. That was fun!

I parted company with the movement because I didn’t like the way the bureaucracy was heading. This is probably covered by ‘Health & Safety’ nowadays – closely allied, of course, to ‘Child Protection’, ‘Risk Management’ and so forth. I expect that there are loads of statistics available that demonstrate just how much safer it is being a young person involved in such activities now than it was back in the early seventies… should one care to look for them. If you sense a touch of cynicism in my tone it must surely just be down to cultural differences… or something!

I do, however, recall being able to decide on a Thursday evening (with a bunch of other guys) that we would head for the Welsh hills for the weekend. On the Friday night we would all pile into the back of a long wheelbased Land Rover and head down the M4 to the Brecon Beacons (or the Black Mountains, or wherever) where we would happily spent the weekend ‘yomping’ up and down mountains and indulging in ‘ham radio’ (youngsters won’t know what that is, of course!). The paperwork for doing that sort of thing now takes considerably longer than does the activity itself.

The final straw came when a group of our Scouts turned up at a summer fete for an annual tug-of-war competition (in which we were defending the trophy we had won the previous year) only to be turned away because we weren’t in uniform. When we pointed out that the Scout uniform was entirely unsuitable for such an activity the man in charge told us we should have changed after we arrived!

I had by then had quite enough of such petty tyrants! Well – I am a child of the sixties!

But where – you might reasonably ask – is all this going?

Well – my sister and nephew recently brought a party of Scouts (girls as well as boys!) to BC, to indulge in the sort of adventurous outdoor activities for which this province is known. Whilst they were here they managed to make time in their busy schedule for a visit to our North Saanich home for a relaxed lunch.

Not only was it good to see them both, but – given that my brother has already visited us here – the occasion somehow completed the circle, making yet another important connection between here and there.

…and to me that feels oddly important…

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Hit the road, Jack!

August 6, 2016 in Flotsam and Jetsam | Permalink

DSCF6875Up at crack of dawn (well – almost) to catch the 8:00am ferry to Tsawassen. We are off once again on our travels.

There is this time – however – a difference in that we have with us a visitor – a relative stranger to these shores. My brother has come from the UK to stay with us.

This is not his first visit to Vancouver Island – he was here in 2010 for our wedding – but this is his first trip since we moved here last year and he is indeed the first guest from the UK to stay in our new home. The first of many we hope.

I have not to this point mentioned his visit through the agency of these jottings for good reason… I was sworn to secrecy! My brother has just turned sixty and his two really rather splendid sons (and his eldest’s excellent wife) arranged this trip for him as a birthday surprise. Kudos, chaps!

Anyway – we are off to the interior for a short break. No details as yet as some of that, too, is intended as a surprise.

What fun!

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