Dear Friends,

It is certainly going to be a busy year in Britain, an exciting one no doubt but filled with throngs of people. Top of the major events is undoubtedly the Olympic Games which will take place in London from the end of July to the middle of August. Unless you are planning to watch the games, London is the place to avoid at this time, and this includes many of the areas around Greater London. You will have to give very serious thought to making a trip to the UK in the Summer of 2012. Thankfully today many airlines operating out of South Africa can get you to Britain without going anywhere near London. So when you plan a visit, especially during the peak tourist months take this carefully into consideration.

BRITAIN ALL A BUZZ
London will also be very busy over the period of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee which will take place over the weekend of 2-3 June. Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, has promised a spectacular event to mark 60 years of rule. The highlight will be a 7 mile flotilla down the Thames River which will be the biggest gathering on the river in 350 years. Craft of all sizes and shapes will follow the Queen’s barge in a magnificent procession which will take 90 minutes to pass any one given point on the river. I certainly will be watching it on TV and that’s as close as I plan to get. I will also be glued to my TV when the South African Cricket Team visit England in July and August to play a series of Test Matches and ODI’s. Our website carries details of all the major events throughout Britain in 2012, so take a look and decide what you want to see and what you want to avoid.

Keeping in the know
I have always relied on the radio and TV to keep me updated on happenings around the globe. I have had difficulty both reading and writing throughout my life. I struggled at school, finishing bottom of the class in every subject except mental arithmetic. No one could understand why, for I was conscientious enough. When I was about eleven I remember asking my mother why they put a ship on the label of the bottle of HP sauce. She said it was not a ship but the Houses of Parliament and realized I had poor eyesight. I was fitted with glasses but had much catching up to do. However Dorothy has been my “eyes” for nearly forty years, both as personal secretary and much loved wife.

Whenever we are abroad she will scout out the local British Weekly, be it the International Express or Mail and Guardian. We like to keep abreast of what is happening “at home” and I am always interested in how my Huddersfield team is doing. The Internet has revolutionised the media and most newspapers are readily available on-line, but there is nothing better than the real thing, and the joy of being able to see on paper what is happening back in the UK. There is something quite comforting about seeing the familiar front page banner folded up on the coffee table of our hotel room.

Keeping in touch
Just as the Internet has changed they way we find out new things and research forgotten history, it has also changed the way we keep in touch with family and friends. I was dubious at first about the telex machine and when faxes replaced it, I more often than not phoned to make sure the recipient had got my fax safely. Then came emails and suddenly everyone was using them in business and in their daily lives. Now, I am reliably told by the grand-children, that Facebook and Twitter are another way to keep in touch with friends and family.

People use their phones for everything, not only to talk but to send messages to someone, sometimes even in the next room or office, and nothing annoys me more when I am in a meeting and someone around the table either takes a call on their mobile or is busy typing away. When last did you receive a real letter? Not a bill nor a promotional catalogue, but a real letter written by hand or typed? I don’t even think you can by airmail paper or envelopes anymore and certainly the advent of email has taken away business from the postal services. However here in the UK, because they are a pseudo monopoly their reaction has been contrary to sound business practices. So instead of trying to improve their service, drop their prices and look for greater efficiency they do the exact opposite which can only spell one thing a downward spiral.

The virtual bouquet
I am reliably told that you can at no cost at all send a friend a bunch of flowers over the Internet for a birthday, anniversary or to welcome a new baby. What an insult. So yes it is easy and instantaneous, so within seconds of you clicking on the “virtual bunch” the recipient gets an email and can open the attachment to “smell the roses”. Our Friendship Gifts are real and also offer flowers that can be placed in a nice vase on display in the lounge or dining room. They can quickly and safely be sent to your loved ones for them to enjoy for many days if not weeks. This website carries full details of the flowers, hampers and South African wines that you can send to loved ones in the UK.

I am now in my 84th year and still keeping very busy and fit. Dorothy and I have recently toured South Africa for a couple of months and are currently in New Zealand with a group of UK bowlers, playing matches and sightseeing. I will also visit Australia to re-affirm my interests in the country before heading home to Jersey for a couple of months in the summer. I am in close contact with the London office of Friends of the Springbok and naturally keep a watchful eye on the Friends of the Lion organisation in Cape Town. It gives me great satisfaction and a wonderful sense of achievement.

Yours in friendship

 

 



J Stuart Weaving
FOUNDER AND INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT