Rip Van Phantom
And so at last I stagger, blinking into the sunshine, fumbling for my tricorn and wondering what the hell happened to Greenwich in the last seven weeks. When I had to stop posting it was chilly, dark and wet. Suddenly it’s hot, sunny and drying out at an alarming rate. Stuff has happened. I mean – blimey, stuff has happened. What a time to be out of action, but hey – sometimes we don’t get to choose.
It’s going to take a little while to get back into the swing of a Greenwich I hardly recognise – more akin to a high security prison than a town, but curious, yes, curious. Park closed, stadium built, gantries straddling Romney Road, cable car straddling the Thames, Stonehenge decamped to the peninsula; Dutch people to decamp there too. I don’t think the two are related.
And everywhere I look there’s festive stuff happening. Flags, which when Rip Van Phantom fell asleep, were all of the union variety, and banners that were of the Royal Greenwich persuasion, are suddenly the pastel shades of 2012. Shows, comedy, dance, torch-running and, let’s face it, some just plain weird shit is going on. Spanish people doing giant illuminated puppetry
French people doing – well, I’m still not quite sure what they were doing but it appeared to translate as The Voyage of Wet Dreams and there was a large ejaculation of foam at the climax.
Thank you to everyone who’s been in touch over the last seven weeks – I’m not sure how long it’s going to take to deal with the literal hundreds of emails and, I apologise in advance, a whole load of stuff, especially the dozens and dozens of events that are going on just now, has already/ will have been and gone. Issues ditto. I will get round to it – but it may take some time.
In the meanwhile, I’m back. It’s been a very strange time for me – but looking at what Greenwich has become, it has been for everyone. And given the whole Olympic thing kicks off in less than a week, my strange time is nothing to what it will be…
the attachments to this post:
cable car
voyages des aquareves 2
park low
prometheus low
blue prometheus low
Welcome back
He’s back….praise be!!!
Welcome back, Phantom!
Glad to see you back
Very glad to have you back with us.
Welcome back Rip Van Phantom! I loved this post and even more delighted you’re back!
Welcome back. We’ve missed you. x
Welcome back and indeed I hope you are well. I checked this page every day to wait for you to make another post. Will be good to get the gossip from you again.
Welcome back Phant – you were truly missed.
Welcome back Phant! You HAVE been missed!
So glad that you’re back Phantom.
Fantastic to have you back – we’ve missed you!
Greenwich hasn’t been the same without you. They can’t even get the traffic running properly – chaos this morning near the station with new one-way system. Welcome to Fortress Greenwich…
Great to have you back!
Great to have you back – I’ve missed your posts but you are already on top form with the comments on the French display!. Life happens but I do hope that you are OK.
Two great things…………
there is a strange golden orb re-appeared in the sky AND the Phantom is back. Hurrah, natural order has been restored.
Welcome back. You have both been missed!
Thank f…Phantom for that. Ur back!
Welcome back. Just in time to enjoy (?) the Olympics in Greenwich Park.
Talktalk have mucked up my e-mail system and I have had to create a new e-mail address (herewith) a new password (secret) and reconstruct a 150 name address book. Talk
talk “lost” the lot.
Neil
@ OfInterestLawyers
Rumour has it that the Phant is of the feminine gender….
@Capability Bowes
I saw someone taking pictures of anchors once. Said photos then appeared on here. It was definitely a bloke.
The Phantom is back….so all is right with the world.
Welcome back!!! You have been missed
Rumours abound that it’s a bloke, a woman, a husband and wife team….
Anyway – welcome back TGP.
yay… this is like the day the Henry Moore statue reappeared. Welcome home, Phantom, be ye male, female, incorporeal or earthly.
So glad that you haven’t been exorcized away from your old haunts. May I add myself to the list of Fan-toms saying welcome back.
So happy to have you back, Phantom!
Hurrah! So glad you’re back – it’s not been the same without your words of wisdom.
Welcome back- you were much missed
She’s back….praise be!!!
Welcome back!!
I thought it read R.I.P. phantom… so pleased that I got that wrong. And besides, ghosts can’t die. Can they?
Welcome back TGP!!!
Save us!
So glad to have you back.
Heavens – I feel quite overwhelmed – thanks, folks! Not sure I can save any of us but we can at least all go together…
welcome back – made my day – hope everything is OK!
Welcome back – you’ve been sorely missed !
(Sorry for the late response, I’ve been in hospital for a spot of surgery).
Yes, a hearty Woo hoo!