Ian who?

197

EMERGENCY BLOGPOSTING
AGM XV

First things first...

My apologies for being away from you for much, much longer than I’d imagined. And a big thankyou to all those people who’ve been commenting and inquiring on the blog - and/or who’ve been contacting the beleaguered Hildie - to find out where I was and whether I was alright.

I’m here and I’m fine.

Well, mostly. You may have gathered that my Grand Tour turned into much more of an adventure than I could have thought possible when I set out. The train journeys were wonderful, I visited some jaw-droppingly amazing cities and met some unforgettable people along the way. My expectations - already very high, as you know - were exceeded beyond belief. Those fifteen days still speak to me loudly and clearly in my heart and in my dreams. It was truly the time of my life; the proverbial journey of a lifetime.

I found out - a little late in life - that travelling overland broadens the mind because it extends and exercises the imagination, the senses of curiosity and wonder, the exhilaration of turning new corners and seeing the smiles of friendly strangers. It adds the spice of urgency to a love of languages and the things people say and a feeling of endless astonishment that there is so much cultural, linguistic and social diversity in this wonderful continent we are privileged to be part of.

I have already decided that it was not my last great adventure but my first. If fate allows, I never want to stop travelling and exploring and discovering. I have a feeling - and a very strong wish - that things will never be quite the same again. Nor should they be.

I know you were expecting me to tell my story as soon as my Grand Tour ended. And that is precisely what I intended to do. The problem is that it has not yet ended. My holiday has left many loose ends, lingering thoughts, images and daydreams unresolved. My memory will not let those fifteen days go. Their hold on me is very strong. I feel gloriously unsettled, restless, excited and uneasy. There is unfinished business and, to be honest, I do not know when or where it will end. And I can’t wait to find out...

In a couple of days I will begin to set my recollections before you (as it were) and you can make up your own minds.

In the meantime....

AGM XV will take place at 1100 this coming Friday 30 April. The faithful should foregather at the foot of Grey’s Monument or, perhaps, in the Pret a Manger opposite it. I’m seriously sorry about the short notice but I am desperately keen to see as many truckshunters as possible. Please try and attend if you can.

A splendid time is guaranteed for all.

CONTACT ME
Post comments on this blog or email me: truckshunters@googlemail.com

10 comments:

Hildie said...

Morning, o lovely one! So glad you have returned to the fold! Your writings are like music to our ears ...... we so have missed the finely crafted sentences that flow effortlessly from your lips! We are looking forward to seeing you at AGM XV.

X

Ellie said...

Oh WELCOME back dear Ian ~ Hildie has it in one - you have been missed so very much.
I have to say that I agree with your view on travelling across land as opposed to flying. Childhood memories of travelling across Europe by train, are still with me and some of the lovely people we met will always be in my mind. I remember my mother having a long conversation with a French lady whose daughter had magnificently plaited hair. When we got home my mother tried on me but no success!! See what stays in one's head?? ('scuse the pun)
So glad you are back, xxx

Unknown said...

Who is Ian Who?
Ian - delight that you are back. The photo is magnificent. Looking forward to the traveller's tales.

Vivienne said...

Welcome back Ian. I'm so glad you are safe and well. I'm sorry I can't make it on Friday as I have a prior commitment at The Stadium of Light! No, I haven't been signed up!!! I hope you have a good turn out and a great time.

Lots of love,

Vivienne xxx

Maureen said...

Sorry can't make Friday either. Dad in hospital, broken hip...what next?

Kev said...

Hi
Let’s face it: English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant or ham in hamburger, neither apple nor pine in pineapple.

English muffins were not invented in England or french fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies, while sweetbreads, which aren’t sweet, are meat.

We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square, and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig. And why is it that writers write, but fingers don’t fing, grocers don’t groce, and hammers don’t ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn’t the plural of booth beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So, one moose, 2 meese? One index, two indices? Is cheese the plural of choose?

If teachers taught, why don’t preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat?

In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell? Park on driveways and drive on parkways?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? How can the weather be hot as hell one day an cold as hell another?

When a house burns up, it burns down. You fill in a form by filling it out and an alarm clock goes off by going on.

When the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible. And why, when I wind up my watch, I start it, but when I wind up this essay, I end it?

Now I know why I failed my English. It’s not my fault; the silly language doesn’t quite know whether it’s coming or going.

How true is that!

Sid said...

I can't make the agm either. Playing catchup at the allotment.

Hildie said...

Wow! Did you see those hailstones this afternoon? Good thing they didn't happen when we were sitting at the 'Pret'! Thank you for a lovely time today ... Ian, Gerry, Hilary, Ada .... it was great fun
.... all that french kissing!!
Missed you Maureen, Sid, Vivienne,
et aussi Lawrence and Michael who almost, but not quite, made it! See you all soon I hope!

Anonymous said...

Hi all enjoyed Friday.
Maureen - I was wondering how your dad is now and hope everything is ok.

Best wishes to everyone Ada

Maureen said...

Thanks for asking Ada, Dad has had to have a plate and a couple of screws in. (Sounds like a cabinet repair doesn't it?) Hopefully they'll get him back on his feet again after some convalescence and physio. I'm sick of hospital car parks... Why does it cost so much? and why are there never enough spaces?