London log - A special visit

The British for the most part remind me of some peaceful, gentle folks I knew back in the day in the country.

Yes, I am a countryman, born and bred in St Thomas, and extremely proud of it.

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is, whether it's genuine or not, everyone has been extremely polite and very receptive towards us.

Good old-fashioned manners; you don't see enough of that these days. By the time Ricardo Makyn (The Gleaner photographer) leaves here in the next three weeks, he would have finally learned the value of "Good morning", "Thank you", etc.

Let me share something that got my interest in the local papers.

Bolt statue, big fuss

Seems Usain Bolt's manager, Ricky Simms, annoyed a few folks in the Birmingham City Council, which had erected a life-sized wicker statue of Bolt doing his 'To di World' pose.

The problem, as Simms pointed out, was that Bolt usually points towards the right, while the statue was pointing in the opposite direction.

One City Council representative responded in the paper by stating: "It's just a floral representation. Next you're going to tell me that the face doesn't look like him."

Pretty funny stuff, actually.

I had the best possible end to my evening yesterday, spending it with some of the closest people to my heart. You know, there are moments that you remember and then there are moments that you simply can't forget.

Now, I'm not an emotional person; not even close, but meeting up with my aunt and cousin yesterday during a few free hours gave me a sense of warmth that only heart-tied family can provide. No, I haven't seen the lot for years. In fact, the last time we linked up $50 dollars could have bought you lunch, phone booths were still being used and there was one mobile company - you get the drift.

Nonetheless, we have never been far apart in spirit, and seeing them in the flesh yesterday was a most fulfilling experience.

My aunt Christine and cousin Nashon travelled four hours to pay my colleague and I a visit, encouraged us, shared embarrassing childhood stories and, of course, she wasn't going to leave without praying for us both. Another example of good old-fashioned principles right there. Wished the other cousins were around, but the fellowship, and not to mention the bag of goodies, made for an unforgettable experience.

The goodies also mean that Mr Makyn's corned beef stack can be ignored for a few more days. I'm beginning to wonder if we will ever be able to eat all of them before we leave here in the middle of August.