Greetings

[marshlander]

Hello (again) everyone.

Since Andy was kind enough to include me in his recent e-mailing I thought I would look in and take the opportunity to reacquaint myself with this place. I seem to have joined originally in 2008 although I dropped out and deleted my account because ... well no need to go into all that. I rejoined in 2014 to be able to respond to some messages and seem to have looked in once every two or three years since then.

Professionally I am a self-employed musician/writer/composer whose paid work dried up overnight a couple of months ago. Like the rest of the musical world I have attempted a few online shows, but these don't pay any bills.

I am guessing that many returning folk will remember my partner, Princealbertofb. He still lives in the Alps and I still commute (or I did) between the Fens and the Alps. This month we will have been living in this peculiar manner for seventeen years. The virus chased us across Europe earlier this year. We arrived in Venice to take part in carnevale the day before it all kicked off and parts of Northern Italy were locked down. We escaped Venice one week before the rest of Italy was closed and on our return to France, I went into my first fourteen day quarantine. This meant changing my bookings on the five trains it takes to get back to England. I was away from home for a month. On the day before I was due to travel back to England the French government announced the closure of France the following day at mid-day. More by luck than anything else I managed to get home as planned and went into my second fortnight of quarantine. 

Quarantine is not very different from how I normally live - on a narrowboat most often moored in a very isolated part of the Fens. Social distancing is not something I have to worry about. There are probably only ten people, five dogs and six horses in this square mile or two. My nearest neighbours are fish, moorhens and kingfishers.

That's probably more than enough to be going on with. I can't guarantee being back in very often, but I wish you all well.

marsh

[InbetweenDreams]

Hi March, I don't think I remember you but at any rate welcome back. Glad you were able to get home. That would be quite scary, for me, to get stuck in a country unable to get home. The social distancing aspect for me isn't a huge deal, but not being able to go do normal things. Right now, going to the grocery store is the big thing. I don't know why people in the US flock to toilet paper...maybe bidets will finally catch on...that's another topic.

Be safe and stay healthy.

[marshlander]

Thanks for your welcome, InbetweenDreams. If that's the name you have always used in here I don't think we are acquainted either. I recognise a few of the names of people who have returned and have responded with a couple of direct messages. It may take me a while to get used to the vibe of this forum, since the only other special interest forum I have joined is mainly for keeping in touch with similarly nomadic friends, many of whom live in converted vehicles or, like me, on the waterways - dissidents and outcasts most of us ;-) When I was on here before I posted quite a lot of messages (well into five figures). I shall probably not make that mistake again, although I am setting a bad precedent with two public and two private messages in one day ...

[Woolly]

From your introduction you seem to have a really interesting life. You actually sound really cool. I hope you are safe though and I'm sorry you are affected by the quarantine in this way. Hopefully this forum can help take your mind off things a little bit. Although at least you don't have to worry too much about people nearby.

I'm happy you are here and welcome (back) to gs

[InbetweenDreams]

Thanks for your welcome, InbetweenDreams. If that's the name you have always used in here I don't think we are acquainted either. I recognise a few of the names of people who have returned and have responded with a couple of direct messages. It may take me a while to get used to the vibe of this forum, since the only other special interest forum I have joined is mainly for keeping in touch with similarly nomadic friends, many of whom live in converted vehicles or, like me, on the waterways - dissidents and outcasts most of us ;-) When I was on here before I posted quite a lot of messages (well into five figures). I shall probably not make that mistake again, although I am setting a bad precedent with two public and two private messages in one day ...

I did change my name, it was axle2152.

This particular forum has a pretty good community in my opinion. I'm on several other forums and they just don't have the same feel. Hopefully you'll find that to be true as well.

I don't think there's anything wrong with PM's or whatever....Whatever floats your boat 

[TwisttheLeaf]

I've been having trouble with PMs, but I think it might be just with a specific person having some kind of limit on their account. I hope it sorts out for both of us.

Welcome back!

[marshlander]

Thanks again for your kind messages. I have a great life. So far I have managed to outrun any serious illness, but one doesn't get to my grand old age without a few bumps and scrapes and my earlier years were a bit of a challenge ... I've seen a lot of changes 

[Meebs]

Welcome back!

[marshlander]

Welcome back!

Cheers!

[eastofeden]

Hey Marsh! Long time no see. I am glad you and PA are both good and please say HI for me. I have missed you both. I saved a quote from you on religion years ago - got it somewhere on my old computer - favorite thing I ever read on any message board to this day!