BS: Happy Birthday, Skipjack K8

Subject: BS: Happy Birthday, Skipjack K8
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 04:55 PM

Oh what a wonderful day it was in my hometown! The snowdrops in my garden were out in full force, the first croci (crocuses?) sent their scouts throug the dry grass, and the first squadron of homecoming cranes crossed shouting the sky. It was sunny, and not "the clanging arch of steel grey march" I thought. And as I remembered this line again in the evening, I just remebered also: England, North Lincolnshire, and the priory at Barrow - Greg! So I hope my felicitations are coming in just in time.
A HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, DEAR SKIPJACK K8!

P.S. Since it is the time of Lent I won't say a word about drinks and bumpers.

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Birthday, Skipjack K8
From: gnu
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 04:58 PM

Yo, Greg! Fuck Lent!

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Birthday, Skipjack K8
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 05:02 PM

Many Happy returns you old absentee you.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Birthday, Skipjack K8
From: gnu
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 05:04 PM

Sorry. That was crass. It's just that I am aware of your penchant for rough sex and I got tied up in that theme.

Happy Bday! Have a ball.

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Birthday, Skipjack K8
From: skarpi
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 05:31 PM

A HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU Enjoy ,

kv Skarpi

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Birthday, Skipjack K8
From: Eric the Viking
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 05:43 PM

And though a bit late in the day, Happy birthday old friend. Hope you are still swimming and not sinking.

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Birthday, Skipjack K8
From: Leadfingers
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 07:12 PM

Greetings of the Day Greg - Long time no see!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Birthday, Skipjack K8
From: katlaughing
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 01:03 AM

Late here, too, but best birthday wishes all the same! Hope you had a great day!

kat

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Birthday, Skipjack K8
From: ossonflags
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 03:01 AM

Happy birthday dear boy , from us in 'ulls latin quarter

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Birthday, Skipjack K8
From: freda underhill
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 03:15 AM

happy birthday from Sydney, SKJ8, I hope your day was wonderful!

best wishes

freda

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Birthday, Skipjack K8
From: bfdk
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 04:07 AM

Oh man, I thought about it on Friday, 'must remember', and then still managed to forget on the day.. So sorry, Skippy!

Hope you had a cracking Birthday with family and friends!

A big hug,

Bente

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Birthday, Skipjack K8
From: mouldy
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 04:19 AM

...and from me too!

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Birthday, Skipjack K8
From: GUEST,Zen
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 05:44 AM

All the best Greg... long time no see!

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Birthday, Skipjack K8
From: My guru always said
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 08:55 AM

Hope you're keeping up the traditional of baking your own cake Greg! Have a Good One!
Hil x

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Birthday, Skipjack K8
From: jacqui.c
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 09:32 AM

Belated happies to my Champagne Santa.

Live long, die happy.

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Birthday, Skipjack K8
From: SINSULL
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 09:34 AM

Happy Birthday a little late.
Hopw you enjoyed it.
Did it include colored condoms and champagne?

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Birthday, Skipjack K8
From: Catherine Jayne
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 10:29 AM

Happy Birthday Greg, hope you had a grand day.

Love
Khatt x

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Birthday, Skipjack K8
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 05:02 PM

Forgot you shared Maddie's birthday. Hope it was a good one.

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Birthday, Skipjack K8
From: InOBU
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 05:23 PM

HAPPY GREG DAY! PUT A BIG MACK IN YOUR TANK FOR GREG FOLKS!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Birthday, Skipjack K8
From: John J
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 06:57 PM

Happy Birthday from me and me Mum!

JJ

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Birthday, Skipjack K8
From: Severn
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 07:53 PM

Happy Birthday!

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Birthday, Skipjack K8
From: Skipjack K8
Date: 05 Mar 09 - 05:18 PM

Crikey, I have been a stranger to myself for many a long month now, and it was only firing a long overdue message off to Bente and her reply that alerted me to this lovely thread.

It didn't surprise me that my dear friend Wilfried was the culprit wot started it, the grand fellow holds the copyright! Much appreciated, old friend, and a very poetic catalyst that made you think of me. Then reading down, sharing memories of each poster, mostly well met, bar kat and freda, whom I shall meet one day, not to mention my cyberbrother gnu, all happy memories of great music and craic. Thank you all for chiming in to make an absentee feel homesick.

It was the big one, too, two score years and ten, and I celebrated it just the way I wanted to, on my beloved Essex marshes. I crashed a dear friend's 70th birthday party at lunchtime and met friends I haven't seen in a couple of decades, then two of my lovely sisters organised a tea party for me on my boat, and I rounded off the day watching 'Saving Grace' on the marine DVD player, a wonderful stress-free day.

I owe you all a few words about what has kept me away. It has simply been the most acute lack of time as I tried to save my business. The dark forces started to gather as early as September 2007, when the Pound started its dramatic decline against the euro, and I had masses of currency unsecured. It got significantly worse a year ago with a catastrophic quality claim by a customer, and the third leg was the virtual collapse of biodiesel production in Europe. I can't really blame the credit crunch apart from at the end, when I couldn't secure further lending, so in December, it all came tumbling down, and we called the administrators in. What followed were far and away the worst two months of my life so far, and I have yet to face the creditors meeting.

Still, looking on the bright side, every biography one reads usually has a monumental bankruptcy in it and the subject recovers, I've finally had a taste of life on the dole after missing out on the recessions of the 70s,80s and 90s and I have just slid down the longest snake on the board to find a ladder waiting a few squares further on. I am now working for an old mate, running the organic soya processing plant that Oakley built me last summer, so I am back in gainful employment and have managed to shed half the personal debts of the train wreck of the business.

The bad news is that I am still hard at the grindstone, and have literally no time to open anything other than the increasing deluge of work emails, so I can't imagine I will return to regular posting here soon, much as I would like to, or indeed even have the choice to!

Take care, y'awl.

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Birthday, Skipjack K8
From: GUEST,Sorch
Date: 05 Mar 09 - 05:54 PM

How sad. Give Jane and the kids my regards please.

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Birthday, Skipjack K8
From: gnu
Date: 05 Mar 09 - 06:14 PM

Take care yerself, Greg.

Subject: RE: BS: Happy Birthday, Skipjack K8
From: Noreen
Date: 06 Mar 09 - 07:49 AM

((((Greg))))