Leaving on a Jet Plane. ( Peter, Paul and Mary circa 1968)

---

For those of you old enough to remember the sadly unforgettable Peter, Paul and Mary you will know that this song tugs at the heart strings. It concerns loved ones saying goodbye without much idea of the future. That is exactly how I felt when my good friend and drinking buddy Dave C (known as half- day Dave because of his ability and propensity to escape from work unnoticed at lunch time ) came to pick us up to go to Heathrow. Do not misunderstand me. Whilst leaving Dave, Phil, Massa, Podge, Finbar, Cabbie, Frank et.al. as well as Murphy and Lon (the two best landlords in town) was in its own way memorable, it was as nothing to saying goodbye to our children. That is what we did or for at least three minutes because I forgot the passports and tickets as well as the lap top upon which I am writing this drivel. So we went back and said goodbye all over again. Perhaps Peter, Paul and Mary should have released another song entitled Leaving on a Jet Plane - Once More. It might have sold just as well as the first.

Dave picked us up in a Citroen Berlingo car/van that he readily admits has the aerodynamics of a brick on wheels. The ambient noise did nothing to inhibit a pleasant and relaxed journey. Then we got to Heathrow. I used to think that if God ever had to give the world an enema He or She would administer it in Coventry. I have changed my mind. Heathrow Terminal Four must now be the favourite for attention.

An air of latent aggression pervades Terminal Four Heathrow. In fact the only people that appear calm are the police. Just as well really because the last thing that anybody would want is a nervous or aggressive policeman at an airport with an automatic machine gun in his hand. The world has seen enough of those. Perhaps the new Terminal Five has been designed to make crowd management more sociable and comfortable. We shall see. The only nod to efficient crowd management that I could detect was the Disneyesque time notices in the security queues announcing that ‘Waiting time from here 10 minutes’. As you might have already assumed it was more than ten minutes. I have happily queued for over an hour in both Disney worlds to go on rides such as ‘Space Mountain’ with the sole aim of being scared to death for about thirty seconds. It seems a shame that embarking on a life changing two years should start in such an unfriendly and chaotic environment.

The flight was overbooked and Lucy, a new friend and colleague was offered six hundred Euros to go the following day. She declined and I wonder if she had second thoughts. Unfortunately we had checked in on line so were not offered anything apart from the manic theatricals of a B.A. staff member trying to keep the baggage drop queue moving.

So there we are on the plane. The journey was fairly unremarkable. The entertainment system did not work properly. Gloria and I joined Lucy in what she called the tradition of drinking Bloody Marys on aeroplanes and whilst I had not previously heard of this tradition I am now a confirmed devotee of such behaviour.

It is the end of my first offering. Gloria says it is too long and that it will not, therefore, be read but I enjoyed writing it anyway. It beats the hell out of strategic reviews, trustee papers and evaluation reports.

---

Comments

[Janina]

Not too long at all - keep them coming
Dave I have always said you were a talented writer - from the time you got me through my social work degree, to the time you wrote Ella that beautiful letter (which she still treasures and re-reads every now and again). So, your entry was not too long at all, was eminently entertaining - much more so than professional travel writers -I am really looking foward to hearing more...It was also lovely to hear by proxy of my former brother-in-law - hope you're okay Dave - I think it's a bit of an insult that you're called 'half Dave'!!! Anyway, talk soon - oh, by the way looked up the prices of a trip to Ghana - $12,000 per person from Oz!!!! What's that about??? Loads of love J xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Mad Macs]

Thank you
Did you mean $1200...if not it will be cheaper via England!