From the Winter Programme Organiser
A Happy New Year to you! Though personally 1 feel we make a bit too much of this “new” business. Yes, it’s a different number year beginning, but it’s been being on since the year dot , so there’s not much new about the process. And l can’t help casting my mind back to the days of our ancient ancestors, who in 400 B.C. slapped a bit more woad on, and shouted “Hooray” Next year will be 399!”
But now, as my Chairman has reminded me, it is high time I produced my contribution for the new year’s news letter; and it’s no good telling him l’ve had a high old time over Christmas, because he has no time for that sort of excuse. So I’ve had to make time for this, and now I’m going to spend the time writing a few timely words about time, because it’s about time l did.
Now if I asked you “what’s the time ?” you would be able to tell me as soon as you had looked at your watch. But if l asked you; ”What’s time” then that’s completely different. For it’s a strange commodity – in a way something like money; Time is money, they say you can save it, waste it, lose it , take out a mortgage or live on borrowed time. We recognise happy times, good times, bad times, or take your time.
And talking of taking, the wretched miscreant can be given time and so do time.
lf you are of a creative bent and play music, you will keep time; Alice said she used to beat time, but was told off severely by some character through the Looking Glass.
There was a time when I remembered who that was, now l shall have to tell you some other time.
So how to describe it? Like an everlasting stream, the hymn says; is a source of pleasure, or is our master.
And now 1 have run out of time. There is just time to remind you to spend your time on the next two meetings listening to the delights of the Crown Jewels in February, and of Hong King in March.
And l really have no more time. No more time. And if there were really no more time at all ?
Ron Silk