Somewhere To Live?

I've come to the conclusion that the only answer to my housing situation (such as it is) would be for me to have a lodger.  There is a perfectly adequate spare room for this purpose. And it has a bed and other furniture in it. This is because Milton Keynes Council will not pay for the entirety of my rent. I have been attempting to find alternative accommodation, a smaller, one-bedroom flat or house within Milton Keynes, which would hopefully mean lower rent and mean that Housing Benefit would pay the full cost. I'm still not sure why they won't pay my full rent costs. I will need to consult our landlord to get his agreement as regarding having a male lodger. If he is, he would need to interview prospective candidates and it would need to be someone I could trust implicitly, probably someone nearer my age, who likes dogs and wouldn't let Alfie out as he would likely get out and run off if the front door was left open. I think a lot of the problems regarding my situation is that there aren't enough affordable properties within Milton Keynes and it's extremely difficult to find what you are looking for. It doesn't help that, even going through what I imagined was the right route and approaching Milton Keynes Council to get help and support, I was told I couldn't be helped, basically because as I already have a home I'm not classed as 'homeless.' I have attempted to use something on-line which is called 'Homehunt,' which is a tool which you use to apply for accommodation, a house or flat. But I have tried to use it but it will not function properly. So many on-line tools such as this are not functional and, to be honest, totally useless.

I had intended getting up a good deal later because it was a Saturday. But Alfie wouldn't have it. He kept shuffling about in the bed and came to stare at me. So, I got up, somewhat reluctantly, and got dressed, took my medication and we went out for our usual walk around Eaglestone Park, and before I had breakfast. I think he was well and truly pleased. When we got back home, I managed to have breakfast. It's not quite as cold and icy as it has been for the past few days.

Later. I wrote out a shopping list and then went to Sainsbury's. It was a little after 9 when I got there and I'm glad I did, because it was virtually empty of other shoppers. Carol and I generally went shopping early, because we could then go out somewhere afterwards, usually Whipsnade or a National Trust property. How I miss her! We did so much together as a couple. I just have to keep going on my own. I never for a moment imagined I'd be back as a single man again.

I got some spray limescale remover for the bathroom, to clean the toilet, sink and bath. It comes in one of those plastic bottles with a trigger. But they've put a child-proof lock on it, which I cannot remove. If I can't remove it to use it, then it will definitely not allow a child to get into it and do damage, to itself or others. I just want to use it for the purpose for which it was made to CLEAN the bathroom! Crazy situation. Perhaps if it's child proof I should find a child to open it! It would be a challenge for said child. The question being, how long would it take a child to open a child-proof item? 

Mixed Weather

(Tues) I Went out with Alfie across Eaglestone Park. It was surprisingly foggy.  It was the first time I've actually seen someone leaving their house for work.  So, there are people out there! Perhaps it's because we went out a bit later than usual. It always seems very quiet and people-free. No word of 'good morning' or anything. Don't people speak to one another any more? Are they totally obsessed by social media. Older people tend to speak to you, but the younger generation  seem to have lost the power of speech. It's rather sad.

We walked a good deal further the we usually do this morning (Wednesday). Walking along the Redway a bicycle came up behind me and I was somewhat taken by surprise. The rider did at least stop. I could hear something behind me and managed to look round, but most just speed past and I doubt many would stop to let you get out of the way. This one had headphones on so I doubt he could hear. It's surely dangerous to ride a bicyle with those things clamped over your ears. Probably work with Bluetooth to connect to a phone or other device, but having cables connected would possibly get caught round parts of bicycle. But, in all honesty, it's crazy when you can't hear other people or vehicles. Are people mad or what, walking about with their mobiles in front of their faces and these ridiculous headphones clamped over their ears? No sense of danger at all it would seem.

Some low-lying mist hanging over the grassy areas of Eaglestone Park. Giving a somewhat mysterious look to the whole surroundings.

I had a meeting with Alison, yesterday morning(Tuesday) who is the financial caseworker from C.A.B. (Citizens Advice Bureau) who works for Macmillan. She helped me and Carol set up the benefits we received when Carol was originally diagnosed, which included Housing Benefit (which we organised ourselves) as well as the P.I.P. (personal Income Payment) as well as E.S.A. (Employment Support Allowance). The Housing Benefit stopped when Carol died so I had to go into the council office and reapply. It was set up relatively quickly but for some reason it doesn't completely cover rent on this house. Alison said that there was no reason why I shouldn't get what they call a discretionary payment to pay the whole amount, so I went into the council offices this morning. Unfortunately they don't handle housing benefit on a Wednesday, so it means I'll have to return tomorrow morning. I'll make sure that I get there early enough so I don't end up waiting two or more hours as I did last time. Just annoying, but there's not much I can do about it so will just have to be patient.

It's a good deal milder today. As I mentioned, there as a certain amount of mist and fog when I went out with Alfie earlier. I had the central heating on when I got up but by the time I got back fro town the house was really warm. The sun has been out and there was no point in keeping the heating on, so I turned it off. There seemed no sense in wasting gas by having the central heating on. Remarkably mild, considering it it early February. One might even be able to think it was spring-like.

Wednesday and Thursday Mornings

Wednesday, early. I've put the rubbish out for the binmen. Several black bin bags and one pink recycling bag. The sound of a bin lorry came before 8 o'clock but they didn't pick up the rubbish. I've been out with Alfie round the park and back. It's bright and sunny so let's hope it stays that way all day. Carol's mum and dad are coming up to visit today, but not sure what time they're arriving. Yesterday I managed to cut down some of the grass with the rechargeable grass cutter. It was beginning to get really long. Also, cut down some of the colts foot growing in the grass at the front of the house.

They turned up around 9.30. Carol said she'd had a text to say they were about 15-20 minutes away. I'm not sure which way they came up from Bournemouth. I think via the M25 and then M1. If we go down to Bournemouth, as we have done in the past, we go via the A34, crossing to Buckingham and then down that way.

We had to decide what we were going to do all day. Until 4 o'clock when Carols parents were due to be picked up again for the return journey to Bournemouth. Not too far to drive and somewhere to have coffee and possibly something to eat. Carol suggested going to the Bell Plantation garden centre in Towcester, which we've been to on several occasions. There's a good restaurant there and plenty to do and look at and would keep us busy for an hour or two and the drive up the A5 Watling Street a pleasant journey through some attractive scenery. So Carol decided to drive as she hasn't done so for a while. So, after Carol had got in the car and altered the driver's seat, because when I drive I have to have the seat moved back quite some way before I can drive comfortably, we drove out of Milton Keynes via Standing Way and then onto the A5 near the football stadium.

As we drove towards the large roundabout on the A5 near Stony Stratford, where the road went off in various directions, one into the centre of Stony Stratford and another onto the A5 towards Towcester, we saw signs reading that there were roadworks in the centre of Towcester. It then seemed likely that had we continued up the A5 we weren't going to get to Bell Plantation so we had to decided where to go. It was decided to return to the centre of Milton Keynes or to go to either Frost's garden centre at Woburn Sands or Dobbie's on the A5 near Fenny Stratford. Carol didn't want to go into the centre of Milton Keynes, so we decided on Dobbie's. It's off the A5 on the roundabout just below Fenny Stratford. We had a browse in some of the concessions within the store, mostly in Cotton Traders. Carol's mum tried on some sandals in their sale and bought a pair. We did look through some of the sale items but didn't see anything that caught our fancy. We then went into the café and had lattes and had intended buying scones in the farm shop, but those we came across, really large, around the size each of several ordinary scones from anywhere else, but when we learnt how much they were, around 80p we declined and then drove towards Milton Keynes, with the intention of going to Morrison's. We found that a road was closed off along Watling Street, near Crownhill and Loughton  and had to take a quick decision where to go and ended up driving around near Denbigh School and eventually went to Westcroft to park and shop in Morrison's, buying some scones there along with clotted cream.
Alfie has taken to Carol's dad. He ingratiates himself with most of our visitors. He sat with him on the sofa while we had scones, jam and clotted cream. We watched Countdown on television. When Carol's dad fell asleep (I don't know whether he was really asleep, or whether he was pretending, but making a fair impression of sleep.) Alfie behaved really humorously, attempting to wake him up, prodding him with his paw. He really is a smart little dog. I think he missed him when they eventually left to go home.

Thursday morning. As I write this at 7.15 on Thursday morning, the weather has changed quite considerably. It's raining quite hard. So, it means I can't take Alfie out for his early-morning walk round the park, otherwise we're going to get soaked. We'll just have to wait until it stops. I don't think he's going to like being disappointed.

We have heard nothing as I write this as regards the Housing Benefit claim. I had intended going in to the Council offices on my own, to give them a copy of the newly-signed tenancy agreement. Carol decided to come with me. She was happy to drive and we parked in the multi-storey carpark near Debenhams. It is undergoing maintenance. Probably because it is under new management, like the entire shopping centre, Midsummer Place.

We walked through the shopping centre towards the Council offices and signed in at reception and took the numbered ticket and sat and waited until our number came up. Carol saw two of her former pupils from the Academy who had just got their 'A' Level results. Very good and now ready to go off to university, one to Coventry and the other to Northampton. We didn't wait too long to be seen by a staff member. I have to remember that the desk you go to isn't the red digital number, which is the number you get given on the ticket when you first arrive at reception, but the one above the digital display above each desk. It appears our application for Housing Benefit is currently being dealt with and the delay is because of a backlog of applications. We should get some of this back dated and hopefully by the end of the month when our rent is due. We gave them a copy of the newly-signed rental agreement which the lady on the desk photocopied.

Having done with the Council offices we walked back into the shopping centre. Carol said she needed a coffee. She hadn't drunk her tea she had at breakfast. At first I suggested Marks and Spencer's, which is the first shop you encounter as you walk in through the entrance. There is also a Costa, but she didn't fancy that either. We went through to Midsummer Place and went to Pret A Manger. She needed the loo so I stood at the till and ordered, two lattes, mine with caramel, hers without and two chocolate croissants. They were made very swiftly and I went to a vacant to wait for Carol to reappear. We sat ate the croissants and drank the lattes. Very good. I will say Pret is very good. This particular branch is well stocked and pleasant. There is another branch further along in the main shopping centre near Middleton Hall. You don't have to queue as long as you have to at, say, Costa's, which only has one till. I think most of their branches are like that and the queues can be considerable. It makes sense to have several as Pret have. From Pret we walked back towards the carpark near Debenham's and drove towards Lidl where we bought some food for tonight's meal. When I got home I went out again to top up the gas and electric at One Stop at Garraway's. No good running out of electricity, because it might mean the freezer defrosting which could be a disaster. I then took Alfie out for his walk, because by then (around 1.15) the rain had stopped. Alfie came across a Great Dane being walked. He did his usual running around in circles thing and attempting to be friendly, but the dog wasn't interested. Alfie was small by comparison to this dog, which was around five times his size. I don't think it knew what had hit it, and looked somewhat dazed. It might be large, but somewhat thick in comparison to Alfie. Small in stature by large in his mind. Alfie seems fearless somehow, regardless of his small size.

A Bat In The Bedroom

No, please, don't mis-read the title of this blog post. But it is true. It was a scorching-hot day yesterday(Thursday) We didn't do a great deal, and when it came to bedtime we had the bedroom windows open and the electric fan on. We'd been listening to the radio, tuned to BBC Radio4 Extra. A lot of good stuff on there, 'The Goons,' 'Round The Horne,' 'I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again,' 'Just A Minute,' and a good deal more. One of our real favourites with the more modern stuff would be 'Clare In The Community.' I could discuss each in great detail, but I digress.  We eventually settled down to go to sleep, but it's not easy, being so hot. Then Carol said 'there's something flying around the room!' I wasn't sure what she was referring to. I could seen, in the partial light, something flying round and round the room. At first I thought it must be a moth, and it could have been that, but I don't think moths fly round and round. They flit sort of aimlessly and bump into the walls and the glass of windows. This didn't and it was completely silent. I got out of bed and turned on the lights and closed the door, as I didn't want whatever it was flying through into the rest of the house. I pushed the window open wider and stood still, eventually the bat flew out and I closed the window. Was this bat looking for somewhere to get out of the heat? In the shade, even though it was night-time? I'm not certain what sort of bat it was, mainly because I couldn't see it properly.

A 'sort of' letter came through the door early this morning from our landlord, giving a statement of the amount of rent we pay each month. Whether it will be accepted by the people at Milton Keynes Council for our application for Housing Benefit is open to doubt. It doesn't look official enough. It isn't signed properly and it looks more like something I could have written. It doesn't have his address on it, it's not typed and I am still sceptical that it is what they want. I can only take it to the Council offices and see what happens, but I have a feeling they will need something more substantial.

It's yet another boiling hot morning. It's bright and sunny, meaning it's going to continue like this for the rest of the day. I have never spent so long wearing shorts, and I'm only too glad I bought them when I did two years ago. Usually I only wear them for a day or two, when we are going out, but not for this length of time. I usually wear short sleeved shirts, as I don't really like long sleeved shirts, so the purchase of yet another polo shirt from Marks and Spencer can only be a good thing. The grass at the back of the house is looking decidedly patchy. It has longer sections which are looking like seeding but I may use the grass cutter instead of the mower to deal with it.

Later.I've managed to take the 'sort of' letter in to the Housing Benefit department at Milton Keynes Council this morning. I parked where I usually park, near 'The Point,' or at least, what's left of the rusting remains of this once-proud Milton Keynes landmark. I walked into the shopping centre and then through towards the Council offices in Saxon Gate. Fortunately I wasn't kept waiting too long. It appeared that I was only the second person in the queue (the number you are given on a ticket when you sign in comes up on a digital screen and a female voice gives out the numbers when it's your time to be called.) Fortunately the 'almost-letter' was acceptable as evidence of our tenancy. I had an idea that perhaps they would want something more official, but never mind. It would appear that we will now get Housing Benefit paid. Something less to stress over.

Now we need to sort out getting the car M0Td and insurance paid. I have managed to set up on-line banking so we can see our statements. I didn't think it was going to be possible, but we now have a new P.I.N. and password. Making things easier to track incomings and outgoings.

The nurse continues visiting to give Carol the antibiotics. We're about half way through the 12-days of this. Sometimes we get two nurses. I think the younger one is a student. Generally it takes around 45 minutes. They are scheduled to come between 11.30 and 1.00, but can come later, probably still here at around 1.15. One of the ladies doesn't like dogs, so poor Alfie has to go into the kitchen. We know he wouldn't bite anyone, probably sniff at them and then lick them like crazy. Although, to be fair, it's better he's not in the sitting room when they're busy with Carol as he'd just get in the way and there's a hygiene situation with a dog around.

Carol told me later, after I had come back from my visit to the Council offices and then Sainsbury's, that our landlord's wife had called, barely five minutes after I had left the house. She seemed concerned for Carol, having learnt that she had cancer. Which was quite a surprise. At least she's concerned for her welfare, intact, for both of us. Apparently they are coming to do an inspection of the house on Sunday afternoon , so at least all my efforts to clean the place will have at least had some purpose. The house might need a small amount of cleaning before they come, but at least it won't need a vast amount of work doing. The grass at the rear of the house needs attention, but as it's mostly shrivelled up due to the hot weather it shouldn't be too much trouble.

Alfie Makes Some Doggie Friends

It makes quite a difference to take Alfie for his morning walk a good deal later than I have done means that we come across a lot more people, many of them with dogs. This morning we came across a lady with two small dogs, I think they were chihuahuas. One was a light brown colour, I think quite old, the other was black, with a diamanté collar with her name 'Poppy' emblazoned on it.  I think they were chihuahuas. They were around the same size as Alfie, and he was more than delighted to meet them. I had let him off his lead once we'd walked down the patch into the depths of the estate and got to the large grassy area. As soon as we got closer Alfie goes into his excitement phase, running round the two dogs and going up to them and sniffing them, tail wagging madly. The little black chihuahua, called Poppy (same name as our dear old Westie/Schitsu cross, who died around 18 months ago.) was more interested in chasing the ball her owner threw than conversing with Alfie. He continued to run in circles around both dogs, but just wanted to get to know them. I'm so glad he's getting to socialise with all these dogs instead of being cooped up in the house. He's certainly in his element when he's outside and enjoying the park.

We've spent most of the morning hunting for the elusive tenancy agreement document, but without success. We've cleared out a lot of junk in the process, old magazines and goodness only knows what else, and all of it put in pink recycling bags and taken out for the dustmen to take away this morning (Wednesday.) So, it takes the search for something to get us to sort out something that needed doing. Certainly not a bad morning's work.

At last I managed to get hold of our landlord (metaphorically, not physically, you understand.) I rang at about 5 o'clock this afternoon and at first I thought I was going to have to leave another voicemail message, but he did come to the phone. It was about his son who was supposed to visit the other Wednesday and then they cancelled. So perhaps we're going to get the statement or a copy of our tenancy agreement so we can take it to the Council offices in Saxon Gate to get the Housing Benefit claim completed. It's in his interest to sort this out otherwise we won't be able to pay the rent next month. So, hopefully, this can now be sorted out at long last.

Carol Discharged From Hospital . . . At Last!

Yet another hot and uncomfortable day. The weather is becoming somewhat monotonous, to say the least.

I've been attempting to sort out the tenancy agreement we have with our landlord to give to the Housing Benefit department at Milton Keynes Council. I have sent them an email, as I thought I'd attempt another tactic. Several years ago we had problems with the gas boiler in this house. We attempted to ring the landlord, but we couldn't get through. We then went through the council, because it would be obvious that they would have his details because of paying Council Tax and one thing and another. It worked and we eventually got the boiler replaced. So I thought of using this again and wrote the email and sent it. I even rang and got through quite quickly, considering how long it can take. I was then told, after explaining all about how they'd contacted the man over the boiler I was told, rather annoyingly, that they couldn't do that, 'because of data protection.' So, this  is because of the confounded new E.U. legislation called the General Data Protection Regulations 2018, which came into force in May. We're back were we started. I have left a message on our landlord's voicemail, but no response seems to be forthcoming. Where is the man? Does he not realise that this is important? It's not just us that need the paperwork to finish the Housing Benefit claim. He won't get his rent paid without it etc etc etc.

We spent a long day on the ward. We knew at some point Carol would eventually be discharged, but when, we couldn't say.

At 11.40 Carol had an appointment in the Macmillan Unit with Doctor Saka, the Lead Cancer consultant. Carol was taken down in a wheelchair by a porter. It's not far from Ward 22, but she clearly couldn't walk that far so it was best to be taken in a wheelchair. We have to wait a long time in the waiting area. They never seem to run to time in these units. Perhaps they don't give enough time for consultations, there's a lot to discuss. Eventually Carol's name is called and we go into the office of Dr Saka. It's the main man, not one of his minions. He asks Carol questions, about why she has been in hospital for four weeks. He came to Ward 1 when she was there, but didn't know she was on Ward 22. It seems as if there's a communication problem. Why wasn't he informed? This seems to be a problem with some N.H.S. departments, a lack of joined-up care you might say. He spends ages looking at the scanned imaged that came from the various scans Carol has had over the past few weeks and months, the M.R.I. and C.T. scans. We sit in silence. It's quite scary. We wait with baited breath. We're here to hopefully find out what the plan is for Carol's care. We are told that the liver and bowel cancer has been shrunk considerably by the chemotherapy, but they've found some cancer in her bones. It's a bit of a blow. How will all this be treated? He tells us that he will make a report and contact the cancer unit at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford and they will make some sort of decision. We feel we're no further forward. We haven't had the answers we need. The heat and the fact Carol's been ill and in hospital for near enough five weeks is really telling. We leave the consolation room and go back to the reception desk to make an appointment for four weeks hence and then the porter comes and Carol goes back to Ward 22.

Carol has quite a few visits from people different from N.H.S. departments at the hospital, the nurse about the stoma; someone from ophthalmology. The lady came with various lenses and glasses for Carol to try to help make reading easier for her because she's having problems with her eyes. A rather weird sort of pair of glasses with double lenses which had a knurled device on their frame which helps them focus a sort of domed glass magnifying glass that you move across a page of text, another which was a   squarish magnifying glass on a handle. Carol didn't get on with the strange glasses, which made me think of the sort of specs that someone who does close work, like a clock-maker might use. Or the character of Professor Brainstawn from the books I was read when I was at school and later read myself. He had around five pairs of glasses which were perched on the top of his head and he was always loosing.  written by the author Norman Hunter and Illustrated by W. Heath Robinson. In the end Carol chose the magnifying glass with the handle because she found the strange glasses to complicated. She will have an eye test so she can have proper prescription glasses. Then another lady arrived, from the diabetes team. She bought a bloodsugar testing monitor so that Carol can do the necessary blood tests to keep on top of her levels. We were looking into buying a new one, so, with this model, together with the lancets which go in a separate gadget to prick her finger, that's a definite saving. She also gave us a list to take to our doctor so all these bits and pieces which need replacing can be re-ordered on prescription because at the moment we have to pay for all these things. Hopefully, Lloyd's in Sainsbury's will be supplying all of this when the time comes for a repeat prescription.

Around 2.30 Carol eventually went to have the P.I.C.C. line put in. A nurse came to take her down, walking there, not in a wheelchair with a porter. It's not far to the scanning department. I had to wait in the waiting area, as you'd expect. The whole procedure took around an hour. After which we returned to the ward.

Carol had ordered supper (do they call it supper, dinner or tea in hospital? Whatever it's called, her evening meal.) It came around 5 o'clock. I could make myself a meal of some sort when I got home, go and get fish and chips or cook one of the individual meals I'd bought in Morrisons's a couple of days ago. She had a baked potato and baked beans. It would mean that she wouldn't want a meal when we eventually got home.

Someone arrived from the pharmacy department with all the medications that Carol would need when she got home. A couple of large carrier bags full of stuff together with all the bits and pieces needed by the community nurse who would be coming each day to give Carol the antibiotics. That is what P.I.C.C. line is for.

The nurse in charge had done the relevant paperwork, the discharge stuff, the official paperwork which gave a description in clear language of why carol had been in hospital, together with a couple of pages of all the medication she as being sent home with. We had to go through it all and check it off. All I can say is, thank goodness for the N.H.S. and the fact that we don't have to pay for any of this as it would cost us a considerable amount of money.

Nearly 6 o'clock and by this time I'd taken one load of things out to the car. Several carrier bags which would make the final exit a good deal easier. One of the nurse came and pushed Carol in the wheelchair out down in the lift and out through the double doors where the ambulances pick up and drop of patents. This is where we got on the ambulance which took Carol and I to the Churchill Hospital in Oxford all those months ago, before she had her chemotherapy, and was so uncomfortable, basically because the driver drove so fast and it was just plain unpleasant.

The nurse got Carol as far as she could in the wheelchair. The road surface going the rest of the way to the carpark is far too uneven for a wheelchair, so I went to fetch the car and drove it back to the ambulance entrance so that Carol could get in and the rest of the luggage put in the boot of the car. So, she was at last discharged and we drove home. Alfie was excited to greet Carol when we got in the house, having unloaded the car. I think she was glad to be able to sleep in her bed for the night. By the time we got home it was gone 7 o'clock but we knew that it was likely to take several hours for Carol's discharge to be completed.

Dealing with Doctor and other Delights

I've had to visit Ashfield Medical Centre just after 9 o'clock this morning as we need another medical certificate for E.S.A. claim. I mentioned on Friday that I had rung early on that morning and was told that the doctor would only be available to call back on Monday (today). Never mind that it might possibly be vital that the D.W.P. need this document before any further payments are made. Just another dose of bureaucracy, unfortunately. The woman on the surgery reception wouldn't budge an inch. I said we really needed the medical certificate as it needed to be in the post fairy urgently, but there was no way she was going to let me have it even when I said that Carol was in hospital. I would have to have a doctor's phone call. I couldn't see a doctor as none were available. I just said that the system was inflexible, which it is. I did get her to give me a doctor's call-back but she couldn't guarantee when. So I went home and thought that I'd have to wait a few hours before the doctor rang. Why ON EARTH couldn't he just sign the medical certificate and have done with it, and I could collect it later on in the day, without all the hassle of the doctor ringing? He must know that Carol is in hospital and on Ward 22.

I did try to ring the ward to get them to tell Carol I was going to be in later. I think I rang three or four times, but it was obvious that they weren't going to answer. No doubt nobody was on reception to take my message.

Fortunately the doctor rang within about 30 minutes from walking in the door. He was able to say that he'd sign the new medical certificate and it would be ready after 6 o'clock this evening. I won't pick it up until tomorrow morning. So, at least that is one less thing to worry about.

I went into see Carol on the ward. Another patient on the ward. Also, we discovered yesterday, from Ross, who is the pastor at Shenley Christian Fellowship, who told us that the daughter of one of the pastors at M.K.C.C. was also on Ward 22. Which we didn't know about until yesterday evening, so we went to see her as she is in one of the single rooms on Ward 22.

Carol's temperature is still not totally under control. The doctors say that they have found what they believe is the source of the infection and that they have put Carol on a far higher dosage of antibiotics. She cannot be discharged until her temperature is more stable for at least another 48 hours.

I'm determined to discuss all aspects of our journey with cancer, however difficult it might be. In some ways it's almost therapeutic to put all of it in writing. The ups and downs and highs and lows. Our battles with petty bureaucracy and so on. The latest is applying for benefits. Since Carol's salary from the Academy has stopped we really have no choice. We have got the P.I.P. sorted out (Personal Independence Payment) and the E.S.A. is going through (which is why we needed the medical certificate) But now we're waiting to hear about Housing Benefit. As we hadn't heard anything from the Council, not a letter to acknowledge our application, as I would have expected, I decided to ring them this afternoon. It took at least 45 minutes to get through. Now I need to supply them with identity for myself and Carol (ie. Driving licence, some form of paperwork with our name and address on, a utility bill.) proof of earnings (bank statements) and take it all in to the Council offices. So, why did they not ask for all this when we first applied and why did it take my telephone call to them to get this information? Words fail me.

Job Centre Experiences

I have had several periods of unemployment. Who hasn't. Going to the Job Centre has to be somewhat daunting, to say the least. When I lived in Bedford the Job Centre had several locations. It used to be in the centre of the town, not far from the bus station in Allhallows. The unit in which it was situated is now a Nationwide Building Society branch. It was then moved to Zurich House, in Goldington Road, which is on what amounts to a large roundabout when the traffic system was introduced several years ago. Then it moved to Ashburnham Road, in a building hidden from the street by flats and approached through a rather forbidding entrance. Then, years later, the Government decided to merge the D.H.S. with the Department of Work and Pensions (which was a separate building in Bromham Road at another rather forbidding building called Wyvern House.) In the early days you would have to sign on at the Job Centre and then get an appointment at Wyvern House, and if you needed Housing Benefit you had to make another appointment at the Town Hall. All of these take time and effort on your behalf and it took a great deal of walking between each to get from one to the other. If you managed to get the initial form from the Job Centre and you then managed to wade through this, filling in each section and then returning it (having managed to make an appointment with the Job Centre) and going through your application with a member of their staff and then making a separate appointment at Wyvern House and THEN going to the Town Hall to do an application for Housing Benefit (meanwhile, gathering together the various documents such as bank statements, proof of employment etc etc, as well as your National Insurance number etc. As the Job Centre and D.H.S. were eventually merged under one roof this to-ing and fro-ing was cut to a minimum. In more recent times you had to ring a telephone number in order to get the initial application moving, and they rang you back and some of the application was done over the phone (this might sound an improvement but if you don't have a phone you are in a difficult situation. It is quite difficult to do this using a mobile phone, as I can attest.) At that time they set up an appointment at the Job Centre, which is usually around a week ahead. Not that easy if you have a hearing impairment or if the mobile connection gets cut off or it's just a poor connection. Why can't you just go in and collect a form from the Job Centre? It would have made life a good deal easier, although I suppose if it's done partially before you go for the Job Centre interview and application, it might be said to be a little easier.

Nowadays you are expected to be 'actively looking for employment' when you claim what is now called 'Jobseekers' Allowance' (formerly known as 'Unemployment Benefit.') You have to show that you are actively looking for work and have to take paperwork to prove you are looking for a job. This is all part of your application and you have to sign the documentation to this effect.

After several months you had to have what is called a 'Restart Interview.' I think it was to find out how you are doing as regarding finding work. A good idea in a way as it means that you can't expect to stay on 'Jobseekers' indefinitely. I got a letter to that effect and went along to the office in Ashburnham Road. I think, if memory serves, at about 12.45 on the particular day, but don't recall the date. The woman who was due to do the interview wasn't in the office so I had to wait. I had bought the relevant documents with me as required and more forms filled in. Then the interview started. I have to say this woman wasn't very good at her job, or so I thought. She never once gave me eye contact. It was as if I wasn't there and she wasn't very interested in me. It seemed as if I was merely another number, another person on her list of other interviewees for the day and she went through the motions of the interview as if she was just ticking off a list of objectives on a list she had in order to fulfill certain targets. I don't know, but as far as I was concerned it was rather a lack lustre job she did and after all the efforts I had made to be at this interview I wasn't very impressed. Maybe I was the last person on her list and she was desperate to get to her lunch break. To say I was annoyed would be untrue as I was, so, once I got home I wrote a letter of complaint to the manager of the Job Centre. I did receive a reply and as far as I know this woman was disciplined. I don't suppose you want to get letter of complaint from your customers, or clients as I expect you'd be called or perhaps 'end-user' which is a term I detest.

My flat was in a block of flats in Beauchamp Court, in Greyfriars, Bedford. I was owned and rented from Pilgrims Housing Association. When I eventually got to a position whereby I wanted to leave the house I was in which was in Rutland Road, Bedford (owned by Louis Fussell. See earlier post.) I was very surprised when, one day, I discovered that someone (no doubt from Pilgrims Housing Association) had left a key for me to the flat in Beauchamp Court, on the hall stand in Louis's front hall at 35 Rutland Road. Amazing, as it had the flat number and everything on a label. It could easily have been taken by anyone and it makes me wonder why they didn't give me the key personally to prevent it being taken by anyone but me. But no, it wasn't. I eventually moved in and was then told by Pilgrims that I could paint the flat any colour I wanted. They would provide me with an allowance of so much so that I could buy paint. I think I could have tokens to a certain value which I think could be exchanged in Wilkinson's store in Bedford High Street. Unfortunately, by the time I got to the point where I wanted to buy the paint I wanted they informed me that the allowance scheme had ended and if I wanted I could buy the paint myself. A bit mean of them I thought. I didn't actually paint the flat in the end, in all the four years I lived there.

Another incident comes to mind whilst living at this flat. One afternoon a couple of my friends came to visit. Part-way through the visit one of them went to use the toilet in the bathroom. There was suddenly a crash, and it turned out that, when he'd gone to flush the toilet (which was one of those old fashioned toilets with a cistern high up on the wall over the toilet bowl.) the chain had broken off and the plastic cistern had broken. Pilgrims had  a telephone number you had to ring in emergency, a helpline if you had a maintenance issue with your property, so I rang this number. It was called a 24-hour helpline, but when I rang there was no human to answer, just a recorded message saying 'please ring back during office hours, Monday to Friday.' So, why was it called a '24-hour helpline' and why even a 'helpline.'? I was then stuck with a toilet that wouldn't flush and I couldn't do anything to repair it until Monday morning after 9, when the Pilgrims office opened again. When I did eventually get through they told me to just flush the toilet with a bucket each time I used it.

That flat was really bad as regards damp. Some of the walls had terrible damp in them, in particular the bathroom. Pilgrims eventually dealt with it by installing an electric extractor fan, but instead of putting it in the bathroom so any steam and condensation would be taken out by the fan, for some unaccountable reason they put it in the kitchen, which didn't suffer with damp half as much as the bathroom. Then there was the issue of quite a lot of moisture running down the wall near the front door of the flat. It got so bad that the door itself began to bow out, to such an extent that the bottom rail of the door fell out and they had to come out and replace the door, but I they never actually dealt with the moisture running down the walls. There was a lot of black mould on the walls and I begin to wonder whether it wasn't that which lead to me having my heart attack. The flat was on the top floor of that block of flats and the damp must have been caused by the fact that it had a flat roof. Apparently each flat had a communal television arial, and at one point, when the roof had been refelted and the workmen had used hot tar as part of the refelting process, the cable for the television ariel had got burnt. I learnt this when someone had come to my flat to tell me that they were going to replace all the cable to each flat and it was then that I learnt that I could then get Freeview digital television in my flat and I eventually bought the required equipment to receive these digital channels at around the time the entire country was going over to digital television. Why I mention all this is that the damp in the flat may have been a direct cause of the refelting of the roof of the block of flats, but I'm not entirely sure about this.

After I had my heart attack in May 2006 I had to sign on for benefits. But, not being in a fit position to get myself out to the D.H.S. office in Bromham Road (about a 5-minute walk from my flat in Beauchamp Court, incidentally.) someone else had to get the relevant forms for me, a member of Rutland Road Church. If he hadn't helped me then I would have been without any income for the period I was ill. I think I was put on sick pay from the agency I worked for when the heart attack happened, which was for something like 27 weeks, although I don't know how they arrive at that period to receive sick pay. I don't think, looking back, I got any income support or anything. The joke of it was that I couldn't have free prescriptions for the medication I was on (around 6 items which worked out at around £30-£40 a month.) Doesn't make sense, as you get free prescriptions if you are on any sort of benefit, Job Seeker's Allowance, Income Support. Considering that I needed that medication to control my heart condition, to prevent another heart attack happening, this seems ridiculous. When I left hospital I was given all the medication I would need for around a month, but I had to go back to the hospital pharmacy as the hospital sent me an invoice for the prescription. I remember being in Milton Keynes Hospital a few years ago and when I left they gave me the medications and I was not expected to pay. Fortunately now, being over 60, I do not have to pay for my repeat prescription. At around £8.20 per item that would work out to around £50 a month!