Cold, wet and the NHS in a mess

13 January

While so much of the UK is under snow or fearing floods, our little town has got away with it again with only a slight dusting of snow. That seems about par for the course for us. If we do get a good covering, then the rest of the country is really badly affected by it. Flooding can be a problem though, but even so, not to the extent of other areas. There are photos around from when Bond Gate was flooded to around three feet, all for the River Anker that runs through that part of the town. There’s a slight dip on the road at the junction of Queens Road (formally Wash Brook Lane) and Edward Street, which tends to flood every so often. The former name or Wash Brook Lane is the clue there where a Wash Brook used to run down the middle of the road. It was covered over at some point and is still runs through there coming out by Mill Street/Mill Walk. Just to add a few more gallons to the flow, there’s a small stream that runs down the rear of Duke Street and joins Wash Brook at some point. I also have a feel a feeling there’s another one that joins it from the other side of Queens Road that comes down for the Coventry Canal, but that isn’t a certainly.

The town’s name comes from a Saxon word, Eaton, which means water town, or town by water. Most of the waterways in the town are small streams or brooks which all tend to run into the Anker at some point. The largest of these is Wem Brook, which begins its journey in Bed’th and joins the Anker in the Pingles Fields. Taking in to account all of these water courses that all join the Anker at some point, you can perhaps see where the name comes from. The Nun part of the name comes from the nuns who were resident at St Mary’s Abbey on what is now Manor Court Road. Like so many other places of worship the abbey became to Henry VIII’s greed for money and power. The remains of the old Abbey can still be seen in the grounds of what is now known at St Mary’s Abbey parish church.

Coming up to date then … This morning is bright any sunny but bitterly cold. We were due to Kile again this weekend but we have had a text come in to say he is off to Brum tomorrow for a shopping trip, he’ll love that – NOT! I suppose it will be all down to what they are planning to shop for. What it means is that we can now look at what we can do now, but it won’t be much really. I really could do with getting some writing done with none done since the 35 words I did late week end. Ah well …

Did you by any chance watch that BBC2 show Hospital? Talk about waste – it’s crazy the way they are being forced to work right now, and there’s more cuts on the way too. For those who missed it, it featured two patients who needed ITU post-operative care. The problem was there were no beds in ITU to put them. Eventually one man got his surgery done, the second man was cancelled for the second time when an emergency came in by ambulance from Norwich. That second patient had his op the following day but died five weeks later due a problem from the operation. What we don’t know is whether he would have lived longer if he had been done instead of being cancelled twice.

There is little doubt in my mind that our NHS is in dire straits right now, any yet there is so much waste within the service, waste that staff have little or no room to control when patients are waiting, when OR staff are on hold waiting for the word to begin surgery. There really is only so much wiggle room and even that is becoming even tighter. All the slack has been taken up and many hospital are working at 100% capacity. I had a look at MSN home news feed this morning and there’s a story about a 22 month old child with a suspected case of meningitis forced to wait five hours in A&E, simply because there wasn’t a bed for him and the crush of patients turning up at A&E. All the Prime Muppet could say was nothing she could do about it. Oh, really? She is now in charge and there is plenty she can do about it! For starters she could order any cuts to funding to stopped, she could order more beds for hospitals and staff to run them.

At what point will they come to realise that they need to act now, not later. Earlier this week the same Prime Muppet was making promises about mental health care provision. But when will that happen, and will the funds for that be ring-fenced so it gets spent where it should be spent, not being merged in with the general health care budget. Does she have means to start kicking the arses of those who run the service or is she just like all the others, nowt but piss and wind in twisted knickers!

Today’s photo …

A primrose methinks.

Today’s funny …

 Did you hear about the cannibal that arrived late for a dinner party? He said, 'Am I late?'
They said, 'Yes, everybody's eaten.'                

What would be just?

12 January

By heck it’s cold this morning! I’ve not been this cold first thing for a long time now. Thing is though, it’s likely to get even colder with snow forecast for later today – if the BEEB has got it correct for a change.

The licence forms are now with a GP for completing ready for sending off and we’ve put the right postage on the envelop too. Now it’s just a case of sitting back and waiting for the next load of forms to come back. At least we are not in such a rush to get it all sorted out now. At the speed they work at these days, it’s a good job we’re not in a rush I suppose.

What on earth caused that 15 year old girl to kill a seven year girl? If it wasn’t for her age we still wouldn’t be told who the older girl is, but I think at some time a judge will order her name released. It happened with Mary Bell and again with the Jamie Bulger killers. Later she will get new ID and will be set up well away from York in an attempt to try to protect her. It’s her family that I feel sorry for. I can’t see they would have any inclining that their girl was capable of such a crime. They must be worried sick now about what comes next.

As for the victim’s family, well, words could never express the horror of what they are going through right now. How could not have sympathy for them, along with the disgust that she has been taken from them so cruelly. I just hope that the killer is not from a friend’s family, that would be doubly cruel. For the wider community who know the little girl, school friends and so on, they too will be affected to some degree. Such a tragedy all round. What we need to see happening now, is the judge hearing the case will not treat it lightly. These days however, I don’t think that will happen. There’s been so many child killings over the years, public feeling has hardened quite a lot, even when the killer is a child too.

Regular readers of this blog will know that I do rage a good bit at the legal system for being too weak. I had hoped that the UK was on the only modern country where that is so, until I read this … https://www.facebook.com/Fyrare/photos/a.10150234396345394.480702.324870550393/10156970948460394/?type=3&theater   It was posted to Facebook by one of my many distant cousins over the pond there. Six months for Rape? Do come on now! That is pitiful. Even so, I have a feeling that he will know by now just how devastating rape can be, for both sexes.

Today’s photo …

An unusual clock.

Today’s funny …

 A youngster was looking at the family photo album and asked his mother, ''Who's the slim young man on the beach with you with lots of muscles and curly hair?''
''That's your father.''
''Then who's the old bald-headed fat man that lives with us now?           

12 month wait ...

11 January

Hospitals; none of us really like them but where would we be without them? Jan had an appointment at Selly Oak in Brum at 9.30 yesterday morning. We set off around 7.30 to get there in time, and we did. That was where their IT system kicked in and cocked it all up. There are two ways to book in over there, in person at the reception, or using a terminal on the wall. A volunteer showed her how to use the terminal, which show her as having booked in. BUT … it was at a different clinic and at 1030 she queried at reception. Then they found out why she hadn’t been seen to time.

When we did get to see the consultant Jan said he was a different one to who she saw the last time. Whatever, that guy yesterday is the one who will actually do Jan’s back when the time comes – in 12 months! That’s a horrendous waiting list, and it could end up as being the first of many such operations of the coming years. He showed us scans of another lady, no names obviously, who had what Jan is due to have done. She later two more operations to fully correct the problem. He explained that there is a 30-50% chance of Jan having to go the same route. By those figures he’s got himself a job for life I think.

The thing is, she does need to have the job done. She is in constant pain because of it and it’s starting to impact on her life a heck of a lot. I already knew she can’t look up because of the spinal curvature, but that means she is having to turn her head to the side when she fishes a drink. As she walks she always looking down at the ground and driving is OK for now, but it is slowly becoming an issue as she tries to keep her head up straight. The job needs doing, such a shame about the waiting times. We finally got home quite late yesterday afternoon and that is why there was no blog yesterday, I was just too tired.

We are going out again today for shopping and when we do I have to get the right postage to return those forms to DVLA. I spoke to the practice secretary yesterday afternoon about names and dates and so on and she suggested I drop them off and a doctor will go through them and fill in what’s required. I’ve filling my name, address and so on and signed them where needed and she assured me that they will sort out the time required for them. It’s certainly looking like I will need that licence back pretty soon.

When we were sorting through Dave’s bedroom in Bracebridge Street, we found a large bottle of Quink ink and looked like it hadn’t been opened. We couldn’t see any use for it at the time so we threw it out, along with so many other things too. We still have quite a bit of stationary that we found, among them a heck of a lot of pens and pencils, most of which we now keep in a large plastic box. I got the idea that I had some passport photos in there, so I looked for them, and found yet another Parker fountain pen. I already use a Sheaffer pen and I can’t use another Parker. Why he kept buying them I’ll never understand. Same with all the pencils he bought, no need for them, no need at all.

Today’s photo is another oldie I’m afraid …

Brums golden Pigeon pooping place.

Today’s funny …

Smile! It makes people wonder what you've been up to.            

Living in Spain ...

9 January

That W10 problem I mentioned yesterday was not the end of it, oh no … In an attempt to fix it I thought perhaps closing the lappy down and then restating it again after a short wait might fix it. First job was the close-down the programs I had open at the time and saving what needed to be saved first of course. Hmmm … strange, why won’t it close-down now? Problem two then. I tried again this morning and still now go, even worse, my documents opened in a format I’ve not seen before, problem three. Once I had things closed-down again I did a hard close-down by holding the power button down.

Around a minute later I started up again, it was very slow to get going, but I expected that. First job was to try Edge, and it worked – yeahhhh … Then I opened up word ready to write this, and it opened in the funny format again. This time it opened with s few drop-down menus so had a look, clicked on Edit and finally problem three was solved. As for problem two, well, that will have to wait until later today. Computers eh – who’d ‘ave ‘em …

A new TV show start and eight part series on Channel 5 last Friday so I set it to record just in case I forgot about it, and I did too. Anyway, we watched last night after Kile went home and it wasn’t at all bad, even if it did show some of the downsides of living in Benidorm. It majored on working out there  by concentrating on just four people, an estate agent, two entertainments guys working in different locations and finally a guy who set up an auction house.

One of the entertainment guys, I young bloke who runs fitness and dance classes was very motivated. As he said at one point, ‘If I don’t have any clients I don’t eat, simple as that.’ I was impressed with that stance, and to make it even more interesting is that he is a recovering alcoholic druggy who has got himself clean and intends to stay like that. Some of his clients were interviewed too, one of whom was recovering from cancer. Moving to Spain has really improved her life. She said that if she had remained in England she would have been stuck in a wheelchair. Our health is one of the reasons we are looking at maybe going out.

As for the other entertainments guy, I got fed up with his ‘Happy days’ comment nearly every sentence he uttered.  The estate agent was getting panicky after several months without any sales and finally made one and now has a £1million place to sell. It’s a lovely house, large and luxurious, so she will have to be selective in who she takes there for a viewing, me and Jan would certainly not be interested.  

The actuation house took in €9,000 on auction day, leaving the owner €3,000 clear for him after paying various people their cut. This auction house sells furniture and general household goods. Apparently, new furniture is expensive in Spain, so he has found a niche for himself, and he’s making more than enough to feed him and his wife and have fun when not at work. Looking forward for the next one now.

It looks like we’re stuck in here for the day now seeing as it’s raining quite hard out there. I’m happy about that seeing as I wasn’t fussed on going out today anyway. But no new photos though, so today’s  is another oldie …

A rather nice white flower.

Today’s funny …

Why did the baker stop making donuts?
Because he was tired of the hole business.           

Writing vs telly ...

8 January

Hmm; my W10 browser Edge has decided it doesn’t want to play anymore. It actually happened on Thursday and I have no idea why. I had been in a live chat to cancel my £90 subscription to MacAfee internet security, simply because I think ninety quid is far too much. After saving the chat and copying it to a Word doc too, I clicked out of it and opps, Edge won’t now work. I do have Firefox which is still working so I’m not being held up any now, but actually, I quite like Edge. Ah well …

MS Office did an update just before Christmas and it now includes suggests for reducing word counts. It’s bugging the life out of me, come on, Yanks telling me what I should write; not on folks, not on at all! Having said that, some of the suggestions do actually make sense, but most are just being pedantic, so I ignore them. One word it always picks up the word ‘actually’, as it the sentence before this one. What the software suggests is not what I want, so I ignore it. It’s just that it’s a pain in the rear end whenever it happens.

We writers are urged not over-write stories. There’s a ban on words like ‘very’, at least you would think so the way some folks go on. One wise(?) person said, ‘If you see and adjective, cut it out!’ Oh really? An American writer/tutor has a hate on the word ‘replied’ and gets shirty if he sees it in any submitted work. Some of these people need to get a lot more methinks! Anyway, I get the impression that this latest Word update is about these ‘rules’, but I’ve never really been one for obeying the rules at the best of times. This one I shall continue to ignore.

It does make me wonder though where these rules come from, who thinks them up. The why question is easy, they need fill their rice bowls. These hated words are there to be used, so why not use them? What is the point of having certain words unless you do use them? OK, I can some point to some of the rules, but I don’t see so many make a big fuss over them. Nope, I shall continue to use whatever is there to be used. Besides, I’ve seen big name writers who ignore those same rules; is that case of ‘do as I say not as I do’? If so, then perhaps I need to find some new writers to follow.

It has been so long since I did any work on Arathusia that I had where I had got to with it. The hand written first draft is standing at 151 A4 sheets; the typed up version 78 pages. Part of my problem with it was that I had difficulty in finding where typed story ended so that I could continue on without doubling up. Yesterday I spent some time looking for and finding where the story had got to. I was also missing some of my ‘prompt’ sheets I use. They cam to light the other day and that helped. So there I was, sat here, fountain pen filled, paper in front of me and heard the dreaded words … ‘Are going to some telly love?’ I managed to write 35 words, just 35! Hopefully I shall get more done soon.

I am also aware that … and Bristol Fashion ended a lot looser than I would have liked. Me old mate Bill Howe is proofing for me, and will make the changes he suggests. Bill is good and I trust him in what he says. Once that is done I shall then see where I tightened it up, and maybe even round it off a lot better than it is right now. It’s either or writing a third book to the series, something I hadn’t planned on. I’m not so sure the story line is strong enough for a third instalment though. We shall see in the fullness of time.

I shall be pleased to get out and get some new photos this year. As it stands I haven’t lifted my camera to eye level for some time now. That means that today’s photo is another for my old folders … 

 

A couple of wigeon.

Today’s funny …

While walking along the sidewalk in front of his church, our minister heard the intoning of a prayer that nearly made his collar wilt. Apparently, his five-year-old son and his playmates had found a dead robin. Feeling that proper burial should be performed, they had secured a small box and cotton batting, then dug a hole and made ready for the disposal of the deceased. The minister's son was chosen to say the appropriate prayers and with sonorous dignity intoned his version of what he thought his father always said: "Glory be unto the Faaaather. .and unto the Sonnn ... and into the hole he gooooes."

Driven to distraction

7 January

Yesterday morning I sat here staring at a blank screen and after twenty minutes I decided to see what funny to post, perhaps something else would pop into me ‘ed while I was at it. The result is that today’s funny is actually yesterday’s funny – and I still had a blank screen to star at. Normally I don’t have a lot of time for so-called writer’s block; I normally call it procrastination, or lack of discipline. After yesterday I might have a little more sympathy over the issue; we’ll see … … …

An ex-Royal Marine is creating a stir on his housing estate by ticketing cars who are parking outside his house to save paying the illness tax of parking in the nearby hospital car park. I have some sympathy with him really, but only up to a point. None of us have a legal right to park outside our own house, and that is the issue here, or is it? The head-line that attracted me to the story claimed the man objected to the poorly parking of the cars, not that they were there in the first place. Drivers who get the ticket are complaining, home owners are complaining because the drivers are angry at them. We have a similar situation outside here too, again, it’s down to drivers parking selfishly. By that I mean taking up two spaces, which means no-one else can get in.

There’s not that many complaints about it these days though, we’ve given up on it. The issue that still annoys me though is the non-disabled parking in spaces for blue badge holders. Most of the supermarkets are refusing to police the issue, certainly we have been told by Tesco they won’t do so. Perhaps it’s the aggression of so many people these days when their wrong-doing is point out to them that pushes Tesco down this path. There’s a strong market for stolen blue badges too because of the cost of parking in so many places these days. I suppose it could be argued that it’s yet another victimless crime and therefore not serious. However, by illegally using a blue badge deprives a genuine person of a much needed parking place, and that does leave a victim.

Mobile phone use is another issue where people don’t like being picked up for it. We hear cries of, ‘It’s hardly the crime of century is it?’ They should go and tell the families of those killed when they are hit in this so-called minor, or non-offence. Do you watch the reality-cop shows on telly? If so, have you noticed the number of single maned cars where they have to drive and use their radios at the same time? See, makes a mockery of it doesn’t it?

How many drivers have you seen smoking while driving? There’s not as many these days but there still a good few of them. Think about it a sec; they reach for the pack, flick it open, take one out, return the pack, pick up the matches or lighter, so far not too bad you might think, but what about lighting the damned ciggy. I’ve seen then using both hands to do so, steering with their elbows as the do so. Isn’t it time this one was tackled be now? Ahhhh … but there’s a need to raise dosh from taxes paid and that might fall by cracking down just one small minority of people.

Oh yes, we’ve heard of guys being stopped while watching a DVD and driving, of women being stopped as they apply their makeup, and another guy eating pasta as he drove. There’s even a case of woman getting a ticket for drinking water while stationary at a red traffic light (which did seem a tad silly on the cops part with that one). So yes, there’s lots of distractions out there on the roads these days, and there will be one that will be right up your street that you may end up getting a ticket for at some time. What it need is for all of us to be careful while we drive, simple as that.

Today’s photo …

 

One of my distractions, classic cars, Jan was driving though.        

Today’s funny …

A little boy came home eating a big candy bar. His mother (remembering he had already spent all his allowance) asked him where he got it.

"I bought it at the store with the dollar you gave me," he said.

"But that dollar was for Sunday School," his mother replied.

"I know, Mom," he said, "but the Pastor met me at the door and got me in for free!"