To begin with I was on the regular 33 bus travelling toward my old college at this current time, and on the way I encountered a number of people who were students with me, on the way to enrol for a further year. They each asked me if I was doing the same. "No" I said, "I am going to join the Navy"
Now if that is not bizarre enough, in the context of the dream I was about to do just that and more, in fact I was about to join the Navy and take immediate command as the Captain of a brand new aircraft carrier.
Now if you follow the link to this blog you will realise that Aircraft Carriers have been in the news lately. Apparently it would cost more to cancel the contract than to build one and mothball it.
Well to continue with the dream theme, I was supposed to report to an airbase to the north of Coventry (no such actually exists) where I would be flown out to take charge of my new ship, and I had got so far as presenting my identity at this fictional airfield, which in my dream more resembled a railway station when the alarm went.
Of course a little over an hour later as it turned I was indeed at a railway station adjacent to an international airport, not waiting for a plane, but a train to London for an NAS Council meeting.
I can't bore you with the details of the meeting, but the outcome of it was, that I was back on the board. Yo ho ho and a bottle of Rum.
I may not be the Captain of the ship, but we are sailing into to stormy waters I think, faced like every organisation and every individual alike with the Government's desire to pull the plug on big spending.
Now the question is, having got back on board me hearties, will I stage a mutiny and make Cap'n Colin walk the plank?
Only in my dreams :) I've got to hand it to Cap'n Colin, he was actually one of my sponsors for election never mind having thrown down the gauntlet on the odd occasion.
In some ways the NAS is a bit like an aircraft carrier, it is huge, too vast to know every knook and cranny on board ship, and difficult to steer as it takes a huge amount of space to turn in, but inspite of that I am glad to be back in there with a chance to influence the direction again. It's a very considerable responsibility not to be taken lightly at all.
