Dateline Monday 8th April 2024

Good morning, happy Monday now that Easter is over normal Monday Morning e mail service has been resumed that is until Monday 6th May when it is May Day bank holiday, Sunday isn’t Sunday for me unless I am at my computer wiring my Monday morning e mail. I hope you had a great Easter bank holiday from a personal point of view I don’t have much to tell you except that since I last wrote to you I was putting something on the top shelf of our very high book shelf at Chez Marks in our Mansion in Marston Close in the leafy lanes of Swiss Cottage London NW6  when I fell off the ladder then tumbled down the stairs coming to a halt on the middle landing, fortunately is didn’t break anything, just got rather bang up and bruised. Once I had realised, I was in one piece I did find it rather absurdly funny, Leyla and Hannah who were both fussing over me as I lay prone on the landing, they could not see the funny side of their Dad on the floor it could have been a lot worse. I kind of knew the ladder gig was not a clever idea. My three girls helped to schlepp me up right, positioned me to the couch which is where I stayed with frozen bags of peas and an ice pack strategically placed, several paracetamols and a cup of tea.

On Tuesday Ramadan ends and Eid Al-Fitr starts, it is the first day of Shawwal, which is the 10th month of the Islamic calendar. To celebrate the completion of Ramadan, Muslims observe one of the two celebratory holidays in the Islamic faith, Eid Al-Fitr. This celebration is a time when Muslims come together in prayer and traditions that vary in families across the world. It's not uncommon for families to buy new clothes, get dressed up, gather together, and give presents or money to each other. If you are celebrating Eid Al Fitr may I take this opportunity to wish you your colleagues family and friends Eid Mubarak", which simply translates as "blessed feast or festival."

It now soap box time, yesterday marked the 6th month of the war in Gaza and the 6th months that Israeli babies, toddles, children, teens, women, men and seniors have been held hostage in the Hamas terror tunnels in Gaza. It seems like there is progress on the Gaza war just as well as soon things will become far more active with Hezbola on the Lebanon Israel border as well as the prospect of the Iranians wanting to take action in retaliation for the bombing of their Embassy in Damascus which incidentally was a viper’s nest of terrorists and I might add that as of this time no entity had claimed responsibility for the attack the Iranians have just assumed it was Israel which I guess is quite a good assumption.

I see from the news that Slovakia had a new President, I must ask Marek and Maros of Enjoy Slovakia DMC if this is a good development.

A total solar eclipse will take place on Monday, April 8, 2024, visible across North America A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby obscuring the image of the Sun for a viewer on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is larger than the Sun's, blocking all direct sunlight, turning day into darkness. Totality occurs only in a narrow path across Earth's surface, with the partial solar eclipse visible over a surrounding region thousands of kilometres wide. The longest duration of totality will be of 4 minutes and 28.13 seconds near the Mexican town of Nazas, Durango, about 6 km north, and the nearby city of Torreón, Coahuila. This eclipse will be the first total solar eclipse to be visible in the provinces of Canada since February 26, 1979, the first in Mexico since July 11, 1991 and the first in the United States since August 21, 2017

Well done to British ultramarathon runner Russ Cook who arrived at Tunisia's most northerly point on Sunday, completing his 352-day mission to run the length of the African continent, Cook, known on social media as the "Hardest Geezer," completed his challenge and raised more than £690,000 ($872,022) for charity for sure a candidate for the Forrest Gump Award.

And dear reader that is about it from a David point of view for this week at least.

MM and Company news update

IMEX Frankfurt May 2024

The build up to IMEX in Frankfurt has started, I have booked my hotel and flight; I have asked our DMCs if they will be attending IMEX so far declare are

Pascal and Enrica of NACARA DMC France they will be there only on the Tuesday.

Stephane of Hello Islands DMC Mauritius will be on the Euromic Stand G500

The J Team DMC Japan will be on the Tokyo City stand 

Nassos has just told us that AME DMC Greece will be at IMEX  

You are now totally up to date; you know as much as I do, wishing you an outstanding week ahead.