The great pick-up
THE ROYAL Navy goes to Spain to pick up British holidaymakers stranded by the closure of air space due to volcanic ash in the atmosphere from Iceland. Other British warships stand by to make similar pick-ups elsewhere in Europe. This is unprecedented.
English football clubs make long and arduous trips by coach and ferry to play fixtures in Europe.
Is it not time for a bit of forward planning? That volcano keeps on rumbling and spitting ash. It could go on for months, the vulcanologists say. Any moment its mean big brother could kick into action, the way it has in the distant past, causing still more disruption of air travel.
I'm not suggesting the RN should supply an aircraft carrier to take the European teams to the Football World Cup. But would it not be an idea for FIFA to provisionally charter a liner? Perhaps charter a few liners so that fans can be transported as well as the teams, should Europe continue to be closed for air travel?
This is not to be unduly alarmist, just realistic. A fortnight ago, could anyone have imagined European air space being closed? Warships being dispatched to pick up stranded holidaymakers?
The vulcanologists say the eruptions could last another six months or more. The World Cup starts in just over a month. What kind of World Cup would it be without England, France, Germany and the other European sides?
When the great Football Armada happens, remember where you read it first!
Sprightly centenarian
A VERY special birthday party was held at Howick a few days ago when retired schoolmistress Dora Webb celebrated her 100th. Scores of family and friends gathered for a tea party, including her daughter Mary who teaches in Nigeria.
Dora Webb (nee Jackson) was born in Durban on April 17, 1910, one of the few people living in KwaZulu-Natal (if not the only one) to have also lived in the old Colony of Natal. But her memories of that era are probably a little hazy as, a little over a month afterwards, Natal became a province of the Union of South Africa.
Dora was the daughter of Percy Jackson, one of the Jackson Brothers of the music shop of that name in West Street. Music has always been a big part of her life.
She went to Durban Girls' College and has a vivid memory of when she was eight years old. They were having a lesson outside under the trees in November when a girl came from the school and handed a note to the headmistress, who then picked up her skirts and ran for the main school.
The lasting impression was not so much the contents of the note – that World War I had ended – as seeing her headmistress actually running.
Dora went on to teach at Durban Prep, Gordon Road Girls' and Durban Girls' High.
Her birthday party was held in perfect Midlands weather and a high point was a piano recital by award-winning Christopher Duigan. A bonus is that Mary has an extra week's holiday with her mother because her school in Nigeria has delayed opening for a week because most of the pupils – the children of expatriate oil workers – are held up in Britain because of the closure of air space.
Rollin' along
READER discussion of that 1948 cricket Test against England at Kingsmead is getting like Old Man River – it jest keeps rollin' along.
Alan Parsons was at the match and says his guess is that eloquent commentator John Arlott coined the phrase "Cometh the hour, cometh the man" – though it is possible he picked it up from Cliff Gladwin. But it sounds more like Arlott than Gladwin.
Douglas Baillie listened on the radio and recalls Arlott saying of Gladwin, as the last ball of the Test was bowled: "He has to run! He has to run!"
Yes, he jest keeps rollin' along …
Tailpiece
THE LADY of the house decides on a milk bath to enhance her looks. She places an order for 300 litres. The milkman rings the doorbell to query this.
"Do you mean three litres?"
"No, 300 litres. I want to fill the bath with milk.'
"Pasteurised?"
"No, just up to my boobs."
Last word
Everything you can imagine is real.
GRAHAM LINSCOTT
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