Whatever it is I was planning on writing a light-hearted blog today entitled "My Two Left Feet."
But then I changed my mind when I found out the name of the man who died in a house fire which gutted his cottage in Damgate Street in Wymondham over the weekend.
I was on my usual Monday walk with cousin Belinda. I walk the two and a half miles to her house and then we pop into Wymondham for a coffee and scone at the Courtyard Cafe. Over the weekend we heard that a man had died in a fire in the town centre.
"Apparently he was well known as a character in Wymondham. His name was Peter something or other," Belinda said.
It didn't ring a bell with me. I know a few people in Wymondham but not that many. Later in the day I happened to be glancing at the EDP24 web site when I saw a photograph of the fire victim and immediately recognised him
It was Pete Green who was the town crier but I remember him from an article I wrote for the Eastern Evening News (now the Norwich Evening News) over 45 years ago. In those days Pete was a bit of a hippy and an astrologer (that's one who foretells fortunes etc) rather than an astronomer who studies the stars.
I remember vividly a group meeting at Pete's house which I believe was somewhere in the Unthank Road area of Norwich. It was called Headless and the idea was something along the lines that people feeling insecure about their looks etc should pretend that they didn't have a head and that nobody could see their head. Ok I know what you are thinking but this was the 1970s when this kind of thing was all the rage. I know I wrote an article on it.
Point was Pete constructed birth charts for people. He was so pleased with my article that he offered to do my birth chart as a thank you. I gave him the date and time of my birth and he started constructing the chart. Bear in mind he had only met me for a few hours and didn't really know anything about me, although of course he knew I was a journalist by trade.
He came back to me and said he wasn't going to give me the chart because something didn't feel right about it. He asked me to check my birth details. This I did only to find out that whilst I had got the date right, the time I had given him was wrong by about 12 hours. This he told me made all the difference and so he re-did the chart and said it had been an interesting exercise for him to see what a difference that 12 hours made.
I kept that birth chart and have it to this day. A lot of it is pretty indecipherable to somebody not versed in astrology. But the following is the essence of that chart with my comments in brackets.
I wonder of anyone who knows me would like to tell me whether they feel these comments are spot on or wide of the mark. This is what he said.
The initial effect is of a well integrated personality and one with the tendency to act at all times under a consideration of opposing views, through a sensitiveness to contrasting possibilities. (I like this section as I always endeavour to weigh up all sides of an argument before making a decision. Sometimes I believe I do this too much and it can become a weakness).
There is strength of will (downright bloody-mindedness some might say), frankness and independence (I would rather say a wish for independence which is at times thwarted), but tempered with caution (how right). There is an addiction to mental and rational interests which strangely contrast with moods of dreaminess and inattention when the mind becomes lost in the world of the imagination. (This is spot on. I daydream a lot, I engender the other man's grass is always greener syndrome and sometimes long for the open road and a farewell to care, but then realise it's probably cold and unpleasant out there anyway).
Despite the outward appearance, there is an underneath deep discontent (covered by my comments above). Personal responsibilities will be heavy and loneliness and depression will arise from lack of reciprocity from others (I have always wanted to please people, be accepted and loved and appreciated for what I am and what I do).
However this can be overcome by the natural desire of the mind to realise self. Personal affairs are approached rationally and coolly and there is a keenness to work at educational or literary pursuits. (This is scarcely a difficult conclusion to make as Pete knew that I was a journalist. Over the years, however, I have become more and more interested in education as is shown by my study for an MA degree at university and also my involvement as a school governor and many other things).
Money is best made by ways to do with art, beauty etc but prosperity will come from a close association i.e marriage or business partnership. Legacies can probably be expected. There is a danger in the desire to become grand through money and possessions and a leaning towards extravagance. (I would question this. I love a nice home and pleasant surroundings but would call myself anything but extravagant).
There is a gentle charm in speech and manner and the mind tends to enjoy friendly discussion, but this can lead to being easily deceived (yes and no here. I am a reasonably out front person who at times tends to be too open).
There is vision and readiness to change old ways but an unwillingness to submit to routine (spot on).
Love tends to be intense, secretive and passionate and is one of the ruling factors of this life (not after 45 years of marriage it doesn't!), but this can be a cause of domestic upsets. There may be some helpful changes in involvement (This report was written about a year before I met my wife).
There is a strong interest in travel (I have been to many countries) but it does not play a major role in the formation of this particular life pattern (This is very true as nearly all my travelling has been on holiday and not business).
Eccentricity is shown in ways of taking care of anybody and some success in psychic or occult investigation (still waiting for the latter).
Pete summed me up as follows:
A gentle, imaginative life, but with deep inner discontent Deep, intense love affairs Ability in the literary arts.
I did meet Pete in Wymondham a couple of years ago and had a chat about the chart. He remembered doing it.
It is a sad ending to an interesting man.