On Saturday l had arranged to meet up with Philip Kirby in Brixham. Before l left Elektra l removed the dinghy outboard to Elektra’s pushpit. I had arranged to meet Philip at 1030hrs by the Golden Hind. Of course l wasn’t entirely sure what l was looking for, thinking it was a statue and looking at Google maps, l thought l had identified it. But when l got to the place the statue wad just a spike of granite! Walking on and looking for another statue. Philip spotted me first and said hello. I explained to him what l thought l was looking for, and Philip laughed š it’s that ship he said, it’s meant to be a replica of the Golden Hind! Actually it’s built on a old barge.
Philip gave me a tour of Brixham, took me down to the fishing harbour viewing platform. Philip had been a fisherman out of Brixham in his younger years. Then we walked around the harbour, and when we arrived at the visitor pontoon the guys where offering tours of the sailing trawler. Both being sailor’s we went for a look. And it was very interesting. Afterwards we sat on the walk of the quay and just chatted.
Then Philip said, it’s time for a pastie, so we back round the harbour to the shop. Guarding our pasties very carefully from the seagulls we eat them while seated looking out over the harbour. Afterwards Philip suggested walking around the shops, but l suggested having a pint, which is what we did.
Afterwards we said our good buys, it had been nice chatting with Philip over the day before we went our own ways.
But l had the feeling that Philip thought l needed company after losing Vicki so recently (about a month ago). Upsetting as it was, l really lost Vicki back at the end of April when she was first taken to hospital. Yes l had visited her most days but she was dopey with morphine most of the time because of the pain she was in. Losing Vicki still upsets me from time to time, until losing her, l hadn’t ever experienced grief before! And because of that fact, l thought there was something wrong with me.
Love Sailing 