Stuart is away this week.
I, King Barry, Snow White’s father, will provide you with an update.
Stuart is, thus far, doing OK on all goals for 2017:
- Talks continue with a few potential business acquisitions.
- The fitbit indicates that he is keeping his nose ahead of his friends group. (Just. That Ger woman is pushing hard.)
- A whole kilogram has been lost, no seriously, a whole kilo.
- Every day has been a writing day.
Naturally, the highlight of the winter for Stuart has been the opportunity to play me, King Barry, in the Abbotts Ann village pantomime. The production was a roaring success, playing four sold-out performances in early-December. The show was put on by the Abbotts Ann players, a group with sufficient talent to produce a good show, even when hampered by novices like the big boy.
A friend attended the opening night, and did not go to the pub until AFTER the show had ended. His comment was telling;
“I think that it’s great you live in a village that still does things like this. It’s brilliant.”
It’s unusual for any acquaintance of Stuart to utter anything halfway sensible, but I suppose the exception proves the rule. People are quick to rue the loss of their local pub, or corner shop, and they moan about how the street, estate, neighbourhood, ‘never does anything’ any more. Yet, it is this very same people that drove past their village shop to get to the supermarket. The same people who don’t attend the fireworks night, because they are busy. The same people who don’t use the pub, don’t attend community meetings etc…
I, King Barry of the Kingdom of Elate (on the nice side of the A38), leave you with this, my regal thought. YOU are your community. YOU can make it thrive. Stuart tells me that it’s also, really good fun.
And remember…
“You are my first, my last, my everything…” Barry White, the Walrus of Love. 1974.
