The road to Augusta

 So after more than two years of trying, Cookie and I are in Atlanta ready for the golfing adventure of a lifetime.

Goodness me though it was still a nightmare!!

Firstly hurdle was the lateral flow test to be taken within a day of travel and needed to be observed. The lady operative was great but Zoom went down or froze during the test sending me into a panic! We got there in the end and my six day isolation justice as I was negative. It was the most stressful thing I had experienced since leaving work

So off to the airport  where the first senior moment kicked in. It was 10:15 and the board showed the Atlanta flight gate had already closed. More panic until the Virgin girl pointed out I was going to New York and onward from their!!

Second senior moment as Cookie rang to say he had got to the airport and forgotten his tickets passport and vouchers and was now going back to meet his wife half way with said items. Would he make it back in time?

Next challenge was that my ticket would not let the check-in desk allocate me luggage. That got sorted as apparently we were booked on three NY to Atlanta flights later that day.

Cooke arrived in time and we settled into the flight. After two hours there was a medical emergency but luckily we were too far out to turn back but more pleasing was that the passenger did not need resuss.

We landed fine. She was taken off by medics and we gigot to homeland security. I get the red light so get whisked off to the naughty boys step for a 45 minute watch and wait. Still don't know why but given we had a 6 hour stop over it killed some time!!

So after that all the other delays were routine, and 20 hours later we got to the hotel. So let's see how the golf goes today!!

The Birkdale Divot

Golf party's continued over the last few weeks, with the Royal Birkdale dinner on Friday. Some clubs have traditions which they continue to uphold at these events. Woolton for example always serve pheasant at their St Andrews dinner, and Formby always have the first cut of the local asparagus crop at their dinner in May.

As far as Birkdale are concerned, there always have the Birkdale Divot on the menu. In the past this has been a stuffed mushroom about the size of a child's hand, but this year it was served as a canapé  in the pre-dinner drinks reception.

At dinner I sat next to the ex-Captain who presented Mark O'Meara with the Claret Jug at Birkdale in 2000, and a gentleman who imported fruit into the uK. While he is long retired, his son still runs the business. One of the speakers at the dinner was the Lady Mayoress of Sefton. She was short and sweet, as was her speech. The new Birkdale Captain spoke well, and then it was left to the Captain of the R & A to say a few words. The poor man is a farmer from Fife, and not a natural when it comes to public speaking. May he be like a good wine and improve with age.

Next week is the final formal away day as it is the Leasowe dinner, then follows my farewell event on the Saturday.  The year group have a gathering at Royal Liverpool on 18th March and my final day in office finished on 19th at about 4pm. Two long but very enjoyable years then come to an end and normal service can be resumed!!

I managed to fit a birthday into the last week somewhere and have recollection of happy birthday being sung a few times. Tempus Fugit.