It’s been a quiet year in South Bridlington.[1]
The General Election came and went. We both voted, but it didn’t work.
Somehow Judy seems to have caught Alison Dale’s eye. She thought that her modest purchases from Damart over the years would have gone unnoticed, but she has been awarded a number of prestigious opportunities to enter prize draws.
Judy continues to swim each morning at Carnaby, but has so far been overlooked by the Olympic Selectors. Perhaps they have a problem getting up so early each morning.
Much of our life has revolved around the 1st Bridlington Scout Group. Judy continues to spend half her waking day developing the World’s Best Scout Group Database. The other half of the day is spent working on a website for a local Actor, who is a member of Equity, and is currently employed as Father Christmas at Castle Howard. All this high-powered activity still leaves Judy plenty of time each day to fall asleep in front of the television.
Our Scouts have enjoyed a terrific programme this year – camping, kayaking, rock climbing, scuba diving, cycling (Scarborough-Whitby and back), sailing, and entering Orienteering competitions. The highlight of the year was the Summer Camp in the Lake District – “Climb a Mountain, Sleep in a Cave”. Applications for permits were submitted in April. At the beginning of June, when we hadn’t heard anything it transpired that they had never been processed. At the beginning of July they still hadn’t been processed. At the end of July we were told that we would be able to go to the Lake District, but wouldn’t be able to climb a Mountain or Sleep in a Cave as the issuing of Scout Permits couldn’t be rushed. We therefore cancelled the Scout camp, and went anyway. A group of friends, known as “Not the 1st Bridlington Scout Group”, led by a fully qualified mountaineer, enjoyed a terrific 4-day camp and climbed a mountain, where they slept in a cave. Just before we left I had a very vigorous telephone conversation with the Scout County Commissioner, who told me that my Scout Warrant was withdrawn. I told her that what I did on my holidays was no concern of hers. When I got back, I was discreetly told by a local Official that my Warrant had not been withdrawn. The County Commissioner and I have not spoken since.
The big surprise event of the Summer was the participation of 12 of our Scouts in the Humberside Police sponsored “Lifestyle Challenge”. They formed 3 separate teams who spent the Summer Doing Good (when they weren’t Doing Bad by climbing mountains). They all Did Good on my Allotment, but one Group based themselves at the local Salvation Army Citadel, took food from the allotment, and prepared and served meals for the derelicts of Bridlington, whose company we have joined. Each Tuesday we go for our £2.50 meal at the Citadel, where we share a table with other poor old souls with a limited social life. Our table companion Jean likes to find out everything she can about everyone else. Dorothy is in her 90’s, quite deaf, and needs her food cutting up for her. She has proved more than a match for Jean’s impertinent questions, as she answers different ones. Jean asked her what she had done when she was young. I suggested that she might have been a trapeze artist. When Dorothy had understood the question and my inspired guess, she chuckled and was content for that to be her answer.
There is a healthy turn-over of clients, as we die one by one.
Our Lifestyle team won a major prize for all their effort, and will go on a 4-day adventure holiday in Wales horse riding, climbing, potholing and all sorts else.
My October Cycle Challenge this year was to get the Ferry to Rotterdam, and then cycle through the Netherlands into N Germany where I would meet up with Phil in Hamburg. In the event I reached Groningen in NE Friesland, and decided “stuff this for a lark, I’m staying here”. It is a wonderful city. However within 30 minutes of arrival, I had lost my bike. I had left it in a cycle rack in a side street. There are scores of side streets in central Groningen, hundreds of cycle racks, and thousands of bikes. After wandering around for 90 minutes I found my bike again. Phil is cheerful and well. He has not changed. Enough.
The allotment flourishes, although my carrots, peas and cabbages have not done as well as previous years. Fortunately other allotment holders have made up for my failures, and we continue to eat well.
David & Judy Butland
6th December 2010
Late News – a surprising career move. I have just started a paper round. We were at home waiting impatiently for the paper to arrive, and I decided to go the 400 yards to the paper shop to pick it up. Our paper boy had thrown in the towel. I have therefore resumed my earlier career. I was the best paper boy in Totnes, and will endeavour to please the good people of Bridlington.
[1] Garrison Keeler enthusiasts may smile. But they always do, anyway.
jbrip 