Club Visits since July 1 63
Rotary Engagements since July 1 178
Official Club Visits with Chicken dinner since July
1 10 !!
Very early start to week 25 with the annual Christmas
breakfast at RC Ascot on Monday, with the club carrying on the tradition of
hosting the RIBI President Nan Macreadie in company with 80 other Rotarians and
guests. We were also privileged to have
an informal Q&A with Nan afterwards.
Monday evening out with Santa again in Ickenham – a damp
evening, but not as bad as forecast, turned out to be a decent result, which
was much the same on Tuesday when we moved on to the first of the three North
Hillingdon
Large contingents of children out that night and kept the pace down –
used up every minute of our allowed time – don’t want to disappoint anyone!!
rounds in and around Long Lane.
In many ways a sad Christmas lunch meeting with RC
Caversham on Wednesday with what could turn out to be their last Christmas
meeting unless there’s a pretty dramatic turn of events early in the New Year.
Those who have followed my earlier blogs will have
recognised that when there’s a holiday, there tends to be news of the
journey. So, in keeping with the
tradition some abbreviated thoughts on our family cruise over Xmas . Setting off from Barcelona on Thursday 19th
December we (Joan, our daughters Jo & Emma, son-in-law Alx and grandson
Edward) joined the just over 2000 passengers & 500 crew aboard the
Norwegian Spirit. Sailing in the early
evening we were aboard for the next 36 hours en route to Casablanca, taking us
through the Straits of Gibraltar in the early hours of Saturday 20th
before our day in port. Let’s be
completely upfront about this, Casablanca is, well not to put too fine a point
on it, a dump – sorry Morocco, but it’s just not a nice place – generally
unattractive and dirty. So swiftly on,
via another full day at sea, to Funchal, which was delightful. A pretty town on a pretty island with nice
warm weather – I like mid 60’s in December (high teens for those in degrees C)
– definitely goes on the list of places to spend a Christmas in the
future. Arrecife, in Lanzarote was our
next stop – just half a day here on Christmas Eve – temperature in the low 70’s
(21C) sunny – picturesque (for an afternoon, probably not longer!). And the
we set off for Malaga – essentially spending 36 hours making our way up
the Atlantic coast of North Africa. The
captain warned us to “expect some movement” – masters of understatement these
Norwegians! Suffice to say that
Christmas Day was short on festive cheer and mostly rather queasy at best (further
detail not required!). 
By contrast,
Boxing Day in Malaga was another, this time unexpected delight – definitely a
city worthy of further exploration over a weekend or even a week. Another day in the mid to high-60s with lots
of sun, followed by pour last full day making our way back through the Med up
to Barcelona.
I can see most of you thinking – he’s had an entire week
without Rotary! - but that wouldn’t be
entirely true – I thought I caught a glimpse of a familiar face early on
in the cruise, but there, on Christmas
morning was RC Newbury Secretary Gordon West with his wife Barbara, son Andy
& daughter in law Hannah with their children and Hannah’s mother and
Aunt. So a Rotary make-up opportunity! And of course, having met up with them we then
kept bumping into them during the remainder of the cruise.
And now we’re back – has to be said we arrived back to
gorgeous sunshine, albeit with somewhat chillier temperatures!! All set now for
the next 26 weeks of our Rotary year.
Happy New Year everyone!!!
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