8 April 2012

I think we have cracked the night pain, for the time being anyway, until I speak to the pain consultant. We have reverted to including the paracetamol-2000 m.g – and this seems to hold off the severe pain long enough between being turned every couple of hours.

A pretty miserable day. So far as the weather is concerned – chilly and damp, and not very enticing for a pleasant country walk -, which is rather bad luck for the Arts and Crafts Fair, which takes place every year in Claiming village hall to which they add a large marquee. The standard of art, when we first arrived here, 45 years or so ago, was pretty amateurish but it has improved year by year until there are some really professional exhibitors, making it well worth while visiting. The weather, as I say, was not very enticing but I was surprised to learn from nephew Tom Grand, that the young had all been swimming in Cornwall. You would have been hard-pressed to get me into the sea in the height of summer in this country but then this Cornish side of the family have always been a hardly lot

Under normal circumstances I certainly would have slipped down for an hour or so duly Arts and Craft Exhibition but the wheelchair amongst the crowds of people looking at the pictures would have been very awkward. Instead, this turned out to be our quietist day over this Easter break. No guests and a chance to catch up on one of two things. Above all, it gave ‘my lovely ‘a real break of which she was in real need.

We spent a fair proportion of a thoroughly lazy day watching an old favourite film of ours. Lawrence of Arabia. Having met and subsequently spent almost 5 years in Arabia the settings for this film held a number of happy memories for us. Then, as if we had not done enough oggling at the screen. there was compulsive viewing of the Masters golf at the famous Augusta club in the states. Sadly our boys did not shine this year and it was won by Bubba Watson, someone I must admit I had not seen play before. Even Alice seemed fascinated by the golf despite not knowing the difference between a boggy and a birdie. It reminded me of my dear mother-in-law, who in the early days of television was quite content to watch snooker in black-and-white! However, we were a little more fortunate than that and saw the beautifully manager Augusta course looking its best. It’s very therapeutic and easy to doze to.

Recently it was announced that the government are considering setting up a Department which will be able to hack into everybody’s e-mails and mobile telephone calls. The object being, of course, to be alerted about possible terrorist attacks. However, you can imagine that there has been a storm of protest about the introduction of this intrusion into privacy. I think it has some time to run before the government will achieve the necessary majority to push this legislation through.

Under these circumstances, what more appropriate than seeing what it would be like riding in the American U 2 spy plane. Click here for an amazing flight