New material…

Having completed the retakes on the audio version of Eclipsed – and based on this, now revising the print edition for stray typos and making some edits also, I am adding a few further anecdotes which are appropriate and in-keeping with the story. This is a good example…

 

I have since returned to New York on further Tom Holland business. One occasion was for the press junket for the film, In the Heart of the Sea, directed by some bloke called Ron Howard and starring another geezer called Chris Hemsworth and featuring the little known (at the time) Tom Holland. And it reminds me a of comic incident which bears inclusion now. 

This movie was made on a beautiful island called La Gomera, just off the coast of Tenerife, which itself is an island just off coast of North Africa. Still with me? I flew out to join Nikki and Tom for a weekend and with a Sunday off from filming and a golf course on this island, you can see where this is going…

This was probably 2015. Tom would have been eighteen or so and with my career still somewhat buoyant, I was keen to be the Dad and pick up all possible expenses and including any golf. But with only one golf course on this exclusive holiday destination island, the green fees did not need to be competitive. Add in hiring two sets of clubs. Balls. Tees. Gloves. It was coming in very hot and expensive. But no matter, live life and all that. Plus Nikki wanted to walk the course and it being hot (off the coast of Africa, remember) a buggy for the good lady made good sense. But only one buggy for Nikki and Tom (he was working and happened to starving for the role) and still young and spritely, I was going to walk. 

Three people, two golfers and only one buggy; my cunning plan to hop in to their buggy once out of sight of the clubhouse. There have to be some advantages to being small in this world. But on leaving the pro shop, a man spots us making our way to the first tee and he begins to call out to us.

‘Just ignore him. Keep on driving, Tom.’

Damn it, I think to myself. I’ve been rumbled. He wants me to hire a buggy also.

And this chap is determined and quickly he catches us up. Just as I suspected, he suggests that we need another buggy. Yeah, thanks pal. But I’m not that old.

‘My wife and my son are in the buggy.’ I explain. ‘I am going to walk.’

But he is not happy and shakes his head vigorously. 

‘No, no, no. You cannot walk this course…’

And now I am fed up. That some jobsworth is waving a spurious rule at me; purely designed to extract even more money from hapless tourists. I have just dropped nearly £300 on a single round of golf and so any saving is very welcome. And so I stood firm.

But this is not what he meant. This is no scam to fleece tourists. He explained that the golf course of La Gomera is plotted around the edge of the island, affording remarkable views throughout the round. This means that the course starts at a certain point and from here, the golfers play their round back to finish at the club house.

And this means that the starting point of the golf course is a rather long walk from the clubhouse. All eighteen holes and geography being what it is, the first tee box is over 10km from the clubhouse.

Chastened, I thank the man and I hire another buggy. In the heat, I might have died and missed what was a great day of golf and especially so for me. No prizes then for guessing who won the match.

A very rare dad-win in this book.

*

Next week, Tom and I will get in the booth to reminisce over the anecdotes therein – to complete the audio file – Eclipsed, read by Dom Holland and in conversation with Tom Holland.

 

12 thoughts on “New material…

  1. Valerie KERAUDREN says:

    As usual, a funny anecdote, I really like the decoration of the studio and in particular, the Dalek behind you on the picture, the Doctor’s sworn enemy.

  2. Lorraine says:

    Imagine if you had just kept going Dom. That’s some walk in the heat. Looking forward to the audio and anecdotes of Eclipsed, one of my favourite books of yours.

  3. Antonieta Alanis says:

    Muy buena anécdota, espero que un día el libro lo saque en español.
    Mucho éxito, saludos de Monterrey, México ??

  4. Faaiz says:

    I remember watching it in Ciniplex. I was in grade 10. And I remember Tom as the poor kid who had to do all the dirty work for the crew, like cleaning the whale whole… something like that. I don’t excatly remember the end. I should watch it again. Thanks for the read!!

    • Faaiz says:

      I spelled hole wrong.. I meant whale hole and hole as in the air hole from which whales use to get oxygen to breath

  5. Aaryama says:

    This put a smile on my face like always. Fun peice of writing and detailed descriptions! Absolutely loved it!!

  6. Rachel says:

    I really enjoyed the anecdote you’re planning to add to Eclipsed!
    That golf course sounds really pretty, but man, 10km to get to the start? That’s a good distance!
    Looking forward to anymore anecdotes you happen to add to Eclipsed and your all’s conversation. And of course, looking forward to next week’s blog!

  7. Drucilla says:

    As always an amazing blog, i cannot wait for this book and audio. It sounds amazing.
    Also wishing tom a happy birthday for tomorrow, places here are starting to open so i hope you find a nice restaurant for a birthday meal or something.
    Sending love from Cardiff, united kingdom.

  8. Ian Stevan Jeremia says:

    Hello
    Mr Dominic Holland

    I’m Ian From Indonesia Country
    A very rare dad-win in this book.
    You can win I trust you, I hope I & my Family can meet face to face with you

    Stay healhty & God Bless 😉

  9. Rachel says:

    Ah, typos! Inescapable but no reflection on the quality of the point (obvs!). I often blame it on enthusiasm getting ahead of minutiae – and enthusiasm trumps everything, so it’s a ‘good’ thing. In an English exam for the Leaving Cert in Ireland, I spelt alliteration as illiteration (how apt!?) through an entire essay. Now that I work with words for a living, it amuses me and embarrasses me in equal measure every time it pops to the forefront of my overstretched hippocampus!
    Thoroughly enjoy your blog, many thanks.

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