'The best laid schemes o' mice an' men ...

... gang aft a-gley' is a quote from TO A MOUSE by Rabbie Burns, and pretty well sums up how things have gone over the past few days.

When I am on holiday – or when I know that I am going to be particularly busy – I usually write a number of blog entries in advance to cover the period, and then schedule them to be published on days when I will be unable to write one of my normal blog entries. This week was a case in point, so on Monday I wrote two blog entries that were due to appear on Tuesday and Wednesday. The first appeared as planned (my review of Miniature Wargames 438), but I cancelled publication of the second one (which is shown below) when circumstances changed. The reason why will become apparent later.

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WEDNESDAY, 25 SEPTEMBER 2019

A busy couple of days

Today I'm off to central London to attend the annual Hertfordshire Provincial Grand Lodge Meeting, which is being held in Freemason's Hall, Great Queen Street.

I must attend a rehearsal at 11.00am, then have some lunch (hopefully with one or more old friends), and be back to get changed for the meeting, which will take place during the afternoon. As I am required to wear Morning Dress, which includes a black waistcoat and tailcoat as well as striped trousers and my regalia, I have a lot to take with me as I don't intend to travel on public transport in full fig.

(Some years ago, I was walking through Covent Garden in my normal [i.e. regular black jacket not my tailcoat] Morning Dress when I was stopped by two American tourists who asked for directions. They then asked me what it was like to be a butler, as they assumed that only male domestic servants and waiters in top restaurants and hotels wore Morning Dress. They seemed amazed when I told them that I wasn't a butler.)

I am being reappointed Provincial Grand Orator (the official abbreviation for which is ProvGOrat, although the Provincial Grand Master has told me that he prefers me to use ProvGOrator) for a third year, and other than parading in and standing up when I am named, I have little to do all afternoon except watch proceedings before going to the drinks reception and after-meeting dinner in the Connaught Rooms.

On Thursday I'll be back at Freemason's Hall for a much smaller meeting, as we are welcoming a new member into the Holy Royal Arch Chapter of which I am an officer. I have a couple of things to do during the ritual, but other than that, I will be able to sit and enjoy the meeting and the meal that we will eat afterwards ... assuming that I can get the words of the prayer right! (I suffer from a stutter, which I am usually able to disguise, but certain sound combinations cause me major problems ... and the simple prayer that I had to give contains the worst of those combinations!)

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I never made it to either meeting.

On Monday night, and without any warning, I was struck down by norovirus, which is better known as the winter vomiting bug. The symptoms are very unpleasant, and I spent most of Tuesday in bed or in the bathroom. Unfortunately, norovirus remains infectious for 48 hours after the symptoms stop, so although I felt somewhat better by Wednesday, I have been in quarantine until this morning.

As a result, all my plans for this week have 'gang aft a-gley' (gone awry) ... but that – as they say – is life.