Lay in a Course, Mr Chekov.

Had I not been a Knight, what could I have been? We make choices that set the course of our lives and this choice denies us that other one. I couldabeen a human factors scientist in my middle years.  I came to Oz with that intent: to work on aircraft design. But as touched upon in the last discussion in this place of Ales and tales, the aircraft bizzo was packing up.

But science, aviation, cosmology, exploration, adventure, machines that fly are all deep in my soul and remain in abeyance. I am relegated in my sunset years to observing rather than doing.

I spent many a year telling pilots where to go. Yea, even unto correcting Navigators who needed a fix. But that was with my feet on the ground and my backside in a swivelling chair.  I could see a very long way. Not so much now, but....  as now, I could not see as far as some.

I saw this chap coming though, and had a pint waiting for him.

A facinating chap - although he looked anying but -  dropped in to tickle my fancies and entertain with a superbly informative and so very well delivered talk in the bars. 

I am busy right now wiping tables (someone has to do it) so I shall let Mr Paul Shillito take it from here and expand your minds.

If you like maths and science and space, be like the crew of the Enterprise and thoroughly enjoy.

Pull your own ales. I am out there somewhere.

Pax