Dear Jon, as President of the Big V Society over the last 10 years, we recognise your huge contribution and your tenure has been rewarded. We are sending you off on a 3 week sabbatical to your favourite island. You will be the only inhabitant, pack your bag and prepare to depart. You will need to think carefully about what to take with you, definitely no Quorn! |
 |
| So, the island belongs to you during your stay, what name would you give it? |
| I'd probably just call it "the Island", which is a very dull way to start this, so maybe I had better make up something more interesting, how about "Hulaville". Turtolia. |
|
| You’re allowed to take a picnic hamper with you what food goodies would you fill it with? |
So, I'm not shipwrecked?? I was looking forward to having to survive in the wilds with only my wits and a small pocket knife. If I get to take a hamper that's going to make it much nicer. I will take some Reeses peanut butter cups, which are chocolate shells with peanut butter in the middle - absolutely gorgeous. And nothing else. I'll live on Reeses Peanut Butter Cups for the entire stay on the island - sorry, Hulaville. |
|
|
|
| You're allowed one electrical household item – what would it be? |
Well, on desert island discs I wouldn't be allowed a laptop, so it would have to be an electric guitar amp. But then as I'm not even shipwrecked I'll take my laptop, that way I can watch movies, listen to music, check my emails, maybe even do a bit of work.... |
|
| You won’t need to take lots of clothes with you as the uniform is strictly shorts & t-shirts which are provided for you, but you can take one special piece of clothing – name it? |
| I haven't got any special pieces of clothing. Flip-flops would be quite handy though. |
|
| To while away the time, you can take one luxury item or accessory with you – what would you take? |
That's easy, it would have to be my *acoustic* guitar. As long as I've got a guitar I can keep myself amused more or less indefinitely. As long as there is nobody listening and making me feel self conscious! |
|
| You’re allowed to take one fun item of your choice – what would it be? |
| Well, I'd need my electric guitar to go along with the amp from question 3... but looking back at that it looks like I decided on the laptop, so maybe I would take some paints and brushes and stuff. I like painting but I never seem to have time. |
|
| What book would you take to read? |
| I'm halfway through Michael Palin's second book of diaries, so I would probably take that. I'm also reading 2 other very interesting books, but I'm not telling you what they are. |
| |
|
|
|
| You’re allowed to take one album with you to listen to – which would it be? |
| Well, if I've got my laptop then it's got pretty much my whole record collection on there. But if I was *shipwrecked* and I could only save one of the LPs from the wreckage.. then it would be Stormcock by Roy Harper, which is an absolute gem. |
|
| You’re also allowed to take one additional track with you – which one? |
| How about Mike Oldfield Tubular Bells? That way I get 20 minutes worth of music for just one track. If I had to pick a song it would be "The Lee Shore" by David Crosby of Crosby Stills and Nash. |
|
| You can choose to take a film / DVD with you – what would you take? |
| Well, again, for the sake of value, Woodstock the movie is about 3 and a half hours long and is a documentary and also a rock video, so could I have that? I sound like I'm stuck in a 70s timewarp!!! |
|
You’re also allowed to smuggle in a famous guest for a couple of days – who would it be and why? |
Err. Ali Bongo, no, Ted Heath, no, Johnny Morris, ooh, how about his brother Desmond Morris (Actually I don't think they are brothers, but they were both big in the 70's and Zoologists). Mind you, that is quite boring, how about Felicity Kendall or one of the Pans People? No, on balance, I'll stick with Desmond, I'm sure he would have a lot of interesting stories about monkeys and that. |
|
 |
 |
|
Your 3 week trip is now over and you are travelling back to Norton Bavant, what is the first thing you will do when you arrive home? |
Well, what a trip! As soon as I get back I am not going to check my emails, because I've been keeping an eye on them with the laptop. I am going to see Jeff our cat - oh no, hang on, I'm going to say hello to Lena (the wife). Yes, definitely Lena first - and then the cat. Definitely in that order. And then check my emails again in case I missed anything. And then go for a walk up the hill - unless it's tipping it down - we've been here 7 months and every time I go up the hill, even halfway, I turn back and think how lucky we are to live in such a fantastic place. |
|
| |
|
