Posted by DMC on Jan 5, 2010 in
Diary The severe winter weather continues so the golf course is closed. In any event, I would not have been tempted to walk around the course in the freezing weather, instead I spent a little longer in bed listening to the first day of the second test match, against South Africa, which started with the almost daily predictable drama we have come to expect, the loss of two of the remaining English wickets in the first over. Fortunately Prior and Onions managed to drag the score on so that we were only left with a deficit of 18 when South Africa opened its second innings.
The great excitement today was Anthea coming to do my use nails, both feet and hands. Although I had a perfectly good arrangement at the Saffron Walden Community Hospital with a charming poderist for my feet, hands were not part of the deal thus my taking the matter up with the Deputy Speaker, Sir Alan Hazelhurst. (Our local MP). He is still battling away in the background for the Essex County Council to provide a fingernail service for Essex residents. I believe he is winning but in the meantime ‘my lovely’ decided that the whole business of driving to Saffron Walden etc. was just too much of a fag and has made arrangements for me to be topped and tailed at home, of course, at our expense. I suppose we are one of the lucky ones and can afford it but I will still battle away to get this service providing free for others who are not as fortunate as we are and can afford it.
Tags: cricket, golf, grooming, winter
Posted by DMC on Jan 26, 2010 in
Diary My first walk round the golf course for over seven weeks – Christmas, New Year and the severe winter weather intervening. I was curious to see how I would manage as I really felt that I had weakened over this period. In the event I managed 13 holes and believed I could certainly have completed the round.
Thank goodness my legs are holding up better than my hands and arms. I am finding it increasingly difficult to do my morning exercises; to manipulate my electric toothbrush and to shave with my electric shaver — even with the purpose made pouch which I have had made to clamp it to my right hand. In fact, I am beginning to dread all of these early morning activities as they have become stressful but I’m determined to continue to do them on my own as long as I possibly can.
The thatchers arrived today with all their paraphernalia. This is the full Monty this year, a completely re-thatch of the house and the office – horrendous expense, but we have no choice. This has to be done every 25 years or so with a re-ridging in between. In no time at all they had stripped off half the roof and remove tons of old straw, exposing a fairly fresh layer, before they started to apply the new long straw, something in the region of 16 to 18 inches thick. This job is meant to take three weeks.
Tags: golf, thatching, weakness
Posted by DMC on Feb 2, 2010 in
Diary I toyed with the idea of my weekly walk round the golf course and, having looked at the five-day weather forecast which predicted heavy rain and strong winds (can one always believe the forecasters?), on this occasion I put my trust in them and decided against going. Imagine my delight when I opened my e-mails this morning to find that, in any event, the course had been closed due to excessive rain. Think, I could have got up very early, and travelled the 39 miles to the club, without checking my e-mails, and then made this discovery. For once I got it right.
Tags: golf, weather
Posted by DMC on Apr 3, 2010 in
Diary Captain’s Day at Royal Worlington. I went along in the evening, to the AGM, because the outgoing captain, Nigel Notley, very kindly nominated the MND Association as this year’s charity and the members very generously donated £510 on the day. That will go towards boosting the Great London Swim event.
Tags: golf
Posted by DMC on Apr 6, 2010 in
Diary The first truly spring-like day, sunny and bright but a chilly wind. I joined the geriatrics this morning and by sharing a buggy with Griggsy was able to walk and ride alternately and in this fashion probably walked about half of the course, albeit in a slow plodding fashion. There is certainly a noticeable deterioration in my legs over the past few weeks.
Those of you who have read the good doctor’s account of our recent visit to Thailand will realise what a demanding role is a carer’s job. I have been constantly amazed at how much care I need, for example, just for my Tuesday visit to the golf club, from the moment I am picked up in the morning to be taken to the club, either by Sir George or Peter Murphy, strapping me into their car, with my bag full of accoutrements etc and on arrival at the club being dressed up to brave the elements on the course by any poor soul who happens to be standing about. Out on the course, whenever my legs got tired, I was offered and accepted frequent lifts in Tony Griggs’ golf buggy. Later, after divesting me of my outdoor clothes and changing my shoes, usually then fetching me a drink in my two handled mug with its special straw; lighting a cigar and making sure that it’s placed properly in my smoking stick before we go into lunch. Somewhere between all of this having a pee and accosting any passing member to adjust my trousers. – today John Tilbrook was the lucky one.
Then there is the whole business of the apron, the wrist support on one hand and wipeable sleeve on the other, and so on to attend to, even before I consider what food I’m going to eat, which is usually fetched by others. I make no distinction, any passing member or member who finds himself sitting next to me gets lumbered with the task, as did David Robson and John Gray yesterday. Poor David got in a terrible muddle with the wrist support but he will learn. All of this is so typical of the members of this wonderful golf club any of whom would be interchangeable with those who kindly assisted me today. That’s why this has always been, and continues to be, a very special place for me. We are truly a family of members.
The sort of kindness which is really touching is when the boys see you’re having a bit of a struggle toward the end of the meal, as happened yesterday, David Robson on one side and John Gray on the other, without any prompting, started scooping up the food and fed me. Finally there’s the day removal of all the gear to attend to before I am kindly chauffeured home. It just goes to show that without all these little touches of kindness there is no way that I could possibly attend the geriatrics golf day on Tuesdays. I am deeply grateful and take nothing for granted.
Patrick and Gillian William-Powlett brought her three children to tea and to visit Mouse, the donkey.
Tags: friends, golf
Posted by DMC on Nov 16, 2010 in
Diary Today we woke up to a white out. There was a very heavy frost and the garden, lawns and trees were crystalline. I had planned to go to the golf club but fortunately not until mid-morning by which time the weather had transformed the day into one of the most beautiful of autumn. The bluest of blue skies and an array of beautiful autumnal hues on the trees which had yet to shed their leaves. A perfect day on which to revisit my beloved golf club.
Alice very kindly arranged for Barry to take me mid-morning and I met up with Griggsy just as he was completing the first nine. I rode around in the buggy in perfect comfort enjoying being back and playing each shot, in my mind’s eye, never missing a chip or a putt!. For the first time I took the wheelchair which avoided all the fuss about struggling across the gravel and over the entrance steps. on my gutter frame. As it happened, it was just as well as Scott, the secretary, was away and I would have been at the mercy of kindly, but less competent, members to effect the transfer from the car.. As it was I merely went from the wheelchair to the buggy and back at the end of the round and stayed in it during lunch until it was time to go home with Kit. At which point Richard Beadles, the club professional, and Tony Wheeler managed the transfer without any difficulty, At home we were fortunate that Luke was working on his house opposite so he came over and hauled me to my feet from the car.
I had abandoned my kilt as it was clearly brass monkey weather and therefore far from desirable.. Instead I plumbed myself into a leg-bag attached to the special incontinence pants which Sue, the incontinence lady, had previously provided for me. The leg-bag slotted neatly into the special pouch I had had sewn on the inside of my left trouser leg by the tailor in Thailand. It all worked extremely satisfactorily and meant that I could relax without requiring the intervention, or assistance, of any of my fellow members if I wished to go to the loo. All in all a very successful outing
Tags: golf, lavatory
