24 May 2009
I was fortunate enough to be invited to Twickenham today for the Rugby Sevens.
It was the most beautiful day and we sat busking in sunshine sinking the odd beer or two. England played magnificently and made it to the final against New Zealand. Unfortunately we have to leave after the semi-final and I did not get an in time to watch the final which was apparently a nailbiter. England were 19-0 down at half-time and got back to 19 all at the end of full time, then scored a sudden death try in extra time.
A great day out but not the same party spirit as one gets at the Dubai Sevens which I’ve been fortunate enough to go to for the last six years. Although I had very little to drink and sat around most of the day I was pretty exhausted by the time I got home at eight o’clock.
25 May 2009 – Bank Holiday Monday
Clavering Village Fete. This has now become such an attraction that thousands of cars converge on the village and the whole thing has lost its rustic charm. When we first came here, 45 years ago, bowling for a pig literally meant that, if you won you took home a dear little piggy, no doubt to raise it, fatten it and ultimately eat it. There was a beer tent selling home brew – pretty potent stuff too – and tugs-of-war between the local village teams. Now the whole thing has become far too commercial with people selling garden furniture, jewellery and the like. For the first time since we came here I gave it a miss. Maybe I’m just getting old but I really did prefer the simpler fete of olden days.
My great excitement today was to see my kindly sewing lady. Although I’ve had most of my trousers fitted with Velcro flaps at the top and a key ring on the fly zip, I am finding it increasingly difficult to take down and pull up my underpants. So I decided I would get her to sew a tape loop onto on each side, into which I can insert two fingers which I believe will make the process easier for me whilst I still have some use in my hands, which are undoubtedly getting weaker by the day.
26 May 2009
Geriatric golf day at Worthington. Due to the inclement weather few turned up but I did brave the rain and walked round 15 holes and enjoyed the OAP lunch with my old golfing mates after having given them much gratuitous advice during the round!
Richard Bamford had his beautiful black lab with him and I must say it made my heart ache for the loss of my own old lab., Woody. My lovely wife says that I may have another dog when I finally swear I have given up international travel (am I not there already?). I suspect it will be some tiny terrier as opposed to a lolloping lab but any dog would be better than none.
I must say there are all very good in helping me with my shoes, tie etc. and chopping up my food. Most all of them have had small children at some time or other and are used to that sort of thing. Legs still working O.K. I had intended to make this the unveiling of the kilt but decided that it was a bit chilly and breezy and would leave it for a warmer day. Perhaps next Tuesday.
27 May 2009
My golfing mate Peter Southwick came this morning to look over the feeding frame. Like the nurse and occupational therapist who came recently he was kind enough to say it was a very good idea. He came up with a couple of very good suggestions for improving the design which I shall certainly follow. After that the question of how we marketed it after testing it in situ perhaps, in hospital or a care home.
It has been pointed out to me by my good friend Richard Morris, the blog designer, that I wanted to have click links to my Bionic Gloves and the Feeding Frame but I have decided that these will not become active until I have refined both products.
After Peter left I went up to London and had lunch with two of my sons’ contemporaries, both of whom I know extremely well and who were kind enough to shout me an excellent lunch which included some splendid wines, as Simon is in the trade. I disgrace myself coming home by falling asleep and missing my station. My darling wife, as always giving, did not make too much fuss about picking me up.
29 May 2009
Today this blog officially went live. Within minutes some people responded with very kind wishes. I have a little more tinkering to do it to get as I envisaged it but on the whole I’m quite pleased with the way it is has turned out.
30 May 2009
An update on my wash’n’dry loo. It works like a charm but unfortunately for me, being such an impatient soul, the whole process takes a little longer than I would normally like – the dry takes three minutes!
However I have is this problem licked as I can speed read one chapter of Kingsley Amis’s One Fat Englishman in the time it takes!
31 May 2009
The last two days have been absolutely glorious English weather – azure blue cloudless skies, a temperature in the mid-20s and a cooling breeze. I have taken advantage of it to indulge in one of my favourite pastimes au naturel au jardin, behind a suitable screen, of course, however I wonder what my friends think when they ring me on the mobile and hear the loud sound of birdsong!
When I was in the garden the telephone did indeed ring but it took me so long to get up from the grass that I missed the call. I then realized how very weak my arms had become. It took a great effort to get on to my stomach and lever myself up on my elbows. The one good thing is that I no longer suffer from cramp. The quinine which was prescribed a couple of months ago seems to be doing the trick.
Whilst I was relaxing in the garden one of the programmes I listened to was Gardners Question Time. One of the contributors mentioned a gardening book written in the 17th century which recommended sticking feathers into the ground around your vegetables in order to scare off the birds. Not one of the great gardening experts seem to have heard of this idea. It struck made that here was a commercial opportunity. Strike a deal with the poultrymen who prepare pheasants for the oven. Purchase from him the birds tail feathers. (I’m not aware that they have any other use at present, hats en masse, being no longer de rigueur). Package these feathers up in bundles of six and sell them in garden centres as Keep the Birds off Your Veg (Direction – just put them in the ground here and now amongst your precious plants). If I was a little younger I might even follow through with the idea.
Mark Cato
