Ivor’s Daily Gallivant Wednesday April 4 2023: The start of my 2023 Diary “Adventure Fundraising for Diabetes UK As is my usual habit I set my alarm so I had ten minutes before the bus was due. (It avoids unnecessary waiting around) I was about three quarters of the way to the stop when I realised I forgotten my mobile which was an essential for staying in touch with my friend Andy Burch aka The Scallywag. I would just have to run back home and get it. And there was now a real possibility of not getting to the train on time and the whole day messed up. So off I went full pelt to get my mobile. Full pelt isn’t exactly an Olympic gold medalist’s speed I’m 68 and have a tough of rheumatism in my knees. But I managed to get the mobile and back to the bus stop in time. Then the bus arrived late. Whilst on the bus I sent The Scallywag a text message that said I would be late. It seemed a reasonable assumption. Hoŵever when I got to Frobisher House where I had arranged to meet him in The Subway he wasn’t there. When I got to the bus stop I realised I’d lost my Diabetes UK Hat ‘Now what shall I do?’ I wondered and made my way towards the station. I heard him which was a lucky break I’m deaf in my right ear. And it was lunchtime. My plan was that we would eat in Subway but we decided because it wasn’t long before the train would arrive to get a snack in The Coop (One of the essentials of diabetes management is eating regularly, it’s also important for controlling epilepsy which another of my maladies) We had our snack and got on the train. And were off at one point the train passed Brockenhurst College where we had both taken courses. I did a City and Guilds course in photography and I’m afraid I think The Scallywag did a GCSE in Ceramics. I’d taken the course about the turn of the century and used a dark room develop films which I imagine is now no longer in use. During the train journey I did some sketches. The Scallywag not wanting to be drawn made stringent efforts to hide his face. I lived in Bournemouth through most of my childhood, had my first jobs and a good deal of my childhood so finding my way round is not difficult. Anyway onto today’s mission getting some images of the sea. We sat outside the Offshore Café with a tea and I did a watercolour when it started to rain so we went into the Café and I continued sketching. A lady saw me sketching and was curious, we had a brief conversation and I gave her one of my promotional cards for this blog let’s hope she sees it. I booked a return ticket which was too late for Andy late we went into Asda to keep out of the rain. I bought some smoked garlic butter hake and a small piece of (for me ) over expensive blue cheese. We went into the Mac Donald’s Restaurant (any port in a storm) Any bought a burger and a piece of cake ( I must try and persuade him to cut on on his sugar consumption he’s diabetic too)and I bought a cup of tea. It was chockablock with screaming kids (At times like this it seems that not having children is a blessing in disguise) On the way to the station it was still raining and I did my Gene Kelly impersonation: ‘Singing in the rain’ (I don’t know why ) The Scallywag enquired to the ticket office and we were able get an earlier train no trouble. I don’t know if you’re ever come across a Scallywag yourself but you’d be surprised how resourceful they can be. We’d had fun, overcome challenges and I’d get some pictures to work on.