Rainy Saturday

It's difficult to believe that last week we were basking in glorious sunshine, when we went for our day out to Bekonscot model village and today it's miserable, wet and cold. The car's windscreen wipers were worn out. The driver's side one in particular was not doing it's job efficiently and to me there's nothing worse than driving when you can't see out through the windscreen properly. We'd put off having the things replaced for the past week, but I was determined to get this matter sorted before we needed to drive on a long journey and there was the possibility of there being rain and spray from other vehicles. We've gone to Halford's at Rooksley on several occasions to have lightbulbs fitted to various cars we've had, so it seemed the obvious place to go to have new windscreen wipers bought and fitted. I suppose I could do it myself, but it's always easier to let someone else do the job for you, even though it costs a few pounds. But never mind. I wanted to get there extra early to avoid the crowds. Fortunately it was easy enough to park near Halford's store. None of those idiots around who get in the way. Probably because they don't get out of bed too early on a Saturday morning. As it was drizzling the idea of having the new windscreen wipers fitted was even more of a good idea. I was parked and then inside the store fairly promptly and then had to go back to the car to get the registration number so the assistant to find the correct part for the car. I can never remember the reg number of any car I've owned, but it was soon done and sorted. I had intended going next to Aldi's which was over the other side of the road, but when I got there I soon realised I didn't have a £1 coin for the trolley so drove out and on to Sainsbury's. It wasn't busy there so easy enough to park the car and then walk into the store with my shopping list and a handful of bags and did the shopping and was soon out, packing the shopping in the back of the car and on the way home.

I got back in the house and unloaded the shopping. Carol has finished the piece of crochet she's been working on for quite a while. A really nice blue top. She's sown the two pieces, front and back, together and put it on to show me. A great deal of work has gone into it. She's done quite a few bits of crochet work. She made a blanket, made of various shades of wood as making Alfie his own blanket, as well as a case to put this MacBook in to keep it safe when we are out and about.

Frustrating Wait

Last Friday we had an appointment with one of the oncology consultants in the Macmillan Unit at Milton Keynes Hospital. We were given really positive news that the cancer has been shrunk considerably, due to the chemotherapy treatment that Carol has been receiving for the past few months. In fact we've reached the ninth cycle of twelve. We were told that an operation would be performed to remove a considerable amount of the cancer at Milton Keynes Hospital and that Carol would then have radiotherapy on her liver to remove the remaining bits left and that would be carried out in Oxford. We would get a telephone call on Thursday of this week to give us details after the surgeons had met to discuss the case. But we waited all yesterday (Thursday) for the expected call, but nothing came. As you can imagine, this has caused a certain amount of frustration, as Carol is keen to get things moving, so that, hopefully, by September at least, she can think about returning to work, even if it's for a few hours a week to begin with. We had to return to the oncology suite at 4.30 this afternoon (Friday) so that Carol could have the pump removed. She mentioned this to the nurse who removed the pump, and as a result she rang the colorectal department to find out what was going on, and why she hadn't had the promised telephone call. It turns out that the hospital has had nothing from the Oxford hospital and are consequently waiting to get some sort of go-ahead as regards the continuing treatment. So, we will have to telephone on Monday to get some sort of answer. Also, we heard that Carol will need a further P.E.T. scan at Churchill Hospital in Oxford in the next week or two, which she's had before.

A rather wet and depressing sort of day today (Friday). Having had really warm weather last week, it's a sort of backwards step, weather-wise.

Costume Drama Cliches

I've just been discussing the latest BBC1 adaptation of Wilkie Collins's novel 'The Woman In White.' Unfortunately such adaptations are open to much cliche. It's a pity that such television drama should have so many over-worked elements. It's almost as if the commissioning people decide that, should such an adaptation be produced, they have to have certain 'stock' elements. 'Big' costumes, wigs, hair, sets and locations. Which equates to 'expensive' and therefore 'big budget' which a money-strapped BBC doesn't have, so they have to get co-production finance and therefore go cap-in-hand to an American television company to get money to make these 'lavish' productions. Americans (apparently) love anything 'English' or 'British,' (obsessed by such shows as 'Downton Abbey,' or about our Royal Family, aristocracy or our history (or so the story goes. Is this true? How accurate that is, I'm not sure.) So, an adaptation which uses our landscape is going to get huge audiences and then those Americans are going to want to visit our shores to see the real locations for themselves.

There are cliche elements you almost expect to see in a costume drama on television (or film, if it comes to that.) A long carriage drive through the countryside, a carriage drawn by horses. Usually it's the poor, central character, going to start work at a large country estate. Possibly going to work as an artist, a writer, painter etc etc. (usually lower-class, hard-up.) As they are seen being taken to their destination, we get glimpses of this large, usually classically-designed mansion in the distance. Sometimes with mist rising, or fog. Weather used to denote state of the central character's mind, fog or rain to suggest depression, sun to denote happiness etc etc. Gathering clouds to denote something awful is about to happen, scudding clouds, thunder and lightening, war is about to be declared, revolution or some such momentous historical incident is about to begin. The main character not of the same class as those who own or run the classically designed mansion. Looked down on by the servants at the mansion.

Any scene in a churchyard or cemetery has to be set at night. There's bound to be lots of fog or mist (if it's early morning). It will be conveniently moon-lit. It would be no use being a night without a moon, otherwise you wouldn't be able to see anything. Drifting clouds, usually, obscuring the moon at times.

In Victorian dramas, London is almost always depicted as shrouded in fog. You'll get a hansom cab or two drifting past somewhere or other, or the central character is seen riding in one. Gaslight, candles. And how is it that you can see people so clearly when there's so little light in a room at night?

Films made by the Ishmail Merchant and James Ivory, producers of films such as 'Remains of The Day' and 'A Room With A View' and 'Howard's End,' which have high production values and are period-set, are often disparagingly called 'Heritage' productions. They don't manage to have cliches in them, and are generally thought of as high quality, not falling into the category of 'blockbuster' as they appeal to a niche market. They generally have a polish and sheen that avoid all the usual cliches. Just well-made cinema classics, with an eye for detail not seen in many other period films. Their film version was far better than the recent BBC version of 'Howard's End.'

Oncology Morning

We took Alfie for a walk early this (Wednesday) morning, before we drove to the oncology suite at Milton Keynes hospital. Well, I say 'walk.' As soon as we let him off his lead in Eaglestone Park he ran like a little hare and made friends with a couple of little dogs who were being walked. I think they must have wondered what had hit them, as Alfie sniffs them and runs around in circles getting excited. We didn't walk far, just a short circuit. At one point Alfie ran ahead of us as if he had an idea where we were going to walk, but we went in a slightly different direction. Then we came across another couple of dogs also being exercised. It seems a popular time for people to walk their dogs. It only seemed fair to Alfie to take him out like this, before we had to drive to the hospital, as he would be left home alone, in the kitchen.

I'm continuing with the antibiotics for Alfie, but this morning he sicked up his food, poor little dog. Maybe it was because we bought a different dog food. Or it may that the new antibiotics don't agree with him. He has a rather sensitive stomach which might account for him not feeling too well. I could tell he wasn't his usual self because he didn't give eye contact and generally looked a bit down. You can tell with Alfie, because he's such an 'in-your face' little dog, so if he's not feeling well, you can tell immediately. The first sign is that his ears go back, laid across the back of his head. If they stand up straight, he's feeling fine.

We got to the carpark at the rear of the hospital and couldn't find a space to park the car. Considering that it was fairly early, I would have expected there to be at least one space. I had to leave Carol to walk in through cardiology and then drive around to the street-level carpark at the front of the hospital. One would think that they could provide parking spaces for those who are regular visitors to the hospital. It wouldn't be difficult to have around 20 dedicated spaces for oncology patients. I suppose things will be easier when the new multi-storey carpark is opened. It can't be long before it it completed, although we hope that by then Carol's oncology treatment will have finished.

On leaving the oncology department we found that it had been raining quite hard as there was definite evidence, and the looming dark clouds looked as though there was the possibility of further rain, but hopefully not before we'd walked to the carpark. It just shows that Carol is on the mend if she can walk so far. Not a possibility when she was first diagnosed. She couldn't do much of anything due to the pain she was experiencing. The barrier was raised when we eventually left the carpark. These barriers seem to spend most of their time broken, for what reason I don't know, but they certainly cause a lot of trouble. Just remove the things and let people park free.

Poor Alfie looked as if he was in pain. He couldn't jump up onto the sofa or my armchair. I think he might have over-done things when we went out for our early-morning walk on Wednesday. He chases around madly, and might have pulled a muscle or a tendon or something. Just showing his age. I gave him some of the painkilling medication I was given the other week by Rebecca the vet when we visited regarding his eye problem. I also gave him half of the antibiotics in his dinner on Wednesday evening. No reaction like this morning when he was sick. As I write this on Thursday morning he seems fine. He's currently curled up asleep on the sofa. 

BBC Drama 'The Woman In White'

We have a new classic costume drama on BBC1 on Sunday evenings at the moment. It is 'The Woman In White,' by Wilkie Collins. It has been done several times before. What is unusual is the fact that it's on at this time of year, when we usually get these expensive productions in the run-up to Christmas, or at any rate, during the winter months, when it's dark outside and there's little else to do of an evening. Nothing better than a good old BBC costume drama, safe and somewhat predictable. I can remember there being some sort of costume piece on either of the BBC channels during the 1960's or 1970's, probably beginning with 'The Forsyte Saga,' probably the first big drama on BBC2 when it opened in 1967 or thereabouts. In those days we didn't have BBC2, so we had to wait for it to be rebroadcast on BBC1 to be able to see it. something like 26 episodes and in black and white, amazingly. Also, they did more costume dramas, which is probably where I got my interest in literature and drama in particular. I even waded through all of the John Galsworthy novels that made up the 'Forsyte Drama' and got a crush on Nyree Dawn-Porter who played one of the central female characters. Whatever happened to her? Where did her career go after that series? Also, Eric Porter who played her husband, Jolyon Forsyte. A nasty piece of work . . .  Eric Porter came to Colchester when I worked as an A.S.M. (my first actual, properly-paid stage management job, by the way, after I'd been a Student A.S.M. at the Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham.) to 'cut the first turf' or something to do with the Mercury Theatre, which was about to be built. I wasn't at the ceremony, but it was quite a big occasion, as the rep company was then housed in a converted art gallery in Colchester High Street. (Read my earlier blog on this period of my life.) Quite a few 'repertory' companies began life in converted buildings, and then had proper theatres built. The other one I could mention was the Wolsey Theatre, in Ipswich, which began life in a converted hall in the centre of the town. (Again, I worked there as a D.S.M. in the early 1970's. Mentioned in an earlier blog post on here.)

Why do they insist on doing these adaptations to death? There's nothing wrong with this new production of 'The Woman In White.' But surely there are other Victorian novels they can adapt for television. There can't be many Dickens novels left for television to get it's ugly mitts on. You can't keep on redoing Oliver Twist or David Copperfield. Just become rather over-familiar. I suppose they do them because they wouldn't have to pay royalties as you would with a modern novel.

Some while ago I did attempt to read 'The Woman In White,' but it was so slow and ponderous I gave up. Probably it was because the original was published in serial form, in the same way Dickens published his novels. Too many cliff-hangers every so often. But this new adaptation doesn't allow for too many of those, as probably a  modern audience hasn't the patience to wait to find out what happens next. People seem to have no attention span to put up with long scenes. They had lots of 'flash backs' and 'flash forwards' and we had several subplots intertwined with the central storyline. Just isn't a particularly adventurous adaptation, but I will continue to watch further episodes. This novel is described as a 'psychological thriller.' I can't see it being anything like how you'd describe a thriller. Supposedly the original of such a genre, but I don't see it somehow.

Alfie Has another Vet's Appointment

At 3.30 this afternoon (Monday) we had to make a return visit to the vet at Oakgrove. I think the residents of that area around Waitrose, of which there are likely to be quite a few, along with the customers coming and going at Waitrose, which is opposite Pet's Practice, will have heard Alfie's barking and general noise. He makes so much noise, barking vigorously as we get out of the car and then walking towards the surgery. We had to wait in the waiting area, but Alfie continued to let the whole world he was about, and then Rebecca, the vet, came out and we took him in to the consulting room. The antibiotics are working. The current course has been completed. I have been giving Alfie half of one of the tablets, crushed and put into his food twice a day. The congealed matter under each eye is receding gradually and the open wounds are healing nicely. Rebecca has given me a further course of medication, to again be given to Alfie twice a day and, again, crushed and put in his food.

Pets are expensive. The cost of this treatment is mounting up. But if you have to take a dog to the vet, for whatever, it is going to cost. I don't mind. Alfie deserves to have the treatment as it's no good leaving nature to take it's course. He gives so much love and deserves to be able to look after him properly. Dog's can't ask when they're unwell. Not that he has been seriously ill.  We let him get very untidy before he was groomed recently. His nails needed trimming. He was somewhat neglected because Carol's chemotherapy had to come first, for obvious reasons. But hopefully the rawness under each eye, due to the build-up of gunk, is responding to treatment with the antibiotics. 

When Alfie was a puppy we had him microchipped (as was Poppy, alas, no longer with us.) But, when we had to leave the house in Crownhill, we lost the details of how to get into the details of our address registered for the microchip. So, unfortunately, if he got lost or even stolen, and the microchip was scanned (as mircrochipping of dogs is now a legal requirement) the address that would come up on the register would not be our current address. So they did a scan for us and revealed the registered number so we can have the address changed, however it is done, on-line, or by filling in a form (which the receptionist at the vet's did for me.) I now need to go on-line and have this information revised so that if the worst happens he can be traced and Alfie returned to us.

Ninth Chemotherapy Cycle

Carol had to be at the oncology suite for 9 o'clock this morning. We had intended walking, but then decided that, as we had other things to do, we decided to drive. We had to go to Ashfield Medical Centre to discover whether the prescription for Carol was ready. Carol drove and I went in and fortunately not many people in he queue in front of me. A mother with two little girls ahead of me in the queue were having fun with the footprints painted on the floor, being able to stride onto each step, the older one had no problem, but the little, youngest one had to make a real effort. Good to see their mother interacting with them instead of fiddling with her smartphone. When I eventually reached reception, it wasn't clear whether the ordered repeat prescription was in the surgery or at Lloyd's in Sainsbury's. I went back to the car, where Carol was waiting, and she had to go back in to the surgery and, because she remembered which three medications they were. It then transpired that whatever it was had gone to Lloyd's. This is becoming so annoying, having to go through Ashfield to order medication and then not knowing whether Carol can have a particular medication and on top of that, where it is in the system. Our patience is at breaking-point and it's causing no end of stress as a result.

Our next stop was the hospital. Not a long drive, as it's relatively close to Ashfield, but there was quite a long queue along Saxon Street and back onto the Standing Way roundabout, another cause of stress as we'd barely given ourselves time to get from home to Ashfield and then on to the oncology suite at the hospital. The carpark near cardiology and oncology, where we normally park was, had plenty of spaces, so that was one less thing to get stressed about and the  entrance barrier was raised, so no ticket. No great bother, the thing is almost always out of order. I know we don't have to pay as Carol is on chemotherapy, but even so it is annoying to have to go through the process of having the tickets clipped in the Macmillan unit. On arrival in oncology is was beginning to get busy. One lady who came to sit opposite was at the beginning of her chemotherapy. She was having some sort of cap-arrangement set up to wear on her head. Carol said it was something that they use which is supposed to help prevent a patient's hair being lost as a result of chemotherapy. She suddenly went limp, and she fell backwards in her chair. As if from nowhere, a whole host of nurses and doctors appeared to deal with what was probably an epileptic fit, or seizure, or diabetic reaction to the treatment. We moved out the way, as they began to draw the curtains around her and it seemed only decent to not be party to the doctors speedy intervention. So we transferred to chairs around the corner to let them get on with their job. It wasn't long before Carol was seen, her blood test carried out and we were out of the unit and driving out of the hospital carpark. I'm just impressed by the speed of the doctor and nurses getting to the poor lady's reaction to whatever it was. No doubt she had an underlying health issue. It just goes to show how well trained and efficient the staff in that unit are and how quickly they came to that lady's aid. It makes you feel far more confident that, if something was to happen to Carol or even myself, with my heart issues, you would be dealt with in a very professional manner. Everyone knew exactly what to do in an emergency.

We had to go into the main Milton Keynes shopping centre because I had a cheque that needed paying in to my Nationwide account and Carol said she would like a coffee and something to eat. So we parked in Debenham's multi-storey carpark and we walked down through the store and out into the main shopping mall. First off, we walked to Pret-A-Manger and ordered lattes and croissants. Mine an almond one and Caro's a chocolate one. Good customer-service, a nice clean store and the girl who served us very friendly and gave eye-contact. Nice to be able to sit and relax after the experience of the hospital, and the fact that things regarding chemo going well. Hopefully by Thursday we should know when Carol will have her operation and more, the radiotherapy which will be done in Oxford.

We walked into the main shopping centre. Got to Nationwide and paid the cheque in via one of their self-service machines. How does the thing know how much the cheque is for? How is it able to read the printing and then allow you to see a sort of image of the cheque on the video screen and then print it onto your receipt? What I want to know is, why does it take so long for a cheque to clear? It used to be no more than three working days, so why does it now take at least a week? You'd think, what with modern technology, it would be shorter. I know that most people use contactless payments, chip-and-pin and other technology to pay for things as well as having money paid by B.A.C.S., so I can see no reason for it to take so long to clear. Just a little moan, I know.

Carol wants to replace a  silver chain which has a silver chain and pendant I gave her a couple of Christmases ago, but unfortunately the silver is tarnishing and she said she would like a replacement. It has a 'tree of life' design on it. We went into several jewellers to try and find a replacement. In one we were shown into a sort of lounge-area, where one of the sales assistants was quite helpful and went out of his way to find what Carol was looking for, but the price was more than we wanted to pay. He did a reasonably good job, but I think he was on commission so was going to be over-assertive to get a sale.  There are far too many jewellers in the shopping centre. How on earth do they survive when there is so much choice? No wonder that assistant was so assertive. We eventually went to another store and Carol got what she wanted. Not such a pushy sales assistant.

We walked along the mall and went to the Disney store. Why has their stuff become so cheap and tacky? They used to have far more quality things on offer, particularly from their classic period, collectable things as well as books on the 'making of' their animation in particular. Why no Henson stuff, particularly from The Muppets' which are owned now by Disney? Nothing that you'd buy for an adult, something with the original designs from the 'golden age' of the studio. It's a pity that Disney owns so much, from the Muppets to Marvel and 'Star Wars,'  as well as Pixar. Just becoming a conglomerate with far too much power. Why do they have to keep re-making their classic movies? Just a bit lazy to keep on re-hashing stuff. I think Walt Disney would have a fit if he knew what they've done to his studio. Just a pity that their films seem to be just an excuse for a load of merchandise. It should be 'story first,' 'quality movies' and then merchandise as s spin-off. Just a pity that the moves are, in essence, now just glorified advertising. Just love the hand-drawn animation from the 'Golden Age,' but some of the modern stuff isn't up to much. Pixar is the best at computer animation, but they shouldn't keep doing sequels to their best movies, such as 'Toy Story.'

A further walk towards Boot's. In the oncology suite, the nurse who had taken Carol's blood somehow over-looked the tube gauze she is supposed to have to cover the cannula she has for her chemotherapy. I was somewhat concerned that it might get knocked or even pulled off, even though it was taped on fairly securely. So we bought a roll of it, having to ask at the counter for scissors to cut of enough to cover her arm. We then went out of the store, having paid, and sat on a bench so she could pull it over her arm. Then on to W.H. Smith to buy a couple of notebooks and then a walk home towards Debenham's and up the escalator to the carpark and then to Sainsbury's to collect the medication that had been made up from the prescription.

On arriving home we had two parcels delivered. One had been left in the meter cupboard when we were out, a Regatta jacket I ordered from their website. A really good bargain as it was originally around £60 but bought for £25.50. A softsshell jacket, lightweight but very efficient to keep out the cold and wind resistant. It is so designed that it can be packed up into a small space and ideal to take away when we go out and might need a jacket if it's cold. Unlikely at the moment, as it's quite warm. Although, saying that, compared with the weekend, it's quite a few degrees colder so it was necessary for me to wear my fleecy top I bought in Dobbies a few months ago.

The second parcel was from Amazon, a set of head scarves for Carol to wear on her head when undergoing chemotherapy.

Trip to Bekonscot Model Village

Carol is really determined to get out as much as possible. Considering that she's been off work since August last year and has been stuck indoors for most of this time. except for hospital and doctor's appointments, who can blame her? We search on Google for somewhere suitable to visit, and as a result came across Bekonscot Model Village in Beaconsfield. I'd heard of this place, but had never visited. We took the satnav, which has been sitting on the shelf in the lounge unused for some time now. I was hoping we might be able to use the satnav which is in the Renault, but for some reason we just can't manage to operate it. So we set up the Garmin and then found that the part that fits on the back and allows it to stick to the inside of the windscreen was missing. So I had to have the thing on my knee as we went along with Carol driving.

We drove out towards Aylesbury as we knew that Bekonscot isn't much further from the route we know reasonably well, particularly going to such places as West Wycombe, a National Trust property, as well as the hill that over-looks the village as well as Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

We arrived in Beaconsfield and it was only by chance that we saw a sign for Bekonscot, otherwise I doubt we'd have found it. I was somewhat surprised that it was in a rather affluent-looking housing estate, putting me very much in mind of Frinton-On-Sea, where my family used to go on summer holidays when I was a child. It has that 1920s-1930s sort of feel about it, vaguely Art Deco designed houses, and all quite large. Fortunately we could park the car opposite the model village, in a church carpark.

Having paid our entrance fees we went into the model village. First we had something to eat, buying drinks and paninis from the café and sitting at one of the tables outside. It was good to see so many families with children enjoying the sunshine. Then we began our walk around the model village, along the paths between the exhibits. Some truly amazing models, with so much detail. Again, a sort of 1930s feel, almost like going back in time to a period of seaside holidays with Punch and Judy on the beach, cricket on the village green, horses and carts instead of lorries and vintage-looking cars. How on earth they manage to keep the place in such good order is quite amazing. Some of the exhibits have moving parts, such as a coal mine with coal being loaded onto a train. Yes, and throughout the whole garden, a fantastic railway with trains moving about. And on the lake in the middle, an area to represent a harbour, and little yachts  sailing across the water as well as other types of boat and ship. Someone had a real sense of humour with the names of businesses, the shop fronts bearing all sorts of names, puns almost. Several churches, one which you can see inside in, with the choir and a tiny vicar, another model of a circus, again, you can view inside, with acrobats and horses revolving as if in a circus ring. Further over, a farm with a threshing machine, probably a bit out of days by today's farming standards, but all working and to minute scaled detail.

Carol was keen to have some ice-cream. Being on chemotherapy, anything cold, such as ice-cream, would be impossible to eat, so we went to the ice-cream stand and she tried a small spoonful. It seemed fine, no reaction, so we both ordered some for ourselves, two scoops each. Very delicious. We sat at a café table. Then we went towards the exit and had a browse in the obligatory gift shop, but bought nothing and then made our way out and back to the car and home.

We were surprised how many families there were in the model village. Also, how few people taking 'selfies'. For some reason it seemed that nobody was busy with such crazy things, more interested in what they'd obviously come to look at. No smartphones much in evidence at all, apart from a few people taking photographs with their phones of the model buildings on display and a young boy who was with his dad who had a Canon camera (a more advance and probably far more expensive model than one, which I took photos of the buildings with). He was taking similar photos, but was being quite clever and experimental they way he was lining up shots, no doubt influenced by his dad.

So, we drove home, quite happy with our day out.

More Mowing and Oncology Appointment

Another really warm and sunny day. I've done a bit more of the mowing of the grass, but there's still a bit more to do. The grass is exceptionally long and somewhat wet and the mower really moaned. Who can blame it? It's designed to cut nice, neat grass, not grass you would ordinarily find in a meadow and eaten by cattle. The machine is still sitting on the grass, waiting for me to complete the job. At the moment it's really far too hot. Not a good idea if you have a heart problem as I do. I have used my G.T.N. spray to alleviate any angina attacks, which is always possible if I'm exerting myself, which is definitely the case pushing the Flymo back and forth across the garden. I shall continue the job when it's a little cooler, which makes sense.

Carol had an oncology appointment with one of the consultants at 11 this morning (Friday). As it's been so warm and sunny it seemed a good idea to walk to the hospital. After all we only live around 10 minutes away. So we set of at around 10.30 and got there, having walked along the Redway and then into the hospital campus. Carol insisted we scramble up a slope which lead into the carpark behind the cardiology department. I had to climb it first and I helped her over the hump. On arrival in the Macmillan Unit it was exceptionally busy. Nowhere for us to sit together at first. As people went in for their appointments, this left vacant chairs, so we were able move around and to sit together. All a bit like a game of musical chairs. When the music stops . . .

Overhearing people's conversations. Well, it's just impossible to not hear. One old man, he must have been in his late 80's, if not older. Sounding a bit like Jones the butcher in 'Dad's Army,' who kept going on about his time in the desert during the First World War. This old man had been 'in the desert, in North Africa.' He'd been a chemist, so he knew a lot about the various chemicals they were using for his chemotherapy. He'd also worked in a paper-mill or somewhere and they'd used his skills.  Rather like being in the midst of an Alan Bennet play. He did go on and on. Got the other waiting people smiling. He did go on, though. But then he was called in for his appointment.

One of the volunteer men came round collecting mugs. Then he asked people if they would like tea. I didn't, but Carol did. By the time Carol was called in for her appointment at 11.20, he was coming around with a tray of tea, so Carol took her's into the consultants appointment. The surgeons have yet to see the results of the last M.R.I. scan from Wednesday afternoon, but they have discussed Carol's treatment. It looks likely that she will go to Oxford for radiotherapy on part of the cancer whilst the rest will be operated on in Milton Keynes and it's likely to be within the next four weeks or so. So everything is very positive. The warm weather definitely helping and the fact that we walked and didn't have the stress of driving and having to park the car.

On the way out of the unit we bumped into the cancer nurse we had been assigned when Carol was first diagnosed, and whom we haven't seen in quite a while. She said she didn't recognise Carol, as she is looking so much better. The fact that we've been out and about, that she is walking further and further is probably one reason.

So, a really pleasant walk back home, going through the hospital campus and back along the Redway.

We had a grocery delivery during the afternoon from Sainsbury's. It was easier to order on-line and have it delivered. We'd booked it to come between 3 and 4. It was efficiently done and saves so much bother of going to the store and trudging around picking up everything ourselves. It's great to let someone else do the work for us, and you don't end up buying stuff you don't need. As the site 'saves' your list of items, it's easier next time to do your shop faster.

I did a further bit of mowing, but there's still another section to do, mostly around the edges. I refuse to describe this scrappy bit of grass a 'lawn.' It no more resembles one, it may be grass, but not a neat and tidy piece of turf. Perhaps we should tear it up and have some artificial grass as someone has obviously had a bit further down our road. Oh, gracious! It would save time and effort, but I don't think our landlord would approve.

Grass cutting and Trip To Bell Plantation

With the warm weather, the subject of grass cutting comes to the fore. Not just warm weather, but with a couple of months of rain the length of the grass has become quite long. Not my favourite occupation, as you will be aware if you read any of my earlier blog posts. It's a question of dragging the machine out of the shed, untangling the lead and then uncoiling the electric cable from the house and then setting-too with the machine. I don't think a Flymo is designed to cut grass which would easily satisfy a herd of cattle, sheep, or other unguates. The machine is intended, I would imagine, for those lawns of householders who have immaculate turfed lawns. A gentle stroll pushing the Flymo every weekend, to a length not above a few centimetres. But our patch of tusky grass is enough to loose a herd of bison on the African savannahs. I didn't intend spending too long on the grass-cutting job. I would spend the barest minimum of time and then come back later in the day to do a bit more, probably over three shifts. Because of it's length it is quite damp, which makes the job even more difficult. I have managed about a quarter of the area and will continue in the morning. It must be done as it's so dry and sunny, otherwise it will be virtually impossible to get the machine to work efficiently.

Carol is beginning to become stir-crazy. With the sun shining brightly there was an absolute must to escape from the confines of the house. I suggested somewhere which is up Watling Street and just beyond Towcester, a garden centre called Bell Plantation. There is quite a lot to see and do there together with a rather pleasant restaurant. We've enjoyed driving along Watling Street as an alternative to the M1 which it seems is permanently affected by road works, meaning vast length of motorway coned off and having to drive at 50 m.p.h. Hence our journey being rerouted along Watling Street, which has far more pleasant views of the surrounding countryside as well as being dotted with some really pleasant stopping places such as garden centres where there are plenty of restaurants to eat and drink in. A real alternative to the rather boring motorway service areas.

On arrival at Bell Plantation we noticed that the carpark had been resurfaced with tarmac. We'd visited well over a year ago. They have done some considerable improvements to the site since our last visit. We had a browse in one or two of the small shops, some selling antiques and other nick-naks. We  ventured into the restaurant, which we have  been  to on a couple of previous occasions.    We ordered hot chocolate and two pieces of rather delicious cake, Carol had Victoria sponge with raspberry jam and butter icing filling and I had chocolate fudge cake. We shared each other's cake. Well worth the journey up Watling Street for this delight. We then had a browse around the garden centre and Carol was determined to buy a wind-blown garden ornament as we'd seen a few in another garden centre, probably Frost's at Woburn Sands. We also needed milk and vegetables for our evening meal and we then left to return south on Watling Street.

Alfie had to have a return visit to the vet's at Oakgrove at 2 o'clock. We were more wary of the roadworks along Chaffron Way, so we decided to go via Standing Way and then cut across Brickhill Street and arrived in Waitrose's carpark with 15 minutes to spare, and the we took Alfie straight into be seen by he vet. The antibiotics seem to be working, but she managed to get some more of the built-up mess off his face with some damp cotton wool. We have to take him back for a further consultation on Monday afternoon, but will continue with the antibiotics until the course of tablets is complete.

Alfie seemed to prefer sitting on my knee as we drove there and back. On Monday I drove, with Carol holding onto him, but he was eager to sit on my lap as I drove which was totally impossible. He was very much more quiet and I held on to the harness he had on. 

M.R.I. Scan and Pizza

Carol had an M.R.I. scan booked for around 5.10 yesterday afternoon. Which meant our evening meal would be delayed. Not actually a problem. It has been an exceptionally warm day and we'd been out this morning (see previous post.) We got to the hospital carpark, Carol driving. Some people have no idea how to park a car, as we saw one car left at an angle in one bay, actually taking up more than one slot. No doubt they were in a hurry so they left it at this peculiar angle, meaning the next space couldn't be taken by another car.

We walked down the road towards the M.R.I. unit. As usual, we were far too early. Nothing wrong with being early. Better than being late, as a patient who came in after us. What is so difficult about being punctual? I think she had to re-book her scan. No doubt wasting her time and effort and it must have meant that the unit lost a scan which could have been taken by someone else. It's crazy how many appointments are lost when people don't bother to turn up. Particularly at the doctor's surgery. No doubt wasting the N.H.S. millions.

It was nice that I was offered tea when I was sitting in the waiting area at the scan unit run by In Health. I think this is the first time I've been offered tea. As it was so hot it was really a necessity, as tea is such a thirst-quencher. Is that the difference between private and N.H.S. treatment? I'm not sure how a private company fits into the hospital.

Anyway, after the scan we paid at the machine and then we found that the carpark barrier was raised. Annoying as we'd just payed £4.50 or thereabouts. It's crazy that they don't think it necessary to put a notice on the payment machine advising people that the barrier is raised. How much are they making out of the broken carpark barrier? Or get it fixed so you at least get released by putting the ticket in the machine. Or just get of hospital parking fees. Simple.

On leaving the carpark, Carol went the wrong way out, ignoring the 'No Entry' sign. Who on earth designed the system for drivers to follow in order to exit the carpark? You have follow a crazy set of arrows which are illogical. No doubt some bureaucrat in an office somewhere, most likely in Whitehall. Probably having a really bad day. Just doesn't make sense. Although we got out a good deal quicker than if we'd followed the route as shown. Why are so many carparks set out in a similar fashion, usually supermarkets have them?

After we left the hospital we drove to Oldbrook as Carol said she fancied pizza and so we went to Domino's, next door to Tesco. Interesting to watch them make the pizzas, rolling out the dough and seeing how they were cooked. To be honest I wasn't overly impressed by the result, having eaten my half of the pizza. It seemed undercooked and mushy to me. Well, it did at least mean we didn't have to cook our meal. I think the pizza we sometimes buy at Sainsbury's is far better.

Alfie's Problem and Carol's Medication Review

I've been giving Alfie the two lots of medication I was given by the vet on Monday. He has antibiotics, which come in the form of a tablet which has to be halved and then crushed and then mixed in with his food. Also, a small phial of what is a pain killer and has to be drawn up in to a sort of needless hypodermic gadget and also mixed in with his food. But we have to keep his face clean. Attempting to wipe the built-up gunge from underneath both of his eyes is difficult because he resists at every attempt to wipe it off with a wet bath flannel. He's already scratched my hand with his claws and growls really loudly. For a small dog he's very strong but I don't know if he'd actually bite me. The two places under each eye are very red and raw, but I think it is beginning to clear up. At least the antibiotics should prevent any real infection.

Carol has to have a review of her medication. The doctor at Ashfield Medical Centre has to do this, otherwise she can't have any more repeated prescribed medication. We attempted to ring the surgery this morning but couldn't get through. So we had no choice but to drive there. At 8.40 the roundabout at Standing Way was clogged up with traffic. Drivers shouldn't have gone into the roundabout if their exit wasn't clear. I don't exactly enjoy driving through this roundabout at the best of times and I wasn't going to risk entering the roundabout when large H.G.V. vehicles were thundering through. When we got over the roundabout the entrance into the road where Ashfield M.C. is wasn't clear but a nice driver had no choice but to let us in.

We went inside the surgery and then got to the reception desk. There were very few other people in the waiting area so there was no waiting. Even now Carol has to go home and wait for a call from the doctor to then be allowed to have a face-to-face appointment to discuss her medication review. So we had to drive home and battle our way through the traffic through the horrible roundabout at Standing Way.

The doctor rang back an hour or two later. There's no need to make an actual appointment, but the particular medication that had to be reviewed is a sleeping tablet and they will only do a prescription for no more than seven days at a time, but this time he'll do it for 14 days and suggests she might take them every alternate night. We're not exactly over-joyed about the fact he said he thought it was for a different patient. Rather worrying. Doesn't exactly give you much confidence. I realise they have a great many patients on their books, but he could have at least looked at Carol's medical notes which would have been on the computerised system. Not even sure that our doctor was totally aware that Carol is on chemotherapy or what sort of treatment she's on.

As it's been such a sunny and warm day (so far) we decided to take a picnic and go down to the Grand Union Canal. We went to Tesco in Oldbrook to get sandwiches, crisps and drink and then drove to the Peartree Bridge pub to park and then walked along the canal towpath. We took our cameras with us and when we got to the picnic table where we've been before with the dogs (we didn't take Alfie on this occasion) we sat and ate our sandwiches. Along the canal were a couple of young men, fishing. We stopped to see what they'd caught. What they had caught they'd apparently put back in the canal. Lots of ducks and a couple of geese swimming gracefully along and we wanted to take a series of photographs to record our walk. Which we both did. Several canal boats drifting past. The trees coming out in leaf. Spring has been late in coming this year, after such a cold and quite horrible winter.

Alfie Visits The Vet

Alfie has had a really nasty build-up of the weeping eyes on his face. I think most dogs seem to have this problem. It would normally be easily removed by dabbing with a piece of wet cotton wool, but it has got worse over time. The lady who groomed him the other week took of some, but it has got to looking really red and sore, so we had no alternative but to get a vet to look at it. I rang the surgery which is near Waitrose in Oakgrove called Pet Practice and booked an appointment for 2 o'clock this afternoon. It would have been easy enough to get to by car but for the fact that Chaffron Way was closed off from the Eaglestone end, so we had no alternative but to drive round onto Child's Way and approach Oakgrove via Brickhill Street, but we missed the turning right and ended up going round onto Tongwell Street and round the city and down Brickhill Street. Fortunately the end of Chaffron Way was accessible for the entrance into the Waitrose carpark so it was easy enough to park and conveniently close to the vet surgery.  During all this journey, Alfie was being held by Carol on her knee, otherwise I was going to have to put the cage in the back of the car for Alfie to ride in, which might have been easier and safer in the long run, as he was determined to sit on my knee as I drove, but that was totally impractical and possibly dangerous. The vet had a look at the two nasty areas under both eyes and managed to remove some of the built-up matter under one eye. But Alfie didn't like it as no doubt it stung and began to growl when she tried to remove the built-up matter from his other eye. After a rest, she had another attempt and got some more off leaving the area under each eye looking red and raw. She has given us two lots of medication, one a pain killer and another antibiotics which have to be administer mixed with his food. She wants him to come back on Thursday to check on how things are progressing. I think Alfie was expecting to go for a walk when Carol got out his lead when we were about to leave the house, and was somewhat shocked when he discovered he was being taken to the vet, a bit like a few weeks ago when the mobile groomer came to the house and took him off to her van to be bathed and then clipped. I just hope that the roadworks along Chaffron Way is finished and that it's possible to drive there without going on a detour to get to Oakgrove on Thursday.

Tedious and Lack-Lustre Telly

It's spring and the birdies are singing their hearts out. It's warm and pleasant, but for reasons I won't go into in too much detail (but which would become apparent if you read my blog posts on a regular basis) we're stuck indoors. Under different circumstances, we'd be out and about visiting various properties managed by either the National Trust, English Heritage of the H.H.A. (Historic Houses Association). Instead, we're enduring some of the most unimaginative and positively tedious television to pass the time of day. I can't think why, with endless channels on Sky, there is such a total lack of imagination in programme-making at the present. All days on the main channels (BBC1, BBC2, ITV and Channel Four are identical (although, of the free-to-air channels, Channel Four is perhaps the least tied to it's regular daily line-up of programmes.) I mean, when I was a good deal younger, each day in telly land was different. You had different programmes for each day of the week, for example, a sitcom at 7.30 in the evening on a Monday, then a Tuesday probably a gameshow, Wednesday, probably a documentary and so on. Also, things like Play For Today or the Wednesday Play, which could often be hard-hitting, from a range of writers such as Dennis Potter or Alan Bleasdale. These would be one-offs. There were series and serials, such as The Onedin Line or The Brothers or going back further in time to the 1960's, Adam Adamant Lives and probably one of my favourites of all-time, The Avengers. Totally imaginative and very original. Now we just get the same shows on every day. Bargain Hunt is in the same slot on every day of the week, including Saturday and Sunday. Admittedly we do get quite a few good programmes, some excellent drama series and documentaries. But why do we have to have endless antiques, cookery and selling things shows? Why because something is popular do the schedulers think we're going to love more and more? Everything has to be ghettoised. Some of the best stuff the BBC does is on BBC Four. This stuff would have been put on BBC2, but even that has been overrun with endless gameshows and antiques shows. It was set up I seem to recall as being a sort of place for 'distinctive' programming. So where's it all gone wrong? Why don't we get such programmes as 'Not The Nine O'clock News' which could be quite biting satirically. We don't get satire any more, particularly when we have such an awful set of politicians who need to be satirised. Donald Trump is one such, but would you believe in him? Not really, as he's just one big comic character really ripe for satire.

I read all of Gerald Durrell's books when I was a teenager. I read the first one 'My Family and Other Animals' when i bought a second-hand copy of it as a paperback from a stall at Cardington church fetê. I loved it and read almost everything else Durrell wrote. I was more than excited when the BBC did an adaptation of the books back in the 1980's. A fairly reasonable and accurate adaptation. I think they might have done a sort of 'one-off' movie version sometime later, but I can't exactly say when or if that's true. Then ITV announced that they were doing a series based on the 'Corfu Trilogy,' (I think I'm right in saying, unless it's just based on 'My Family and Other Animals.' We watched the first two series of this, and I have to say it was reasonable. But I can't say I recognise any of the books from these adaptations. They've taken incredible liberties with the stories and characters. The books are centred very much on Gerry, the youngest of the Durrell children, but in the television version he has a much smaller role to play, intact he's quite a minor character in these shows. The wildlife doesn't play such a central role in this ITV version. But I've given up on watching the third series because it really has wandered away from what I remember of the books. They have just not held my attention so I'd ratter invest my time and effort of something else, such as reading. I wrote about the first series in an earlier post when this show first aired. But I'm afraid it has deteriorated considerably since the first season which is a great pity. I don't think I'll bother to watch any more.

Sunny and Warm

Goodness gracious! What's this? The sun is out. It's really warm. The past few days have been dull and overcast. On Wednesday it was foggy early and we had rain.

Wednesday we had to be at the Oncology Suite at Milton Keynes Hospital because Carol had the  beginning of the eight chemotherapy cycle. She wasn't due there until midday so we had time to take things slowly which was pleasant, not having to get up too early. We drove over to Rooksley as Carol wanted to visit Hobbycraft as she wanted to buy some crafting materials. As we parked the car near the store and got out to walk down to the entrance, Carol shrieked as she had seen a large rat. I looked down into the flower bed and saw the tail of a large grey rat scuttling away. I've seen several rats in Milton Keynes and had Alfie, or little Yorkshire Terrier, had been with us I'm sure he would have known how to deal with it. They say that you're always no more than six feet from a rat wherever you are. I can well believe that, considering how untidy people are, dropping litter and food which only attracts them. Not a pleasant thought.

The oncology suite was busy when we arrived. Unfortunately the carpark at the rear of the hospital, where we usually park, was full so I had to drive back to the front of the hospital and park in the ground-level carpark and walk back to the oncology suite. There seemed to be a shortage of nursing staff in the unit and again there was no receptionist on the reception desk as there was a few days ago when Carol had her blood test. The nurses are on the go all the time we are there. They never stop. I can never praise them enough as they do an amazing job and always do their jobs efficiently and exceptionally.

We had to go back to the oncology suite on Friday at around 4 p.m. so that Carol could have the pump she has removed. All seems to be going well and she has another M.R.I. scan on Wednesday and then a consultant's appointment on Friday so we should know what the next stage of her treatment is going to be.

I recently bought a Kindle Fire tablet, the HD 10 inch model. Considering the price, it is a really good piece of kit. Carol bought one a couple of years ago and she has been pleased with it, although by now it might be considered somewhat out of date, as all computing equipment has a limited life, when they keep on up-grading the operating systems they run on. I have downloaded the official Scrabble app and played this game on my own, versus the computer, but now Carol has the app on her Kindle and we have managed to play a game or two using both our Kindles. This will be good as a way to pass the time the next time we go to the oncology suite.

As I write this, it's Saturday afternoon and looking out of the lounge window I can see the sun is shining. The trees at the back of the house, all along the Redway, are beginning to come out in leaf. There is plenty of almond blossom coming out all over Eaglestone estate. The bird-feeder is busy with a wide variety of birds visiting, but I'm not so sure I want squirrels eating the food which is really intended for them. We've had two competing squirrels on the thing, doing their usual acrobatics. I think I'm going to have to buy a baffle to go on the upright to deter them.

Alfie Gets Crafty

I've mentioned in several of my blog posts about Alfie, our Yorkshire Terrier. He's a very bright and intelligent little dog. I've explained about the Comic Relief ball which he loves. If it's dropped or hit, it makes a laughing sound, which sets off Alfie howling. He's quite capable of setting it off himself. He can even throw it, which seems unlikely, but he is able to set it off. I have to take it away and put it in one of the drawers in the bookshelf nearby. He knows very well where it is and stands and looks at the shelf. There is a footstool near the shelving and he'd grown wise to the fact that if he jumps onto this stool he can then stand up with his back legs on this stool and his front legs on the shelves and very nearly climbs up to the drawer with the Comic Relief ball in it.

He had a Baker's treat tin for Christmas. He knows exactly what's in this tin. He will go and look at the tin, in expectation of getting a treat from it. We set up a game with him, hiding several treats around the room for him to find, which he does without any problems. His new game is to tap the tin with his paw. The lid of the tin has got somewhat bent, so it won't now close properly, so I've had to put the tin out of his reach, otherwise he will be able to help himself to treats. It can be quite easy for him to  help himself, so it's a good idea to have it up out of reach on the shelf.

His new trick is to bark whenever Carol needs help with something. She just needs to move about upstairs when I'm in the lounge, and he starts barking, as if to tell me I should be doing something upstairs to help. Just moving about without it being something important, and it sets him off barking. Alfie would make a very good assistance dog, perhaps for someone who has a hearing problem or perhaps has a vision problem. He could go and find them and bark if the telephone or doorbell rang or an alarm went off. He's good at letting you know what he wants, staring at whatever it is until you deal with it.

Alfie sleeps on our bed. He always has done, from when he was a puppy. Whether it's right to let him do so, I don't know. He can jump up on the bed, he's perfectly capable, but we usually pick him up. Carol sleeps on one side, and me, obviously, on the other. Alfie finds his place under the duvet, where he knows he'll be safe and warm and pushes up against my back. But when I get out of the bed, he often manages to shift his position to the exact spot which I've vacated, often with his head on the pillow. He won't move unless I make a comment. This is definitely one of his vary crafty little things he does. But for a small dog he takes up quite a lot of room, stretching himself out on the bed, but usually he curls up in a ball.

Eighth Chemotherapy Cycle

A rather cold and overcast day. Some slight rain.

On Saturday Carol had a scan appointment at the hospital. At first, when the letter came, we thought it was to be at the M.R.I. place she'd had an earlier scan at, called In Health, just behind Sainsbury's in Witan Gate. It was as well Carol queried the location, as she rang and was told that it was actually within the hospital campus. I think I had an idea where it was, as I'd walked past on several occasions when Carol had been on Ward 19. The appointment was on Saturday and it meant that her parents would be able to come with us. The appointment was at 2.20, but we got there in plenty of time. Well over an hour in total. She got a second letter, telling her that she'd been given yet another scan appointment, at the same place, for this Wednesday. She queried it, because if her chemotherapy cycle went according to plan, she would have the pump with her she would be given as part of the treatment and it would be possible to have she M.R.I. scan with it in situ. She was correct as it was to be re-booked for 18th April, during the week between chemo treatments and when she didn't have the pump.

On Sunday Carols mum and dad went back to Bournemouth. We went over to see them at the hotel in Newport Pagnall. By now the weather began to change. Rain, although not heavy. We'd had the best weather when we'd visited Waddesdon on Friday.

Today Carol had to be at the oncology suite for a blood test, at the beginning of the seventh chemotherapy cycle. As it was gone 10 when we arrived in the hospital campus, it was quite difficult to find a parking space, but there was one available, fortunately.

In the oncology suite it was clear that there was a shortage of staff, particularly the fact that there was no receptionist. We had to wait quite a while before Carol was signed in. One of the nurses had to do this, which meant she had to leave off another job elsewhere. Quite a lot of patients waiting, coming and going. Carol didn't get taken into the room for her blood test until well past 10.30.

We left and drove to Rooksley because Carol wanted to go to Hobbycraft. We had a look around but couldn't find what she was looking for. We went into Costa in Next and had lattes, really nice cheese and ham toasties and chocolate tiffin. I was ready for something to eat as I was hungry by this time. We then drove over to Westcroft to go into Morrison's, to buy something for our evening meal and for the next couple of days.

Under normal circumstances Carol would have had the bloodiest on a Friday and then have the chemotherapy begin on a Monday. We were expecting the seventh cycle to start tomorrow (Tuesday) but thankfully Carol checked her paperwork to learn that this cycle will begin on Wednesday, so it was as well the M.R.I. scan she had booked was rescheduled. We trust that the bloodtest will allow the seventh chemotherapy cycle to go ahead as planned.

Inlaw's Outing To Waddesdon Manor

As I've mentioned in earlier blog posts. Carol's parents have been staying locally at a hotel in Newport Pagnall. As the weather has been kind to us, we wanted to treat them to a pleasant day out so we went to collect them from the hotel at around 10 o'clock this morning and then drove out of the area via the A5 towards Buckingham. We wanted to keep it a secret so they had absolutely no idea where we were heading. Under different circumstances, such as going on our own, we wouldn't have driven via Buckingham, but would have gone the usual route through Aylesbury which is probably the most direct route if we'd gone from Eaglestone.

We eventually arrived at Waddesdon Manor and were directed to the carpark and were immediately surprised by how many cars were already parked. No doubt the warmer weather had bought people out, families with children in particular, as the Easter holiday was still in full swing. We had to queue up at the booking hall as we had to pay for Carol's mum and dad to enter, even though, as National Trust members we got in free. We then walked through to the bus which took us up to the Manor. Around a five-minute ride. Previous to the new car-park, you would have had to park near to the Manor in a rather haphazard arrangement of parking on roads in somewhat make-shift carparks. With our entry ticket we had booked a house tour, which was timed to begin at around 12.45, so we had quite a wait until we could go inside the Manor. We went into the main restaurant to have coffee and hot chocolate. We have never used this restaurant before, but the hot chocolate was really good. The weather being sunny, but cold, hot chocolate was a real necessity. Also, it was quite gusty when we came outside and walked around the side of the Manor and onto the terraced area. This is where the fountain is, but this was empty of water and all the statues on the fountain were covered in protective material, as were all the statues around the gardens and grounds, making them look really strange and somewhat creepy.

We sat and ate our food which we'd bought with us, at a conveniently-placed table on the terrace. It was still quite gusty and it took a lot of effort to not let some of the paper the food was wrapped in from being whisked away by the wind. We saw several red kites flying overhead and I managed to photograph some of them, but I don't reckon my efforts were particularly technically brilliant, but it was worth the effort.

We walked round to the gift shop and spent some time browsing. A lot of items we'd like to buy. They seem to have upped their game as regards the quality of what they sell. At one time the items on sale in the National Trust shops weren't up to much, but now they've made a real effort at better quality and things that you'd actually want to own.

By the time we'd finished in the shop it was about time to walk round to the front of the Manor and begin the house tour. Even though we've seen inside Waddeson Manor several times over the years, we've been amazed by the items on display, from furniture to priceless pieces of porcelain to the amazing collection of clocks. The whole place is awesome. You cannot fail to be left feeling amazed  at the variety of items that the house contains. If you've never visited Waddeson before, then do make an effort. If you have an interest, however vague, in art or antiques, then it's the perfect place to visit. Be amazed by the chandeliers, a wide variety of art from all periods, and some furniture which will take you breath away by it's artistry.

Having viewed the interior of the Manor, we left and then walked down towards the stables where we met the bus which was to return us to the carpark and the car, ready for our journey home to first Newport Pagnall and then to Milton Keynes and home.

Sunny and Bright

What a difference a few days can make, particularly in regards to the weather. We've been spending the morning waiting for Carol's mum and dad to arrive from Bournemouth, so we've been cleaning the house. I've been using the cordless vacuum cleaner we've bought, which compliments the G-Tech one we bought the other week. This is a Multi, also made by G-Tech and makes light work of cobwebs and the dust you can't reach with a standard machine. None of the trailing cables or tubes which cause so many problems. You can get between those awkward places where dust and fluff gathers (particularly in the kitchen, between the cooker and the units either side.) The sun is shining, the birds are singing and the house is now relatively clean. I think the fact that the sun is out makes doing jobs like cleaning far easier, it's good for your mental state and helps inspire you to get on with what are generally boring jobs such as house-cleaning.

We drove over to Newport Pagnall where Carol's mum and dad were going to stay. They'd been bought up to Milton Keynes by Carol's sister who was going to be at some needlework event at the hotel so they had booked several nights in the same hotel. We'd driven out to find the hotel yesterday evening so we knew where to go this morning. A good idea as we have a propensity for not finding places or at least getting lost. They were due to arrive around lunch-time so we got to Newport Pagnall at around 1 o'clock. It took us a while to find the hotel entrance which was badly sign-posted, having parked the car in a side-road near the hotel. There were a few ladies waiting in the reception-area who were obviously part of the needlework event and then Jacqueline and Carol's mum and dad turned up, Jackie parking in a space near the hotel entrance. We went with Carol's mum and dad and went to a rather nice pub along the street from the hotel and had some drinks and rolls for lunch and then returned to the hotel. We drove back home to Eaglestone with Carol's parents and spent a couple of hours in the house and had our evening meal and then took them back to the hotel. We're going early tomorrow morning to pick them up to take them out tomorrow for the day.

I currently have got Alfie, our Yorkshire Terrier, being very demanding. I bought him a tin for his treats for Christmas. He knows perfectly well what's in this Baker's dog-food tin which is on the table next to my armchair where I'm typing this blog. I have already given him three of these treats. He's prodding the tin with his nose or his paw. He's even managed to get the lid to open, goodness knows how. I trust he wouldn't be able to get the treats out of the tin, but who knows, as he's a very bright and clever little dog. Since he's been groomed and had most of his coat removed, he's wearing a rather smart knitted jumper which will keep him warm. He rather likes it. When Carol found it and he saw it he was almost asking to have it to wear. 

Alfie Has A Haircut

We've been looking for a dog groomer for Alfie. It's not the simplest of things finding someone who can do the job. I kept ringing numbers found through the internet. Most seem to be fully booked well into the summer months. It would have been easier to get a mobile groomer as it would mean less stress for him. We had someone do this a few years ago, but Poppy was very difficult to get groomed as she didn't like being handled, particularly her paws. It got to the stage where her nails got really bad. Alfie, on the other hand, seems to relish being pampered and made a fuss of. We took them to the Grooming Room which is within Pets At Home, there being two branches within easy reach, one at Bletchley and the other at Rooksley. I attempted to book Alfie in at the Bletchley branch but they were over-subscribed. Anyway, his coat was beginning to look very untidy, his claws needed trimming as they were getting caught in various bits of clothing and bedding and the build-up of black mess under his eyes was looking really horrible and was getting really serious. Anyway, I eventually found someone who who do the job, booked about a month in advance. The lady in question was put in the diary for 2 o'clock today.

We went to Waitrose to do a bit of shopping earlier in the morning. We went to Newport Pagnall because Carol's mum and dad are coming up from Bournemouth and staying in a hotel in Tickford Street. Carol wanted to drive over to find it. We went down Chaffron Way and then cut across towards Monks Way. There were signs up at the Eaglestone end that the road was going to be closed off for resurfacing work (well, I assumed it was resurfacing, as they are doing most of the Milton Keynes grid roads.) On the way back we found we couldn't get into Oakgrove, where Waitrose is located, as the Chaffron Way section was closed off for the resurfacing. We managed to get in via Brickhill Street. On arrival at the Waitrose carpark, the place was virtually empty, likewise the actual store. I imagine they will be loosing a lot of custom due to the roadworks. But it meant we got what we wanted in the store a good deal faster than we normally would. I also took out cash to pay the groomer lady from the Metro Bank A.T.M. near Waitrose.

We got home and unpacked the shopping in the kitchen and then I did some washing up. As I stood at the sink, the telephone rang. It was the groomer lady. Would it alright if she came earlier? I said, fine. She would be with us in around 45 minutes, making it about 11.45.  Carol had Alfie on his lead, and had intended taking him out for a walk, but he gets so stressed out whenever he realises he's going out for a walk, that it wasn't going to happen because the groomer lady knocked on the door and we handed over Alfie to be sorted.

So, about 90 minutes later, another knock on the door, the sound of a very distinctive bark, and Alfie is handed back over, shorn, looking very different. None of his curly coat left, we can see his eyes, so he can see where he's going and the horrible mess on his face- gone- but the skin underneath looking very red and raw. He looked somewhat shocked, his ears laid back on his head. But he does look better and far neater. Really worth the wait and effort expended. We'll have to make sure that he doesn't get into such a bad state before he has his nest haircut.