Prime time

And they're back.

Yes, the Prime Penguins returned to Yorkshire from South Korea in the early hours of yesterday morning and posed for one final group pic before going their separate ways. 

It wasn't the World Scout Jamboree they or anyone else expected.  You may have heard. 

Poor preparation of the event site coupled with a shortage of provisions, record high temperatures and a looming typhoon led to its evacuation after only a few days.

But things were not anywhere near as disatrous for the overall experience as many news outlets would have you believe, at least not for Unit 37 of the UK Contingent. 

After returning to Seoul, they saw many sights from up high...

..and down low.

They ate together. 

They sang together.

And they even had the chance to dress up. 

I'll leave the storytelling to Jamie, who will be more than happy to talk about his experiences - just as soon as he remembers what continent he's in.

But for now, sincere thanks from him and us to everyone who supported his adventure.  We're forever grateful. 

Heart and Seoul

Good afternoon from Guiseley where the local time is 1319.  The local time in Seoul is 2119.

Meanwhile, the time in Frankfurt is 1419.  I tell you this because Jamie and his fellow members of World Scout Jamboree Unit 37 are currently in Frankfurt Airport before flying to South Korea in less than a couple of hours from now.

Vanessa and I were up shortly after 2am to cart Jamie to Castleford where he boarded the coach to Manchester Airport.

He'll be gone for just under three weeks. The Prime Penguins (as his unit are known) are due to land in Seoul mid-morning tomorrow. 

Then it's two nights in the capital before heading into camp to join more than 50,000 scouts and leaders from 158 countries for the 25th World Scout Jamboree.

They'll be there for 12 days before the Prime Penguins have another three nights in South Korea -  including a visit to the infamous DMZ separating South from North - before arriving back in Manchester on Friday 18 August.

Needless to say, it will be a trip of a lifetime.  

On behalf of Jamie, I want to say a massive and heartfelt thank you to everyone who enabled him to go.

It begins with the kind people who attended Charlotte's Christmas cake sale in December 2021 to kick off his fundraising efforts just a few weeks after he was chosen to attend.

To those who took part in or donated to Jamie's 12-hour Spinathon in July 2022 (or bought one of Charlotte's second batch of cakes). 

To those who attended his pub quiz or played in the band on that very special night in January 2023. 

And, of course, to all those generous souls who contributed to his fund - many without ever having met him.

I also want to give an extra special mention to James Haigh and Kathrin Dunning, the inspirational leaders of 15th Airedale Scouts, who kept the Group active and creative throughout lockdown and beyond.  Without them, Jamie would now be sitting on the sofa beside me.     

He's humbled and eternally grateful to you all.    

THANK YOU!!!

Meet Bannside Boy

"Life begins at 40" is a phrase I rarely hear these days.  The optimitic part of me thinks that's because people now live longer, making 40 seem much too young to consider doing anything stamped with the words "middle" and "aged."  More likely is that most of my friends are now well past 40 and we have an unwitting collective pact to pretend we're not.

However, I am unashamed in my steadfast commitment to sad dadness and this approach has just reaped a surprising result. 

Very few people know this (because I wanted to keep it a secret) but, during lockdown, I took up a new hobby.  DJ-ing. 

My nephew, Nathan, moved to New Zealand in January 2020 - just weeks before borders closed around the world.  Prior to leaving Belfast for Auckland, he had already built a successful part-time career as a DJ, performing under the name Gammy.  He even had a track played on Radio 1. He has continued to achieve on the other side of world, adding the new persona of Fluid Haunts to his reportire at festivals across his adopted country.  

He has done all of this with new equipment, having chosen not to take his old kit with him.  So I borrowed it.  They say practice makes perfect but, when it comes to my DJ-ing, I wouldn't pretend to be in that cateory.  But I have become better than I ever thought possible. 

That has led to me playing a small number of local gigs under the name Bannside Boy in homage to my beloved Coleraine Football Club, known as the Bannsiders.  I've only done short 45-minute sets featuring a mash-up of dubstep, psychedelic trance and children's TV themes.  And with great respect to Vanessa and the kids for their generous gifts, yesterday I received the best 51st birthday present any middle-aged apsiring DJ could ever dream of. 

I've been booked  to play at the Bingley Music Live festival on Friday 4 August and, not only that, I'm doing warm up for Noel Gallagher who is headlining that night. I can barely believe it.

It's only a 20-minute set and I'm not getting paid. However, I do get free weekend tickets for the whole family and a taxi for the short journey there and back on the night of my performance.  What's not to like? 

Maybe life begins at 51.