Just Being There

P & O Ferries The Pride of Hull having just left King George Dock passing Paull sailing to Rotterdam on the evening tide

 Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. 

Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. 

Just walk beside me and be my friend.
- Albert Camus

Two posts in two days - nearly a record.

Today is a special day. For a number of reasons.  Today is the birthday of such celebrated people such as actor Zachary Quinto, comedian Jon Culshaw, Australian cricketers the Waugh brothers and composer Marvin Hamlisch to name but a few (and there are some infamous ones too!)

Paull foreshore, a centuries old quayside, now long defunct, with a view across the Humber looking eastward and toward the open North Sea

On this day in 1953, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll of Great Britain was crowned. On this day Pope John Paul ll was the first Pope to visit a communist country, his home land Poland in 1979 and in 1966 on this day, the American Surveyor 1 was the first craft to soft land on another world (the moon).

Today is my birthday.

An old rusty capstan where ships of old would be tied up

My wife doesn't celebrate birthdays and doesn't recognise it or acknowledge it. That's okay, that's her choice. I have however beautiful friends and relatives who do. I have had a wonderful day visiting dear friends Barry Chessman and Shirley Ann Chessman with my best friend Linda Lee in the lovely little seaside town of Hornsea on the East Coast of Yorkshire and wonderful to see them very much at home in their new place.
 
I have had a lovely meal with friends in a local hostelry followed by a quick jaunt in the fresh air at a tiny but significant village on the north bank of the Humber called Paull. I was even bought a birthday cake which was lovely and thoughtful.

Do you know what - the sun shone all day!

Friends are such an important part of my life and wish I had made more in my earlier years. Today, I have much to be thankful for and much to look forward to and my friends are part of that journey. 

Have a great week ahead at work or at leisure and don't forget - smile at someone unexpectedly every day and spread some happiness around the place - you might make a friend.

Chat soon

Ta-ra.