(Thursday, last week)Today has been sunny and bright. Nothing particular has happened. I have been transferring more of my handwritten writing to my MacBook.
I should mention that I had the planned visit from the two ladies from what is called the Integrated Community Support Team. They came after 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon. It would appear that they got my details through Ashfield Medical Centre. They can give me support with bereavement counselling, and this afternoon (Thursday) I got a telephone call from a lady at Mind and I have my first appointment at Ashfield next Wednesday at 2 o'clock and it's going to be on-going for 6 weeks. The new service (as mentioned in an earlier blog post.) can give me support in different areas, such as supporting me with my health issues, considering I have a heart condition first and foremost and it was suggested (because as we spoke the telephone rang and it was Doctor Haye telling me that my diazepam prescription would be sent electronically to Lloyd's in Sainsburys.) and that perhaps my medication should be reviewed by the doctor before it is repeated when this new batch runs out. This is basically because Diazepam can be addictive as well as not being as effective after a while, so it may need changing to another type of medication which does a similar job. Also, I can be allocated a link worker who could help me with benefits as well as possibly finding me somewhere else to live, possibly smaller, such as a bungalow, within Milton Keynes and which would allow me to have Alfie with me, so it would need to have a bit of garden. Also, I could be given help to clear out belongings from this house which would allow me to move out. This, at present, is only a possibility and not a certainly, but this Integrated Community Support Team links the various agencies together, for example, the bereavement counselling from Mind, the doctor's surgery, housing benefit, cardiology at Milton Keynes hospital and other related agencies. It has also been suggested, at my recommendation, that I have a referral to start a cardiology rehab regime which would take place somewhere in Bletchley. I have to say all this is giving me less stress and it's great to at last get the support and help I need to get me through a somewhat difficult, emotional and very stressful period.
(Friday) It's anything but sunny and bright today. In fact, it's wet and miserable. In other words, an almost typical summer's day in England.
(Monday) On Saturday I went to see a performance of 'The Addams Family Musical,' performed at the Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury. I saw it advertised in the theatre's brochure when I was having lunch at the Chrysalis Theatre at Camphill the other week and it sounded as if it would be worth seeing as I had known there was a musical based on The Addams Family and that it had run on Broadway for a while and that it had toured in this country for a while. It was staged by something I had never heard of, Stage Experience, which puts on professional-standard productions of well known shows, and cast with young people up to the age of 25. I had no idea where I was going to park the car when I got there because I don't know Aylesbury, except to drive through. We have driven through on several occasions, usually if we're going to West Wycombe Park, a National Trust property, or the time when Carol had to go to Stoke Mandeville Hospital for an appointment. It seems it's similar to Bedford in that if you want to get anywhere in that direction you have to go through the centre as there is no by-pass. The route through is the only way to get to High Wycombe, for example. I over-estimated how long it would take me to drive to Aylesbury. It's only around 14 miles from Milton Keynes. My main concern was, I had no idea where to park, although I had briefly looked on Google Maps so I had a vague idea where to park. I used to work for a care agency based in Aylesbury and had to go there a few times for training so I knew roughly where the multi-storey car park was I used to park in, but it would appear to now be only short-stay. I drove a round for a while and then found a multi-storey carpark which was long-stay. It turned out to be one of the most depressing places to park I've ever had the misfortune to have to park in. When I drove down the ramp I wasn't actually sure it was a carpark, really run down and hadn't been upgraded ever, it would appear. Not somewhere you would choose to enter in the dead of night, but at least it was somewhere to leave the car. I paid using a machine, but it didn't give change. Really mean. These council-run establishments must make a vast amount of profit if they don't dole out change, which is mean if you ask me (but please don't!)
I walked over to the Waterside Theatre. Outside, sitting on a wall, is a stature of Ronnie Barker. He has a stature there because Aylesbury used to have a repertory theatre ('Rep') in the days when most large towns across the country had a theatre, where you could expect to have a season of plays running at one, two week's at a time, similar to what I was involved in during the early 1970's, but working in stage management. The theatre which he appeared at is no longer in existence, or if it is, probably converted into something else. The old rep in Colchester was a converted hall and now a building society branch and Bromley rep, believe it or not, was a converted swimming pool. Anyway, Ronnie Barker's statue is at ground level, as I say, sitting on a wall, so at least you can see it as if it's the actual Ronnie and not perched on a pedestal and out of the eyeline of most people. He joined the rep company in 1948 and the first play he was in was called 'Quality Street,' by J.M. Barrie and playing the part of Lieutenant Spicer.
I haven't been inside before. It is very modern and has a large foyer with a bar and café and because I was so early I had to sit and wait. The space soon filled up with other members of the public. As the show was due to start at 2 o'clock, and the doors hadn't opened to allow the audience in, we had to wait a good while and then, at about 1.45 we went in to find our seats. Mine was V13, some way back in the stalls and immediately behind the area where the sound and lighting was controlled.
It was a good performance and the cast really threw themselves into the performance. Before the curtain went up an announcement was made that the show had been rehearsed in 8 days, which, considering the amount of effort that has to be put into a show, more so a musical than a straight play, with not just dialogue but songs and dances needing choreography, it was a really good show. My only criticism would be that, although the songs were good, the actual story and plot was extremely weak. Pity a little more effort had been put into creating a more original plot, but I suppose if you are going to put on an existing show, and you have to accept the book and lyrics that goes with that show, you have no choice but to 'go with the flow.' I can see quite a few of the cast going off to stage school and probably making a career out of acting, so the show would be good experience and certainly a stepping stone to other things and if you'd had a leading part in such a show, something good to put on your C.V.
(Friday) It's anything but sunny and bright today. In fact, it's wet and miserable. In other words, an almost typical summer's day in England.
(Monday) On Saturday I went to see a performance of 'The Addams Family Musical,' performed at the Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury. I saw it advertised in the theatre's brochure when I was having lunch at the Chrysalis Theatre at Camphill the other week and it sounded as if it would be worth seeing as I had known there was a musical based on The Addams Family and that it had run on Broadway for a while and that it had toured in this country for a while. It was staged by something I had never heard of, Stage Experience, which puts on professional-standard productions of well known shows, and cast with young people up to the age of 25. I had no idea where I was going to park the car when I got there because I don't know Aylesbury, except to drive through. We have driven through on several occasions, usually if we're going to West Wycombe Park, a National Trust property, or the time when Carol had to go to Stoke Mandeville Hospital for an appointment. It seems it's similar to Bedford in that if you want to get anywhere in that direction you have to go through the centre as there is no by-pass. The route through is the only way to get to High Wycombe, for example. I over-estimated how long it would take me to drive to Aylesbury. It's only around 14 miles from Milton Keynes. My main concern was, I had no idea where to park, although I had briefly looked on Google Maps so I had a vague idea where to park. I used to work for a care agency based in Aylesbury and had to go there a few times for training so I knew roughly where the multi-storey car park was I used to park in, but it would appear to now be only short-stay. I drove a round for a while and then found a multi-storey carpark which was long-stay. It turned out to be one of the most depressing places to park I've ever had the misfortune to have to park in. When I drove down the ramp I wasn't actually sure it was a carpark, really run down and hadn't been upgraded ever, it would appear. Not somewhere you would choose to enter in the dead of night, but at least it was somewhere to leave the car. I paid using a machine, but it didn't give change. Really mean. These council-run establishments must make a vast amount of profit if they don't dole out change, which is mean if you ask me (but please don't!)
I walked over to the Waterside Theatre. Outside, sitting on a wall, is a stature of Ronnie Barker. He has a stature there because Aylesbury used to have a repertory theatre ('Rep') in the days when most large towns across the country had a theatre, where you could expect to have a season of plays running at one, two week's at a time, similar to what I was involved in during the early 1970's, but working in stage management. The theatre which he appeared at is no longer in existence, or if it is, probably converted into something else. The old rep in Colchester was a converted hall and now a building society branch and Bromley rep, believe it or not, was a converted swimming pool. Anyway, Ronnie Barker's statue is at ground level, as I say, sitting on a wall, so at least you can see it as if it's the actual Ronnie and not perched on a pedestal and out of the eyeline of most people. He joined the rep company in 1948 and the first play he was in was called 'Quality Street,' by J.M. Barrie and playing the part of Lieutenant Spicer.
I haven't been inside before. It is very modern and has a large foyer with a bar and café and because I was so early I had to sit and wait. The space soon filled up with other members of the public. As the show was due to start at 2 o'clock, and the doors hadn't opened to allow the audience in, we had to wait a good while and then, at about 1.45 we went in to find our seats. Mine was V13, some way back in the stalls and immediately behind the area where the sound and lighting was controlled.
It was a good performance and the cast really threw themselves into the performance. Before the curtain went up an announcement was made that the show had been rehearsed in 8 days, which, considering the amount of effort that has to be put into a show, more so a musical than a straight play, with not just dialogue but songs and dances needing choreography, it was a really good show. My only criticism would be that, although the songs were good, the actual story and plot was extremely weak. Pity a little more effort had been put into creating a more original plot, but I suppose if you are going to put on an existing show, and you have to accept the book and lyrics that goes with that show, you have no choice but to 'go with the flow.' I can see quite a few of the cast going off to stage school and probably making a career out of acting, so the show would be good experience and certainly a stepping stone to other things and if you'd had a leading part in such a show, something good to put on your C.V.
