Good old Shoreham by the Sea!

I hope that the estate of the late Mr Ward Higgs will forgive me altering the title of his wonderful old marching band tune just a little for tonight's late night rambling, because that's where I've been today. Down to the seaside again, just for the evening would you believe, to attend Andrew Tett's DX meeting.
It proved to be a very welcome and cooling excursion, on what has been a very hot inland September day (28 degrees or so!) but quite apart from the sea breeze, my body was cooled by the treasure trove discovery of some great new ales in the excellent CAMRA approved pub opposite Shoreham by Sea station, the Buckingham Arms. I was first to arrive, and started with a nice pint of Greene King Mild-which I did not even know they brewed-courtesy of Andrew. Soon afterwards, I was delighted to see Stephen Howie again, who had also come down on the train though not, I think, on the same one as me. He's a really nice lad and quite mature, I think, though wonder what he thought of us bunch of old timers- looking round the pub later, I realised that Andrew, at only two years my junior, was the next youngest person in our gathering!
Second pint was Wherry from Norfolk, somewhat disappointing really, but then it had been on open stillage for a week, left over from last weekend's beer festival there. Still, you can't really moan at £1.20 a pint! When the other club members turned up- Mike Terry, Nick Quinn- who uncannily I had a mental picture of the other night though having not seen him for three years- Peter Wells and, finally and unexpectedly, Dave and Alan, we had our second pint which we made linger quite a while as we sat in the car park area out the front enjoying the almost tropical evening air. I took my jumper with me, but didn't even need it. Memories came back to me later of a similar evening in Central London many years ago now, when we held the annual BDXC meeting there. September does seem to be a nice last burst of summer many years- and long may it continue.

It was good to see Mike again tonight, who brought along his vintage QSL collection which certainly proved a talking point. We had some interesting and wide ranging conversations on radio and technology topics tonight-very anoraky but very enjoyable. Mike I feel is very good at drawing people out of themselves and making a social occasion like this into something special. The meeting also had its quieter types, of course- who I wlll not embarrass by mentioning in print- but variety is the staff of life and it does indeed take all sorts to make a world.

The only dampener for me was that I had a bit of a headache which lingered much of the evening, but it could have been worse and for once I managed to finish all my Indian meal!

WHAT'S NEEDED IS A LITTLE APPLICATION..
I meant to do a blog earlier in the week with this title. Whatever DID happen to the PG Tips chimps, by the way, where that became a catchphrase for a while in one of their classic ads? We were promised they were not being axed, despite the rise of the claymation "student" characters in their own jaunty little ads, but sign of the famous chimps has there been none for at least a year or more now. I think they may have grinned their last-very sad really, as they were an institution, rather like routemaster buses which are also on their way out with three prime routes going over to bendy bus operation today.

Anyway, the "little application" I'm referring to is for a job as an "Editorial Support Co-Ordinator" at BBC Monitoring in Caversham. This came up on an e-mail alert about ten days ago, and encouraged by Chris G as well as Dave and Alan (who is also applying, apparently) my application went in on Thursday. I must confess to certain mixed feelings about this one -excitement about the prospects of a new job which could potentially be quite interesting, or at least in an interesting environment, but also the usual self-doubts and indeed soul doubts over where I should really be next, particularly given Mum's increasing frailty. Not easy to take decisions at such times, is it.
Still, I guess I have nothing to lose by trying for this and, who knows, it could be the start of an exciting new phase in my life. Watch this space!
Although the journey back from Shoreham didn't go quite as planned- I just missed a direct train to Clapham from Shoreham- it did not then prove as lengthy as I feared, as by catching a Thameslink from Brighton to Haywards Heath and then changing to a Southern service to Clapham Junction, I was still back in Feltham just after midnight. Actually, this particular journey augurs well for keeping up my connections with my friends on the South Coast if I subsequently move to Reading- because that is where my train was going!
For the moment bed beckons. This is the day that the Lord has made, and I look forward to rejoicing and being glad in it later, especially as the weather looks promising again. However, it's also a day of rest: a pity our greedy society seems to have lost sight of that sacredness as the anniversary of the relaxation of Sunday trading laws has passed this week. I'm all for a new theme song for the Keep Sunday Special brigade, as used rather whimsically at the finale of the Olympic Closing ceremony a week ago: Never on a Sunday!