Sign up day is always revealing, the cabins have the information leaflets and i have been on the ships TV talking about the songwriters workshop. 100 people came to sign up and about 70 of them took part, from all walks of life and of all ages. The morning went quickly as we worked our way around the room getting to know each other. Lunch. After lunch and its time to wriggle everyone into groups, Simon seems to be missing, he stayed up late last night and is feeling sick today, we march on. Groups of 10 with their mentors Angie, Chris, Amy, Kate, late Simon, Geoff and John B. The room was filled with heaps of expectations and tomorrow the real writing takes place, so its all very exciting. The ship ploughs through the Atlantic in a force five, and for the first time some sunshine up above. The wind is knocking the ship from side to side, its ok i love it. Afternoon rehearsals in the bottom of the ship ran smoothly, everyone mucking in with each others songs, its a great group all pulling for each other. Meanwhile in my cabin i have the door open as i try to let the world enter the space which i have, its a fine room. Cunard to a T. Oddly one side of the bed shakes and the other is still, i will get used to it. Life is good in this moment. I have nothing at all to complain about. 19 knots. Tonight after dinner we played in the Golden Lion pub, each of us played a song or two from our own cannon. It seemed to do the trick and everyone at the bar gave us a generous round of applause. I ended my day with Face time and Lou many miles away in London. Its been a good day, five more sea days to go and im sure some good and creative days lay ahead. Life is returning. I have my window open and the sea can be heard crashing along side the ship, the wind prowls through the door opening with its hush and whistle, outside blackness and the Atlantic, deep and mysterious. The ships rolling and the clocks go back another hour tonight. Once upon a time there was a young Prince, he lived in a forrest with his horse and his sleeping bag, which lay on the ground upon some fallen leaves. He was asleep looking up at the stars which he could just see through the rooftops of the bushy trees. From time to time a cloud would pass above him and block his view, but mostly he had a clear watch of the stars as they twinkled. He lay on the ground thinking about where he might find his home, he knew that one day it would reveal itself to him, but there were so many tracks in the forrest that he never knew which one to take to his destination. He fell asleep looking at the stars, they pointed down in an arc to a path just beyond where he lay. In the morning he climbed on his horse and walked slowly through the trees down the path that had been pointed out to him by the stars above. His horse knew the way. They walked together into the light and there he saw for the first time what he knew to be his future, a kingdom at the bottom of a hill in a small valley, and there he rode. He passed into a place where there was music and laughter and there he saw a face that made him shiver with excitement, he saw a smile that beamed towards him like the sun coming up on a clear day. He smiled back. This was a face that would guide him from his dark forrest to the house of love and welcome. His horse was stopped by the road, she fell asleep, he fell asleep too and when they woke the next day they looked at each other and held out their arms to embrace. From the forrest came calm, from her sadness came joy, from their harmony came the music of hope and future. The Prince returned to the forrest for seven days but while he was gone he knew that on his journey he would never meet someone as wonderful as her. She knew that while he was gone she would not meet anyone as charming as him, the horse took him on his journey. Love made the journey worth while, and when he returns in the future the past will be graced with memory and hope. A journey they both had to make, the stars he had to see, the happiness she had to find, the greatest of all reflections of two people in search of the same reflection found only in each others hearts. Ships speed 20 knots. Sunrise 4.22. Force 6. Bed.