Down Time

"You're a 24/7 courier - don't you ever get time off?"  Well, let me correct the presumption implied in that question.  I work for a 24/7 firm; that doesn't mean that the individual drivers work 24/7 ... that would be simply unsafe!  No, the phones are manned around the clock by a team of controllers, and outside of 'normal' office hours a variety of drivers make themselves available - according to their own individual situations and circumstances - for whatever work comes in.

As for me - I tend to be available from waking to bedtime five days a week, and the occasional Saturday when I have nothing else written in my diary (which seems to mean less frequently these days than when I started, full of enthusiasm!)  As a matter of principle, I don't work on Sundays, with a couple of exceptional categories, which are i) to collect a job locally for delivery somewhere on Monday morning, and ii) in case of medical emergency.

So the question remains, 'what do I do with my spare time?'  I guess that's almost - but not quite - the same as 'what are my hobbies?'  One thing I'm looking forward to at the moment is an event that takes place in a couple of weeks' time.  This is the annual gathering to determine the winners of the Eddie Buck Trophy.  It's what we bellringers call a 'Striking Competition.'  That's not a process of hitting each other, but a test of each team's ability to ring the same bells with an even space between the dings and the dongs.  It's (usually) a nice relaxing afternoon in a sunny churchyard, catching up with old acquaintances not seen since last year, or enjoying the company of the friends I see every week.

And then there's the tea!  While we wait for the judges to tot up the marks and compile their report on our various performances, what else is there to do but munch and sip?  A ringers' tea has to be seen to be believed.  There are usually far more sandwiches, with a variety of fillings, than would supply more picnics than would fill a summer, and an equally plentiful provision of (fattening) cakes, too!  And alongside these is an endless supply of tea by the gallon although, since I don't drink tea, I make a nuisance of myself and request coffee.  Once we have all been refreshed, comes the official meeting of the local Ringing Association, highlight of which is the judges' report, and the all-important results.

My team is not normally lucky enough to be among the winning trio.  Once we did come third - but we didn't broadcast the fact that there were only three teams taking part that year!  Our tower captain has been going round with a clipboard collecting the names of those who are willing to take part.  He only needs six, but it's amazing how many are going on holiday, feel they aren't good enough, or are simply unwilling to subject themselves to the ignomy of being beaten (which is virtually certain, since some teams are so good as to win, or nearly so, year after year.)

Win or lose, work will soon come round again!