I have four small worlds today, all unrelated, to keep you going till I sort out my next proper post. Yes, I’m still trying to finish my tax return!

First, go back to January when I saw a consultant about the odd mole on my leg. Mr Dominic Ayres and I got chatting and he was really enthusiastic about doing Clipper sometime in a future iteration. Meanwhile, he’d also been in Afghanistan as a medic, possibly the same time as George (I couldn’t remember the dates) but thankfully they didn’t meet. Then he mentioned he’d trained in Cambridge with (now) Sir Professor Roy Calne. Oh, I said, we have a photo in our hall with him in it. Can you spot the young JD?

Second, we were in Hastings recently (as I shall tell you one day). Not long after, we went to lunch at home in Somerset with some local friends and were swapping stories of the places we’ve been. It turns out that the pal we were having lunch with was born in the Hastings street we’d stayed in with our other pal!

Third, we were out to dinner in a real restaurant last Friday (Goodfellows in Wells, worth the trip) and got chatting to the couple at the next table. I know, we’re so brave, you’d think Covid had never happened. I don’t know how but JD’s Clipper Adventure came up (somehow it always does). It turns out that the lass next to us works in the company run by one of the Skippers on ‘our’ race! We didn’t get her name but here’s the boat, a long time ago, before they set off on the longest race around the world ever (two years ago).

Finally, today, George is sailing (a boat delivery from Penzance to Portsmouth). He’s entering Dartmouth and posted some photos. Other friends of ours (who have Adie’s brother Alfie, seen in earlier posts) said, oh, we’re in Dartmouth too! They are all on the water waving at each other. Here’s George’s boat, a bit blurred I’m afraid. (In case you’re wondering, it’s the white one behind the kayaks, he’s not kayaking from P to P). Will they meet up for a quick pint? I’ll let you know!