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Five Years

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Today Friday April 3rd, 2026 Heathrow - Easter Saturday April 3rd, 2021 - Not normally this busy! Five years ago today we arrived in Canada.   April 3rd 2021, at the height of the pandemic, on Easter Saturday.   Quarantine Dinner - allegedly! Departing a very empty Heathrow, we arrived at a very heaving Toronto Pearson, where all international flights were being routed, so arrivals could be consistently and systematically Covid-screened; sent off with test kits to the local mandated hotels for a few days of enforced quarantine and carrier-bag food deliveries to the hotel room door.  Yuk. And no bloody wine list!  Four hours from plane door to hotel room door. We could not leave the hotel room until we had a negative Covid test, which arrived after two days, enabling us to travel onto Vancouver with a second test kit to be completed during our remaining  quarantine.  A further eleven days of 'lock down' in a ground level suite, with access to the g...
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Renaissance Revival

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Coast Culture We've had some stunning sunrises recently and moonsets.  This was  the moon against a foggy backdrop. The long range forecast that suggested we were going to enjoy a cold winter could not have got it more wrong.  It has been wet and warm.   The UK has had more snow than southern and coastal BC.  Whistler has snow in the alpine but it's patchy and thin at village level.  Other resorts in western North America are enjoying similar poor conditions, unlike the Atlantic Coast. We have therefore deferred any trips up the mountain; though are scheduled to spend a week in Whistler late February.  Fingers crossed.  If snow conditions improve later in the season we may go up again in March and April, but book at the last minute.    That said, January has not been a quiet month.  The Coast Music Theatre Co are putting on a production of Guys and Dolls at the end of Feb, and Fred has been busy making costumes. While Fred’s b...
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Warning - Rant Coming On ......

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The Best of ... I can't be the only one hugely irritated by the current  newspaper  trend where every other page has 'The 10 best ......', the 50 of this or 100 of that.  Pubs, holiday destinations, rural retreats, market towns, places to live, albums, films, stage shows, male footballers, female footballers, ski resorts, goalies, TV shows, video games ............... etc.  The list goes on and on and on.   It will be closely followed by the best of 2025 reviews and summaries, and then predictions for 2026.  And who the hell decides what the best are?  Seems to me that newspaper writers (it can't be called journalism can it?) are running out of things to write about so a list is Googled, assembled in a self-justified order and the story is done.  Lazy.  Does anybody actually read them? Canadian, US, UK papers are all at it.   Rant over. So I thought I'd reflect on my 50 best  .....  No, you're spared!  Davis Bay ...
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New Cronk Arrives

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It's a Boy! Grandson no 2 has arrived, weighing in at a healthy 8lbs. Born 29th October, Laurence (Laurie) Alfred River is home, putting on weight and making his presence felt.  Grandson no 1, has assumed the role of big brother and after a complete indifference to his sibling's impending arrival, has proved to be a caring and gentle big brother.   Not sure how long this love-in will last; I suspect until the little one starts knocking over big brother's creations or 'borrowing' his toys. Mum, baby (and Dad) are all doing fine albeit getting re-acquainted with diapers and sleep interrupted nights. Cherubini's Requiem on Remembrance Day was a huge success.  Two packed and appreciative audiences, with the singers accompanied by a small orchestra, all brilliant musicians.  If you have not heard the Requiem, there is a great recording on  YouTube .      Rehearsals have started for Handel's Messiah which the Coast Messiah Choir and Coast Messiah O...
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