8.45 a.m. Well I have been awake since 3am. I did not have my 5 tins of John Smiths last night. Instead I had just one glass of Declan O’Sullivan’s very expensive whisky. The dawn chorus began at 4.10 this morning lead by the song thrush. Well I decided it was finally time to put myself on a so-called proper diet. So, I began last night by cutting out the fish and chips. Yes I told Barbara to bring me back a donner kebab and chips from Keigs chippie in Port St. Mary. The donner kebab was gigantic. I have never had one before, and to be honest I don’t think I will again. I don’t think I’m a kebab person. I’m more a fish man myself. So, Joanne and Michael, I will be back for fish and chips next time as my 24 hour diet has ended. Michael and Joanne use to be my next door neighbours when I lived in Port St.Mary. There will be more about the Keigs in later blogs.

During the night I found myself thinking about cancer, why and all that. No, not why me! Just simple little questions such as, why do we have to endure things like cancer, whose idea was it to send us a dollop of cancer and why? Is it a present from God, the boss or whoever? So far I have returned the package twice. However, the postman doesn’t appear to know where to return it too, and keeps bringing it back. I got to wondering, what are the benefits of cancer. Well, for one thing I would not be sitting here now writing this blog, would I! I would not have made all the new contacts and friends that the blog has brought. If I had not been blind, I would never have written my book. I probably would never have met and married Barbara or gone on to enjoy the wonderful life I have been blessed with so far. I am no philosopher and I do not believe that any of the world’s religions are any better or more likely to be right than any other. So, why then did the boss create what appears to be such an unfair world? Well, when you stop and think about it, maybe it’s not really that unfair. Just imagine what kind of world it would be if everyone was the same, if everyone was born equal. That is, the same size, the same colour, the same intellectual ability, and physically the same. Life would be so pointless. None of the world’s great leaders would have emerged such as Ghandi, Kennedy or Churchill. Well we would all be the same, all on the same level. The Olympic Games would be totally pointless, as we would all be gold medallist. There would be no-one to aspire too. We would all be able to sing, write, and play football at the same level. Life would be totally pointless. Maybe that’s why we are all different. Today it is my turn to carry the load, tomorrow it maybe yours.

I said yesterday, that I seem to run into trouble when I am heading for home. Another example of this was a trip I once made to Ardrossan on the Ben My Chree car ferry some years ago. I sailed up with her on Saturday lunchtime as a guest of Captain Jack Ronan. We were to sail back to Douglas the following Sunday lunchtime. On this trip I decided to muck in with the crew down aft. We arrived in Ardrossan at 6 p.m and after all the passengers and cars had been unloaded, the crew and I went ashore for a few beers. Well we had a cracking night in Ardrossan and after calling at the Indian takeaway on our way back to the ship, we wobbled along the quay just a little worse for wear. The bosun, who shall remain nameless, and I boarded the wrong ship, and after been thrown off we eventually located the Ben further along the quay which incidentally on inspection the following morning, didn’t look anything remotely like the ship we had mistaken for her. Anyway we ate our takeaway and headed for bed. The problem was, I had not been actually allocated anywhere to sleep. After much tooing and frowing, it was decided that I should sleep in the top passenger lounge. This was fine, except for the fact that we had forgotten that the stewardesses cabins were just off the passenger lounge, and because no-one had told them, when they awoke the following morning and found me asleep in the lounge, they thought I was a stowaway, and tried to throw me off the ship. Of course I protested and demanded that they sent for the captain. I was very grateful however when Sherby, the ship’s chief officer, turned up to march me off for breakfast.

So, until tomorrow then folks, this is Tom Glassey with News at 9.30, on the banks of the Silverburn River.