North Borneo Cruise Update

Some of you may remember that our daughter Ruthie recenty returned from an amazing cruise round the north Borneo coast, thanks to a very good friend of hers, Casilda Grigg, who had been commissoned to write a piece on this Orion Expedition Cruise for the Spectator. We in turn have commsssioned a short personal account from Ruthie for our Tom’s Barn Blog but this has not yet materialised – she has not been as speedy as Casilda whose splendid article is in today’s Spectator.

Do read her piece! Their trip sounds just the sort of luxury-but-interesting cruise without the cowds that we’d really love too, in theory, not that we are ever likely to be lucky enough to go on one – the ‘starting’ price per person does not even include the flight there and back… The Peak District will happily do for us.

Casilda writes beautifully, and so evocatively; it’s enough to cause writer’s block in anyone with pen in hand (or sitting at a computer keyboard for that matter).  “Keep calm and carry on,” I tell myself as I plug on quietly, trying to remember that at least I am writing, when I do, it is for my own personal pleasure and others’ occasional mild entertainment, not as a highly respected journalist like Casilda Grigg.

John found this rather spendid photo of two Rhinecerous Hornbills, unfortunately not in the wild but in Singapore Zoo which explains the bowl rather conveniently attached to the bough!