NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Personal note from George: with - Re: When did "time sights" fade away?
From: George Huxtable
Date: 2011 Jul 24, 17:00 +0100
From: George Huxtable
Date: 2011 Jul 24, 17:00 +0100
On July 16, Henry posted a thoughtful and comprehensive attachment about various aspects of the time sight. Bill Morris followed it up by proposing to print out the attachment and fold it into his copy of Lecky, for future readers. This seems an excellent idea, and I will do the same. Henry would be disappointed if I didn't unearth some quibble from his attachment, no matter how trivial. All I could find was the various spellings of St Hilaire (correct), together with Hilarie and Hillarie. ============================ Those concentrating on navigation should switch now to the next message, as what follows in this one is off-topic personal stuff about me, in response to many enquiries, off-list and on, from Navlist members. Their continued friendship, interest and concern are highly regarded, by me. Indeed, Henry recently wrote- "PS: Has anyone heard anything from or about George Huxtable. I do miss the young fellow terribly." Those are kind words which I will treasure. If I have it right, Henry was at sea in the days before WW2, whereas I am 76, so he is fully entitled to regard me as a "young fellow". Those that have got this far will have deduced that I am still around, and reading Navlist postings, if somewhat intermittently. I can only apologise for the delays in responding to those enquiries. Trouble is, my liver is packing up. Back in January, the medics guessed at a life expectancy of six months or so, so by now I'm on borrowed-time. But medicine is far from an Exact Science... I am rather philosophical about the whole business. Anyway, the main consequence is that I have little or no energy. I spend many hours asleep in my armchair, which is hard on my dear wife Joan. Unfortunately, it also keeps me from visiting our 26-ft sailboat "Christina", afloat but neglected at her berth in Poole, 100 miles South of our home. She is now up for sale; £3,000 to a Good Home. I am also aware that intellectually, I have slowed down, and doubt if I could keep up with the cut and thrust that is such a satisfying part of Navlist, particularly when it gets into deeper waters. That's why I have dropped out of Navlist discussions. That situation may change, if I get sufficiently provoked. We'll see. ================== Anyone with the urge to chat with me by phone will (I hope) find that I am still reasonably coherent, with my sense of humour largely intact. Any such calls would be welcomed. ================= There's quite a lot of stuff in the archive from me under the name "George", from the days when I was the only George aboard Navlist. Now we have at least two additional Georges aboard, and it would make sense, if all agree, for them to agree some qualifiers, so that messages simply labelled "George" remain all from me, and their messages are readily distinguished from mine, and each others. If all agree. Yours, George (Huxtable) contact George Huxtable, at george@hux.me.uk or at +44 1865 820222 (from UK, 01865 820222) or at 1 Sandy Lane, Southmoor, Abingdon, Oxon OX13 5HX, UK.