Flying home from Tokyo was a shock to the system in more than just a few respects. The flight was continually bullied by Mr Turbulence whose timing was perfect.."dinner is served" - Ahh a lovely crisp green salad followed by Lamb - but no - no peace for us today. The poor hostesses were all over the place....the air turbulence was indiscriminate and battered us for what felt like an eternity...I couldn't help recalling that doomed Air France Flight from Rio a few weeks ago that broke up mid-air...the same route and Airline I used to go to Rio in 2005. ...I wondered what those poor lost souls were doing the moment it happened and was hopeful that they had at least a moment to make their peace....I can remember feeling quite choked just thinking about it - "There but for the grace of God Go I"...springs to mind...but our own turbulence quickly focused my mind and grudgingly I was forced to concede defeat and hand back my deep ruby red glass of Shiraz having done a Jackson Pollock with it over the crisp white Linen cloth covering my adequate table. I tried to relax and sunk back into my cocoon of a chair clutching my pillow like a comfort blanket...what a baby! BUT the plane rattling and flexing as it tore through the sky did scare the *hit out of me...
Soon enough though we were back in London and in one piece! I'm not religious at all but just before we land and landing by the way, for me, is quite traumatic, I always go through all of my family and friends in my mind and tell each one that I love them...I always, always, do it to each and every one of them...and I mean it; yet in "real life" I don't tell them often enough....so there you go - I've said it on my blog - I love you all dearly. 
Back in Blighty now and yes - it was raining...really hard. We were forced to stay on the taxi way for almost an hour because air traffic control were not allowing flights to take off, so there were no stands free. Eventually we were released and I was greeted by familiarity herself in all her glory.....God I hate Heathrow - it epitomises exhaustion and apathy - what a thoroughly depressing place it must be to work.
I shot through as quickly as those lovely little people on the immigration desk would allow us...and I was quickly on my way to collect my car....Strange - I'd missed it! Even though it was rush hour and the roads were bleak - it was nice to be back behind the wheel and opening up the engine even if it was for only a nano second before we all returned to the usual 20 mph as we limped and lurched all the way back into London...thank god I have a tiptronic gearbox.
Everything was fine at home - the garden had gone mad in just 8 days - I know every inch of my garden and could tell which plants had thrived and which ones needed a bit of TLC. The honey suckle and Jasmine had gone wild and were so fragrant. The Geraniums were a picture - but my lillies were all finished. They had just come into full bloom as I went to Tokyo - How gutting ! I had been growing them for months and then the moment they open, I go away. They were stunning though. My Hosta's had taken a real beating from the slugs and snails - I don't like putting poisons down and so I do Pest control the hard way - with a bag and a torch before I go to bed! With me not being there doing Snail patrol at night - they had had a field day...and the snails were enormous - greedy gits. Yes I do go out with a torch and get the little shits - put them in a bag, tie it off n then bin it. IF my Chimnia is blazing I cremate them. I know that is not nice - but the gardeners out there will understand!
I called it a night and woke up at 3.30am - not able to get back to sleep I went to Tesco - did a food shop and then by 8am I was with my barber in Covent Garden. What a fantastic time to shop!! As a kid saving up to go to university I used to do the late shift at Tesco replenishing the greedy shelves when all the shoppers had left, and we used to play U2 over the tannoy system - FAB! These days though with them being open 24 hrs a day - the poor buggers have to do their work which is hard work, whilst dodging insomniac customers...
Dear George. He has cut my hair once a month for the last 15 years - his tiny traditional barber shop that nestles at the back of Tesco on Bedford Row in Covent Garden which he shares with his 3 cypriot brothers is a bastion of tradition and for me is one of the few remaining places I can think of where I am able to freely speak my mind.
They haven't spent a penny on the old shop but I love it for that. The old chairs, the ceramic basins and shaving toiletries that I'm sure they don't make any more! The blue disinfectant for the razors standing on the shelf in a champagne glass no less - inviting....
George doesn't do PC - Praise the Lord! We both say exactly what we feel, neither offending the other, ever, even when we disagree. Today, none of us are really able to say what we think for fear of being labelled - instead we walk along the drab vanilla PC street..how *ucking dull. What happened?
I have had some wonderful conversations over the years with that man...He bought stock in my company years ago and always remarks at how well his little holding is doing. That's how it starts - the small chit chat - and with that quickly out of the way we launch our missiles - "Bombs away"! Who's going to get it today??? The Middle East? Yes that gets the blood boiling and everyone always joins in....even the hapless customers who can't get a seat when George is busy, who stand out on the street join in on a summers day - it's great - you never want to leave! In fact, George and I mapped out the road to peace in the middle East years ago...but alas we are still waiting for it to be adopted.
He loves politics , as do I, and together we celebrated the downfall of John "grey" Major; the sudden death of Princess Di; the right and wrongs of civil partnerships; the disaster that is Zimbabwe; the demise of William Hague, the dodgy Dossier; the ousting of the quiet man - Ian Duncan Smith; The Iraqi war; the arrival of Mr PR - David Cameron and Gordon Brown; the departure of Tony Blair; Ken Livingstone; Boris; the Olympics..all of them!; Obama; and more recently the parliamentary expense scandal.oh and not forgetting our regular tax debate...
I really respect George - a complete Gentleman. That shop - that tiny speck of London is representitive of the great silent majority (ok - not to silent!) of Great Britain - hard working; VERY hard working; honest; family men.... and there is genuine dischord in the ranks..frustration! Oh dear - and that means "Hello Prime Minister Cameron"...Please God let it be anyone except that silly man.
When I first went to see George, he tapped his chair with his scissors "Yes Sir - next"..and ushered me onto the ample chair. He did a sterling job, and charged me £12. He now charges the princely sum of £15 and I always give him £20...If I went anywhere else I would pay £40 so £20 is the least I can give him.
Having chewed the cud with George he wished me well on my travels, and I shot over to Jermyn St to get some shirts where London really did "greet me" ...it came in the guise of a bendy bus....a dear old grandmother was with her grandchildren and clearly out for the day and one of those nightmarish bendy buses, impatient to get on with the amber light flashing actually beeped its foghorn and scared her half to death...I angrily stopped right in the middle of the road, glared, and pointed at the light which was now green - and said It was amber you wait until we have crossed". Having made my point I moved on - but the bus stopped - down came the window and a torrent of abuse spewed from the nasty little drivers mouth. If that was not enough he then gave me a perfectly formed middle finger all the way down Picadilly. Nice. ....I was gobsmacked and so outraged I actually smiled and then seconds later exploded - if any of us conducted ourselves like that we would be fired - what makes London Bus drivers so special? That would never have happened in Japan - they have standards and simply put we don't anymore. How sad.
Anyway, I'm back in the exact spot I was in before I boarded for Tokyo. Today it is New Yorks turn. I haven't been for 6 months - and the last time I was there it was like the Ice- age. Alex has organised dinner parties; cocktails in NYC and then Niagra Fals on Sunday - Perfect. Can't wait!
More later
