7 June 2011

Harriet came round last night but had been unable to get hold of the district nurse so could still not agree precisely what they could do for us as she has to find out first how many hours have been approved. She was however fairly confident that whatever we get it will be backdated from 26 May and possibly, if we are very lucky, from the date we made the application

In any event, we started our new regime yesterday with the girls coming in early morning to give me a shower and dress me and ultimately get me into my study chair using the hoist. I spoke to a colleague of our Neuro Physio, Mel-who is away on annual leave-and she said looking at Mel’s notes it was quite clear that she was advising me not to walk again as she considered that my legs were too weak. That was a month or so ago when she provided the little straps for my feet that lifted the toes off the ground and saved me dragging my feet.

For the sake of completeness I ought to bring the readers up-to-date on the cricket. After England’s 486 in their first innings Sri Lanka managed to get to 479.

Play was on and off for the next three days due to bad weather but England batted on in their second innings until declaring after lunch at 373 for 3 and as it turned out there was not enough time to bowl Sri Lanka out, so the match fizzled out as a draw. I suppose the highlight from England’s point of view was Cook’s 106. The next excitement, cricket wise will be the One Day International against Sri Lanka on 3 July

The engineer from Holly’s wheelchairs came yesterday morning and was full of admiration for the ingenious way that we had rigged up the jubilee clip as a temporary repair to the electric wheelchair. The broken part is quite small and he has agreed to post it to us and I will get someone to screwed it into place which will save them another visit. I am heartily relieved that they did not need to take the electric wheelchair back to the workshop which would have deprived me of its use for heaven knows how long.

6 June 2011

I forgot to mention yesterday but while I was at Lord’s yesterday, driving around in my wheelchair, one of the feet extensions caught a rubbish bag and broke the top of its mount so that the support would no longer stay in place. It was obviously necessary that I had some sort of support for my foot so, and at my suggestion, Mark (Jenkins) ingenuously fashioned a short wire cylinder made from the wire which secured one of our many champagne corks. It did the trick after a fashion. I rang Hollies Wheelchairs yesterday and they promised to send round and engineer this morning to look at it. The main thing is that they must not take the chair away because every fine summer’s day is valuable to me at this stage.

. I’m sorry to say that we had another disaster last evening. I had noticed that my legs seemed to have been getting slowly weaker and yesterday morning, having been raised by the bed to my feet onto my frame, one of my legs temporary gave way but I was able to prevent myself from falling to the floor. In the evening, having been raised out of my chair by Paula and ‘my lovely’, in attempting to shuffle around to start my walk to bed, both legs collapsed and the girls were left fighting to prevent me from completely sinking to the floor. In doing so I was at an almost horizontal position with a very tight belt around my middle and started to panic because I could simply not breathe and really felt that I was going to expire. The girls cleverly managed to get me sitting on the floor then ‘my lovely’ went off and dialled 999, as we had been instructed in such emergencies. Within 10 min or so the paramedics were here and quickly got me seated in my chair again from whence, by using the hoist into the mobile wheelchair, the panic was over. However, it really looks as though I have come to the end of using my legs even for the shortest of walks, which is extremely disappointing as I had genuinely thought I could go on for another two or three months at least maybe we will have to ask the local physiotherapist to come and assess my legs before we finally give up.. In addition, we will have to have work out a completely new carer regime for getting me up, showered, dressed and into my study chair and back to bed in the evenings.

Althea came after lunch to do my nails.

5 June 2011

So, I made the third day of the test match without too much difficulty and lasted the course for the three day’s of cricket. I am extremely lucky in have discovered Ollie and his Friendly Wheelchair Service. Ollie himself is a wonderful chap, extremely helpful, nothing is too much trouble. He drives had a very steady pace so as not to rattle of listening me around too much in the wheelchair. He is very fortunate to have an equally charming and helpful wise, Debbie, who came all the way from Saffron Walden in order to help Ollie get me out of the wheelchair safely. I would thoroughly recommend this service to any wheelchair bound patient.

The weather at Lord’s was as perfect as it could have been for the first two days but sadly the third day was a little disappointing and rain stopped play at three o’clock. England, after very unpromising start had knocked up 486 runs and Sri Lanka reply, by the time I left was 372 for three wickets. I suspect with the time lost through bad weather and Sri Lanka looking well set, this match will end in a draw.

However, from my point of view it was an enormous success. I was able to entertain five good friends. On the first day Julian (Dr Julian Critchlow friend, lawyer and one of my to literary executors). On the second day Mark (Jenkins) friend, more of my son Miles than mine as I saw him first at Haileybury College, some 30 odd years ago sitting on his bed in the dormitory on his first day at school clutching his teddy bear. He and Miles of been friends ever since but how can it be that this little lad is one of my stockbrokers!?). My second guest was my nephew William (Garton Jones) who I met a month or two before I met my ‘my lovely’ as she came out to Aden in South Arabia for his christening.

Today my two guests were Brian Osborne (a friend of some 30 odd years standing with whom I played golf in the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Golfing Society at Wentworth and Sunningdale) and Tony Oakeshett a renowned artist who painted the Queen in 2004 for the Worshipful Company Apothecaries. He did two ten foot painting called ‘The Driving In’ which depicts Prince Andrew teeing off in front of five hundred spectators at St Andrews (each one a likeness). and a second painting, for the Royal and Ancient, entitled The ‘Dinner which is six foot wide, and shows Prince Andrew being made captain for the year. Both paintings commemorate the 250th anniversary of the foundation of the R&A.

Pursuing the golf theme , Tony had., some years earlier painted a ten foot picture set at Wentworth Golf Club depicts about 180 people witnessing the first shot of the match which was between a British team and an American team played at that club in 1926.

This match was the origin of the Ryder Cup Matches and the painting has now become the image which is used to represent the early history of of the competition and has been used extensively on TV films about the Ryder Cup.

Tony’s greatest achievement was possibly The Armada project. five paintings measuring 15 feet by 12 feet depicting the Armada campaign now inserted into wall panels in the Prince’s Chamber of the House of Lords (together with another painting done in the 1860’s). This was such a huge project that, in the manner of the great Masters, Tony had to engage and supervise a team of young artists to assist him.

Below is an image of The ‘Dinner .

In addition to my personal guests there were the usual gang of friends many of whom have sat with me in the same part of the Warner stand for over 30 years. Jamie (Dr James Snowdon Barnett, lawyer and poet extraordinaire, my second literary executor and his brother, another Dr Barnett but this one achieved his doctorate through architecture. Then there was Jeremy (Brinton), now back from Dubai where he was managing director of Magrudy’s -a combination of Waterstones bookshop and Ryman’s the stationers. Finally, but certainly not least there was Roger (Goodwin something to do with shipping) and my very kind and helpful friend Paul Newman (anyone who looked less like Paul Newman you cannot imagine!) but Paul is the one who really looked after me, taking me to the disabled loo etc.

Out on the Lawn was my old friend Bob Lederman and his brother Geof. liberally dispensing food and drink to all and sundry. These then were my friends and then add another half a dozen friends of those friends and you can see that we were a very jolly band in the bottom left of the Warner stand

Whilst I was at Lord’s’ my lovely’ had been entertaining my brother-in-law John Garton Jones and wife Anne to tea and John who very generously left me a decent bottle of Rioja. I’m sorry I missed them.

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3 June 2011

2 June 2011

It was announced today that this has been the warmest and driest spring (April and May) since 1896. The weather forecast at the beginning of the week looked very promising and those readers who have followed this blog from the beginning will know that, as a naturist, I have always spend a great deal of time in the sun in one country or another. Since I have been less mobile I have hardly had any sunbathing at all and had every intention of sitting outside in my electric wheelchair for an hour or two today. Unfortunately, and almost predictably, the weather forecasters got it wrong and we never saw the sun so, I sat all day in my study, in my baggy shorts, in anticipation of the sun to breaking through but to no avail.

I’m off to Lord’s tomorrow for the first day of the Sri Lanka Test Match against England and it promises to be very warm. Sadly I should have to remain fully clothed, including my tie, so I will not be getting too much of a suntan there but it should be a good day.

1 June 2011

Poor’ ‘Jane the sheep’ seems to be suffering from the same problem that prevented ‘my lovely’ from attending Gus’s wedding. As this was Wednesday and Jane’s day to be here to babysit me, she sent her lodger, Paul, who fortuitously, works with his brother just around the corner. Even more fortunately for me, Paul is a computer geek so we spent the entire afternoon messing about with my computer, downloading the odd free programme and trying out new ideas for my blog. All great fun. I certainly do not wish Jane any ill but I shall be delighted to see Paul here from time to time.

In the meantime ‘my lovely’ had spent the afternoon at a memorial service for the husband of one of our best friends which she would not have missed the world, so it was a win-win situation all-round.

Our boy Murray played a stormer in the quarter-finals of the French Tennis Open to get into the semifinals.

Now here’s a naughty bit of fun for you, if you like this there are lots of others which you can access from the same URL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ra-cEPTUQNs&feature=feedrec_grec_index

31 May 2011

Tuesday, so it must be geriatric golf day. George, from Ollie’s Friendly Wheelchair Taxis, picked me up and, like last week, all went like clockwork. I’m getting more confident now driving it around the golf course in my electric wheelchair on the rather rough ground, taking great care to avoid the steep slopes, or at least straightening up and going down and up and not across them.

The usual gang were there, Griggsy- back from Spain – John Gray, Alex Sexton, Uncle Tom Cobly and all. Great fun as usual but sorry to learn that there is no game next week. I was a little concerned to discover that Woody’s bowl had a green slimy bottom. Clearly no one is taking responsibility for keeping it clean and filled with fresh water and must make some new arrangements.

Today we received a very welcome confirmation from the West Sussex PCT that I have been approved for 100% Continuing Care to be reviewed in 12 weeks time. All it needs now is for us to agree the daily schedule with Harriet.

I am heartily relieved as this will certainly take a little of the pressure from ‘my lovely’ who for the past year has wonderfully cared for me virtually single-handed apart from getting assistance in lifting me up from the study chair and the wheelchair. With all these horrendous stories appearing in the. National newspapers about mentally incapacitated patients being so badly treated that it amounts to torture, I realise how extremely fortunate I am in having such a loving tender and caring wife.

Go to beginning of gaily beginning of document

30 May 2011

A quiet day after all the excitement of the wedding. Being the the May Bank Holiday it was the day of the Clavering Fete which has become so renown that there are literally hundreds, if not thousands of people, from miles distant, attending with their children. Sadly the fete is not what it used to be when we first came here, almost half a century ago. (Why is it that old people always say that sort of thing, to some extent there must be some truth there somewhere.)

In the early 60s the fete was a genuine village affair. We bowled for a pig – a real little piglet-which the farmer was always prepared to buy back for cash if you really did more to keep it. We had skittles and the greasy pole and throwing sponges at the vicar, schoolteacher or any other local volunteer, who was repaired to stick his head through a hole in the wall.

Of course they are stall where you could throw balls to smash crockery in order to get rid of any venom or excess of energy. There was great rivalry in a tug-of-war between two local pubs, the Axe & Compasses, from the adjacent village, Arkesden, and our own pub, The Cricketers. There may have been a beer tent, I cannot remember. There certainly were not rows and rows of stalls of people trying to sell you things. There was certainly a Lucky Dip in a brand tub and, of course, a bottle stall to which we all contributed. Throughout the day there were many events organised specifically for the children, including dancing round the neighbourhood clutching multi-coloured ribbons and as a result it was always a very jolly day out for the family.

Anyway, this year we decided not to go. For two reasons.’My lovely’ was still recovering from her liver attack and I felt it would do no harm for her to have another restful day and, in addition, the weather looked threatening and it rains more often than not on the Clavering Fete. Having said that I hope they made lots and lots of money for the church roof and the village hall.

Jill Simpson, one of the old faithfuls, dropped in mid-afternoon for a short period. Having just returned from America to see her latest grandchild. It’s always good to see Jill. David

29 May 2011

28 May 2011

Gus’s wedding day. I had an okay night but obviously without my normal bed and other bits and pieces it was not quite as trouble-free as it is at home. For example, the bed itself had no bottom border against which I could press my feet in order to turn over and, to my chagrin, I had to press the alarm button in the middle of the night for assistance for Barry and Denise, which I hated doing, but I really was stuck. They were totally un-phased by being so rudely disturbed. How lucky was I.

We managed to get through all the early ablutions, dressing etc with me partially clad in my wedding finery, including a yellow Masquerade rose, which I had specifically picked before I left home, to offset my red spotted yellow tie, before sitting down at my computer to do my daily blog.

I rang ‘my lovely’ but didn’t let the ‘phone ring too long in case she was trying to sleep and instead rang Harriet who gave me the good news that when she last saw Alice she was feeling a little better. Of course, I determined I would speak to her as soon as I could but couldn’t help feeling that another day or two in bed might do her a power of good.

Around 11.00 we set off for the church, St James the Great of St. Kew, wheelchair and all, where I was ultimately parked next to my dear mother-in-law. Being in the front we had probably the best view of the whole ceremony. Mother-in-law, incidentally, was in really good shape and was smartly dressed in a simple black outfit, with matching straw hat and a white shirt and pearls.. Gus was beautifully dressed in a stunning outfit’, what I have been told by the girls, was a swing coat, a sort of beige colour with paisley patterned style cartouches filled with mother of. pearl sequins. A sort of very superior pearly queen! I’m not much of a couturiere so can’t describe it any better than that. Tor was dressed in a preety pnk and white outfit. Of course, there were one or two startlingly lovely outfits, one in particular was that worn by Lavinia Moore, (Lavs) the second of the erstwhile bridesmaids from Gus’s first wedding

The service itself, conducted by a lady vicar, was fairly standard and mercifully not overlong. Gus was accompanied by Desmond’s dear little seven-year-old daughter, Cassy, who held the posies and acted as, what I imagine, the Americans call, a flower girl. The bride entered to one of my favourite pieces of music the Canon in D by Pachelbel. The three hymns were Love Divine,all loves excelling, Guide mo O thou  Great Redeemer and Jerusalem. Lavs read the well-known John Donne poem, The Good Morrow and James Ray, the best man, read from the Songs of Solomon There was a rather sweet touch when Gus and Des went up to the altar to be blessed, they took Gus’s little terrier, Dave with them. During the signing of the Register we were royally entertained by the beautiful voice oF Des’s sister, Philippa who sang Handel’s, Let the Bright Seraphim accompanied by the organ. Philippa has an exquisite voice and indeed is a professional singer and her singing was, to me, the musical highlight of the service.The bridal couple left to the acompniment on Handel’s March from Scipio.

On returning to the house there was a champagne reception in the garden, sadly for much of which we were sheltering under a couple of little pavilions as the weather turned slightly damp. There were so many strong young men about, like Andy and Mike, husbands of Lavs and Tabitha (Tabs, the second of the bridesmaids from the first wedding) who were able to make nothing of picking me up in the wheelchair and bodily moving me from one level to another.

The reception was held in the barn at Laurence and Victoria’s home in which five or so round tables were fitted to accommodate the 55 guests who had been fortunate enough to be invited back for the wedding breakfast. Lavs and Tabs had decorated the barn beautifully with flowers and bunting (and apparently they were also responsible for the lovely flowers in the church)

I must say the food was really delicious with the catering done, apparently, by one of Tor’s artistic friend’s. husband.

During the champagne reception we were plied with delicious flaky pastry tartlets filled with Cromer crab and miniature profiteroles stuffed with prawns. With my penchant for seafood I must confess to having wolfed a few of those down before we sat down for the main meal.

The first course was asparagus and some crispy cheese biscuits. Then a great cheer went up, behind me so I couldn’t see butI had imagine it was because the chef brought in the carcasses of three complete sheep which they had roasted, as the main course was delicious lamb with new potatoes and broad beans. The pudding was a compote of strawberry with a whole strawberry or two in it and I believe some Cornish cream.

There appeared to be some great wines on the table although I stuck to champagne. I was very fortunate to be seated next to my brother-in-law Laurence’s sister, Madeleine (The Countess of. Bessborough) , who was absolutely sweet and not only fed me but even when she was talking to people on the other side of the table popped over to make sure that I could get a drink from the straw from my baby bottle which, of course, was filled, and constantly refilled, with champagne. Des’s parents Richard and Hobson, were on the other side of Madeleine, so I was able to have a good chat with them and discover what delightfully charming people they are. Darling Tor, in a very attractive pink outfit, sat on the other side of me and was rushing about here and there having undoubtedly put an enormous amount of effort into making this Gus’s really happy day.

The meal took the predictable format with speeches, much of which went over the heads of the guests who didn’t know the nuances of the events to which the speakers were referring but nevertheless there was an atmosphere of joy and merriment throughout. Interweaving between the tables were a constant stream of the 30 or so young children, the offspring of the seated adults, lots and lots of very pretty little girls and tiny boys, some of whom I was able to identify and knew to which of my nephews and nieces they belonged and others who had grown beyond recognition since I had last seen them.. Once the little ones got used to seeing this funny old man, in the wheelchair, being fed like a baby, I think they accepted me as one of them. I even managed , late in the day, to have a pleasant chat wih 14-year-old Madeleine, Jamie (Victoria and Laurence’s eldest) and French wife Maylis’ oldest daughter. A delightful girl, in a very pretty floral frock, who aspires to be a heart surgeon. I’m sure if she really want to be a surgeon she will end up being a good one.

Some of the other little ones, mostly the girls, dutifully came up before they left and gave me a peck on my hairy old cheek which was very sweet of them and a bit unkind of their parents to invite them to do so.

I stayed on at the house after the bulk of the guests had left, leaving Barry and Denise, to enjoy a ittle free time.They had been absolutely marvellous in looking after me and dressing me in my wedding gear and getting me there and ensuring that I was well settled in before having a little food themselves and then setting off to do their own thing for a few hours. In fact I stayed until around 9.30 when they came to fetch me and I was quite ready to go back to our little cottage in The Olde House, where, after a sausage and a little ham, I was ready for bed.

As a result of the problems I had encountered on the first night, Denise and Barry very cleverly rigged up some chairs on either side of the bed and moved the bed so that my feet could press against the wall to enable me to turn over. so in the event. I had a far better night than the one previously.

The end of a really lovely day wonderfully laid on by the generosity of Gus’s parents, Tor (Victoria) and Laurence, but one tinged with sadness that ‘my lovely’ was unable to share it with me. The good news was that before we retired we checked with Harriet and found out that she was resting and feeling a little better. Nevertheless I missed her tremendously and indeed dozens of people came up to me and asked about her. She was sorely missed.