Tag Archives: Memoir

Cape Town and a 70th Birthday Party

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I am back in Durban, and it is already rather warm here. The forecast for an El Nino event seems to be unfolding as we were warned. It could be really serious for much of the world, but the whole of Southern Africa might experience extreme drought again.

It has been over a week since I left Norwich. I caught the 6 AM flight to Amsterdam and then connected on the KLM flight to Cape Town. I was fortunate that there were two empty seats (the middle section) between myself and my neighbour, so we had room to spread out. After the 11-hour flight I was picked up by a prebooked shuttle service, and taken to my accommodation, the Mouille Point Apartments. Once there I checked in and fell into bed. I wish there was a direct flight to Durban, I normally change planes in Johannesburg which is a real pain, and I must spend a night at a hotel.

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On by-elections and birds

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On Friday 27th February we woke to hear the results of a by-election in the constituency of Gorton and Denton in the Manchester area of the UK. By-elections are called when an MP has resigned, been forced to leave, or died. This seat had been held by the ruling Labour party, whose MP was dismissed for writing offensive messages on WhatsApp.

The poll was seen as a key test of the political winds in the nation. The turnout was 47.5%, I don’t think that is high enough, but it was very respectable for a by-election. I personally feel voting should be compulsory, something which is enforced in Australia, and there should be consequences if people don’t vote.

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What will 2026 bring?

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This monthly update was started a couple of days before the new year. I finalised it just after New Year’s Day, but took a few days to proofread it.

I find the period between Christmas and the new year to be rather melancholic. However, Christmas day was unique and very special as Rowan, Ben and four-month-old Ledger joined us for lunch. Of course, Ledger does not have much idea about what is going on, but it was a joy and delight to have the little boy present. He is as bright as a button and is beginning to smile and chuckle (although not at me yet!). He has turned into a little person very quickly and clearly has strong opinions.

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The Draft is Finally Done

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It is hard to believe that it is over six years since we first saw cases of COVID-19, although it was some months before we realised the enormity of the event. By March 2020 the world had entered a lockdown that was enforced with different levels of enthusiasm, restriction and periods depending on the country.

There were many dreadful consequences of the pandemic. But I will be the first to admit that I did not suffer as many people did. There was loss of livelihoods; deaths of family and friends; and psychological impacts, for many being cooped up in a flat or similarly small living space and not sharing significant events with others.

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Durban winter is the best time of the year

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I have just had 10 glorious weeks in Durban. I travelled over in mid-May and came back to the UK at the end of July. I barely left Durban during this period. The only trip from the city was to Hilton, just outside Pietermaritzburg for lunch with people who attended Waterford. Most were a year or two younger than me, and I had not seen some for more than 50 years. It affirmed the value of the Waterford education and values for all of us.

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Warm by day and cool by night

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The weather in Durban has been glorious, warm days (22-24°C) with cool nights. One bonus of this is there are few mosquitoes, which is unusual. What normally happens is I am just dropping off to sleep when there is a piercing hum in my ear. A mosquito, and it can’t be ignored. The little bastards are persistent, and action has to be taken. I have spray and mat to deter them. I had a friend and former colleague stay with me for just under a week. He is a good friend whom I have known for over 40 years. We played touch rugby with academics, trade unionists and people who wanted a good run around, once a week for many years. He and I did a couple of road trips which appear in blog archives (here and here).

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Cool Nights and Warm Days

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May is one of the best months to be in Durban. The day-time temperature is in the low to mid-twenties, it is cool enough at night for a light blanket, and the days are gloriously sunny. Having said that, I recently started my day in a short sleeved light shirt and shorts, by lunchtime I was wearing a long-sleeved shirt and trousers and wondering if a jersey might be necessary! Fortunately, the day warmed up.

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Summer is Starting

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I normally make notes for my monthly post jotting down interesting or unusual events from life or world news. This month I pondered my opening paragraph and decided to begin by talking about ‘the yips’. It is a phrase I have not heard in an age. In one of his more bizarre statements Donald Trump referred to peoples’ responses to his curious policies as ‘getting the yips’. The Miriam-Webster dictionary defines it as ‘a state of nervous tension affecting an athlete (such as a golfer) in the performance of a crucial action.’

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Finally, the Memoir’s First Draft is Finished

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In the last week of February, I finished the first draft of my memoir. It is nearly 90,000 words and has 15 chapters, but is far from complete. I must read it through a few more times and, ideally, get it to a professional editor.

I am not precious about having someone pull it apart constructively. I know how very helpful it can be! In 2008 I wrote the Very Short Introduction on HIV and AIDS for The Oxford University Press. When the manuscript came back from the editor there was not just a correction on every page but every paragraph. I felt offended thinking: ‘But I know how to write’.

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Spring Rains

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This is going to be a rather bitty blog post. Last week Durban had a few days of very welcome heavy rain. The weather fronts move up from the Cape, bringing rain, and the temperature falls. This last front was extreme. The main roads from KwaZulu-Natal to Gauteng were closed due to heavy snow. It must have been desperate for the many people who had to spend the night in their vehicles, and there were several deaths from hypothermia. We are just not geared up for this type of weather.

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