(* with apologies to Shakespeare for stealing)
Life has been a little dull of late. It’s all very well having a ‘quiet time’ from work, but when the strong winds blow and the sun takes itself off to…. well…. sunnier climes, the net result is a rather grumpy me.
I only got airborne three times in July, and one of those occasions was suitably buttock clenching, practicing cross wind landings – all other attempts, including to start aerobatics lessons, have been thwarted. The early morning checks of the aviation forecasts to assess if a trip to Kent to fly with my godson have so far all resulted in a text from me to him saying ‘not today, fingers crossed for tomorrow’.
Instead it’s been a case of windswept gardening, soggy hacks, and tortuous (often also both windswept and soggy) boot camp sessions. The highlight of the month turns out to be work related, which I’m sure shouldn’t be the case… I was asked to write a piece for the Burghley Horse Trials programme, which necessitated me going to Burghley HQ and rifling through all the old programmes back to 1961. Absolutely fascinating – to think that whilst today the gentlest of tumbles onto the ground means elimination…. in 1961 a horse could fall 4 times before a rider was given his marching orders!
But I almost forgot – another serious highlight… three Manners Media clients have been selected for the European Championships in a couple of weeks time. I am so chuffed for Oliver Townend, Piggy French and Ros Canter – Trevor Holt is going to have his work cut out keeping up with those three.
With so little to report, the month concluded with a really fun evening in a new Burnham Market restaurant, 20 North Street, courtesy of Shanty the Highland cow’s owner. The food was melt-in-the-mouth delicious and the gang of people round the table wonderful company.
So now I have 3 weeks to go before Blair, and the next eventing-dominated onslaught… Blair, Burghley, Blenheim and Osberton. Yikes.