Peter Muller Signs copies of his novel in Cornwall

Whilst working with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in Cornwall I was both Operations Manger of the coastguard station and involved with surveying and inspecting ships. A journey to Truro on July 1st 2023 meant I could sign a few copies of my novel and meet up with two old friends and colleagues. Sue Nelson who has already been mentioned on my web page was the first woman to become a full time coastguard, having moved to Falmouth from the Orkney Islands as a shift supervisor. Post retirement, she undertakes work with the charity Shelter Box. Mike North was another old colleague who was latterly based in Cornwall. He too has had an interesting career. He was not only one of my instructors at the coastguard training centre, but was also one of my examiners! Since retiring from the coastguard Mike has become an anglican priest.

Both were waiting at Truro Railway Station when my train arrived bang on time. Sue suggested we should have lunch at Truro Museum’s cafe. It offers a no fuss service and a very tasty fare. Once settled at our table and before our food arrived, I was presented with a carrier bag containing books to sign. I had even remembered to bring my fountain pen with me, showing off the pen’s original receipt. It had been purchased at the ‘Pen Shop’ in Gatwick Airport’s North terminal while I was waiting for a night flight to Pakistan. I had temporarily been seconded to the United Nations as part of a small technical mission, following the grounding and subsequent breaking up of a large and laden oil tanker that had been entering the port of Karachi.

The cafe’s staff kindly let us linger and reminisce. By the time we left, both Mike and Sue needed to give their respective dogs attention. When eventually returning home from a long and enjoyable trip, I was boisterously greeted by Ziggy, my own canine companion!

Long train journeys work wonders with my creative writing skills and in this case, the trip was an ideal opportunity to work on my new novel. As a bonus, I even managed to sell a copy of Farewell Chapelon to a fellow passenger!

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