Nine hours sleep! Thanks, gerbils (and antihistamine) (and an hour on the water watching the swallows skim over the surface).
I'm drinking my tea out of a mug with a picture of a clipper landing on water.
There was a funny interlude while we ate our meal in the new glass-walled dining room the hotel had added since I was there last. Slightly above the level of the car park, so good for people watching. An elderly man passed by and I suddenly realised it was a priest friend, and exclaimed, so we all discussed his forthcoming 60th anniversary of ordination celebration. Then over the next 20 minutes or so other priests walked or tottered out and got into their cars. Then a very doddery one with a couple of companions who helped him transfer from a wheelchair. I watched a vaguely familiar rather taller lanky 'young' man folding and stowing the chair in the car and wondered where I knew him from - then he unfolded himself and turned round, and it was our bishop. Obviously a lunch had happened.
And then there was the menu we were given when we arrived (limited but adequate, turkey or salmon, ice cream or apple tart), which included a little printed message. I don't know what they thought an 'over 60s bus trip' involved, but all the staff combined in offering us their sincere sympathy.
Much hilarity. And tbf, if we were a post-graveside funeral gathering we would probably have appreciated it.
Marie, if you ever are in a position to go to the museum, it's mostly very wheelchair friendly - the clipper would be had to get into, but everywhere else was accessible - there was even a lift to get you up to the rooftop viewing platform (excellent linkage to present-day war, with Aughinish aluminium plant only a mile away, a contrast to the beautiful green countryside sloping down to the wide estuary). Lots of space everywhere, all very clean and well kept.