Autumn in Islamlar does not quite bring the sweet sad melancholy that it confers on England. Yes, the leaves are turning russet brown and falling. So too the battered pick ups trundle up and down the mountain with crates of grapes for the co-operative lorry to collect. But a strong sun has shone hard for the whole of September and October bringing temperatures of 25⁰ on average. Only a slight moisture in the air at dusk turns this Englishman’s thoughts towards that line from Betjeman
When melancholy Autumn comes to Wembley
And electric trains are lighted after tea
It is from his poem Harrow-on-the-Hill. A poem which resonates powerfully with me. Particularly, I think, because my miserable boarding school was located (it is closed now) at nearby Bushey. Bushey sits at the end of the Bakerloo Line, the heart of Betjeman’s Metroland. Harrow, Wealdstone, Kenton, Pinner, these names are for me freighted with the melancholy of half term visits, scented with afternoon tea in the Copper Kettle and darkened by thoughts of the imminent return through the iron gates of the Royal Masonic School. Abandon Hope..
The thing about a fairly wretched childhood is that the rest of your life feels like one great adventure. I know several people who had blissfully happy, sheltered childhoods and spend their adult life trying to get back there. Not me!
Talking of happy childhoods, September brought the joy of visits from two of our daughters and their families. Both have newborn sons, Seth and Seb. Or is it Seb and Seth? The scope for confusion is immense. But they are remarkably happy little blighters, with very loving, capable parents. I worry for them.
But now the family have gone. We are reduced to being 2 dimensional grandparents, struggling with video technology until we visit in January (and that is making some assumptions).
Back to our Turkish life then.
75 kilos of Öküzgözü grapes, freshly trampled, fermented and pressed now sit in two glass demijohns. My first tremulous foray in to viticulture and enology (look it up then!) is taking shape. Bottling next.
Around Spring 2021 (may it be better than Spring 2020) the Special and I will assemble with our fellow enologists (like I said..). Together we will pour, with trembling hand, that first glass. Ah vino! Vivacious, venerable, valiant vino! In Vino Veripissed. As the saying goes.
I shall also be busy following up from the Not the Mouse Island Swim. On October 3rd I did my tenth charity swim, with a team of swimmers drawn from local residents and visitors. Despite the fact that we had less participants and had to work under the constraints of social distancing it has been a huge success. We have exceeded our target of raising £5,000 by a further £2,000. In this annus horribilis it feels good to have kept something up.
What a great response. And what a great team of girls and boys in the water. We were graced by 4 WAGs. Ruth, Vicky, Rozie and Holly. All well respected members of Kalkan’s business class aristocracy connected to illustrious names like Villa Eats, Kalkan Concierge, Indigo Beach and Korsan group.
Also in the woman’s camp, bringing some Izmir class, we had the illusory Ilkay Utaş who floats like a butterfly and swims like a bee. Kalkan’s Wonderwoman, Felicity Davie, flew in four days prior then did the whole distance with little training and without getting her hair wet.
In the men’s camp we were well represented by Mystic Healer Solihin Thom, whacky name, whacky guy. Way out in front was Not So Simple Simon, faster than a hungry tuna and nearly as good looking. And me, just happy to be hanging in there.
Our plan is to use the funds raised to replace the ancient, ill functioning airconditioning units at the local school. I have already had an initial discussion at the education office in Kaş.
That visit gave rise to one of those splendidly almost surreal moments. I was asked in to meet the District Governor (Kaymakam) who wanted to thank me and apologise that he was not able to attend the swim due to the Pandemic. Given that Kaş has had four governors in the last three years, I was not holding my breath. But the new Governor impressed me with his charm. He is an Anglophile who has lived in Margate and studied at Canterbury University, where we spent six weeks earlier this year. We had plenty to chat about. This included his favourite Krispy Kreme doughnuts and TK Maxx, which he still misses. Definitely one of those “Only in Turkey” moments.
He pressed a presentation pack of top quality tea from his home town of Rize, the perfect accompaniment to a couple of Krispy Kreme doughnuts. I left also with the impression of somebody with an open mind and some ambition for our wonderful corner of this excellent country.
Let’s hope he is around long enough to make his mark