When I unofficially retired I decided I was far too young to do this at the age of 52 and was getting a bit bored so I gradually unretired. Now I find myself in the situation where sometimes there isn’t enough time in the day and I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about a job I haven’t done or a problem I need to sort. Where is the middle ground? I wouldn’t do it if there weren’t significantly more highs than lows. I also tend to do it on my own terms which is fine.
The BBC TV Radio and news website has worked wonders for our profile with Anne’s Vans. We have had orders and lots of telephone enquiries. Our new inbound number has worked wonders with my telephone answering performance. I normally answer my mobile by saying “yo” or simlar. I assume that if someone is ringing my mobile number they know it is me at the other end of the phone. Anne’s Vans is different. They are ringing a company number – 01522 438888 – give it a try. So I answer the phone by saying “Hi there Anne’s Vans here. Tref speaking. Did you see me on the telly?” No not that last bit really. I was joshing.
Listening to The Girl From Ipanema Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto. Work is done. Didn’t get it all finished but will do some pottering over the weekend. Ipanema is a particular fave. I used to play it on the geetar. Many years ago I used to do the occasional Friday night in the Morning Star with Bill Jones on the piano. Bill was the kid really. I was just the bit player in the show. We used to have a good time though and had a regular following. Long time ago now. We used to live 76 paces from the pub.
The EU AstraZeneca vaccine supply row rolls on. I’m keeping quiet as I haven’t had my jab yet.
One of the boys has mentioned the LeMans rugby tour we did a long time ago. He had found a photo online. I recall that tour as the one where I broke off the family holiday in paris to go to and therefore arrived by train fresh and raring to go whereas everyone else got no sleep on the overnight trip. It was also the tour where “someone” emptied Pete Calveley and Alex Murphy’s in room drinks fridge and they got stung with a £200 bill. The money eventually miraculously appeared just before we left the hotel. Nobody knows where from 😉
After that tour I went back to Paris to rejoin the family. We had a nice few days staying with friends where I was introduced to Chateau Talbot and the music of Jacques Brell (totally different to the rugby tour culture). En route home we rocked up at CDG an hour before our flight to Manchester. There was a huge queue (I had no frequent flyer status in those days although the flights were free as I’d used air miles) and by the time we got to the front they said that the flight was over booked and we would have to catch the next one 4 hours later. To cut a long story short we ended up with £200 cash compensation and a voucher for food (we spend £50 on pizzas and OJ) which was a result considering the flights had been free in the first place and the lunch occupied most of the time waiting for the next flight.
BA handed over the cash in used tenners after we landed. I recall there being an announcement saying “would Mr Davies please make himself known to the BA member of staff upon arrival”. Tom, who was probably 4 or 5 at the time went with the kind person to the office to pick up the loot saying “open the box, take the money” and “what do points mean? Points mean prizes”
Now listening to Elbow – One Day Like This. I only discovered Elbow last year (I know I know). It’s one of my party pieces for the pre Beyond The woods pre festival private party (staff/volunteers/invitation only – you have to know someone but it is an unique and seriously craic). Has to be in a slightly different key but it is easy to play. If you want to volunteer at the Festival this summer drop me a line. See what we have available. Currently the planning is for the gig to happen but we aren’t at crunch time yet.