Flat Tyre

 Sunday 23rd August 9.25 a.m. Did I mention the car had a flat tyre? I don't think I did. All the rushing about when my bankcard was frozen, and then having to drive into the shopping centre to get money out at the Nationwide branch and then drive to Sainsbury's. It was when I drew up at a set of traffic lights on the way, that some kind driver pointed out the flat tyre, that I realized that something had to be done, and quickly, such as, find a tyre replacement service, which could come out to Dexter House and put a new tyre on the car and, hopefully, not cost the earth. In all of nearly 60 years of driving, I think this must be only the second, or possibly the third, flat tyre I have actually had, so I can't complain. Well, I suppose I can, but I won't. There was no way I could drive the car with a flat tyre,because it would have been dangerous and the hub of the wheel might have been bent out of shape as a result.

Anyway, to cut a fairly long story short, I found a company through the internet, who could come out and take the old, flat, tyre off the car and replace it with a new one. Luckily I found the small box containing the nuts which allowed the old tyre to be removed, otherwise the job could not be done, but, fortunately I found them in the car and the job was completed and the whole thing done.

Monday. 24th August. 8.30 a.m. On Saturday I thought, for a change, I would go to Aldi and do a bit of shopping. It then occurred to me that Curry's was just along the parade of units, I could go in there and enquire about external hard drives for my MacBook, because I am keen to get all my written material,in particular the plays, put onto some form of drive, as an insurance policy against something happening to the laptop and all that hard work being lost forever. I have now got a tiny memory stick which shows up on the desktop of the Macbook. So, I now have some of the material saved to the stick, although it is so tiny I am more concerned about how tiny it is and how easy it will be to loose that, rather than the contents!!

I had developed a really unpleasant rash, in a rather private place. It had become red raw and was beginning to sting. The solution to this rash was to get a doctor's appointment and, hopefully, the doctor could prescribe something to help it heal. I filled out the on-line triage form, because you aren't supposed to ring the surgery for an appointment, unless it is for something serious, which this isn't. I completed the form and posted it. Then an hour and a half later,  I got an email, telling me there were no available slots for appointments, but if necessary, go to the Urgent Care Centre, at Milton Keynes University Hospital. Well, being told that made my blood run cold, because experience told me that I might be there for several hours before being seen. Also, I have memories of taking Carol there after she was diagnosed with bowel cancer, which weren't good. But, after some consideration of the matter, I plucked up the courage and drove there. Fortunately, the waiting room wasn't as busy as it was last time I was in there and, on arrival I had to answer a few questions and then I sat in the waiting area. It wssn'tlong before a doctor called me into one of the rooms, to be asked a few mor questions and to show him the rash and be told I would be given a prescription, one for some cream to put on the rash and some antibiotics.

Once I had the prescription, I took it to the nearest chemist I could think of, in Netherfield. The only problem was, that, just as I arrived at this chemist's, it was turning 1 p.m., and the pharmacist had gone for their lunch, and it wouldn't be possible to get the prescription made up until 2 p.m., because a pharmasist had to be present, by law, in order to administer the drugs on the prescription. So, I drove back to Dexter House to have some lunch and then make my way back to the chemist after 2 p.m. to collect the prescription. So, this is precisely what I did and when I eventually got back to Dexter House, I took the first dose of the medication.

A Good Deal Cooler, With A Promise of Rain!

 Tuesday 18th August. 3.15 p.m. Well, it hasn't rained, or, if it did, it hasn't left much of an impression.

This morning I went out with my video camera and walked around Woolstone which is one of the villages around which the city of Milton Keynes was built. I had hoped to find something worth videoing, such as a stretch of the Grand Union Canal, with boats moored, or drifting through, something vaguely historic to shoot, ducks swimming or sitting at the side of the canal, but none of that could I find. It was a pleasant enough walk, and the video footage was reasonable. 

Thursday 20th August. 8.15 a.m. I have mentioned how, in an earlier post on here, how I had to ring the Nationwide helpline, because of the mysterious text I had, informing me that there was a strange £250 payment on my account with Argos. It turns out that nothing was taken and my bank account is safe. But, to make sure there is no possibility of this sort of 'scam'; happening again, they would close down my current debit card and issue me a new one. The card has not arrived, so I rang Nationwide again and asked what I had to do, because my pension was in my account. I was told that, if I went into the Nationwide branch in the main shopping centre, along with some form of ID, in this case, my photo driving licence, which, fortunately, had come only just come  back from the DVLA in Swansea. I could take out sufficient funds, so I could do a small shop in Sainsbury's.

Friday 21st August. 6.00 a.m. I mentioned in an earlier post, talking about the persistant cough which has been plaguing me for weeks. I do not have a temperture, infact, I haven't felt better in myself in ages. Just this cough, which seems to be caused by horrible thick mucus at the back of my throat. The doctor had given me a prescription for codeine, which I immediately took into the Boots pharmacy,which is immediately next door to the Central Milton Keynes Medical Centre. Unfortunately they didn't have it in stock. I wasn't over-enthusiastic about trailing around Milton Keynes chemists, to find one which has a supply of this medicaion. I had a parcel arrive in the post. I wasn't sure what it contained, but, on opening it, I ound a bottle of codeine which was on the prescription, which I hadn't managed to get made up. But how come I had this bottle of the very medication I needed? I have no idea. Perhaps the doctor had got it for me, but whatever the truth, I was able to take it, even though it tasted awful, and, as I write, I am sure it's sorting out the horrible cough.

Hotter Than Ever!

 Friday 14th August. 11.15 a.m. The heat doesn't seem to be reducing. Yesterday (No, it would still have been today, early morning) around 1.20 am., it was so hot I decided to have a cold shower. It did the trick, and I got back to sleep. I was under the impression that yesterday, some woman was coming from the Council, to dicuss putting on events at Dexter House. A load of expensive-looking leaflets were scattered around the community lounge the other day. but this person didn't arrive. Nothing weird there. Probably found the trip to discuss this new 'project' far too much for her sensitivities and remaining in her lovely comfortable office preferable to discussing ANYTHING with us. Never mind. There's always tomorrow.

I am still struggling with the cough, which is produced by thick mucus in my throat. I have used saline solution, which is puffed up each nostril, and it does help to remove this mucus, and, as a result, I can speak much clearer, but the mucus has come back worse than ever. As a result of this, I decided to get a doctor's appointment this morning.

I thought I would be able to get an appointment via the website of the surgery, to save having to phone and then get screamed at for phoning! I know this cough isn't sinister; there's no blood being coughed up. If it was I would be down to A and E or the walk-in centre very rapidly. So, I did this after nine and managed to write why I needed an appointment, because of the triage system they now have in place.

Anyway, a couple of hours later, I got an email, telling me an appointment had been made for me for 4.30 p.m. I drove to the surgery, in the searing heat. I went into the doctor's room and she did the usual tests, checking my oxygen level with that gadget that goes on your finger, my heart and also looked into my throat. I have to take s ssample of the mucus which is causing this cough and get it to the surgery for testing, so we might get to the bottom of what is causing this cough. I also got a prescription, which I had hoped ould be made up by the Boots pharmacy which is net door to the surgery. Unfortnately Boots couldn't make it up, simply becausde they didn't hve it in stock and none of the other Boots branches around Milton keynes had it, so I will need to spend time ringing pharmacies to attempt to get it. 

One o'clock In The Morning . . . and all is well . . . almost...

 Thursday 13th August. 1.20 a.m. Not being able to sleep is no problem. Well, it shouldn't be. I have plays I'm working on, so I write a bit one, and then a bit more on the other. 

1.15 p.m. Because it's August, there's no Thursday Lifegroup. We may have some sort of get together next week. I do hope so, because my routine is thrown out because of this holiday break.

I have a couple of plays in development. One I have mentioned in an earlier post, based loosley on the Rude Mechanicals 'Piramus and Thisbe' play-within-A-Play from A Midsummer Night's Dream,' and the other is going to become the first play in a proposed trilogy of plays, beginning in 1906, moving on to 1919, after the armistice, and the third and final play will be set in 1936, just after the Nazi's come to power in Germany. These plays revolve around one family, who live in a grand house, on the shores of Buttermere in the Lake District. I won't reveal any more, but I have more or  less got each play sketched out and I know more or less how the third one ends. All set in one place, a limited number of actors in the cast, deliberately to help them be produced. I have a good idea what sort of thing a producer would be looking for in a new play, and one set, limited cast, simplicity of staging, would be in their list. 

I have discovered a relatively new theatre which has opened in Cirencester in Gloucestershire, called the Barn Theatre. It opened in 2018, a conversion of former buildings and has an auditorium for around 300 people. They have a policy of staging new work, supporting new playwrights and do a lot of work in the community with schools and those who might otherwise be isolated. It sounds like a lovely place, not vast, not over-commercial and they have done plays that have moved to London, not necessarily the West End, but give new work a chance of being seen. So, this sounds the sort of theatre that my work could begin life, have a sort of nurturing, supportive home. I'm now hoping to get my first play edited and printed. My friend Mike and his wife Margaret, from Shenley Christian Fellowship, will read the play and make any positive comments so that I can edit any glaring problems from the script, before I have it printed and bound professionally. I think the term I am looking for is proof reading.

At rhis stage, I have not been in contact with the Barn Theatre, but once I have the script proof-read and printed, I can write to their Artistic Director, outlining my writing and hope at least get an interview.

One Love Lunch

 Thursday 6th August. 5.15 a.m. It seems to be mild and bright, a real relief after the blazing heat of the past few weeks. My infamous digital thermometer currently reads 26ºc. It was so hot at one point, just moving about the flat, I had sweat running down my face and I had to keep using a towel to wipe the sweat off my face. I was driving somewhere the other day when sweat ran down my face and into my eyes, making them sting horribly.

I haven't mentioned One Love Lunch Club. I had never heard of it, until I saw a flyer on the message board near the entrance coming into Dexter House. I didn't have to drive there, as I was collected by minibus and arrived at Wolverton. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect, as people began to arrive, many of whom were coming with me in the minibus. I suppose, once everyone had arrived, about 30 people, many with a range of disabilities, some with autism and many with dementia. There is lunch, which we pay for, £5, which is great value, and games for people to play, music, dance and good conversation.

When they had discovered my background, in theatre, television walk-on, puppetry and even my connection with Shakespeare via his wife, Anne Hathaway, I had to give a sort of impromtu talk, covering all my background. It was an experience, and not something I have ever done before.

So, it looks like I have at last got something to replace Camphill in my diary. I didn't go this week, because there weren't enough people on duty who had the relevant qualifications to be there, such as, holding a D.B.S.certificate, probably because those people were on holiday. (D.B.S. stands for Disclosure and Barring Service. Without this check , you cannot work for a range of client-based occupations, such as those people who are vulnerable, learning  disabilities, elderly, and so on.

Wednesday 12th August. 12.20 p.m. I was going to give support during the Holiday Club, which started yesterday, but I don't have a D.B.S. check, which is a vital piece of paper, which you have to have if you are working with a vulnerable group, which is how the children are described in the Holiday Club, and because my D.B.S. is yet to be applied for, I van't be involved.

So, I have been doing more work on my play-writing, which is going very well.One play is a sort of modernisation of the play-within-A-Play of Piramus and Thisbe, from A Midsummer Night's Dream. I a have re-invented the characters, making them relevant to a 21st century audience. Bottom is now Barry Bottomley, a council worker who is so enthusiastic about his part in the play, he seems to think he can play everyone else's parts.