Distorted shadow
obscured by rippling waters;
unmistakable.
by Scooj
Tag: fish
Bond
A father and son
spend time together fishing;
lasting forever.
by Scooj
Teach a man to fish…
Family fishing
trip ends without any fish;
a lesson for life?
by Scooj
About me
The Ocean World of
Jacques Cousteau fed the desire
of one little boy
by Scooj
13. Brief respite
Wednesday 13 April 1988, Port Stanley, Malvina House Hotel
Another day off – I join the Koei Maru tomorrow, a little sooner than expected – I hope I can cope.
Shopped and watched Mad Max 3 and a dreadful film called Spasmo – I only watched half of it, it was so bad.
Thursday 14 April 1988, Koei Maru 30
And so, after much deliberation, my second term begins. Oh what have I done to deserve this? At least I have some cereal and also my own stocks. My room now is too hot, but I shan’t complain. I wrote a very mizzy letter to Deb, I was mizzy – it is terrible watching the land get smaller and the night come on.
I learned many things today:
- KSJ (the fishing company) want an observer to go to Montevideo. This could be me, Crag or John.
- the long-lining will begin in June.
- This voyage should end in 4-5 weeks.
- the KM30 is due to come into Port Stanley or leave on 27 May.
I would love to go to Montevideo, but not at the expense of a holiday home – I just won’t do it. If I could do both – chance would be a fine thing – then it would be very exciting.
Friday 15 April 1988, Koei Maru 30
We are still within sight of land – yahoo – it makes such a difference to me to be able to see the distant islands and mountains, it makes me feel less remote. Jigging was very good last night and the crew are still up. Poor bastards, almost 36 hours of hard physical work without sleep.
Talking of sleep, I don’t seem to be able to stop. I drop off at the drop of a hat. It will take a few days and some discipline to get into the sleeping regime of the crew. I suppose the secret is to stay awake later and later each night. It don’t half make you feel lousy though.
Saturday 16 April 1988, Koei Maru 30
I am now waking up around 1.00pm – the sun is up and the sky is blue, but I think we have lost the land.
Each morning there are videos of Japanese T.V. very interesting. Their sense of humour is almost entirely slapstick. Dreadful overacting and tons of commercials, many with western actors. Incredibly sexist, all of it.
While it is still fresh in my mind, I must remember the two children playing snowballs and war in the garden of the Malvina Guest House. They were employing spanish accents and saying things like ‘you dirty eenglish piig’ (being baddies of course). Amazing, the effects of war.
13. Hotwell Road, Esso garage
I took a stroll yesterday along the Hotwell Road and found these two murals. I hadn’t seen the fish at first, you can see it is just to the top right of the film mural.
I don’t know the artists of either of these. I think the fish has been there a while, but the rather more colourful film mural is dated 2015, and signed AC with a little ammonite icon. If you know the artists please post a reply.
UPDATE – it should have been obvious to me, but I have learned a great deal since this early post. The AC stands for Andy Council, who is one of the better known muralists in Bristol – his works can be found all over the city.
I love the fish. It feels like there should be more, but that appears to be it.
I like being surprised by finding more than you are looking for.
9. Cottrell Road
This is one of several spectacular murals by Zase in Bristol. Zase, originally from Slovakia now operates out of Bristol, and runs a business called Zase Design.
Most of his works are large and bold, and generally pleasing to the eye. The site of this mural is fantastic, and it will be seen by thousands of people heading for Tesco or Ikea every day.
Dekor is a French muralist specialising in photorealism. He often works on large murals with Zase. He also has interests in the hip hop culture for which Bristol is famous.
It is also great to see that, although it has been here for a few years, it has remained clean. It is also interesting to note that Zase’s contact address is also in Cotterell Road.
The marine theme and large scale make this a favourite.
8.5/10
12. Ashore
The digitisation of my Falkland Islands journal from 1988 continues, with the following section, in which I reach Port Stanley after a long maiden voyage on the Japanese squid jigger ‘Koei Maru 30. All sections in italics, like this one, are comments or observations from now. I try to keep these interruptions to a minimum and stick to what the 24 year old me wrote.
Monday 11 April 1988, Port Stanley, Malvina House Hotel.
I was picked up. My prayers were answered. The ‘Beagle’ came for me at about 3-4pm. I shared the trip with a couple of hospital cases from various ships – one had a badly injured arm and winced every time we hit a bump (frequently). The other just looked unwell.
The post was fantastic – to hear from Deb and home. Gavin sent the most incredible letter, which was almost word for word the same as mine (to him). We know each other sinisterly well.
e.g. Beard – he asks for a lock – I sent a bit. Stanley jokes, Arsenal jokes, broken computer joke.
Deb’s letters make me very cheerful, and then very sad – I miss her very much.
I was sad – very sad to hear about Great Uncle John – my mother is so good at these times.
I loved John – I have an outstanding memory of him – about 14-15 years ago, when he, grandpa and I went for a sail in the yacht (Henrietta or Nettie Too) and anchored at a beach near St Anthony’s. We swam ashore – I was assisted on John’s back. I will never forget it (and I never have). The clarity of the water, the heat of the day. Two old men and a young boy swimming. On an outing. It makes me cry. Times gone. Poor John.
It is 7.09 am – I woke at 5.30 but at least got a decent 6 1/2 hours sleep – at night!
In the next few days I will have loads of cuttings to put into this diary.
There is so much to talk about, I will try to spread it out over a period of days.
I am staying at the Malvina Hotel (a little expy, but comfortable).
I rang Deb – but unfortunately she was out at a film – she will be so disappointed to have missed me. Damn.
Instead I rang home and had a great conversation with Ma and Ad. Ad said that David Copperfield being my favourite book, was the ‘best news I’ve had in twenty years’ – jokingly.
Leaping forward to July 2015 – reflecting back on this journal, this is a deeply poignant passage for me. My stepfather, Ad, has since passed away, but as a father myself now, I realise how proud he must have felt at that moment. I was never one who cared much for literature in my youth, but David Copperfield was a major turning point in my life. Ad had encouraged me for many years to read amazing books, but I resisted his wisdom, feigning interest, but I had much better things to do. I now have the same interactions with my own son, and I realise there is hope, and he will have his ‘Dickens’ moment.
Tuesday 12 April, Port Stanley, Malvina House Hotel.
Worked all day in the office – statolithing loligo with Andrea? one of the school leavers. They are all very chatty and self-confident. They all seem to have this independent streak.
I was up at 2.30 this morning and couldn’t sleep. It is terrible.
Spoke to Deb on the telephone – it was really good to hear her – she sounded so close. She has sent lots of post and seen my slides – I’m glad she has.
Went to the globe with Crag and met the history and biology teachers from the school – I forget their names, but what a nice couple – completely bonkers. They are actually looking after Andrea at the moment – Stanley is a very small world.
I must mention the sylph-like girl up at Cable and Wireless when I went to phone Deb. She was the first female I have been in any attracted to since I arrived. She reminds me of Deb. Petite, very lively and bouncy, confident and very sweet. I have no designs, but she makes me happy (I’ve only seen her for about five minutes).
11. Land Ho!
Wednesday 6 April 1988, Koei Maru 30.
My breakfast (actually yesterday) was steak again, with prawns, chips and macaroni. 3 enormous steaks was all I could manage. I am beginning to tire a little of them, but I do love them so.
The time is going quickly now. The days drift from one into another and I’m sure that in no time at all I shall be home on holiday. I think for me Italy has to be the answer.
I have just eaten a fruit salad that had some peculiar jelly-like cubes in it. They were clear and disintegrated much more easily than jelly. I asked Abe what it was and he said it was made from ‘sea leaf’ so I take it that it is agar gel from seaweed. It was completely tasteless and probably only in the fruit salad as a cheap filler, like sawdust in sausages.
From the same conversation it looks like we will be returning to Stanley on the 9th or 10th of this month – it is good to know that it is sooner rather than later!
Thursday 7 April 1988, Koei Maru 30.
I can’t help thinking that my diary and my mind’s capabilities are being severely disrupted by the volume of letters I am writing – they are sapping my inspiration. I also feel cheap because of them – I write many of the same things to people – sometimes using exactly the same words…
e.g. Houses in Stanley – Allotment garden. ‘Well to do’ shanti town.
Reading a great deal – David Copperfield. Theroux.
Zzz snore! – I only hope that those to whom I am writing enjoy the letters I suppose it is better than no letter at all.
Her waggoner, a small grey coated gnat,
Not half so big as a little round worm
Prick’d from the lazy finger of a maid;
Her chariot is an empty hazel nut
Made by the joiner squirrel, or old grub,
Time out o’minds the fairies’ coach makers.
And in this state, she gallops night by night
Through lovers’ brains, and then they dream of love
O’er courtiers’ knees, that dream on curtsies straight;
O’er lawyers’ fingers, who straight dream on fees;
O’er ladies’ lips, who straight on kisses dream;
Nananuma has been very sweet. He has made an order for cornflakes and milk for the next voyage – what a good bloke.
It is at this moment as I write (10 minutes to 7am) and it is still not light, and very little sign of becoming so.
Friday 8 April 1988, Koei Maru 30.
Radioed Crag today – I definitely have a month off in Britain. Much of the conversation was about getting picked up, time in Stanley etc…
I have talked with the crew much more over the past couple of days. The poor chaps care only about one thing – sex – they wait with eagerness to get to Montevideo, so they can see ‘street girls’. I find this very depressing – they discuss very little else.
I am in a bit of a void at the moment, reading wise; the print in HG Wells selected short stories is too small and I have difficulty reading it. The alternative, Conrad’s Typhoon, is impossible – the dictionary syndrome – it is irritation to a degree. I have a mental block with Conrad.
Saturday 9 April 1988, Koei Maru 30.
How odd. I was sitting wondering what to do, trying to shake off a terrible dreariness when:
So off I went. A message came from the KSJ office to say that the ETA for Koei Maru No30 in Stanley will be 7.00 tomorrow morning – they will arrange for me to be collected by the warrah.
This is good news – whoopee! yahoo! A day early
The other bonkers thing is that it has turned out to be bloody cold and when I came back from the radio room it was bloody snowing hard. Can you believe it? Yup. April bonkers showers.
Sunday 10 April 1988, Koei Maru 30.
I got up with the sun, although I hadn’t been able to sleep a wink, I feel at least that I have been to bed. It is a very cold morning and the ship has arrived in Berkeley Sound – it is almost enough to make me cry, to see land again – it is beautiful and covered in a light scattering of snow. I must brace myself for the bad news that I might not be picked up until tomorrow – God I hope it’s today. A lovely thought – after my week in Stanley, only half of April will be left and then it will be May.
10. Romeo and Juliet
Sunday 3 April 1988, Koei Maru 30.
I wonder how Arsenal did yesterday. I have written to Sean, holding him to his promise of sending me cuttings of Arsenal’s progress.
I have almost finished David Copperfield. What a deeply moving book – I find myself laughing and crying throughout the book. I shall be sad to finish it.
I spend my whole time looking forwards or backwards in time. I keep making plans for Deb and me to go on a holiday together for a week – perhaps to a Greek island, or to Sicily or to Corsica or to Siena or anywhere – I live in that dream.
I also think much about my school days and the third chapter in my life – Cholmely, but I can’t put it on paper yet. (Cholmely was the upper-junior school that I went to from age 9-11)
I am learning Queen Mab’s speech – this is what I know.
She is the fairies’ midwife, and she comes
In shape no bigger than an agate-stone
On the fore-finger of an alderman:
Drawn with a team of little atomies
Athwart men’s noses as they lie asleep
I have finished D.C. – I am sad at this prospect. I feel I have myself lived the life of David Copperfield, that I have loved little Emily and that I do love Agnes. Having finished, I am left with the grim reality that I am thousands of miles away from my family and close friends. While Dickens can act to halt progression of my ‘disease’, he cannot cure it. I lived each minute of that book. I know intimately my Aunt, Mr Dick, Dr Strong and his wife Anne, Traddles whom I consider to be a best friend. What a sadness that they are all dead, the author too. Enough mourning. I must read some other books. (It’s lucky I bought so many!). (11 days for Copperfield!)
A comment from the present day (2015) to put the significance of this last entry into some kind of context. I was never much of a reader in my youth, and only reluctantly read books on into my twenties, preferring to bury myself in my studies, or watching TV. Looking back, I think reading David Copperfield was a life-changing event. There are many of these kinds of events in this journal.
There are also the first signs of a ‘madness’ creeping into my writings, and it feels a bit strange reading them now.
Monday 4 April 1988, Koei Maru 30.
Wrote to Pia and Louise B. Both good friends and good company – as before – writing to them made me feel I was with them – what an incredible thing the mind is.
Milk in a ring-pull can!!
Sabudo gave me a crate of this stuff – he is looking after me very well indeed. what a good bloke.
Continued Mabs:
Her wagon spokes made of long spinners’ legs;
The cover, of the wings of grasshoppers;
The traces, of the smallest spider’s web;
The collars, of the moonshines watery beams;
Her whip, of cricket’s bone; the lash, of film;
I radioed Stanley and spoke with Crag. I will wait definitely until the KM30 comes into Stanley/Berkley Sound. I am worried about how much time I will actually get on land. I am also worried that I may be being short-changed a bit. Crag said Drin would be coming in, she has been at sea a month – this is not true, she has been at sea less time than me!
Tuesday 5 April 1988, Koei Maru 30.
Watched ‘Inspector Clouseau’ today on video – what a load of cobbler’s – it was an old film (’60s). The highlight for me was that ‘Catweasel’ was in it, playing a chocolate factory porter/watchman. It was a very weak film indeed, but I’m not sure whether it pre-dates or post dates the Pink Panther films. Wrote to Mr Radford and J&J.
Natural adventures 