The Loneliness of a Long Distance Blogger : 08.11.2023

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   WAGS always have an alibi, and one or two to spare: At whatever time the Walk took place—MACAVITY* WASN’T THERE!

* For MACAVITY read 'The Leader!'

   At last it has happened.  The WAGS walk was OFF. For perhaps the first time in Geriatric memory not a single WAG toed the line at the start of another walk!

      I certainly can't remember a walk being completely 'null WAGS' since I wrote the first official WAGS blog on 12.10.2016. A great cast as I led one of my favourite walks from Cafe Pacheco in Romeiras.


John, Rod, Myriam, Dona Aldina, Paul, Hazel, Anne, Janet, Tony, Ingrid, (and if you could let me know the names of the dogs, I will skilfully edit them in)

Just over 7 years ago but the WAGS had been formed in 2015, and walked unblogged until this occasion, mainly by Chris and myself. Which raises the the conundrum - Which came first - The Blog or the Walk?  Can a Walk exist without a Blog or can a Blog exist without a Walk?

   Well at last we are closer to answering that conundrum now!!

This walk must have been after I sketched out the basic criteria for a WAGS walk, which are in the Title piece at the top of the blog. As you may see if you read the blog for that walk we did rather exceed our brief - but in those days we still had it!!

You will find that Blog at:

https://w-a-g-s.blogspot.com/2016/10/wags-12102016-weve-still-got-it.html

Looking back there were some interesting points in the blog. Not least was this photo of John from the rear.


Curiously this pic was entitled 'One man and his Dog, or The Loneliness of a Long Distance WAG' which somehow must have subliminally cued the title of this present blog, though at the time I chose the title, I had not reviewed that former blog.

   We also found one of the famous blue dots which I had sprayed in 1999 on the second AWW crossing of the Algarve Way with Maurice, ostensibly to mark the trail for those to come. Remember GPS was in its infancy and did not appear until much later, when as far as I can remember, Tony Webster was the first walker to acquire one and as he didnt understand it, lent it to me to find our way!

  At that time (October 2016) I was still using my trusty Geocaching Garmin GPS to record walks instead of a smart phone, though John produced a lovely Google Earth track and profile somehow, and that, with the photo of my Garmin was how we recorded the stats. 4.3 km/hour moving speed!!

   In the last paras, apart from the criteria for the walk the rules for membership were stated, including the remark that it was not an Allcomers group; was by invitation and approval only, and that 'Michael Gove would find it no easier to join the WAGS than he did the Beefsteak Club.'

Also I mooted a change of name to reflect the primary reason for these walks, but demurred so that our choice would not be limited. Perhaps now is the time for someone to reinvent the group with a suitable acronym to reflect the current priorities!

  Anyway enough nostalgia. For last Wednesday there was a plethora of excuses not to attend: My own ongoing incapacity; Rod was away on a boat in Vietnam; John was preparing for a session of bachelorhood as Hazel was leaving for Malaysia on Thursday; however he extended a redundant invitation for a new leader to 'grasp the nettle'  and propose a walk; swiftly followed by Ingrid, Dorothy and Dennis, Fabrizio and Samantha sending in their notices of non- attendance without a reason. I put in a teaser that I was available, but not even Maria took the bait. 

 And so history was made. 


“There is a tide in the affairs of WAGS
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.
On such a full sea are we now afloat;
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or lose our ventures.”

(Apologies to William Shakespeare)

  

Comments

  1. Myriam11 November 2023 at 15:36

    Yes, we have come a long way!! We have kept company with each other in our "physical development" and accepted the situation gracefully.
    What is important is to meet up every Wednesday and have a good time with whatever we fancy on that day!! What do you think?

    ReplyDelete
  2. John Hope11 November 2023 at 17:04

    Could the last line possibly be "Or lose our dentures." ?

    ReplyDelete

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