coup d'tea

Day 9 - Mons to (almost) Exeter

Good morning England! Good morning Harold Hardragar, good morning Bet Lynch, good morning Kelly Holmes, good morning St Julien of Norwich! At 6am this morning, I woke up in Mons, Belgium, now I write you from the Kentish marshland where little Pip met Abel Magwitch! And of course, the sun shines on this weary band of travellers!

The journey we’ve taken this morning is the very same one taken by my Great-Grandfather, of the Devon and Dorset Regiment, after he was sent home honoured with a Victoria Cross for his role in defending a trench against the formations of the Kaiser’s army. Remembering this parallel journey is a huge reminder of how fortunate I am to be in this position, and how delighted I am to be going home! While Great-Grandfather went home to a village bereft of all it’s young men bar one, I have waiting for me the holiest city in Devon, my beautiful wife, and my unborn baby boy. What a huge privilege!

Talking of privilege, it’s been an honour to travel Europe with a band like Crazy Arm. While punkrock becomes evermore apolitical; here is a band that cares more than ever! Darren, Jon, Tim and Simon, and most of all, their ideas deserve your attention

And Seb our driver/ tourmanager/ translator and engineer! He’s made everything so easy for a band who usually find everything hard!

And of The Cut Ups? As we know drive across Wessex, you’ll be reassured to know that Rez is fast asleep, Jack’s looking forward to milk in his tea, and Dan is thinking about the Lion Bar Cereal he bought in France! Xxx

19 January 2011 ·

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• The Cut Ups
• Crazy Arm