Those of you who know me will (hopefully) realise that in my last post I was using the phrase ‘grumpy old men’ as a term of endearment. I include myself (see my profile) in the lovely people of Leeds who are ‘grumpy old men’ (though some of them are none of those).
It was only several days later that I saw that some people had taken offence at this phrase. I have been unable to get to a computer until now (I have just arrived back in Jerusalem), and have been walking around with a sick feeling in my stomach at the thought that I had offended people. To those who took offence, I offer my sincerest apologies. I certainly didn’t mean it as anything other than an expression of love, friendship and closeness. I know that if you don’t know me (and perhaps this is a British/ New Zealand divided by a common language thing) this might not seem like such a nice phrase, but it was meant with the utmost love and care for all those wonderful people in Leeds who made not only this trip so special, but also the entire four years that i was there.
I also realised when rereading my last post (which in fairness was written while doing several other things just before Shabbat) that it sounded very egocentric. I was also looking at the glass half empty when i should have seen it as overflowing.

I know that blogs are for ranting, and that is what I was doing (not in any fair or meaningful way) but it is bad for my midos, so I’ll try to do better next time.

The truth is that it was truly fantastic to see so many old friends again, and to catch up on what has been going on. They say you can never cross the same river twice, but it was as if I had never been away. Everyone looked younger if anything. And I saw the children of the couples who I had married while in Leeds, and the grandchildren of their parents.
I had such a wonderful time while in Leeds, and I must apologise for sounding so grumpy in my last blog.
Thank you, all of you, for everything. And please accept my apology.