Quote of the week

Life isn't about finding yourself, it is about creating yourself'

George Bernard Shaw
If you cannot mould yourself entirely as you would wish, how can you expect other people to be entirely to your liking?
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/wish.html

Friday, June 27, 2014

An hour at the seaside




One day last week one of my meetings was cancelled and I found myself with three hours to spare before the next one.  I had had enough of the relentless stream of e mails, and, indeed, the inside of Endeavour House, so I took myself down to Felixstowe to look at the sea and the ships.

I do love to see the vessels great and small plying back and forth along the sea lanes.  I like the vastness of the container boats, the ferries going to Harwich, and the more interesting, smaller, boats which are probably making their way to and from Ipswich Docks.

The sea front has been much improved by the removal of all the concrete, and the sandy beaches, created as part of the renovation works, have fared pretty well despite last winter’s gales.  I am pleased to report also that Suffolk Coastal DC has recently put a stop to launching from the beach of paper lanterns that do so much environmental damage.  Now all they have to combat are the jet skis!

I have been reading a book, Deep Sea and Foreign Going by Ruth George,  the story of a woman’s journey on a container ship from Felixtowe to the far East.  In addition to describing the life on board, which, being pretty dull, would not really fill many pages, the book is a compendium of almost everything you need to know about the world of modern shipping.  George covers a wide range of topics from modern day piracy and the role today of missions to seamen, to the terms and conditions of crew members, whales, and the issue of the refuse and plastic that floats in great abundance in the oceans.

It is a must read for anyone interested in gazing at the passing ships from Felixstowe promenade and wondering what it would be like to be on board.

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