What I did on my (Christmas) holiday

On 23 December last year, while we were basking in post-Christmas lunch stupour (my family's Christmas lunch at my mother's was two days early due to travel plans), Luc's mobile rang. Not his personal number, but the "snake 'phone".

"We are running a children's camp next week, and wondered if you would be able to come and do some sessions".

So Luc explained that it wasn't convenient to talk at the moment, but if they would like to send an email with all the details he would reply promptly. He also explained that every session we do starts with an educatioal element; it's not just "Who wants to hold a snake?"

That evening, we received an email setting out what they wanted, where and when. It turned out they had found us because we are educational; they were running a three-day school for children in the local community, and thought that having the reptiles to visit would be a great experience, but could still be classed as learning.

Now, we have a rule. If we're free, we do not say no. If it's something we're not too keen on, for whatever reason, we'll put the price up. If they're prepared to pay what we ask, then we accept the booking.

We did some quich internet research into the people making the booking, and liked the look of them. We were also impressed with why they wanted us in. However ....

The date wasn't ideal for us, and the booking was further away than we normally travel for bookings. So we gave them a suitably adjusted price.

Which they accepted.

And that is how, on Boxing Day, we came to find ourselves drving with a car full of snakes and lizards to a booking 135 miles away in a Sikh temple in Coventry.

My other car is a python!

First things first - I am NOT going to post a daily entry, but after two years away there's still a little updating to do.

My profile - brief though it is - is out of date. Firstly it says I have two cats, which is unfortunately no longer the case. Snowball is still with me, but Dyson has gone to a better place. Biggin Hill, to be precise. After some heated exchanges with the Managing Agents of the private estate I live on, Dyson had to be found a new home, so he's now rather nicely settled in with some friends. And with "the cat lady" a few doors down from them.

I do, however, have a few new animals, most of whom are rescued. There's Citirne, the albino Burmese python; Alexa, a "natural" Burmese python; Jade, a lavender reticulated python; Obsidian, a Sumatran Short-tailed python ... and around 22 other pythons, cornsnakes, boas, pine snakes, etc.

Then there are the lizards - probably around 20 in total, but the most notable are Bruce, Slinky, Binky, Nutty and Albus - a bearded dragon (or a breaded dragon, if I type carelessly), two Berber skinks, a "normal" ( and I say that under advisement) leopard gecko, and an albino leopard gecko.

My profile also says I'm interested in cars and motorbikes. I am, but I don't have much time for them these days. 15 years ago I used to help exhibit at car shows. Ten years ago it was motorcycles, trikes and sidecars. Now it's reptiles .... and not a single cobra among them! Apart from public shows, we take them to schools, youth organisations, retirement homes, hospices, Rotary meetings - in fact, pretty much anywhere that invites us. Including a Sikh temple .... but that's another story.

This time last year, Ctirine featured in a pop video for an upcoming band, Alexa de Strange. Tonight I'm goiing to Hard Rock Cafe to see that band play in the London final of Hard Rock Rising. I'm not taking the snakes .... they're going to Scouts.

Speak softly and carry a ....

A week ago this evening I was at one of London's smaller theatres, people-watching. This wasn't my main reason for being there but, for reasons too complicated (and personal to someone else) to go into, I had a spare ticket for that evening's performance, and was trying to spot someone that might appreciate it. This, however, was made considerably more difficult by the theatre's policy of not releasing tickets until 17:00 on the day of the performance, so everyone was coming into the Box Office to pick up the tickets they had already ordered and paid for, and trying to spot someone who actually wanted to buy a ticket wasn't easy.

It was also rather too cold to stand outside the theatre with the spare ticket on display, as I learned to do many years ago, for more than 15 minutes at a time, so at this precise moment I was standing in the doorway of the theatre bar, looking over to the Box Office, and trying to listen to snippets of conversation behind me in case there was any mention of "so if we can get another ticket ...".

A youngish man came out of the bar behind me then, recognising a woman somewhere to my right, crossed to talk to her briefly. I would describe him as unremarkable; probably in his early thirties, although his face looked younger, casually but neatly dressed, and although his hair was somewhat ruffled but he looked well-groomed, including his hands - which I could see quite clearly as he was holding something in his arms. He was not that tall (which, bearing in mind I am not quite five feet two inches and was wearing trainers, would probably be short to other people). His smile on seeing the woman was warm, as if to say "I'm glad to see you; you matter to me".

In fact, the only thing that made him in any way remarkable - and that also told me he wouldn't be needing a spare ticket for the show - was what he was carrying in his arms.

A small white chihuahua.

It was this, and only this, that identified him to me as the star of the show; the most amazing - and funniest - magician I have ever seen.

Welcome back, I've missed me

It's been over two years since I've written a blog entry.

I've been busy.

I've also been rather unhappy. Certain aspects of my life (well, one certain aspect) have not gone as I woud wish, and even though there have been some outstanding times in other areas, I haven't had the motivation to write. In fact, I've been feeling very uncreative, which is quite unlike me.

But since the start of this year I've felt better. That one aspect of my life still isn't good, but it's no longer over-riding. And for a week or so I've been thinking that maybe it's time to return to my blog. (I did, for just over a year, complete a daily "Thankful Challenge" on Facebook, but that doesn't count).

Then, yesterday, I found someone else's blog on line. It's not current - about eight years old in fact - but it's had me gripped. It's inspired me, and stirred me to action.

So you can expect a new posting from me in the next couple of days. I expect it will be a little different from my previous entries, because I am, but I hope I will still be recognisable.