We are sailing on Queen Anne on Sunday 26 July 2026 to Iceland, so I need to get some practice in writing the blog. It’s 6 months since we were last at sea and it’s been a busy time.
Briefly on the health front I’m pleased to say that the haematology, urology, cardiology and oncology departments at Southampton General Hospital have been doing a fantastic job and I feel very well. The consultants and all the staff are excellent and caring.
Whenever I am in groups of friends meeting for lunch or coffee, I try to enforce a 10 minute rule. Total time allowed for the whole group to talk about health. It usually works.
Coincidences. I’ve talked about them in the past. They seem to crop up in my life frequently. Two today.
Jane and I were talking this morning about Stewart Wilson and the fact that we hadn’t spoken to him for some time. Stewart was head of the Banchory Acadomy and he still live in Banchory, Scotland. We met Stewart and his late wife Elizabeth on the maiden voyage of Queen Elizabeth when we were all invited one evening to sit at Captain Paul Wrights table for dinner.
We have sailed with the Wilsons many, many times and have always enjoyed their company. If you search Stewart Wilson on the blog you will learn much more about the Wilsons and stamp collections.
This afternoon I was watering the garden. Jane’s carer said someone had rung on the landline and left a message. Yes, it was Stewart. I rang him back. It was great to talk to him. He had had an accident recently which sounded awful but he was now back at home after spells in hospital and a care home.
Yesterday I went round to one the residential properties owned by our children but managed by me. The tenant wanted to talk to me about fitting air conditioning. She said her boyfriend Sam was an a/c engineer and it could be fitted at no cost to us. During the conversation Sam mentioned that he had a brother who was a teacher in Dubai. I told him that our son Mike lives and works there. I said that if his brother was interested in football and the Saints he ought to make contact with the Dubai Saints. Sam immediately pulled up the Dubai Saints website on his phone and there was a picture of a large group of Saints supporters with Mike in the middle.
Tonight Mike emailed me. Sam and Mike had made contact. Sam was Sam Carter and they realised that when they were 10 or 11 they had played football in the same Sunday teams for 2 or 3 years – North Baddesley FC and AFC Solent.
Sam was the star striker and my recollection is that he was later on the books of a professional club. Mike thinks it may have been Chelsea. Jane thinks it was Southampton. No doubt I will find out more in due course, but it is yet another of those coincidences!