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Feb. 15th, 2007 03:49 pmRang Alitalia this morning to cancel my flights. One bright spot - I'm getting the £163 airport tax refunded, so I've only lost £405.
We hosted a buffet in the Mayor's Parlour at lunch time for Dee Caffari and a party of 18 kids who belong to a sailing club at a local junior school. We had half an hour talking to Dee and her PA Vicky before the kids arrived; she was really nice. We asked her a few things about her round-the-world voyage; I wondered if she'd had much chance to tune in to English-language radio just for something to listen to, but she hadn't much, relying instead on her well-stocked iPod. She'd packed some good books too to keep her going, but added that she won't be able to on her next venture as the boat's contents need to be lighter. I asked whether she had any plans to write a book of her own, and she said yes, it should be out in September.
The kids had a great time talking to Dee, having their photos taken with her and my mother, looking at the Mace and round the Council Chamber, and having a buffet of sandwiches, sausages, crisps, Chipsticks, Maltesers and chocolate mini rolls. Even when they'd had their fill there was plenty left for us grown-ups :) We watched a video of the kids from when, towards the end of Dee's voyage, they'd been featured on the local TV news as avidly following her progress - they'd lent her the school mascot, a teddy bear called Sizzles, to take with her. After that one of the boys interviewed Dee into a tape recorder, prompting a comment from her that if he didn't become a sailor he had a great career as a journalist ahead of him; at the end she mentioned that she hated hearing her own voice played back. I told her I, too, wince at how awful my voice sounds on answering machines or tape. Dee asked if she could take Sizzles again on her next round-the-world trip next year, the right way round this time, "so he'll do another lap of the planet" - the kids agreed with a cheer. The proceedings ended with my mother giving a speech and presenting all the kids with souvenir certificates, then three of the kids got up and read a few prepared notes thanking Dee and my mother, and we all said goodbye, wishing Dee the best of luck for her future events.
When everyone had gone, Jan and Michelle urged me to help myself to any of the leftover food, but I was already into the 2 hours' no eating time I needed before my next antibiotic...
We hosted a buffet in the Mayor's Parlour at lunch time for Dee Caffari and a party of 18 kids who belong to a sailing club at a local junior school. We had half an hour talking to Dee and her PA Vicky before the kids arrived; she was really nice. We asked her a few things about her round-the-world voyage; I wondered if she'd had much chance to tune in to English-language radio just for something to listen to, but she hadn't much, relying instead on her well-stocked iPod. She'd packed some good books too to keep her going, but added that she won't be able to on her next venture as the boat's contents need to be lighter. I asked whether she had any plans to write a book of her own, and she said yes, it should be out in September.
The kids had a great time talking to Dee, having their photos taken with her and my mother, looking at the Mace and round the Council Chamber, and having a buffet of sandwiches, sausages, crisps, Chipsticks, Maltesers and chocolate mini rolls. Even when they'd had their fill there was plenty left for us grown-ups :) We watched a video of the kids from when, towards the end of Dee's voyage, they'd been featured on the local TV news as avidly following her progress - they'd lent her the school mascot, a teddy bear called Sizzles, to take with her. After that one of the boys interviewed Dee into a tape recorder, prompting a comment from her that if he didn't become a sailor he had a great career as a journalist ahead of him; at the end she mentioned that she hated hearing her own voice played back. I told her I, too, wince at how awful my voice sounds on answering machines or tape. Dee asked if she could take Sizzles again on her next round-the-world trip next year, the right way round this time, "so he'll do another lap of the planet" - the kids agreed with a cheer. The proceedings ended with my mother giving a speech and presenting all the kids with souvenir certificates, then three of the kids got up and read a few prepared notes thanking Dee and my mother, and we all said goodbye, wishing Dee the best of luck for her future events.
When everyone had gone, Jan and Michelle urged me to help myself to any of the leftover food, but I was already into the 2 hours' no eating time I needed before my next antibiotic...
