Thank goodness my back was up to doing some driving, having covered almost 700 miles visiting Rotary clubs and functions since making myself return to operative-mode. This included five meetings in six days! It was especially good, though, to be present at one Rotary club’s 50th anniversary celebration. There was a splendid five-course meal, if you include the birthday cake, interspersed with musical entertainment. It was all concluded with dancing until 1.00 am, at least for the young and fit!
The joint venture between another Rotary club and the local branch of the Soroptimists was a tremendous success financially, as well as being real fun. I have learned that the proceeds of the collection made in Dingles, Plymouth and the Celebration of Youth Music Concert have enabled a cheque for £5000 to be donated to The Precious Lives Appeal. Well done everyone concerned. Rotary is certainly proud of your efforts.
Early this week, I was setting off from Newquay airport to fly to the Isles of Scilly to visit the Rotary club on St Mary. It was a little cloudy but calm and we all had some good views of the north coast of Cornwall on the way down. I had not been to St Mary for over twenty years and it was almost as though time had stood still. Hugh Town was much as I remembered it. After a good meal, lots of fellowship and some good story telling, I crept back into the hotel to try to get some much needed sleep - after dosing myself up with the cocktail of painkillers given me by the doctor.
The next morning was grey, very wet and windy! After a late breakfast, I sat in the lounge having a cup of coffee when I managed to just hear an interview on Radio Scilly, in which my visit to the Rotary Club of The Isles of Scilly was mentioned. Gosh! I never expected to be famous enough to have my visit recorded on radio!
By lunchtime panic began to set in. I learned that there had been no flights to or from the islands because of the weather. Was I going to get home? Luckily, the weather improved and by mid afternoon the planes were shuttling back and forth in an attempt to catch up on the schedule.
I eventually took off about 45 minutes late. And what a flight! The little 16-seater was being buffeted about by the wind while stationary on the ground, with the wind getting under the broad, flat wings. Getting airborne was not too bad but once up we were certainly driving along a road with a lot of big potholes!
Then landing at Newquay was an experience I will remember all my life. I could see the lights on the runway ahead through the cockpit windows and they swung from one side to the other, disappearing either side of the plane. It was rather like sitting on a float and sliding down one of those snaking water chutes at a summer theme park. Or, imagine being a counter coming down a snake on a Snakes and Ladders board. Just before touch down the plane was facing the runway at about 45 degrees and at the last moment the pilot deftly threw the plane round to land in a straight line. As we slowed and came under full control, there was an automatic, spontaneous round of applause from all the passengers, which included Andrew George, the MP for West Cornwall and The Isles of Scilly. I reckon the flight matched the excited discussions at his meetings, mainly concerning the upgrading of the Ferry Link.
I bet the next blog-bit will not be anywhere near as adventurous!
The joint venture between another Rotary club and the local branch of the Soroptimists was a tremendous success financially, as well as being real fun. I have learned that the proceeds of the collection made in Dingles, Plymouth and the Celebration of Youth Music Concert have enabled a cheque for £5000 to be donated to The Precious Lives Appeal. Well done everyone concerned. Rotary is certainly proud of your efforts.
Early this week, I was setting off from Newquay airport to fly to the Isles of Scilly to visit the Rotary club on St Mary. It was a little cloudy but calm and we all had some good views of the north coast of Cornwall on the way down. I had not been to St Mary for over twenty years and it was almost as though time had stood still. Hugh Town was much as I remembered it. After a good meal, lots of fellowship and some good story telling, I crept back into the hotel to try to get some much needed sleep - after dosing myself up with the cocktail of painkillers given me by the doctor.
The next morning was grey, very wet and windy! After a late breakfast, I sat in the lounge having a cup of coffee when I managed to just hear an interview on Radio Scilly, in which my visit to the Rotary Club of The Isles of Scilly was mentioned. Gosh! I never expected to be famous enough to have my visit recorded on radio!
By lunchtime panic began to set in. I learned that there had been no flights to or from the islands because of the weather. Was I going to get home? Luckily, the weather improved and by mid afternoon the planes were shuttling back and forth in an attempt to catch up on the schedule.
I eventually took off about 45 minutes late. And what a flight! The little 16-seater was being buffeted about by the wind while stationary on the ground, with the wind getting under the broad, flat wings. Getting airborne was not too bad but once up we were certainly driving along a road with a lot of big potholes!
Then landing at Newquay was an experience I will remember all my life. I could see the lights on the runway ahead through the cockpit windows and they swung from one side to the other, disappearing either side of the plane. It was rather like sitting on a float and sliding down one of those snaking water chutes at a summer theme park. Or, imagine being a counter coming down a snake on a Snakes and Ladders board. Just before touch down the plane was facing the runway at about 45 degrees and at the last moment the pilot deftly threw the plane round to land in a straight line. As we slowed and came under full control, there was an automatic, spontaneous round of applause from all the passengers, which included Andrew George, the MP for West Cornwall and The Isles of Scilly. I reckon the flight matched the excited discussions at his meetings, mainly concerning the upgrading of the Ferry Link.
I bet the next blog-bit will not be anywhere near as adventurous!
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