Journal

I often wonder if my tinnitus dates back to hearing early bands like The Who, The Move and, by far the loudest folk-rock band at the time, Fairport Convention.

Their singer in those early days was Judy Dyble, whose voice I loved on tracks like Time Will Show The Wiser and Reno Nevada. But my favourite track on that album was It’s Alright Ma, It’s Only Witchcraft – which made it into my spoof Desert Island Discs, to be found elsewhere on this site.

Sadly, Judy died on 12 July. A decent obituary can be found in The New York Times.

Here’s a WEF Forum blog co-authored by WBCSD CEO Peter Bakker and I, but with huge thanks to Richard Roberts of Volans and Julian Hill-Landolt of WBCSD.

Early this morning, my friend and colleague Zheng Jieying emailed from New Zealand to say that she had taken her copy of Green Swans to the country’s volcanic east coast – and showed them the young volcano Rangitoto, one of the iconic symbols of Aotearoa New Zealand.

As she explained: “The name of Rangitoto in te reo Maori implies the evidence of witnessing something of greatness or significance, such as a volcanic eruption. Seabirds were swirling, their crisp long callings in the cold wind. The dramatic colours of the clouds were as if setting up a stage for a[n …] entrance.. [T]he Green Swan ushered us into a new dawn.”

And now the Green Swans are speaking Spanish.

Interesting to see Major Helmut Wick putting in a fleeting appearance in Simon Pearson and Ed Gorman’s new book, Battle of Britain, on 28 November 1940 (page 132). Leading a JG2 formation of Me 109s. Like our father Tim on 16 August, when Wick shot him down, PO Keith Ogilvie was Top Weaver that day:

“I was Yellow 3 and was weaving merrily behind, keeping an eagle eye above, when I caught a glimpse of three yellow noses in my mirror. They were obviously crack pilots by their tight formation and strategy. I gave the warning and dove as the centre Johnny opened fire on my, and was speeded on my way by a cannon shell up the fuselage and a second through my prop. Returned to base at 16.55.”

As Tim used to say, if you are going to be shot down it may as well be by an ace.

https://johnelkington.com/2020/07/13023/