The MV Safmarine Mafadi has arrived at Tilbury – this is the new good ship to ferry the Azalai to Durban after the last boat ‘did one’ sans Land Rover!
A quick note of thanks to Nicky Baker for her support and encouragement. Rest assured Nicky that we’ll do our best to add an engineer’s attention to detail to the whole enterprise!
I’ve just had chance to read The Times columnist, Melanie Read’s precis of ‘One Year On’ since she had a neck injury horse riding following a riding accident. It remains uncanny how she could actually be ghost-penning my own thoughts and memories from my first post-injury year. The hospitals are different – but the similarities in prognosis, mood, family and friends’ support, limited recovery and rehab – well quite literally, I couldn’t have put it all better myself. I think that it takes a greater world experience than that of a nineteen year old prop-forward to translate the magnitude and gravitas of experiencing an acute, disabling condition, let alone conveying it in a way that will make sense to the curious uninitiated. A fortunate marrying of age (52) and honest journalistic flair has led to a gripping read over the year’s serialisation in her ‘Spinal Column’ that has plugged a gap in my view. Well done Melanie and here’s hoping that you get to make the most of the opportunity that being ‘incomplete’ [incomplete rupture of the spinal cord] offers you. It is after all a welcome reprieve that those of us so fortunately blessed, get to stare into a slightly less deep abyss than the chaps who regularly (and unfortunately) do the job completely!
If you haven’t read the article it was in the Times Magazine from last Saturday 9th April 2011 – thoroughly recommended. (Although it will cost a £1 to access online due to the Times fee structure)