Sometimes one gets tired. Sometimes one feels a tad overwhelmed due to the pressures of everyday life... and then, sometimes, one feels like the bulldozer that just ran over them is sounding its reversing lights and you are now struggling to get out of the way!
Over the past month I have been unable to write this blog. I had to make a decision on urgency V importance and while my blog was my Sunday ‘thing’ – and incredibly important to me, not once has there been an opportunity to write (the blog) until now...
So, I thought it may be helpful and interesting to those who, over the past several years, have supported me through this blog, to divide this epic tale of THE WORLD LAUNCH OF 209 A STORY into three parts... by doing so it will allow for coffee breaks, sleep and time to read the novel...
Part 1...
In early March I was sitting on a plane at Melbourne International Airport. Departing Australia for Europe was an exciting time.
It had finally arrived.
After five years of researching and writing, deadlines whooshing past, meeting hundreds of people who were happy to discuss their ‘stories’ relating to the RMS Titanic, Faberge, international Art Auctions, Russia, South Africa, England, France, Scotland... and of course Arthur McCrae, I found myself, once again, alone. For the first time in a long time, no one who was seated around me knew about my novel. They had not heard of 209 A Story, they did not have information to tell me or an antidote to supply. The story was complete.
It was as if I had been transported back, in time, to early 2004, when I stood at the gates of Sydney Grammar School (where Arthur had been a student) and at a point in my own journey when I made the decision to follow my dream.
I buckled up, listened to airhost explain the safety procedures and was reviewing my program for the trip. From the moment I arrived into London, I was busy (lucky I was spending a few days with friends first). It was timed to the last minute. Cars were organised, meetings proposed, a multitude of plane flights. I would be on a two hour turn-a-round from 8am until 10pm... the schedule was gruelling... to say the least. I reached into my bag... I had been advised by a medical friend that taking a sleeping tablet on the trip would not make me addicted to drugs and I sat and deliberated about the use of sleep enhances.
The baby with the couple next to me began to cry...
And cry...
And cry...
And scream...
And cry...
When we finally landed in Singapore, and after an hour delay, I did not much care whether I would become addicted to the sleeping tablets. All I knew, at that stage, was when I re-boarded the plane I needed to sleep. I was due to meet with friends at Westminster Abbey for Sunday morning service at 10am.
The engines sounded and we were off again. I sat next to a couple who had been out in Sydney visiting their daughter. Off to my left I heard it again...
I looked at my schedule and the bottle of pills... the conversation with my medical friend came back to me... ‘Try just taking half’ – and I quote... ‘Knowing you Steven, you will be out in about 2 minutes and you will have a lovely sleep and wake up just before touch down.’
I unscrewed the lid, cut one in half and swallowed...
It was fabulous...
The kid in the background was not as noisy – (gone was thought of a letter of complaint to the airline). The seat was suddenly more comfortable than I initially thought when I had sat down...
When was that exactly?
I was feeling fine...
I adjusted my pillow.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..................
‘Excuse me!’ I heard loudly in my ear.
My eyes would not open.
‘My wife has just fainted’ he said.
My eyes still would not open. My pulse began to quicken.
‘Please can you get up? I have called the steward!’ with a sense of urgency.
WHAT???????????
Was I dreaming? Had these prescribed tablets done something bad to me? Where am I? My lips felt dry. What is that humming noise? Hmmmm? WHO FAINTED? Oh my novel... Hmmm I think I will go back to sleep.
One push of Steven by frantic husband changed that plan!
The sleeping tablet had indeed worked but now there was a real life emergency and I was somewhere between la la land and OMG!!!!
As I tried to get up– I realised I had forgotten to take off my seatbelt... OH GOD! I was at a point where the real world collided head on with my ‘lovely sleep’!
Where am I again?
Where are my legs?
I then find myself lying face down in the aisle... and thinking how comfortable I was again... I closed my eyes...
‘Sir, you will be alright!’ said the voice.
‘No... I am fine’ I thought to myself. Or did I say it? My mind rolled over... I am sure there was someone... a lady... who bought the book... got on the plane and was heading to Russia to meet friends... but I think she is taking tablets...
The shaking of my shoulders by the beefy air steward bought me back to the real world...
I opened my eyes...
‘Oh God! What now?’ I remember thinking.
‘NO!’ I heard someone yell... ‘Not him – it’s my wife!’
‘Oh... him again,’ I thought. ‘I hope his wife is going to be ok?’
I really do not remember much of what happened after that but I do remember getting the giggles when I saw this huge green oxygen cylinder move past my face and three people ‘walking like Egyptians’.
Finally in London on the morning 16th March I was ready for what was about to occur.
It went something like this....
London, London, London – meet Mark, coffee at St Martin’s in the Field, National Gallery, Oceanic House, South Molton Street, Regent Street, THE APPLE STORE!!!, Meet up with my Parents, Old Boys Reunion, SLEEP, breakfast at the Wolseley with my immediate family, meetings all day, Dinner at the Chicago Rib Shack in Knightsbridge, Buckingham Palace, SLEEP – run from the Ritz along Knightsbridge on to Kensington Palace, along my favourite street in London... to Bayswater Road to Park Lane then back to the hotel, shower, meet some of the Australian contingent (8 there who flew in for the launch) for coffee at Cafe Nero, +1 ring-in Brit, Bond Street, Chocolates at Charbonnel et Walker, Viewing of an auction at Sotheby’s, A&F photo, Symthsons, TOUR LONDON at ridiculous pace... the Texas Embassy for lunch, race off from group - meeting in the afternoon, catch up with them again later, coffee again at St Martin’s, photo shoot outside the Abbey, The Houses of Parliament, dinner at McDonald’s near the London Eye, meet another Australian Contingent at pub in Victoria, walk back to Ritz through Green Park, BEST SLEEP, breakfast in the Ritz Dining Room, Apsley House to meet my dear friend – (thinking of you now!! Be strong u have my novel to read!!!), Hyde Park to see the two monuments I have wanted to see for quite some time; to Queen Caroline of Brunswick and to Diana, Princess of Wales, to Heathrow, BA flight to Aberdeen, 6 people miss their flight (no Names mentioned here!!! tee hee), Mark driving from London to Scotland, can't wait, hire car to Balmoral with Jax, Shannon & Chris, wake up some very unhappy person, Driving around the Estate in the dark trying to find the cottage, looming in the dark... WOW big Castle Dead Ahead! more people arrive midnight... (the six who missed their flight!), Joan enters our life... SLEEP, Ballater, Pies at Chalmers (OMG!!), it’s my Birthday! Back to have another PIE!, distillery tour, reading, birthday party at the School House on the Balmoral Estate (OMG 5pooonds, A Toast camera flash), Braemar, nice bridge, wow it’s cold, more people arrive, Crathie Church, OMG I LOST MY CAMERA... car, silence, anxious... THANK GOD MY CAMERA IS FOUND ta M, The Americans are here, Quiet Night spent at Balmoral, Today is THE DAY for the Launch of 209 A Story, wow more people arrive, I depart the cottage looking in to the forest of trees and hear the lone piper playing... wow – chills... not due to cold... people lost and have missed planes to Scotland... I felt sad for them, but feeling nice about the launch as it is the first time friends, spanning 20 years of my life, were together, speech, signing, BIG NIGHT in Ballater at the Hen Hooose..., SLEEP, shock, Balmoral – Edinburgh, Arthur’s Seat, Night out with Laura and Leona, FlyB flight Edinburgh- Southampton, Titanic Exhibition – book presentation and signing, Night out on the Edge, extra day in Southampton to get autograph of Millvina Dean, train from Southampton-London via Winchester, out to Heathrow Air Lingus London-Belfast, wow it’s still cold, dinner out with Laura’s parents, W5, Exhibition: Titanic Designed and Built in Belfast, signing, presentation of novel, stand on Nomadic – WOWWWWW!, train to Dublin, (afternoon off), Hotel mix up... sorted... HOW MUCH FUN WAS DUBLIN?, early start National Gallery of Ireland, ‘The Taking of Christ’ by Caravaggio and ‘A Woman Writing a Letter with her Maidservant’ by Vermeer (long time waiting to see these) – buy card for Allyson, Trinity College, Book of Kells, signing, Connolly Station, in-depth discussion with fellow passenger about Islam and stem cell research at Queen’s College, Back to Belfast, Titanic Monument Belfast, Ferris Wheel (I am beginning to think EVERY place I went to – apart form Balmoral has one of these!), Flight Belfast- London.... yep... London, London, London... signing, meeting, meeting, meeting, Hatchard’s, Can’t remember what happened on Saturday, Yes I can... V&A Museum for the Tsar Exhibtion, The Albert Hall, Handel's Messiah, Dinner, SLEEP, Morning Service at the Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace, to Windsor for a run of the Great Walk (tee hee), Fantastic Run... trees planted in 'about' 1680... stop to take in the view... another plane over Windsor... reminds me of a joke... almost missed train at Windsor - Oh Look - another Ferris Wheel... stop in Slough... meet Pauline on the train and am impressed with her publishing idea... GO GIRL!, Hit the pubs off Leicester Square/Soho with mate John, back to the Ritz, my washing has arrived... BEYOND WORDS TRYING TO EXPLAIN THIS... SLEEP, go to Kensington Palace to drop off copy of novel. Buy some souvenirs of London, go and stand outside 16 South Molten Street, shed a couple of tears because I was once again... alone... Meeting, tube to Heathrow... homeward bound...
End of Part 1
