Sunday, 4th February, 2024
Sunday is Sunday is Sunday. It’s very samey isn’t it? Sunday papers. Sunday political discussions. Sunday sport. It is all a bit grey as the sky. Today I am thinking about how to stand out from the grey of life, how to appeal to others by standing out, looking good, sounding appealing. I was once phoned by a girl who put on full makeup for the conversation. Not for me, of course, but to make herself feel more confident.
Yesterday, I received my first canvasser for the upcoming General Election. In seven years, the only political party to appear here has been from the Tories … and they didn’t stay long. Yesterday, canvassers on behalf of the Labour Candidate rang the bell. They gave me a leaflet saying, Sorry we missed you today.
Not only did they not miss me but they found it hard to get away. For the first time in decades, Labour stand a chance of taking the seat away from Tory, Peter Bottomley. Even neighbours around here, business owners, who have always tended to vote Tory, are considering moving to Labour. I am encouraging them.
This morning, I have made suggestions to the local party machine for Dr. Cooper to consider in her campaign to take the seat. They are all examples of political lipstick to increase her appeal. I’m going out to buy celebratory fireworks this week. There will be a run on them later in the year.
It is little James’ birthday today. We have watched him from the naughty step to the age of 23. He’ll do alright in the end although I think his rugby playing days are over already. We wish him a happy day. Can you imagine being 23, Dear Reader?
Looks like I’ve drunk the national production line dry of Asda’s Sparkling White Grape Juice – my alternative to alcohol. I’ve gone off Shloer because it’s too sweet. Fortunately, I bought a month’s supply in advance but the shelves have never been refilled and the Head Office say they have a supply problem – something to do with Brexit. We’re going to hear that increasingly over the next few months. As border controls are increasingly tightened, fresh produce especially will become increasingly scarce or more expensive.
This afternoon, while I was in the Gym watching Man. Utd. murder West Ham, two posters arrived. We don’t mess about in the Labour Party you know. I’m going to display one here and put one up in a vacant property in West Byfleet. Well, they’ll never see it from Florida!
Monday, 5th February, 2024
Didn’t sleep well at all. I watched Antiques Roadshow last night and it ran through my mind all night – a night of old fossils. Consequently, I am tired this morning but I have to prepare for a telephone consultation prior to a colonoscopy next week. I weigh myself every morning and I was buoyed by my weight loss over the past week. It is largely down to increasing my exercise and cutting out alcohol. I am a man of addictive personality as you will probably know, Dear Reader. I am teaching myself to get re-addicted to non-alcoholic drinks.
Out of the weekend news leapt the stark and shocking report of the death of another of my boyhood rugby heroes – Barry John. I remembering sitting in my Bleddyn Williams rugby boots at Burton upon Trent Grammar School watching Barry John play for Wales and it was utterly sublime. Just a month after J.P.R. Williams died in his 70s, Barry John died aged 79. He died peacefully in his sleep, they reported but I’m left thinking who the hell dies peacefully at that young age? I’m not going to.
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Dylan Thomas
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
But if you are considering the fragility of life, you might be interested in this man. He is Professor John Hyatt who taught at Rochdale College of Art in the 1980s and then Art & Design at Manchester Met. for many years. He had a parallel musical career, notably as the lead singer and songwriter of the Three Johns, a post-punk band.
He died this week of recurrent neck and head cancer at the tender age of just 65. Really makes you feel optimistic, doesn’t it? Mind you, there are one or two things I am pledged to do before it’s my turn and …. I will do them! Today we’ve learnt that the stupid boy has died. Ian Lavender who was the last surviving member of the cast of Dad’s Army has died aged 77. Who will be next?
Just 15 years ago today, having been diagnosed with a heart murmur, a BUPA heart specialist gave my heart a clean bill of health. It was quite a relief. All the recent studies show that cardio vascular work that I do is not the best for my age. All the things that ‘thin’ in our 70s – hair, skin, muscle – are much improved by Resistance exercise.
Pauline uses dumb bells every morning in her routine. I’ve got to get back into the rowing. I like it but it hurts – which I suppose suggests it is working.
Tuesday, 6th February, 2024
Received a phone call from Gastroenterology at Lunchtime yesterday to let me know the time next Monday I will have my colonoscopy. I have decided not to have the sedation so I won’t be groggy for the following 24 hrs. First I had to go to the Anti-coagulation Clinic to get my schedule for withdrawal from warfarin and re-entry afterwards. The regime has changed now and made much safer with a series of self-administered injections of Dalteparin Sodium to reduce the risk of a stroke or heart attack.
On the other end of the hospital, I went to Gastroenterology to collect that little joy – an enema. This has also improved since last time and has been especially targeted at the middle class patient. It comes in two sachets:
- Mango Flavour
- Fruit Punch Flavour
This is accompanied by a detailed plan of when to abstain from warfarin, what not to eat and drink and when to administer the injections. The lovely girl who brought my bag of items asked about my current INR which is 2.4 tested by me on Friday. When I told her I tested every Friday and had recorded every test result on a spreadsheet since 2008, her face lit up and and she said, At last, a man after my own heart. The injections are to be administered into the stomach, twice a day for six days. That, of course, will be done by my Social Secretary. I will have my eyes shut!
This morning, another detailed plan arrived. I was observing to myself both that the address label had been hand written not printed and that the process was being wastefully duplicated when I realised they had sent me another man’s plan. This speaks to the stress these lovely people are working under. I had been told originally they needed two clear weeks to write a plan for me and I was asking them to do one in two days. They broke their rules to do it for me.
I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky …
The beach was quite cold and lonely this morning. Interesting how 11C/52F can feel cool in a strong, sea breeze. The beach huts looked warmer than the beach this morning. Didn’t stay long and then drove home for coffee and the Gym.
Wednesday, 7th February, 2024
I don’t want to move time, waste time, spend time, lose time, wish time away but ….. again, it’s been a hell of a long week. Only Wednesday. Is it just me, Dear Reader, or has time been slowed down? Activities are so mundane and repetitive according to the calendar of grey. Wednesday, as you will probably know, is John’s day to strip the bedlinen when he gets up, roll it into a ball and bring it down to the Laundry woman to deal with. At least he doesn’t have to remake the bed. That would never get done. He has a Housemaid for that. This is a normal week.
Up early on a warm, damp, grey morning. I am taking my wife to the Beauty Clinic for a facial. She found a black hair yesterday and made a panic appointment on the spot. I find them every morning and don’t rush off for a facial. Well, at least it makes her happier which, being married to me, is important.
Everybody has a book in them. Getting it out is the difficult thing. I’ve been tossing ideas around for a couple of years, keeping records, making notes, recording conversations, thinking ideas through. I am not a natural story teller. I am more inclined to the blunt, unvarnished truth.
At the age of almost 73, I want to write out of experience, to write out my experience, to expiate it. I have wanted to do this for a few years but struggled to find a vehicle that suits my style. I am not a natural novel writer but it is a novel form I will need.
I have been watching a four part drama called What Remains. The plot revolves around a decaying body found in the loft of a house-share property by some new comers. What follows is an attempt to regain the past, to understand the present in terms of the actions in the past. The body from the past may be thoroughly decayed but what it invokes through memory is very real and alive. The symbolism in the atrophied body in the attic is a useful image to pin my ideas on.
Thursday, 8th February, 2024
A grey, wet, cool day. A day to crave sunshine and warmth. A day to fly away? South Tenerife looks great at the moment – 25C and sun. Instead, I’m going to Sainsburys – not a good alternative. I am about to go on a liquid diet in preparation for Monday morning. Even so, I’m continuing my exercise programme. Isn’t life fun? At least the South Coast is coasting around 11C/52F night and day for the next few days. It isn’t very exciting. Is it?
I asked my wife, yesterday, how she was. She said, Old & Dowdy! My immediate thought was, That’s going to be expensive. This morning, I am driving her to H&M in Worthing to collect an order of clothes. I have never heard of the shop or seen it before and having been this once, I doubt I’ll be going again. It is quite cheap and down market, unbefitting my wife. Not that I’m snobbish or anything but one has to set standards! Of course, my wife has one basic rule about shopping. Never leave empty handed. We left clutching a new tee-shirt and cardigan. I felt I had got away quite lightly.
I researched H&M before we went and found out that it was founded in 1947 in Sweden. H&M stands for Hennes Mauritz. The girl at the checkout was a vivacious young thing so I thought I would test her. When was your company started? I asked her. Without a pause, she came back with all three pieces of information I had found out – when, where, who? All with a smile. I learnt them for my interview, she said.
I have to eat lightly at the moment and nothing with nuts and seeds in them. From Saturday, I can only drink liquids and on Sunday, only clear liquids. So, the weekend will be soup, soup and more soup.
It is one of the few occasions when we will have bought, pre-prepared food. Actually, our fishmonger has supplied us with Fish Soup and Lobster Bisque from Le Touquet. I’ve tried the lobster already and it is delicious. It immediately brought back memories of a lovely winter week we spent on the French coast and a lunch of griddled Sea Bass outside under a huge patio heater at a fish restaurant in Le Touquet about 25 years ago. It was magical.
Friday, 9th February, 2024
A glorious, Spring morning of warmth and sunshine. There are signs of the season to come with early daffodils in bloom set against the backdrop of the Winter’s detritus.
It couldn’t come a day too soon as my mind has been turning to Tenerife where the temperature is almost double ours. Today we are 13C/56F and southern Tenerife is 25C/77F. I wonder if there are any takers.
Just 8 years ago, we were coming to the end of an 8 week stay in Los Gigantes, on the south west coast of Tenerife while we waited for our new house to be completed. It was our first time there and the weather contrasted wonderfully with the UK winter. We appreciated the warmth so much, we returned for two more months the following years but chosen to rent villas with pools in Adeje instead of hotel living. Oh, to be there now!
Friday, 10th February, 2024
A pleasantly warm morning. The house is a hive of industry. The washing machine is whirring, the tumble dryer is … tumbling, the laundry lady is even putting clothes outside on a drying, framework thing in the sunshine. The food processor is preparing bread dough for the chef to shape and prove. My manager is organising my preparation for the colonoscopy including when to stop some medication and start other medication, what to eat and what not to eat and she has additional duties this weekend because our next door neighbours are going away.
They are going up to London to visit friends and go to Twickenham to watch the England v Wales match tomorrow afternoon. Of course England will win but they certainly need to play better than they did against Italy. I must admit, I would like to be there but I can’t stray too far from the ‘facilities’ this weekend. Actually, I haven’t been to Twickenham since 1967. I was still sane then!
My records threw up this planning chart I produced on this day in 2010. This is the return journey we did 15 consecutive years although it spanned only a 6 week period in the early days and then 6 months when we retired. This one was while we were still in Yorkshire and travelled to Hull Docks for the first leg of our journey to take the Hull-Zeebrugge ferry over night. Later, after moving down here, we drove through the Tunnel which was quicker and cheaper but not as enjoyable.
I loved the travel as much as anything and I particularly looked forward to the driving although it did provide us with some hairy moments. Once, we got stuck in the middle of Milan city centre with mad Italians honking at us on all sides. On another occasion our sat nav sent us round and round the Arc de Triomphe before we found our route and the scariest of the lot was when we had just done a 15 hr non-stop drive, come through the tunnel and our sat nav told us to divert because of an accident on the M25. We ended up in the centre of the city of London. Only luck got us out. Happy Days.