Getting Ready

I think I am getting a bit too old for this travelling thing. They only let me out of the country once a year so I am just not used to it any more. This morning was spent with some last minute shopping. I didn't find my adapter after all for plugging my telephone and camera charger in in England, but our local Supermarket had them. Mr. Swiss said they are the right ones as the prongs are square and not round like ours. So that problem was dealt with. I then had to go to the bank to stock up on English money. I even found a purse at home full of English coins, including some pound coins, so that came in handy. In my days in England we had pound notes, but then it was also 20 Swiss Francs to the pound and not four and a half Francs as today.

The afternoon was spent with preparations such as loading up my mobile telephone, getting the camera ready and fit and looking for passports and identity cards. Then I got through a pile of ironing from the washing I did yesterday evening. I have very independent men at home who know how the machines work, but we woman have a feeling that we have to do it. Arn't we silly. This afternoon I got the case packed. I have still got a lot of room in it for the shopping I will do in London. The last time I went I brought about 10 books back with me.

The final triumph was when I said I would get my train ticket return to Zürich Airport today at the station (see picture above - our local station). Mr. Swiss said you can get that over the computer. Now that was fun. I found the web site and had to register. I attempted to register 3 times, and it was third time lucky. I have a half day pass for Swiss trains. That means I only pay half price anywhere I go. The pass costs 333 Swiss Francs for 3 years, but Swiss trains are Rolls Royces on train lines, so you really get the benefit of the pass after two train journeys. I now have a piece of paper with my name and journey on it to be used as a train ticket tomorrow. Doesn't the world change. Even my flight ticket is just a piece of paper. I remember the little booklets we used to have. So tomorrow morning I will wave goodbye to my 3 cats and Mr. Swiss as well and I am bound for London until next week on Wednesday.

Time for a break

Looks quite nice doesn't it, although quite a bit of industry in front of the snow capped mountains of the Jura chain. Unfortunately I don't really appreciate it so much as I should as it is the view from my office window, taken last year in November if I remember rightly. This year we have not had any snow yet, but I think it is on its way. The big white building in the middle is a place where you can take electric stuff you don't need any more. Many a computer has found its last resting place in the buliding. To the extreme left there are the railway lines on the main connection Geneva-Zürich. So why am I showing this wonderful industrial landscape somewhere in Switzerland.

Basically I won't miss it for the next two weeks when I am on holiday. Today was my last day in the office and I am not sorry. Since the Summer holiday it's been non-stop work, with a few odd days for the religious holidays. I managed to escape this evening quite easily, everyone wishing me a happy holiday - I mean those that were still in the office. These days I can rarely escape before five o'clock.

This evening I spent some time on paying a few bills and bringing my first aid group web site up to date. Now why am I tying so many loose ends. Well that's the next part of the story. I am flying to London on Friday for a few days to see my dad. I only see him once a year, although I telephone quite a bit (thank goodness for Skype). He is now 92 years old, but still has his own household. His girlfriend lives opposite - she is 93. Must be the nice fresh Dagenham air that keeps everyone so healthy. Dagenham is not exactly the main tourist area of London, but its like a third coming home for me. My first home was in Bethnal Green, just a little to the East of the City of London, my second home is Switzerland where I have lived longest, but as all the family were moved out of London after the war because of the slum clearance, they all eventually found their new homes in Essex. I was nearly an Essex girl, but not quite, because I moved out before my mum and dad moved.

Tomorrow will be the day where I pack my case, start searching for the adapter I have somewhere to be able to connect my electric stuff into the English system. English plugs seem to be square, ours are round. Anyhow I have to charge my telephone and my camera - now where did I put that adapter. I also have to change my Swiss Francs for English pounds. We Swiss don't really care if England still has their pounds, after all we still have our Swiss Francs. Who needs a Euro. I have three requests from colleagues to bring back some English tea (well Indian tea - Assam seems to be popular here) and I will have to get my Christmas Pudding from Marks and Spencers - hope they still have them. I used to bring boxes of Cadbury's milk flakes back with me - my favourite English chocolate (who says the Swiss have the best???), but since being a bit too sweet myself I don't eat milk chocolate any more. And of couse, I mustn't forget the English sausages. Although my Swiss family think there is nothing better than a Swiss Sausage, I must disagree. An Irish pork sausage together with HP sauce beats everything.

Well this blog is really just the ramblings of an exile Londoner, but now and again you do miss the old country. Just remembered I must get my train ticket tomorrow Solothurn-Zürich Airport. We don't bother with the car. It's not worth it. Mr. Swiss takes me to the station, a five minute drive, and I get the train. It's a one and a half journey, but the train is connected to the airport, so London here I come. I don't know whether I will be available for a blog tomorrow, if not see you all again next week some time.

Reservoir Cats - 13

Tabby: My dad Long Tail Al? I suppose that was why I have the red patch of fur on my tummy.
Big Tom: Yes Tabby, you are now a very important cat lady around here.
Tabby: Wait until I tell the others.
Big Tom: I think I will have to call Nera. Nera can you come here a moment. I have just told Tabby who her father is.
Nera: Well I think it is time that she knew.
Tabby: Nera, you mean you knew the truth all the time.
Nera: Our mother told me before we left to live here together. She thought it would be better for you to grow up in the country.
Tabby: Well I must admit I have had a nice life here, plenty of catnip and fresh mice, but when I went to town last week to spy on Grey, I did feel quite at home there.
Nera: Speaking of the notorious Mr. Grey, has anyone seen him lately.
Big Tom: My guardia gatto sent me a message that he is trying to stir up trouble between the town and the country cats.
Tabby: Then we should do something about it. It’s his fault that this started.
Big Tom: Every family has a black sheep sorry cat and Mr. Grey is mine. I will deal with him myself. He is my son and I must carry the responsibility. I probably spoilt him too much. His mother Kimberley was always going on at me that I shouldn’t give him so much power.
Nera: Kimberley is his mother. She is one of the chief Persian ladies at the farm.
Big Tom: I thought I would bring a bit of class into the family, and now it seems to have gone to Mr. Grey’s head.

We should now start making preparations for the summit meeting with Long Tail Al and his cronies. Romeo come here. Are we all ready?
Romeo: Gladys just arrived with her husband One Eye Fred and Bobinette is waiting.
Big Tom: Gladys are you feeling ok, look a bit shaky on your feet
Gladys: No, I’m ok, my kittens are getting a bit impatient.
Bobinette: When are they due?
Gladys: Well according to my reckoning not until the end of the week.
One Eye Fred: Gladys I told you you had mixed things up a bit – I meself reckon it could be any day now.
Gladys: If I say its not yet, then it’s not yet. Understand.
One Eye Fred: Yer, you’re the boss – most of the time in any case.
Romeo: Capo we should get going.

Long Tail Al: Slimy are ya ready. We don’t wanna be late for this little party do we now.
Slimy: Ready when you are boss.
Long Tail Al: Gawd ‘elp us Slimy, can’t you ‘ave a lick to freshen up first. Down in town it don’t notice so much, but out in the country parts your scent carries miles. Wonder you ever caught a mouse. I’m sure they smell you coming first of all.
Charlie: Hi Al, I’m ‘ere as well, but I ain’t going along if Slimy don’t ‘ave a wash first.
Slimy: Is this a conspiracy. Ok, ok, just give me a few minutes for a lick.
Long Tail Al: Charlie ‘elp ‘im will ya
Charlie: I ain’t ‘elping ‘im. ‘e must ‘ave at least a weeks dirt in ‘is fur.
Long Tail Al: That is a command, got it.
Charlie: Ok, come wiv me Slimy I got an idea.

Charlie: So ‘ow’s that boss, now he’s smelling nice and sweet ain’t ‘e.
Slimy: Cough, cough, cough -
Long Tail Al: Well ‘es soaking wet, What d’ya do wiv ‘im?
Charlie: Just picked ‘im up with me teeth and threw ‘im in the fountain outside the church. So now ‘e ‘ad to ‘ave a wash didn’t ‘e.
Slimy: That weren’t fair Charlie – your bigger than me.
Charlie: And smell a lot better as well don’t I
Long Tail Al: Will you two stop arguing. We’re going to a peace making session and there ain’t gonna be any peace if we can’t be nice to each other, can there.
Slimy: But we ain’t never been nice with each other.
Long Tail Al: Who took ya in when ya was all alone in the sewers cause yr muvver ‘ad run off wiv a Siamese.
Slimy: Yer, well I suppose you ‘ave looked after me all these years.
Charlie: So can we get going, otherwise I might start getting all sentimental.
Long Tail Al: Oh and Charlie, there’s gonna be a few ladies at this meeting so I expect ya to be on your best behaviour. They’re not the sort of ladies you meet on the roof tops.
Charlie: But mind you there are some nice bits of fur out there in the country.
Long Tail Al: Wot ‘ave I done to deserve such morons as a gang?

Mr. Grey’s thoughts: So they’re all meeting for a peace conference this evening. If I had had my way it would have been a declaration of war. Big Tom’s villa is going to be empty and will have no guards when he is at the conference, so I could sleek in and take it over. I still have some best quality cat nip left from the time I was cheated out of my inheritance from Big Tom. If I can manage to get near to the country cats, without being noticed, on their way to the meeting, I could perhaps entice Tabby away as she is quite fond of cat nip and hold her as hostage in Big Tom’s villa. Then they will have to surrender to my demands. Especially as I now know that she is Long Tail Al’s daughter.

Reservoir Cats - 12

Fluffy: What’s that strong smell around here?
Nera: Wash your whiskers and then it will get better.
Bobinette: Don’t’ be so cheeky with your little brother. And I can smell it too.
Fluffy: Nera, when it rains you don’t smell so good either. Are you telling me that my whiskers smell.
Nera: Well, you always have your nose in the butter that Mrs. Human gives you in the morning when she has her breakfast. Ok, I take my comment back, but it really does smell around here, something like the river but stronger.
Tabby: I’ve got it – its like sewers. If you go to town you can smell it sometimes when you are around the town cats.
Nera: But we don’t have any sewers
Bobinette: Which means there must be a town cat nearbye.
Fluffy: Ok I will have a sniff, just follow me. I have the best sense of smell around here since I can’t see anything any more.
Bobinette: We are behind you keep going.
Fluffy: It seems to be getting stronger at the back of this tree.
Tabby: And what do we have here. A long brown haired cat that goes by the name of Slimy, I believe.
Slimy: Keep yr nose out of my fur otherwise I’ll send Long Tail Al after ya.
Nera: We don’t have any intention of sticking our noses into your fur – never know what’s living in it.
Bobinette: Just explain what you are doing hiding behind that tree.
Slimy: I was just taking a rest after the long walk from town.
Nera: I don’t think we believe that. Bobinette fetch Romeo, he will have a few better ideas of what to do with this strange creature.
Slimy: I didn’t come ‘ere to be insulted from you lot. Long Tail Al told me to bring a message to Big Tom, but as I didn’t find Big Tom I thought I would have a sit down a rest before going further.
Romeo: What have we got here for a specimen. It does smell a bit strong – is it a cat.
Slimy: Now I’ve ‘ad enuf. Can I go and see this Big Tom geezer or not. I ‘ain’t got all day.
Romeo: Come with me, but have a good lick first. Big Tom doesn’t like smelly cats visiting his villa.
Slimy: Ok, I wouldn’t want to annoy Big Tom now would I? Ha ha
Romeo: And if you carry on speaking in that disrespectful was about our gatto di tutti gatti, we will give you more than a lick to help, might even start sharpening our claws on your fur, although by the look of your fur it hasn’t been groomed for the last couple of years.
Slimy: Do you mind, I always have a good lick and comb on me birfday or if I ‘appen to find a nice lady cat to ‘ave a spin wiv.
Bobinette: Well I suppose there are all tastes, but I somehow don’t think I would fancy a “spin” with this one.
Big Tom: What’s all this noise about and this terrible smell. Seems like the farmers have been doing their annual manure spray on the fields.
Romeo: It’s a town cat that wants to speak to you capo.
Big Tom: I seem to be getting a lot of visitors from town lately. What’s you name and your business?
Slimy: Slimy is me name mate, and Long Tail Al said I should let ya know that ‘e might be interested in a meeting wiv ya round a deserted mouse hole. It would suit ‘im tonight at midnight. Sort of sort things out between us all.
Big Tom: And how comes that Long Tail Al has suddenly had ideas about having a cat talk. I thought he was all for a big fight and taking things over.
Slimy: Well, to admit, ‘e was, but after finking fings over ‘e reckoned we should sit down first of all and see if we could avoid any big cat fight.
Big Tom: Ok, we meet at the third mousehole on the left from the rive bank which is just on the border of town and country.
Slimy: There is one condition. Me boss said that Tabby ‘as got to be there as well.
Big Tom: And why has Tabby got to be there.
Slimy: Me boss says ‘e finks you know why. Somefing about family business.
Big Tom: I will come with Nera, Bobinette and Tabby. Romeo will also accompany me, and our guarda gatto will also be nearby. Who will be accompany Long Tail Al?
Slimy: Well I’ll be there, the boss is lost without me. Sort of an advisor I am. One Eyed Fred and ‘is moll Gladys is coming as well as Charlie. Our black paw gang will also be at a distance as a guard. What ya fink?
Big Tom: Ok, but one false move from Long Tail Al and his days as chief gangster cat in town are over. If anything happens to me my cats will go on a vendetta that your cats in town will never forget. The gatto nostra knows no pardon when the capo di tutti capi is attacked. Capisci?
Slimy: Yer, well, we ain’t exactly softies either.
Big Tom: Romeo – take this smelly cat back to the road to town and tell him to have a good lick before he comes to the meeting tonight.
Romeo: Vieni stinky, sorry Slimy, it’s time to go home.
Slimy: Ok, I can find me own way, just follow the path I took to get ‘ere.

Bobinette: Probably he can smell the way home.
Tabby: Perhaps all he needs is a couple of weeks holiday in country.
Nera: Are you going to move over to make room for him in your bed.
Tabby: You just have to have a bit of understanding for the town cats. I mean cat is just cat, they have a different food choice to us, more rats than mice, and they live more inside than out. I mean when we climb trees, they go on roof tops.
Nera: Sounds like you have a lot of sympathy for the town cats.
Tabby: Well, you just have to accept them as they are, really.
Bobinette: Tabby, Big Tom wants to have a few words with you.

Big Tom: Tabby, As you know we are having a meeting with Long Tail Al and some of his cats this evening and you will be accompanying us, but there is something I have to tell you before we meet.
Tabby: Something important?
Big Tom: On the evening when your mother left Nera’s father, she met another cat on the way home. She took quite a fancy to him and it was mutual, so she eventually had two kittens.
Tabby: You mean that Nera isn’t my sister.
Big Tom: Well, she is, but as it happens with our females they often have kittens that do not look like each other because, well, hem, hem, er they might have two different fathers.
Tabby: And you mean my father was this other cat she met on the way home.
Big Tom: Yes, Tabby, it was Long Tail Al.

Reservoir Cats - 11

Gladys: Hello, you must be Tabby
Tabby: And who are you – look like one of those cats from the town – and how do you know my name?
Gladys: Oh, I know everyone’s name here. Yes, I am from town and would like to speak to Big Tom
Tabby: Nera, Bobinette (hissss) there’s a pregnant cat here wanting to speak to Big Tom
Nera: Tabby, please keep your miaow down, Grey’s ears might be listening and where does she come from.
Gladys: I am Gladys, wife of One Eyed Fred and spokeswoman for the feminine feline cat union in town. I have to speak with Big Tom under four cat's eyes about our future, which doesn’t seem to be such a good one at the moment, thanks to that renegade son of Big Tom called Mr. Grey.
Bobinette: I will send a cat message to Big Tom via Romeo and let ‘im know you want to speak with ‘im. Please rest until Romeo arrives, must be exhausting walking from town, it was funny that we didn’t notice you came.
Gladys: I took the road along the river – you country cats never keep watch on that cat path, that is one of the reasons that I must speak to the Gatto di tutti Gatti.
Romeo: Vieni, vieni, Did you call me Bobinette – I am always at your disposal
Bobinette: Romeo you are such a charmeur sometimes. ‘Ow can I resist you. ‘ere is a female cat from town and she wants to speak to Big Tom.
Romeo: Have you searched her. We have to be careful these days.
Nera: Romeo I think you are overdoing it a bit. She has told us who she is and I don’t think she is hiding any claws anywhere. She is also expecting kittens, so I do not think she would plan to attack us on her own.
Gladys: No, I come in peace, but must speak to Big Tom first of all. I want to stop this cat war before it begins, and also in the name of the ladies in town.
Romeo: Please follow me. Nera and Bobinette you may come as well, but Tabby you stay here with you piccolo brother Fluffy to keep an eye on this part of our territory. Fluffy is blind, but he is sometimes more awake that you are Tabby.
Tabby: Typical – always riding around on me, the best cat scout you have. I always know where the best cat nip is, and in town I find my way around with no problem. Sometimes I feel like half of me belongs in town.
Bobinette: I wonder why?
Romeo: So come now ladies, but be careful, I don’t want to have a birth on the way.

Big Tom: One of my guards said he saw you coming. Who is the lady with you. Looks like she will soon be mother – hopefully not another one of those females that wants to put the blame on me. They all want to give birth to the son of the gatto di tutti gatti – I really must be irrestible sometimes.
Gladys: I would like to talk to you alone. I have something to say. You can trust me, I have no hidden claws and my condition does not allow me to start being catty.
Big Tom: Ok, then leave us alone – consigliere Romeo, just stay outside the door in case.
So little cat mother, what do you have to say to me.
Gladys: First of all, you may have noticed that I am not talking like the town cats. I only do that when I am living there. I am a “sleeper” and have been for the last years. The Kitty cat Club sent me to this part of the world. I have been living here and am accepted by all the cats in town, have even risen to the position of first honourable mother of the feminine feline cat union.
Big Tom: Just a minute not too fast. You are a “sleeper”, that means you have been living undercover until you are called for from one of the top cats in the Kitty cat club.
Gladys: Yes, and now I have had news by cat message from our best cat in England (who owns a human) that I am to awake and put things right here. I was able to organise the female cats in town to support me. We are often to be found in the local town hall, where we have our meetings and listen carefully to the words the humans say in their meetings. Not very intelligent, but their ladies sometimes have good ideas. We noticed that the lady humans organise themselves quite well, to make sure they have time for their own private lives, so we lady cats have followed the example and have organised ourselves, although that is not the reason why I am here, but partially.
Big Tom: Go on – I am all cat’s whiskers.
Gladys: I have been following the doings of Mr. Grey and your cats here on the orders of our contact cat in England and it is time to make an end to this war talk. I heard you wanted to put your lady cats out in front to attract the male cats from town and put them off of their take over plans. This will not work. Mr. Grey told Long Tail Al that they should take the path along the river as the country cats will not expect to be attacked from this direction. This means that all your female cats will be waiting on the road to town and the tom cats will be standing behind them waiting to attack the remaining cats, but all the cats will be coming along the river and will ambush you from behind.
Big Tom: How do I know that this is true?
Gladys: Ask your ladies Nera Bobinette and Tabby if they noticed me coming. I also took this path.
Big Tom: So what do you suggest.
Gladys: I cannot tell you how to fight a cat war, such a gatto di tutti gatti knows the answer to this. I just ask myself whether you really have to fight. Why not meet Long Tail Al in the area between town and country and talk things over. Myself and my lady friends in town have no interest in sending our sons, and even daughters, into a war that brings only pain and trouble to us all.
Big Tom: And how do you think that Al is going to take to this idea. He is not the sort of cat to sit down with at a mouse hole and hold discussions with.
Gladys: It might be an idea if you send a message and invite him and tell him that his son, Tabby, will also take part in the discussion.
Big Tom: You know everything Gladys, could use you myself in the country. Such an intelligent feminine cat.
Gladys: I havn’t come to that part yet. I might be a “sleeper” but I want something out of this as well. If you reach a peace treaty with Al, I would like to have my next litter of kittens in the country. This would be a sign of peace. I would also like that my husband Fred also lives here - as you know kittens grow up where they are born. It would build a bridge between the country cats and town cats. Fred has been such a good husband, and I now have him so well trained that he even looks after the kittens when I have more important business to do.
Big Tom: And I suppose we have to start having exchange holidays for the cats in the town and country as well. You lady cats can really be catty sometimes. However, the idea is not so bad. I think you should now be getting back to town, otherwise you might be missed from your one Eye Fred. Romeo, show the lady out and accompany her to the borders of our territory.
Romeo: Will do capo.

Long Tail Al: Slimy where’s that Gladys gawn to. Ain’t see ‘her all day. Meetings don’t go that long, all the other ladies are already at ‘ome.
Slimy: Well, I suppose it ain’t no good asking Fred, ‘e seems to be busy looking after the family these days.
Long Tail Al: Slowly I’m asking who’s in charge ‘ere. Gladys or me.
Gladys: Did I ‘ear me name mentioned.
Long Tail Al: Yer, What’s all these funny ideas your telling everyone around ‘ere about we men doing ‘ousework and playing baby sitters to the kittens while you women go on meetings and fings like that.
Gladys: I took a walk in the country and meet a few cats there. Also had a few words with Big Tom.
Long Tail Al: Yer did wot? If you wasn’t one eyed Fred’s moll, I’d ‘ave for me evening meal.
Gladys: Big Tom said ‘e would like to ‘ave a cat talk wiv yer before you start tearing fur out of each other and I fink that would be a good idea. We ladies don’t want to send our sons and daughters to some useless war that no-ones gonna win really.
Long Tail Al: And wot makes yer fink that I’ll be turning up on a cat talk with that Italian gigolo up there on the ‘ill.
Gladys: Well, it seems that your first born son Tabby lives up there on the ‘ill with that gigolo as well and ‘e will be at the conference.
Long Tail Al: Me first born son is living with ‘is muvver somewhere in a village down the river.
Glady: No ‘e ain’t. ‘She met ya on the way ‘ome from ‘er long haired black boyfriend. That’s why she ‘ad a black cat and a tabby cat wiv black stripes and a red tummy. The same colour red as you are Al. Tabby’s been living wiv ‘is sister all ‘is life in the country. ‘E don’t even know that you’re ‘is dad.
Long Tail Al: Gladys do you ‘ave connections wiv the Kitty Cat Club. I mean, I ain’t as stupid as you fink. No-one finds out stuff like that without ‘aving some sort of secret source of information.
Gladys: I ain’t saying nuffing more. You’re the boss, so its your decision.
Long Tail All: Slimy, Come’ere. I got a mission for ya. Like to breave some country air?