WEIGHING up what to do for my hols, I was torn between a rainy week in a caravan in Abergele – it always rains in Abergele – and joining the first civilian space flight on Virgin Galactic’s spaceship Two Feather. They are now taking bookings, you know.
Abergele stands on a direct route for the rain clouds from Snowdonia. All the while, it is sunny in Llandudno. You can see it sort of shimmering in the distance.
But the cheap caravans are in Abergele, or Towyn if you are the fun-loving sort. If there’s a caravan site, there is always a shop and social club nearby, so there’s no end of things you can do if it is raining.
The alternative is rocketing into space with Richard Branson and that is something you cannot even contemplate without remembering three words of caution: Branson, balloon, Atlantic.
But you tell yourself he will not be flying the spaceship himself, probably won’t even be flogging the in-flight drinks, so give it a chance.
The more you think about a sub-orbital flight lasting two- and-a-half hours and costing £100,000 the more you think: is this really what I expect?
Have I spent all these years watching Star Trek and Dr Who to blow all my holiday money for the rest of my life on what is a roundabout ride?
You get on, it starts, it goes round and round then it comes down. You get to see Earth from above, as shiny and blue as Llandudno when it’s raining in Abergele.
What happens if you don’t get a window seat? All that money and you’re stuck next to the centre aisle twisting your neck for a glimpse out of someone else’s porthole. That is, when they are not blocking the view, excitedly pointing out the Great Wall of China to a companion, who’s saying: “Oh, yeah. Well, what’s that other thing then, Runcorn Bridge?�
If I am to go into space then it has to be aboard something big. You know, the sort of ship the camera pans slowly along while stirring music is played, something that is intended to go into space, not flitter around the edges looking at it.
I thought the moon would be my minimum. But really, ask yourself, is even that good enough? It is dry and dusty and there’s nothing to do. Looking back at Earth can only keep you entertained for so long. No shop, no social club.
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