Just a quick techie note today. I’m a big fan of using backspace to go back in my web browser, and I’ve been using it for ages. It’s a lot easier than faffing around with my rollerball when I want to quickly return to the page I was just on. My new mac didn’t have that function though: apparently the guys at Chrome had had loads of complaints about it. It was irritating me though. Luckily a quick search resolved the issue. There is an add-on you can install to restore the function, which you can find here. I can now go back to my heart’s content.

I recently came across Calvin Dyson’s speculations about the next Bond film in 2019. obviously it was made before the recent confirmation that Daniel Craig will be returning to play 007 for a fifth time, so it’s slightly outdated. However, Dyson makes a couple of points which pique my interest. First, he mentions that there has been speculation that the next bond film could be a remake of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. While Dyson seems quite dismissive of the idea, I rather like it: OHMSS, as I wrote here, is the most touching bond film. Bond is more human. Rather than having his usual meaningless relationship, he falls in love and marries, but in the end his wife is killed, leaving Bond alone. If in the next film they worked around that core motif, it could really fit with what we have seen of Craig’s bond until now. His bond is as broken as Lazenby’s, but also just as cold and heartless. Thus I think that the idea of a OHMSS remake, albeit a fairly loose one, could have legs to it; it has the potential to be a truly beautiful swansong to Craig’s innings. I must add, though, that part of me is hoping that they will do it just so they can include this delicious theme.

The other rumoured possibility dyson mentions is the creation of a Bond ‘cinematic universe’. That is, making all the Bond films made from now on link in to each other so the stories join up, like the Bourne films, and all the other franchises out there. Dyson objects to that idea, and I know where he’s coming from. As a cinematic and cultural phenomenon, 007 is utterly unique. Rather than a set of interlinking stories, a la Harry Potter, the bond films are about a character more than a plot. This character is used to act in narratives which exist independent of one another, yet he still retains his core traits. Thus, as I noted here, concepts like canonicity do not apply to the Bond series as they ordinarily would – they are suspended. To suddenly invoke them now, as dyson points out, would change the whole dynamic of the series and take something unique and special away from it. I agree with him totally on that.

But what if that is not what they mean by ”creating a Bond cinematic universe”? What if that isn’t the plan? There is potential to build upon this phenomenon; after all, after 65 years it might be time to take it in a new direction. Given we know bond is 007, there must presumably be other double-O agents – six, at least. What about them? Could stories be told about them. Create other such agents, and a whole range of possibilities opens up: for one, this could be a way of putting to rest the question of a female bond. Create a new female double-O, and you satisfy both purists who say James Bond should be played by a man (and I’m still one of them) as well as those who feel it’s time that the franchise diversified. Take this idea a step further, and they could even invent an agent who had a disability. After all, nobody would suspect us cripples of being spies, licensed to kill, would they?

I realise that this may not, in fact, be what the producers have in mind; I also know that there have been attempts before to create Bond spin-offs, without much success. Yet if this is indeed what they mean, I think it has potential. The 007 films are a firmly established part of popular culture; hell, how much more established can a character get than being used to escort a monarch to an olympic opening ceremony? If I held the reins of the Bond franchise, I would use that foundation as a concrete central beam from which to branch off: the main bond films would continue as they have done for over half a century, with their periodic changes of actor. Beside them, however, could be developed new, interesting characters, each with their own traits and backstories. They could occasionally reference Bond, but develop independently.

Whether this idea of mine has any legs, of course, remains to be seen. And of course, whether Bond fans would take to it is anybody’s guess. Yet I think this could be a nice way of helping the franchise diversify without causing it to changing it’s core character too much. Bond would stay the same, yet around him would open up an entire range of stories and characters. I think this could be a way of giving it the new life it needs to survive without changing the core idea which we all know and love too much. It could be taken forward, built upon and adapted to fit this new era, yet the character at it’s core would remain 007.

It might not be especially blogworthy, but I feel like this needs recording at least. Five years ago, after the documentary on the paraorchestra aired and after it was taken off 4od, I asked the guys at What Larks Productions for a dvd copy of it. That was quite an incredible moment for me, so I wanted a record of it. They kindly sent a copy, but for some reason it didn’t work on my computer. It was odd: no matter what I did, I couldn’t get it to play. After a while, thinking the disk was a dud my mac didn’t even recognise that it was even in the disk drive – I asked for another copy. They ever so kindly sent me one, but the same thing happened. With that, not wanting to push my luck or annoy people, I let the issue rest.

Last week when I got my new computer, though, I thought I’d give it another try; perhaps there had been an issue with my old disk drive. I put it in and….exactly the same thing happened. Even worse, now it wouldn’t even eject. I just sighed and turned my attention to something else.

Yesterday evening, however, I thought I had better try to get the damn disk out of my machine. I looked at it, only to see it wasn’t even in – part was sticking out. I tried to remove it completely, only to push it even further in with my clumsy fingers. And then the strangest thing happened: the documentary started to load. It had been working perfectly all along, and I can now watch it to my heart’s content.

There is a part of London I really want to explore but have yet to get to. I have recently thinking about what west London is like, places like Kew, Richmond and Wimbledon. I’ve of course seen pictures of these places, and they look very pleasant indeed. The problem is, I can’t work out a simple way there on public transport the tube stations out there aren’t accessible. L was out yesterday, and I briefly thought about getting myself to Beckenham to get the tram from there to Wimbledon, but the rain put an end to that plan. There’s also the Thames Clippers: I’d have to change at Westminster, and it might take a couple of hours, but that trip would probably be a pleasant one. Either way, after hearing so much about west London, and how pretty and quaint that area is, I think this is something I’ll keep working on. After all, how can I claim to have explored London properly when I still haven’t seen one off it’s finest areas?

Work recently began on the construction of the skatepark I mentioned a few months ago. It’s coming along nicely, and over coffees at the cafe I’ve watched it slowly being turned from a patch of grass into something which promises to be pretty awesome. Yet, the other day, I was struck by a thought: there is still something missing from Charlton Park. What it needs now, to complement the skatepark, is some sort of performance space, a modern version of an old-fashioned bandstand. That way, plays could be put on and concerts could be held; people could enjoy a bit of open air theatre – Shakespeare, perhaps – or chill out to some Mozart. Local musicians like Lyn could perform there, or we could bring bands in. Where this area would be positioned I’m not sure – up near Charlton House maybe – but this seems a pretty cool idea to me, and I think I’ll suggest it to others. Sitting there enjoying some good music as the sun sets on a warm summer’s day would be lovely.

Something really cool happened yesterday which I want to record as an example to others. After posting yesterday’s blog entry, I went back to facebook. The debate thread I was adding to was still getting replies, but things were getting increasingly heated and I was getting more and more angry. My fellow responders didn’t seem to be listening to what I was saying, and in my fury I was getting increasingly arrogant and wild. I went too far, saying things I perhaps ought not have. Things got so bad, and I was getting so frustrated, that I decided to contact one of them directly: maybe I could defuse the situation, calm things down and explain where I was coming from. But that just made things worse: I could not make him see the utter folly of leaving the EU, and I was getting more and more pissed off.

It reached a point where my heart was pounding in my chest so hard and fast I could feel it. My typing was becoming more and more erratic; at one point my caps lock got stuck on. This lead the guy to ask, quite understandably, whether I had taken any drugs. In desperation I showed him my blog entry.

At that point things suddenly changed. He read my entry and said he understood. From then on the tone of our discourse altered completely: things calmed down, and we began to chat. He said he understood my frustrations, suggesting that I tried to calm down. He took the time to explain where he was coming from: far from being ignorant, he was a businessman who had travelled extensively throughout Europe, and had heard arguments from both sides. He also told me about his friend’s daughter, who had had cerebral palsy but had passed away in her teens.

We continued our chat, off and on, throughout the afternoon and into the evening. It became clear that he was not a monster, an idiot or a bigot. Of course, whenever the EU issue cropped up, we still disagreed. He just didn’t see the coming disaster which to the rest of us is now so clear. But, by the end of the day, rather than take issue with such positions, I just let it slide – after all, one shouldn’t let politics get in the way of building a friendship.

I think this could be an example for the rest of us. The country is being torn apart by this; every day, the folly of last year’s vote becomes clear – currently it’s the Irish border issue. Yet that is no reason for forty-eight percent of the country to hate fifty-two percent of it. He was right: we need to come together, stop hating or resenting eachother, and start chatting again.

After all that huffing and puffing this morning, I suddenly feel much better. I just saw this story. After months of speculation among fans, Daniel Craig has confirmed he will play James Bond for the fifth time. 007 fanboy that I am, that has made my day; I’m still hoping he’ll at least equal Connery and Moore’s seven. He is the greatest bond — the character as his creator intended, to whom nobody does it better. And who could forget Craig’s appearance in the most awesome Bond moment of them all?

My anger issues are currently worse than ever. In fact they are getting frightening. Whenever I read the politics news or go on a Facebook page and see something I disagree with, I just erupt into a white hot fury. It’s usually something to do with trump or brexit. Every morning I read of another stupidity which makes my blood boil: either Trump has said something, or Farage has wound me up with his arrogance. I know I can’t do anything about it, so then I go on to a Facebook forum to vent my anger, but the responses I get only make matters worse. I get so angry that, for a few moments, I cannot control my body; I shake with rage, wanting with all my heart to tear the subject of my anger apart. It is truly frightening.

I know it’s related to my cerebral palsy: the damage to my brain also affected the system which regulates emotions. I also note that they pass pretty quickly. As I said on Monday however, the problem is, everyone else is getting furious too, and they don’t have my excuse. In the uk, one side is angry at the other for voting to completely screw the country, and the other side are getting increasingly defensive about their ‘victory’. In america, tensions are reaching fever pitch, stirred up by the moron they currently call their president. I now see the intense anger I feel in the eyes of others, only with them it does not go away after a few seconds: the fury stays and builds. If they do indeed feel the uncontrollable fury I feel, then this is a situation we should all be very, very worried about. That is a degree of rage nobody should feel, yet stirred up by fools like trump and farage, emotions are getting so intense that I now fear where this will all lead.

Sorry but I just have to send you here today. I just came across an article entitled ‘Why Liberals are Wrong about Trump’. That sort of thing usually really gets me going, but I thought I’d give it the benefit of the doubt and read it. I clicked on the link, and what I found was awesome.

Scone, anyone?

I think I ought to flag this up. It’s a bbc program I caught the end of last night and just rewatched. It discusses the impact technology has had on politics, particularly how platforms like Facebook are being used to target voters with increasing accuracy. I hadn’t realised that Facebook had played such a major role in the election of Trump. I’d like to point out, though, that I fear that the use of social media has contributed to the alarming amount of anger in politics there is at the moment. Everyone is getting so angry – not just me. Both the uk and america are now utterly divided, each side hating the other. We saw this sickeningly demonstrated in Virginia yesterday.

The situation is highly volatile, emotional and dangerous. I can’t help but suspect that such online targeted campaigning, as well as increased interaction between people, helped bring this situation about. Online, where it is confined to harmless name-calling, people are becoming increasingly aggressive. You can’t get arrested for assault for writing a nasty facebook post. That has lowered people’s self-restraint. The problem is, that anger and aggression now seems to be spilling over into the real world.

Something very, very strange is happening with my new computer. I got it on friday, after my old one started blanking out on me. It was second hand, but seemed okay. I had just about configured it to how I like, when turning it on yesterday, I found the keyboard had switched spontaneously from qwerty to fou mode. I couldn’t use it like that, and we couldn’t find a way to switch it back. We tried all day, and by the end of the day I was feeling rather frustrated. The strange part is, as you can probably tell, I just turned it on to find it back to normal working perfectly. I am befuddled I must say, but relieved: at least I can type properly again.

I just hope it doesn’t just suddenly switch back.

I was feeling quite dismissive of this video when I first saw it, but the ending is, frankly, truly beautiful. A nauseating kids film suddenly became quite profound, and worth linking to.

I just got in from a good long walk. Today I decided to do some exploring up Shooters Hill behind Woolwich. I find the mix of cultures around there rather fascinating: Asian mixes with African, Victorian/Edwardian mixes with modern in a way I find utterly captivating. I was just following my nose, checking out the lay of the land near the old military academy, when, going down a road I hadn’t been down before, I stumbled onto a view which took my breath away. This view made my jaw drop. Google Streetview doesn’t really do it justice, but I must have been able to see for miles from there: all of London lay before me, northward into the distance, perhaps even to the fields beyond. It was staggering, and reminded me why I go out exploring. I found several views like that in that area; here is another. I’ll definitely be taking L up there to show her soon. Finding views like that only makes me love this city even more.

Today has turned out to be quite special. Shortly after posting this morning’s entry, charlie contacted me over facebook. I had been supposed to meet up with her and her siblings last night up in north London, but decided not to go in the end. She asked me to meet them for brunch in Shoreditch instead. I thought for a moment or two, and decided to go: Shoreditch didn’t look too hard to get to on the map.

On my way there, something very special indeed happened. I got a message from Mark containing a single image and the words ”guess where we are”. I guessed in an instant: the picture was of my dad and Oliver. My little nephew was sat on a rusty old tractor; the very tractor at Amerton Farm I remember sitting on as a young child, and which had brought me endless joy. It was an incredible image which brought a tear to my eye. I was quite lost for words, but simply replied ”Oh my”.

My meeting with Charlotte, Poppy, William and friends went well. They’re their usual hyperactive selves, whizzing up and down the country, teaching, partying and gigging. It was wonderful to see them, and we had a good long brunch. It’s will’s birthday too today, so cake was involved. Yet all the while I thought about that photo of Oliver on that tractor, of how it echoed my own childhood, how it brought back memories of my own childhood with the most loving parents anyone could ever hope for, who would now give that love to their grandchildren. And in that moment, sat there, among my friends, I suddenly felt utterly content. How could life get more perfect?

Mark and his family are at my parents’ for his birthday. They got there on wednesday, and I expect they’re having a great time. Oliver and Elise are probably being spoiled rotten by their grandparents. It’s been ages since I saw them – I don’t think I’ve even met little Elise yet – and frankly I really need to catch up with them. Thus today I’ll just wish my brother mark a happy birthday. I’m sure they’ll have a great time at yeaya and bappou’s, and I’ll see them all on skype later.

Not that I have ever been much of a gamer, but I think I’ll flag this up today. So called eSports are being considered for inclusion in the olympics, possibly at Paris 2024. Of course, the debate rages about whether playing computer games qualifies as sport: on the one hand, it doesn’t require much physical activity or training; on the other hand, the field has become far more intensive and serious in recent times. Competitive gaming is serious business; as I wrote here, as an art form it is starting to come alongside others in terms of how political it is. It is no longer seen as just something kids do in their bedrooms, or as a way to fill time when one should be doing something more productive – that’s a change in status which I find quite interesting.

Let me get this straight: on the one hand we have a country lead by a nutter who thinks it is his birthright to rrule. He’s a spoiled overprivileged dictator who demands his people worship him as a god. On the other hand, we have a superpower which, while ostensibly a democracy, is currently lead by an egotistical man-child who seems equally unhinged and likely to act without thinking. Both states are lead by children, yet one loathes the other, and both seem now to have nuclear weapons. Forgive my pessimism, but it seems that the world is in a very dangerous place right now. We might not be able to do anything about north korea, but surely the americans must act and replace Trump with someone less likely to bring about armageddon.

I was very worried to hear about the memo at google yesterday. I just read that it’s author has now been fired, but the fact he wrote it at all is a symptom of a very dark, worrying trend. There now seems to be a growing backlash against liberal, tolerant values, both here and in america. People seem to think it’s cool to speak out against political correctness and tolerance. The vogue is to say it’s some kind of mind control, as if to be racist or sexist is to speak some sort of repressed truth. Of course that is utter bollocks: no truth is being repressed; political correctness exists to ensure people are treated fairly, irrespective of gender or ethnicity. But spurred on by bigots like Farage and Trump, certain people now think it’s cool to be racist and sexist, claiming to be repressed by the mainstream. It’s as if these straight white male morons want to reclaim the social advantages they had fifty years ago, and still think they are entitled to. They think that seeing these bigots on tv gives them a right to be bigots in public; they no longer need to think things through like the rest of us, but can give voice to their simplistic, arrogant and judgemental views. It’s an extremely worrying, but growing, trend; far right bigotry is gaining confidence – surely it must be dealt with before it gets out of hand.

I am, by and large, something of a fan of London public transport. It’s far from perfect, of course; nowhere near enough tube stations are accessible, for one. But having come from a place where it was a real bitch to get anywhere unless you could drive, I know how much worse it could be. I really like the Clipper Boat service along the Thames, and the cable cars between North Greenwich and the Excel Centre is also very cool. However, if you ask me, it could really do with one final component.

While on my way to Kilburn yesterday, I decided that what this city needs is a helicopter transport service. It could either be run as a taxi service, where you would book a chopper to take you somewhere, or as a bus service, where helicopters would fly along fixed routes, landing at scheduled stops. I think the latter format would be better as it would be more efficient. I think it’s a great idea: it would certainly speed up getting across this vast city, and as I wrote here, helicopters are probably my favourite mode of transport.

Of course, this idea isn’t without it’s problems: helipads would have to be built; we’d have to sort out which routes they would take (it would probably just be for long distance, cross-city trips). And how would it be payed for? I doubt the Oyster card system could be used. And of course, special helicopters would need to be created, capable of getting lots of people on and off quickly, including wheelchair users. Yet the fact remains that it often takes hours to get anywhere in this city, and with the population rising that’s only going to get worse. The tube system is a century old in places, and is almost at breaking point. The metropolis is expanding rapidly, and the tube only really serves the central few boroughs. With that in mind, is this idea as silly as it might at first seem? Rather than digging more tunnels or laying more track, wouldn’t it be easier just to let people fly around London? While some may point out that such a system would cost a fortune, London is growing at such a pace and is becoming so congested that I can conceive of a time, in the not too distant future, when such an addition to the public transport system could make sound economic sense.

I went to see my aunt, uncle and cousins this afternoon. They are currently staying with my yaiya up in north London. It was a long overdue visit to be honest, but London is so vast that getting across the city sometimes seems like trying to cross a vast mountain chain or ocean. Yet circumstances made it imperative that I visit, and it was truly great to see them. Sitting at the same kitchen table that I have sat at since I was small, being fed all kinds of delicious food, I felt warm and comfortable inside. It was the feeling one gets when catching up with members of your family that you haven’t seen in quite some time, as if returning home after a long expedition in the wilderness. The problem is, I don’t know when I will see them again, especially my uncle David. Everyone’s so busy these days it’s hard to keep track. I suppose there’s only one solution: I must start making plans to visit them in Brazil.

I sometimes worry about the lack of comments on my blog. I post an entry every day yet seldom get a response, so apart from the hitcount going up, I have no way of telling whether anyone is reading what I write. However, I was just in the park enjoying my daily burst of caffeine, when a lady I sometimes talk to came up to me. She told me that she had been reading my site, and thoroughly agreed with my recent entries on Trump and Brexit. Hearing that made my day: it is so gratifying to know that people like what I write on here. I felt humbled and proud. This blog is a hobby, but it’s one I’ve kept up for over a decade; such comments are all I need to keep it going. Mind you, if anyone feels like leaving a comment below, please feel free to do so.

While part of me worries that I’m being too optimistic or just reading sources favourable to my point of view, it now really looks like the days of both Brexit and Trump are numbered. It’s only a matter of time before the stupidity of last year is put right. With Brexit, day after day evidence mounts of the damage it’s doing, it’s irrationality. I may just be reading what I want to read, but it now seems only a matter of time before the whole moronic farce is forgotten about. It’s a similar story with trump: surely his impeachment is now imminent. Evidence of his links with Russia is now impossible to deny; the fact that he continues to do so, portraying himself as the victim of some sort of conspiracy, is utterly laughable.

Dare I let myself believe that both farces will soon come to an end. Part of me doesn’t want to believe it; part of me says it’s too good to be true, and that I shouldn’t get my hopes up. Yet every day the evidence mounts: another report comes out, another poll is issued, saying that sooner rather than later both these stupidities will be undone. I’m feeling more optimistic now than I have felt in months. This isn’t just opinion or bias but cold hard facts which neither trumpists or outists can deny:

on both counts they have been found wanting, and both their neofascist games will soon be up. Wouldn’t it be cool if trump was removed from office and brexit reversed on the same day? I’m starting to think that that day might not be too far off.

It might be a couple of years old, but having just stumbled onto it I think this Tolkien Society discussion of Peter Jackson’s adaptations is worth flagging up. I expected them to be very negative about the films, but I was pleasantly surprised, and found myself agreeing with much of what is said. Of course the film’s aren’t perfect adaptations of the books, and there are points at which Jackson took considerable liberties with the source material, but in terms of legacy, in terms of bringing people to Tolkien and getting people reading him, they have done wonders. I would add, too, that these adaptations are probably as good as they were ever going to be; just think how awful they could have been if, say, Disney had decided to turn it into one of their saccharine children’s cartoons. No film adaptation is ever going to be a word-for-word replica of a book: they are two different art forms, different languages. To a considerable degree, the films were Jacksons interpretation of Tolkien. At the same time, as the society concludes, the films were pretty incredible, a great tribute to the author, and will probably have people reading him for years.

Before he was elected, Donald trump rose to prominence by playing a role: that of the stern business executive who had to fire people every week. He might have claimed to have a business background, but that role was as much a fiction as any other. Trump is thus more of an actor than a businessman, intent on nursing his ego. After all, what real business executive would waste his time on a reality tv show? Trump was performing then, and is still performing. Look at him: he speaks in clipped soundbytes like a president in an action film; he swaggers as if he has gravitas, clearly thinking that if he acts like a president, people will respect him. The guy seems not to realise that there’s a hell of a lot more to running a superpower than that. Even more absurdly, the American electorate, in it’s turn, didn’t realise that it needed to vote for a proper politician capable of leading a country rather than a tv personality with a strong-sounding catchphrase.

America needs a proper politician to lead it, not some overgrown child playing a game, a role which he seems somehow to have mistaken for reality. It’s as if Trump doesn’t even realise he was employed to perform in The Apprentice, yet has clearly internalised and continued in that role, mistaking being cast in a role of authority for real authority. To me, that lack of understanding, that confusion between fiction and reality, hints at some kind of neurological disorder. Indeed, as discussed here, Trump seems to have profound ego issues; he is an extremely insecure individual. Might that mean that, deep down in his unconscious, he knows he has no place being where he currently finds himself and is in way, way over his head?

Just as an update on an issue I’m still rather interested in, it now looks like the host city for the 2024 and 2028 olympics are a done deal. Los Angeles has agreed to stand by and let Paris host the 2024 games, while it will host the 2028 games. This is the first time two hosts have been announced at once. If you ask me, this is rather cool: an olympics in paris in 2024 is what I wanted to see. It feels only fair, after the french faced so much disappointment, especially in 2005. Plus we get an American olympics to look forward to too, which is sure to be spectacular, assuming that current joke of a nation has it’s affairs in order by then. For now, though, I’m looking forward to seeing what the french do, how they go about preparing the city of love and light for the world’s greatest fiesta, and especially to watching their opening ceremony.

Mind you, this sets a precedent for announcing two host cities at once, which might have implications for the future. It might really change how olympic host cities are awarded. Several might now be found at once. That could effect a future olympics in the UK. If you ask me, it’s already time to start thinking about that. I would still love to see an olympic games in Manchester in 2032, and now might be the time to get the campaign for that going.

I think it quite essential that I flag this video up, in which Patrick Stewart eloquently explains why the vote to leave the EU must be overturned. Thus my favourite actor sides with me on an issue I care passionately about, more than ever after last week. The sadness in Sir Patrick’s voice echoes my own. We need people like him to convince as many people as possible that this country must alter course from the path it started down last year. As he says, ”It’s only in unity that we can be safe, secure and, I also believe, prosperous.”

After telling him about trying it in Poland, our PA Mitchell came in with a lovely surprise today and made Zapikanka for breakfast. It was delicious: granted, we had to make do with a baguette from Co Op rather than the authentic Polish bread (which was quite specific), but the way Mitch made it, adding tomato puree, mushrooms and other nice tasty stuff, sent me right back to that square in Krakow. In fact I think I have a new favourite breakfast, and will definitely be asking mitch to make it again.

Lyn and I are back from Poland, having got in quite late last night. It was a fantastic trip: Poland is a wonderful, intriguing country; it’s people warm and welcoming. I think taking Lyn’s powerchair was a great idea: it caused no problems, and she revelled in the ability to go wherever she wanted. I really want to take my powerchair too next time, as there were times when being in my manual chair sucked. Nevertheless, I had a great trip. As usual, it only served to deepen my love of travel. I’ll never forget watching the guys jam under the stars in Sokołowsko, or the beauty of Krakow with it’s winding narrow streets and magnificent squares. Of course, being here, back at home now it’s all over, feels rather sad, but we’re already planning our next trip.

We fly home in a few hours. It has been, without a doubt, an outstanding holiday. Poland is a wonderful place: it’s people have been incredibly welcoming; it’s natural beauty, utterly captivating. To have seen the place where our personal assistants – our friends- hail from has been awesome. Wroclaw was great; the festival in Sokołowsko was something I’ll probably always remember; and I think, even after only two days, that I’ve fallen in love with Krakow, with it’s music, architecture and sense of history seeping out of every brick and paving slab. Yet all good things must come to an end, and as lyn and I prepare to head home, we’re already making plans to return Soon, possibly next year. It has been an outstanding trip, and as ever it will be sad to return home, but life must return to normal. We both have things to do back in London, but there will always be our next trip to start planning.

Last night we Sampled traditional Polish street food, Zapiekanka in krakow’s new square. It was a kind of long, open grilled sandwich, topped with whatever one liked. You could choose from all kinds of toppings, and john told me each place in the square had it’s own slightly different way of making it. The thing was, he explained, the delicacy is dying out, losing its place to increasingly ubiquitous American fast food. That struck me as a great, great shame; you hear the same sad story all over the place. As much of a fan as I am of fostering a global community, at the same time I firmly believe each culture must hold on to what makes it unique. This is a fascinating little city, it’s narrow winding streets and medieval squares unlike anywhere I’ve been before. To see that character lost or enveloped, by any small degree, to the growing world norm, would be a great shame.

Sat opposite me as we finally ride in the train to Krakow, is probably the strongest woman I’ll ever meet. We were up and out quite early this morning; it’s surprising how efficient we can be when we need to get a move on. Yet lyn and I are still both fairly sleepy, and in need of a decent cup of coffee.

Lyn still amazes me with her determination and love of life. She says she just gets on with it, and I know what she means. Yet, at the same time, it takes a huge amount of determination just to be who she is. People like lyn put two fingers up to the worlds rules and illustrate the beautiful diversity of humanity.

Thus, on holiday or not, I must say how appalled I am at the way Donald Trump has chosen to pick on trans people. It’s blatantly obvious, of course, that he wants to distract attention from his other problems. That he would do so by victimising a minority like the trans community is, however, beyond contempt. Dress it up as he will, banning transgender people from the American military is an act of pure, blatant discrimination. Trans people should be allowed to contribute to society in whatever way they wish. For the insult to humanity currently claiming to be American president to pick on them in this way, purely for his own petty political gain, only deepens my contempt for him even further.

Yesterday we went for a short drive in the Polish countryside. One of the women organising the festival took us. We just went to her village and back, but it was enough for me to get an idea of how different Poland is to England. For one, there are vast deep forests of a kind rarely seen in Britain. They had a fascinating, ancient feel to them. The houses we passed were beguiling too, like time worn fragments of another era which modern life had yet to touch.

We were supposed to be moving on today. The plan was to get up early and catch the bus. I therefore went to bed at a sensible time, but Lyn and the lads decided to stay out. They came back just after six this morning, me wondering where the smeg they had got to, obviously in no state to go anywhere. We are therefore staying in Sokołowsko another day and moving on tomorrow. It’s such a pretty place with such a fantastic vibe one cannot complain. I might even get to see those intriguing forests again.

This festival is increasingly reminding me of university. It’s a contemporary arts festival, so one senses the same playful exploration I found back on campus. A lot of the work here is higher intellectual, highly postmodern. As well as music and sound based work, there are installations, projections and performance pieces. There was also an odd piece about secrets which I’m not allowed to discuss. Perhaps most illuminating, though, was a discussion we went to on censorship; it has certainly been eye opening to see how much control the state still has here. They were debating a controversy caused by a photo of a woman swearing in front of a government building which government officials now seek to censor. In all, though, it has been wonderful to see an entire village given over to such an event. I hope Sokolovsko serves as an example to other places the world over, for alongside the art and music I have also felt the warmest of welcomes.

I’m afraid I don’t have the time or the battery power to give this the description it deserves, but last night was magical. After all the events are over, everyone convenes in a small woody area outside a fantastic building with a tall spire. There, last night, Lyn did a monumental dj set. She started about midnight and played and played for hours. Watching everyone dancing to her beats was wonderful: she has a knack of knowing which tracks go together. It went on for hours, and she finished just before dawn with What A Wonderful World. And with that she was absolutely spot on.

Sitting in a circle on the cusp of midnight, in the dark of a polish wood, last night Lyn and the guys did some jamming. It was incredible. L was using her iPad, of course, but there were people with all kinds of instruments there, especially drums. The rhythms they produced seemed to weave into my very heart beat; and, looking up, I could see the stars so clearly that it took my breath. The only other time I had seen a sky like that, the stars vivid and sharp, was at Uluru. I found myself wishing that I could join in, to enter into that magical moment with the other players, but I realised that, rather than joining in, it was my job to record the moment on here, for all time, so that something so special is not allowed to slip out of memory.

Today finds us in Sokołowsko, a tiny polish village up in the mountains. We were dropped off by taxi here at about noon. It’s a quiet little place where every year a huge festival is held. I couldn’t help musing that it would be a bit like Alsager deciding to hold an international arts festival. I’m told that, a few years ago, two of dominik’s friends sold their property in Warsaw and decided to establish it from scratch. It’s now doing really well, going from strength to strength; there certainly seems to be a lot of preparations going on. The place is abuzz with people, and we have so much to explore. Time, then, to get settled and then head out: I have a feeling we have quite a fascinating few days ahead of us.

Yesterday was a wonderful day spent getting to know Wroclaw. It’s a beautiful place of quaint, winding streets and beautiful buildings. I was pushed in my manual chair while Lyn was in her powerchair, and to be honest there were points when I regretted my choice. As per our plan, we met up with Dom’s family, and spent the day walking around the city with them. This really is a fascinating place of rivers weaving around islands , it’s very bricks and cobbles seemingly evoking this areas vibrant and dramatic history. Medieval abuts communist abuts modern like nowhere I’ve ever been before.

The problem was, I wished I could move under my own steam – there was socialising and exploring to do, after all. Lyn’s powerchair had been transported by the airline without a problem, and I began to think I had been over cautious. That is not to say that there hadn’t been problems or points when one powerchair had been plenty to cope with. Yet with lyn dashing ahead going wherever in the town she wished, I promised myself that, for our next trip, I’d definitely look into taking my powerchair. I couldn’t feel too down about it, though: the town was too beautiful and our company too interesting for that.

What’s next? What is there left to see or do? What event could come close to the awesomeness of watching python, meeting Patrick Stewart or seeing lyn play before the world? Yet such moments only lit the fuse; they were just a beginning. They set the standard for life; a high water mark of how truly awesome things can get. Sat here in this plush new hostel room, at the dawn of another adventure, I have a feeling things are about to get awesome yet again. What will happen? What is there yet to be seen? Based on what has already happened, the possibilities are absolutely endless. It is that curnel of anticipation that sets my heart beating; knowing that things have a potential to be incredible because I have incredible things to look back upon. Through the window a bright new city beckons. Adventure awaits.

In a few hours, Lyn and I set off to Stanstead to fly to Poland. It’s not a holiday per se: L has been invited to perform at a festival there. It should be quite a trip: Lyn has chosen to take her powerchair, and I will be interested to see how well it goes on and off the plane. If all goes well, this could be the first of many trips with our powerchairs. After all, one of the downsides to trips abroad has always been having to be pushed around by your PA. I chose to leave mine at home, just to keep things simple; but if things go well, I will join Lyn in my powerchair on future trips. We have an interesting few days ahead, then; expect plenty of blogging from central Europe soon.

I just came across this story linked to from facebook. A security robot in the states has apparently killed itself by falling into a pool of water. It was one of these little droids which goes around scanning the place, but that’s not the detail I’m interested in. I want to know what it’s name was – was it Marvin, by any chance?