Going Gently

Views

These are some lovely photos of Trelawnyd and its environs, by villager David Hurst. My cottage is the white building in line with the Church

Amélie is 25

I saw Amélie in the autumn of 2001 at the Showrooms in Sheffield. I still remember the afternoon , as after the film had aired I had to turn to a stranger to comment just how good it was.

I have visited the film many times since but never on the big screen, so today a friend and I drove to Chester to see it at the Storyhouse

It was a delight as it has always been, a magical tale of a quirky lonely waitress and her quest to do good in a whimsically unreal Montmartre where strange characters abound and where the colours of the bars and shops and streets burst out of the screen like magic.

It made Audrey Tautou a star and is, I am sure one of the most loved of all French movies

Walking In Alone

I was going to a surprise birthday party tonight.

I can tell you that it’s Sandra Cameron’s because it started an hour ago now, so no spoilers for her. She’s a darling of a woman and is infamous for winning the Best Boiled Egg cup in last years flower Show.

I know myself well, and as I hate walking into a gathering alone I had asked a friend from Trelawnyd to come with me, but alas they are unwell, and so I’ve decided not to go alone.

I’ve written a card and bought Sandra a pretty plant and dropped them at her house.

I’m ok with some of my insecurities

Stand By Me

Hello all….gawd I’m fucked

My second 12 hour day shift , working alongside

One twenty something, one thirty something and one forty something

It was a bloody busy shift

And

By 7 pm the 20 and 30 year olds were on their last legs

I looked like the wreck of the Hesperus

But still upright and still almost cheerful

Someone brought us a cake which we devoured like zombies

With cups of hastily made tea and much weary laughter

Then more call bells went off

And we got on with it

Home with a gin ,now

Roger is licking my feet

Mary is cuddling up with Bun on the couch

Even Weaver is trying to look remotely sympathetic

Bed soon

Validation and miles

This nurse I’ve know for almost thirty years. She is a specialist spinal outreach nurse based at the spinal Injury unit in Sheffield and as a young charge Nurse I was her mentor when she was new and shy and professional and clearly talented.

She has just won a prestigious RCN Foundation award in recognition of her outstanding contribution to patient care and I sent my congratulations to her yesterday , alongside hundreds of others.

She sent this message back

“Andrea Patterson

John Gray you were the best mentor a quiet, newly qualified nurse could ask for

. You're one of the reasons I'm still at Spinal Injuries xx”

How lovely

I will end with a quick reply to dear Stubble Jumper’s Kate

Trelawnyd to London ( Via Prestatyn by train) approx 190 miles

Trelawnyd to counselling 19miles ( car)

Trelawnyd to hospice 24.5 miles ( car)

Trelawnyd to The Storyhouse or Picturehouse 27 miles( car)

Trelawnyd to Theatre Clwyd 16.5 miles (car)

Trelawnyd to sister’s houses ( car) 4.4 miles, either or

Bed soon

Leak & Death

I haven’t done nursing day shifts for months, tomorrow and Friday I’ve got two twelve hour shifts . It will be nice to sleep at night, rather than grab a few hours during the day . Today I was counselling and was looking forward to war of the worlds at Theatre Clwyd tonight, but the production had been cancelled due to a flood. When I got there visitors and staff including the chefs and waiting on staff at Bryn Williams were marooned outside.

Disappointed I drove home.

Some days turn out to be washouts…..I listened to The Archers on the way home and met the new characters of lottie ( who is bound to be dating Chris Carter yawn) and the dreadful Bert Horrobin ( who has morphed into an old pirate. Carol Tregoran has also morphed into an old witch with actress Eleanor Bron leaving the role back in 2018 which is interesting

I could write better characters

I’m in a funny mood today

I’ve signed up for a simple cremations send off with a very nice sales lady called Gupta this afternoon

Mz Gupta was direct and sweet and when I told her I lived alone with 2 cats and 2 dogs she quipped strangely “ animals are so much nicer than people as long as you feed them “

It’s been odd planning things after my death

Remembering Auntie Glad

This video of a ninety year old Italian Nonna, excitingly opening her birthday gifts took me back to auntie Glad. Some years ago now I was visited by a fellow blogger Hippo, whose life was saved by his blog connections. Living in a real African backwater, he sustained a simple garden injury to his thigh when cutting a hedge.

The injury quickly went necrotic and septic and knowing my experience in the field he sent me a photo, I told him plainly that he would be dead in days if he didn’t refer himself to a specialist hospital, and so with the Great British reserve only known by ex servicemen , he wrapped the injury in cling film and drove a hundred miles to an airport which eventually took him to London.

Presenting himself to the ER he had hours of life left, but the wonders of the nhs saved his life and many weeks later he was sat in my front room, paying his respects amid bulldogs and terriers and Albert the cat.

We went to Auntie Glad’s for tea and scones and she met us warmly in her blue tabard which was dusted with scone flour.

Gladys was in her 90s and not quite understand who Hippo was she still afforded him a cheerful Welsh welcome .

I was amused that when we ate our scones and drank our tea she disappeared for a few minutes only reappearing in her best frock , a string of pearls and a splodge of bright red lipstick on her lips

Now that’s class