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Jul. 8th, 2006 09:02 amLast night we went to the presentation night for Hampshire's Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award winners. Among those we met at the start of the evening were Jim and Maria from Test Valley; Maria was delighted when I pointed out on the programme that there was a prizewinner from her borough, but when I added that there were two from our town she pretended to kick me in the leg.
We had speeches from some past award winners about their expeditions; cue tales of nights in youth hostels, and in one case lighting a Gaz stove in a wood barn (contrary to what we expected to hear, it didn't lead to a raging inferno). The last to speak was a young mountaineer, who'd climbed not just Everest but the seven highest peaks of each of the seven continents (yes, including Antarctica). When he finished, over the applause my mother turned to me and said "A budding Ranulph Fiennes there."
One of our two kids wasn't there, so I was thinking how I'd tell Maria it was all right after all, but then her girl no-showed too. We got a square of chocolate cake, a cup of coffee (tea in me ma's case) and a couple of little pastries each from the buffet, then strategically placed ourselves next to the Twiglets until we spotted the girl from our town. We went over to her and her mum, said hello and well done, heard about her expedition and her ambitions to be a drama teacher and wished her good luck. A quick chat with Sue from Winchester, and with Jim and Maria again as they came over to join her, then we said our farewells.
On the drive back, John gave me some stick, as my mother's doing a local fete and a young people's festival on her own tomorrow. The invitations to those events were in fact made out to just her; while she does sometimes bring me anyway when that happens, her going on her own tomorrow suits me fine, as Havant & Waterlooville have their first pre-season friendly, at home to AFC Bournemouth. So John made jokes about me "going into semi-retirement". I explained that "it's a tricky business, juggling the duties of a mayor's consort with those of a Havant & Waterlooville supporter."
We had speeches from some past award winners about their expeditions; cue tales of nights in youth hostels, and in one case lighting a Gaz stove in a wood barn (contrary to what we expected to hear, it didn't lead to a raging inferno). The last to speak was a young mountaineer, who'd climbed not just Everest but the seven highest peaks of each of the seven continents (yes, including Antarctica). When he finished, over the applause my mother turned to me and said "A budding Ranulph Fiennes there."
One of our two kids wasn't there, so I was thinking how I'd tell Maria it was all right after all, but then her girl no-showed too. We got a square of chocolate cake, a cup of coffee (tea in me ma's case) and a couple of little pastries each from the buffet, then strategically placed ourselves next to the Twiglets until we spotted the girl from our town. We went over to her and her mum, said hello and well done, heard about her expedition and her ambitions to be a drama teacher and wished her good luck. A quick chat with Sue from Winchester, and with Jim and Maria again as they came over to join her, then we said our farewells.
On the drive back, John gave me some stick, as my mother's doing a local fete and a young people's festival on her own tomorrow. The invitations to those events were in fact made out to just her; while she does sometimes bring me anyway when that happens, her going on her own tomorrow suits me fine, as Havant & Waterlooville have their first pre-season friendly, at home to AFC Bournemouth. So John made jokes about me "going into semi-retirement". I explained that "it's a tricky business, juggling the duties of a mayor's consort with those of a Havant & Waterlooville supporter."
