What’s your most memorable (good or bad) airplane flight?

I suppose it was my flight to New York from Zürch and return. It was a 7 hour flight. We are not rich and so booked the normal tourist class. When we arrived at Zürich they gave us business class and the lady at the desk said “don’t ask just accept”. Of course we accepted and it was the most luxious flight we ever had. The food was perfect, served on real china plates with drinks in genuine glass – no plastic anywhere. I think why it happened was Mr. Swiss to thank for the fact that he is a smoker. There were no smoking places left in tourist, and they had enough to spare in business. We were continuously asked if we would like something more to drink. I remember the film we saw was “The Firm” with Tom Cruise on the plane, a pleasant way to pass time. It was a smooth flight and breathtaking seeing the first skyscrapers from the plane as it flew to New York – this was 1993, so it was still all standing.

The return flight was also very memorable, particularly as it was real tourist class nightmare night flight with no luxury whatsoever. The air hostess made a real fuss of the single men on the flight bringing their drinks and food and we normal average married couples and other females could be lucky to get a glass of water. One lady had brought her own eiderdown with her, and wrapped herself up in it for a comfortable night. It was uncomfortable, shabby, and left a lot to be desired, or perhaps we were spoilt too much on the first flight.

I have often flown London-Zürich and return and no flight is the same as the last one. I have many memories and anecdotes. One flight Mr. Swiss and made was Zürich-Marrakesh via Casablanca. On the flight to Casablanca one of the female passengers, a lady on her own, got drunk. No, she was not drunk, she was absolutely pis*ed. She insulted all the flight attendents, her seat neighbour and it even got quite physical. At least we had some amusement.

If you had your own talk show, who would your first three guests be? (guest can be dead, alive, famous or someone you just know)

Boris Johnson – the blond turkish descendent politician in England who would like to be the next prime minister
Kenneth Allsop – and english journalist and author who passed away some time ago and who I always admired as a teenager in London. He made daily appearances on the BBC TV programme “Tonight” and was the first journalist to report live from New York by satellite.
Great grandfather Jason Baldock and whether he really intended to have 16 children or whether it was just fate (my grandmother was the only daughter).

How many bones, if any, have you broken?

The first broken arm was quite plain and simple, although it hurt at the time. I was in London for a week visiting my dad and went for a walk on Tower Bridge in the evening with my friend. I tripped and fell and to protect my head I used my arm, which got broke into the bargain. It was the lower bone on the left arm – no problem. My friend took me strainght to the hospital. I was operated the next day, spent a day in hospital and flew back to London a day later. Now that was excitement.

The second broken arm was not so amusing (see photo on the left). I did it at home. My blind cat was on a lead and it wrapped itself around my leg which brought me to a fall on the concrete. Had I not broken the fall with a collision with the garden cupboard door, the result could have been worse. I remember it well, because my son was staying with us. He worked at the time in Brussels as a diplomat for the Swiss government and exactly an hour later he was leaving to return to Brussels. In the meanwhile he organised the ambulance and I was transported to the hospital. I told my son to go ahead and return to Brussels (your country needs you?) and Mr. Swiss would take care of everything else. It was quite a fantastic break, no not a break, a compound fracture which knocked out a piece of bone from the arm (this time it was the top bone on the left arm). The surgeon put it all back together again, something like a jigsaw puzzle. I still have the metal plate and the 20 screws holding it all together. They are there to stay.

That will do for now, at my age I do not intend to break any more.

What are you reading: Moon over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch

watching: my garden in front of the window to my computer hangout

listening to: I can hear the TV in the front room with the current European football match between Spain and Italy and I believe Italy are winning. I can hear Mr. Swiss uttering profanities and cheers now and again.

eating: have just eaten some plain organge flavoured chocolate, my desert after tea which was cold cuts and tomato salad.

needing: to finish this prize suspicious piece of writing

wanting: a handkerchief, just had to sneeze

missing: nothing really, it is the evening of the day and I am ready to relax with a book

Share Your World – 2016 Week 26