Jayne transforms our London residence
Saturday 1st October. Mike went out ringing all day on the South and West quarter peal week which he and Linda had been busy organising for weeks. Jayne and I went to B&Q and bought lots of paint plus a clothes horse and some bits and pieces. We made a start on the kitchen rubbing down the wood and painting the chimney breast and the bottom cabinet doors with the first coat of paint. We were both pretty whacked after that and decided to call it a day. I took Suki for a walk and then we went up to get Lebanese mezzes for supper. Mike came in later and we had supper together and then another early night.
Sunday 2nd October. Got up early to walk Suki and then get to 8 o'clock service. Mike was playing the organ so I took him a cup of tea before leaving. He was happy not to have breakfast - just as well as he couldn't get into the kitchen! Did the usual ringing circuit and was particularly friendly with Monica over breakfast as I had let her down regarding the coffee morning on Friday. When I got back Jayne and I went to the farmer's market and bought some nice Moroccan food for lunch and then we went and picked up the net curtains from the top of the road. We put the net curtains up when we got in and then Mike came home for lunch. He thought the nets stopped him from seeing out but otherwise seemed happy with them and Jayne and I thought they look fantastic.
We had lunch early has Mike had to get out to do more ringing for the South and West QP week. Jayne and I carried on with the kitchen - she painted the chimney breast with second coat while I cleaned the fan and then started cleaning the walls and the ceiling. Jayne continue the cleaning while I took Suki for a walk. It was amazing what a difference it made just washing the wallpaper - it came up really well and looked like new. We decided it looked good enough to leave and not to try painting over it.
Stopped about 6:30 and had some Moroccan food for supper with a glass of wine and settled down to watch Victoria on TV. Mike came in about 9 and said he needed food as he hadn't eaten (he had expected to eat in the pub after the ringing). Luckily we had prepared a dish of Moroccan food for him earlier and I was able to quickly heat it up during an advert break.
Monday 3rd October. Jayne and I made the kitchen accessible for Mike and then went to IKEA to browse around and to go to the cafe for lunch. We had the famous Swedish meatballs which were delicious and we brought a few back for Mike to have. It was my first visit to Ikea and an interesting experience although it looked like a nightmare if you actually wanted to buy anything. I got a few good storage ideas. When we got back we both took Suki for a walk calling in to the furniture shop for another look at cupboards and also calling in to the pharmacy to get some swabs for Mike. When we got back from the walk I helped Mike pack an overnight bag as he was off to Bristol after Chiswick ringing practice for a work training event. Mike went early to Chiswick for the handbells and I followed on later leaving Jayne behind trying to change her flights so that she could stay for another week. I came straight back after ringing and found that Jayne had not yet been successful in changing her flights. I had a glass of wine with her and then we had an early night.
Tuesday 4th October. Had a good old sort out day. Did some admin in the morning and Jayne managed to change her flights so she was able to stay for another week which was great news as it meant we would probably be able to finish doing the living room as well as the kitchen. At the agreed time of 11 o'clock we both stopped doing admin and started on the grand clear out. I removed a cupboard from beside Mike's bed, which had never been terribly successful as it was difficult to open the doors with the bed in the way, and took it down to the kitchen where it fitted perfectly. Jayne cleaned it all out while I cleared all round Mike's bed, tidied up the cables and cleaned and tidied all the bits and pieces. I replaced the cupboard with the unit carcass which had previously been used in the kitchen - and which was much better next to the bed as it didn't have any doors. I was able to put two storage boxes into it and then use the top one as a shelf. Much better. Jayne came up to help and she constructed the bedside trolley to be more stable by attaching the top. Then she constructed the new veg rack for the kitchen while I finished off in the bedroom. After walking Suki in the afternoon, we spent a half hour putting the Eternal Beau dinner service into the new cupboard - it fitted well and looked great. We noted that we needed something to stop the doors being pushed in against the crockery - a job for Mike I think. Then we made jacket potato for supper and took it up to watch television with a glass of wine and once again had an early night. We were very pleased with progress today and kept admiring the lovely clean surfaces and tidiness of the bedroom around Mike's bed area in particular, but also on top of the wardrobes which now looked neat and tidy.
Wednesday 5th. I went to see Keith and when I got back Jayne had already started painting the living room. Keith had not been well and had been sick all over the sheets so I threw them away and, luckily as I had not thrown away any of my old sheets, I decided to keep them all for him except those we use for decorating. Jayne worked long into the night painting the living room and managed to do one whole wall plus the dividing wall with the curtain before finishing. I did lots of bits and pieces tidying cupboards, clearing shelves and the extension and the utility room and generally helping out. Mike came back from Bristol mid afternoon and in the evening we all settled down for pizza and wine and watched the end of the film "Seven Years in Tibet".
Thursday 6th. Mike went to work. Jayne and I planned a long day doing as much as possible on the decorating front. Jayne carried on painting the living room and I cleared out the kitchen cupboards, and set up the soundbar in the bedroom, and generally
sorted things out and cleared things out and decluttered. Jayne was still painting in the evening when I collapsed upstairs with a jacket potato for supper and we both had an early night.
Friday 7th. Didn't sleep well and got up early again. My neck and shoulder are very painful still and it is too uncomfortable to stay in bed once I am awake. Took Suki out very early and when I got back Jayne had got up and
had a shower and was ready to go out to pick up the white cabinet we had found on Gumtree. She was a bit put out when I said we were only going there at 1 o'clock, but we soon made other plans. We went to Homebase to buy curtains and other bits and pieces and I ended up spending another £200. It was good fun though, and Jayne found me some really nice curtains for the living room which were very good quality too. We came back and we put up the cup hooks in the kitchen - they looked great with the china mugs on them, and then we put the old map up on the wall in the extension. It looks really good there. I went ringing in the evening with Mike - which meant I had to go to the pub afterwards! I had a burger and Mike had fish and chips, and with a pint of beer each it came to £34!! It was quite a good practice - well attended and some things actually came round!
Saturday 8th. Got up early again as unable to sleep late again. Had a shower and then Mike had his shower. He went off to ring Quarter Peals all day on the last day of the South and West quarter peal week and I went off to Marsworth to the reservoirs for a walk and then to meet Malcolm for lunch. I had a really nice walk and did four and a bit miles in one and three quarter hours. I hadn't had time to plot a route with my new software - but I had drawn out a rough track and this worked very nicely for me. I found that the second half of the walk away from the canal was actually waymarked anyway. Malcolm met me in the car park and we went across the road to the Anglers Retreat and had a really nice lunch. I had macaroni cheese and he had ham egg and chips. Got back about 3:30 and Jayne had completely finished the living room and put everything back. It look really beautiful and classy. We then spent a frantic few hours clearing all the stuff that still had to go to the Convent or be thrown away and eventually, by the time we went up for a glass of wine, we had cleared the dining room off bits and pieces and the living room was looking stunning. Again we had an early night. Suki was whacked too with all the exercise that morning!
Sunday 9th. Awake at 5:30 so got up, put the washing on and some other washing out I'd been doing overnight, and then took Suki for a walk. Iit was dark when I went out and I was able to watch the dawn rise over Acton Park which was lovely. Mike was reading at the 8 o'clock service and then playing the organ at the Convent so we went to church together. He actually shared a joke with me during the eucharistic prayer - which is something of a first! Monica was away so I did the ringing circuit on my own but met with Trisha at the cafe in Barnes. After ringing went to pick up Jayne and more items for the Convent sale, then I took them to the Convent where we met up with Lorraine and went to see her room. She has done a lovely job of making it look homely. We picked up Mike and brought him back for lunch. After lunch Jayne and I went to the dump in Mike's car and then to Homebase to change one of the pairs of curtains which were stained. We had an amazing afternoon. We had a full refund of £90 for the stained pair of curtains in Acton, and then went to Ruislip where we were told they had some more in stock. There was a sale on in the Ruislip store and to cut a long story short we got a refund of £50 or more on every pair of curtains I had bought in Acton and also bought the other curtains we needed at a much reduced price ie a £100 set for £30. We were turned out at 4 p.m. when the store shut, and as we past Dunelm we noticed it was open till 5 so called in there and had another happy hour buying curtains for the spare room a bowl and drainer set for the kitchen and other bits and bobs. As we went out to the car park I realised with horror that we were still in Mike's car and he was supposed to be in Barnes at 5:30 to ring for a service. We hurried back and got to Mike at 5:15 where we agreed it would be quicker for me to go and ring. Mike took Suki out while I was ringing - which was a lovely surprise. When I got back Mike fixed the door on the cabinet in the kitchen so it wouldn't push in, and then all three of us went for a lovely meal at Lara. We had lots of meze starters, no main course and two puddings between us, and we shared a bottle of wine. Mike and I had Raki with our coffee while Jayne had a cointreau. It was a lovely evening.
Monday 10th - Although I had grave misgivings about painting the dining room walls (as I didn't think the wallpaper would take it), Jayne insisted it had to be done and set about it! It soon became clear that it was going to take a lot of coats of paint and take a lot longer than had been anticipated. I went to the local decorating shop to get a small roller plus some wallpaper paste and a seam roller, but as the morning wore on we were getting quite anxious about getting it finished and getting to Ikea to buy the Billy Bookshelves I needed. So in the end I gathered up all my courage and went to Ikea ON MY OWN!! I looked up online first to see which aisles the shelves and the extension unit were in so that I could go straight there. I was a bit flummoxed as I couldn't find any aisle numbers lower than 20 to begin with but eventually asked and found I had to go through a showroom to find them. I maneuvered the shelves on to the trolley, queued for hours to pay and then took them to the car and got them in - all without any help! What a nightmare experience! I certainly won't be going there again unless there is absolutely no alternative. Mike and I went ringing in the evening - separately so that I could come straight home and he went early for handbells. When I got back Jayne was in the hall putting the bookshelves together, so I helped her do that before we went to bed.
Tuesday 11th - Mike went in to work today. Jayne put a FOURTH coat of paint on the dining room walls. I went walking with Maryanne in the morning as this was a long-standing commitment. It was a beautiful day and we did the ill-fated Bledlow walk which we had just started when I fell and sprained my ankle in March. This time we completed it without mishap - it was a really nice 6-mile+ walk with hardly any climbs but still had some good views - see Map We then went for lunch at The Lions of Bledlow pub - we both had the soup which was delicious. When I got back I helped Jayne for a bit - she was by then ironing curtains - and then we all stopped for supper when Mike came in from work. He then went out to choir practice and Jayne and I spent a happy evening sorting all the books out and putting them into the new bookshelves. I was then ready for bed - but Jayne started painting again and was at it until 1 am!
Wednesday 12th. Got up early again to take Suki out for a walk and still have an hour or so to help Jayne before going to see Keith. He was very glad to see me as he had overlooked paying his credit card bills and I had to go to the bank in the village to pay them for him. This gave me an opportunity to buy some curtain hooks. Then went to Sainsbury's for him and was able to get a few bits and pieces for myself and for Jayne. When I got back Jayne and Svetla had transformed the dining room into a classy spacious space - it looked completely finished and it was wonderful. The fireplace had been completely cleaned out, the table had the four chairs around it and all the spaces looked clean and tidy. Also the curtains had been put up. It just looked fabulous.
Mind you the back bedroom was now looking
horrendous.
Everything had been put in there so that I can sort it from there.
I had taken all the music up there and intend to sort it and catalogue it and then to store it tidily in the dining room or in the loft. I had arranged for Emily to take Suki out in the afternoon so was able to help Jayne with paperwork and other admin. Mike and I went out to ring surprise minor on handbells with Caroline in the evening. I didn't feel like I had much headspace for ringing handbells and this was proved to be true when we had several false starts and mishaps. However we eventually had an enjoyable evening ringing the Cambridge six then London, Wells and Cunecastre. We then went for a lovely meal at Cafe Rouge where I indulged in fougasse, steak frites and gallons of red wine. Felt much more relaxed and wound down afterwards. When we got home I found that Jayne had completely finished hanging all the curtains in the living room and dining room. What a wonderful surprise. I had not relished the idea of hanging these myself when she had gone.
Thursday 13th. Got up very early to take Suki for a walk and then get back in time to do breakfast and be ready to take Jayne to Heathrow at 7:30 a.m. We got to the airport about 8:20 and soon found check in but were told to come back at 9 o'clock. I had parked in the short term parking so that I could help Jayne with her bags etc we found a weighing machine and repacking area so we spent a happy half hour there moving things between cases and weighing them and generally getting the bags exactly right so that at least Jayne felt comfortable going to check in. We went back just before 9 and the kind man put us to the front of the queue athough it didn't open until about 9:10. We went through quite seamlessly, the bags went through ok and then we had a big hug and I burst into tears and we were both crying when I walked away = although the moment was somewhat spoilt by Joyce ringing me, before I'd even got out of the airport, to check on arrangements for going to the Civil Service reunion lunch later in the day. Got home about 10:10. had a quick shower, got my clothes on ready for the lunch, managed to do a couple of things including the winners letter for the numbers club, and then at 11:30 was picked up by Derek and Joyce to be taken to Stamford Brook tube station. This was a hairy journey including doing a 12 point turn in Emlyn Road and charging around without stopping at the back of the station or any other suggested places, however we got there and Joyce and I went on the District line to Embankment and then walked up to the Civil Service Club together. The lunch was very good and there were quite a few people there who I knew. We had three courses and a glass of Prosecco for £9.50 which is quite amazing. We met in the bar at 12:30 and I had a bottle of fruit cider and then with the meal I had two glasses of Prosecco and a very small amount of red wine. I had pate followed by spinach and ricotta cannelloni. Followed by an enormous piece of banoffee cheesecake. I was struggling to stay awake by the end and when I got home completely collapsed on the bed and slept until 7 p.m. Luckily I had arranged for Emily to walk Suki - I heard her come in and bring Suki back some 35 minutes later! A bit annoying as she was supposed to take her for an hour but I was very grateful anyway. I got up at 7:30 p.m. and did a few useful things to tidy up generally and to make the downstairs laundry room accessible for Mike. I also made it possible for him to let Suki out with a door opener left at the back of the utility room. I made a cup of tea and watched the last episode of Victoria and then I went to bed with another cup of tea. Needless to say I couldn't sleep. I ended up getting up at 2 o'clock in the morning and making a hot drink and a warm wheat bag for my neck and reading my book for a while. This worked a treat and I slept till 8 o'clock the following morning! I had a nice little notification on my phone at 12:15 am that Jayne's flight had landed which made me feel close. It looks as if it was half an hour late poor Jayne.
Friday 14th. Had a very productive day - and began to feel that it was all coming under my control again! I took rubbish to the dump and cleared the extension a little more and cleared up some of the paintbrushes etc which Jayne had not had time to clean and put away. I painted a second coat on the old drinks cabinet which we are upcycling for the guest room - Jayne's idea and she had started it and left me with instructions on how to finish. Did more general tidying and sorting and was organised enough to go with Mike to Barnes where I stayed in the car while they rang the QP and then joined in the practice which again was quite a good one. Mike and I shared a pumpkin pie in the pub afterwards. Highlight of the day was hearing this robin singing in the garden as I was hanging out washing.
Saturday 15th. Mike had a shower and then went out to Barnes learner practice. I finished off the cabinet by sticking the wallpaper to the back. It looked really good next to the bed.
Mike came back for a spot of lunch and then went off to Cantanti rehearsal and concert. I painted the wooden baton above the kitchen window and then the kitchen radiator. I didn't go to the concert but went to the MCALDG Autumn Meeting at Ealing. I went on the bus and arrived just in time for the tea and meeting - and then went home again. I had an early night as I was quite tired - but was woken just after midnight by lots of banging around downstairs. Apparently on the one night in I don't know how many years that the extension was so full of stuff that Mike couldn't get to the back door, the door opener had failed leaving Suki stuck outside in the garden, so Mike had needed to shuffle around on his backside to get to the door to open it manually! I was then awake for a couple of hours - but used the time well by ordering some things from Amazon such as curtains for the kitchen, peg bag, carrier bag holders and radiator dusters.
Sunday 16th. Going to Devon today (for a rest!!) but first I decided to make sure that the house was relatively clear and that Mike could get around all the rooms including the extension. By the time I left for Devon at 4 pm I had achieved this - the back bedroom floor was clear, with the tools drawer sorted and neat, and all the music was in sorted piles on the guest bed. I had also moved things around in the extension so that there was now a clear thoroughfare for the wheelchair all the way to the back door. Mike went out in the afternoon to the service of rededication of Norwood Green bells and I found out later he had rung a QP there afterwards. Suki and I had a straightforward journey down to Bovey arriving about 7.45 pm. I fed her and then went to bed with a hot drink and a whisky and was asleep by 9.
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| The Chimney Breast as it used to look | Jayne applies the paint |
We had lunch early has Mike had to get out to do more ringing for the South and West QP week. Jayne and I carried on with the kitchen - she painted the chimney breast with second coat while I cleaned the fan and then started cleaning the walls and the ceiling. Jayne continue the cleaning while I took Suki for a walk. It was amazing what a difference it made just washing the wallpaper - it came up really well and looked like new. We decided it looked good enough to leave and not to try painting over it.
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| Showing the difference between the bits which have been washed and those which have not! |
Monday 3rd October. Jayne and I made the kitchen accessible for Mike and then went to IKEA to browse around and to go to the cafe for lunch. We had the famous Swedish meatballs which were delicious and we brought a few back for Mike to have. It was my first visit to Ikea and an interesting experience although it looked like a nightmare if you actually wanted to buy anything. I got a few good storage ideas. When we got back we both took Suki for a walk calling in to the furniture shop for another look at cupboards and also calling in to the pharmacy to get some swabs for Mike. When we got back from the walk I helped Mike pack an overnight bag as he was off to Bristol after Chiswick ringing practice for a work training event. Mike went early to Chiswick for the handbells and I followed on later leaving Jayne behind trying to change her flights so that she could stay for another week. I came straight back after ringing and found that Jayne had not yet been successful in changing her flights. I had a glass of wine with her and then we had an early night.
Tuesday 4th October. Had a good old sort out day. Did some admin in the morning and Jayne managed to change her flights so she was able to stay for another week which was great news as it meant we would probably be able to finish doing the living room as well as the kitchen. At the agreed time of 11 o'clock we both stopped doing admin and started on the grand clear out. I removed a cupboard from beside Mike's bed, which had never been terribly successful as it was difficult to open the doors with the bed in the way, and took it down to the kitchen where it fitted perfectly. Jayne cleaned it all out while I cleared all round Mike's bed, tidied up the cables and cleaned and tidied all the bits and pieces. I replaced the cupboard with the unit carcass which had previously been used in the kitchen - and which was much better next to the bed as it didn't have any doors. I was able to put two storage boxes into it and then use the top one as a shelf. Much better. Jayne came up to help and she constructed the bedside trolley to be more stable by attaching the top. Then she constructed the new veg rack for the kitchen while I finished off in the bedroom. After walking Suki in the afternoon, we spent a half hour putting the Eternal Beau dinner service into the new cupboard - it fitted well and looked great. We noted that we needed something to stop the doors being pushed in against the crockery - a job for Mike I think. Then we made jacket potato for supper and took it up to watch television with a glass of wine and once again had an early night. We were very pleased with progress today and kept admiring the lovely clean surfaces and tidiness of the bedroom around Mike's bed area in particular, but also on top of the wardrobes which now looked neat and tidy.
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| A new lease of life for the old cupboard |
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| Jayne painting the living room |
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| Before being painted |
The mess in the living room and dining room - will it ever look tidy again??
Saturday 8th. Got up early again as unable to sleep late again. Had a shower and then Mike had his shower. He went off to ring Quarter Peals all day on the last day of the South and West quarter peal week and I went off to Marsworth to the reservoirs for a walk and then to meet Malcolm for lunch. I had a really nice walk and did four and a bit miles in one and three quarter hours. I hadn't had time to plot a route with my new software - but I had drawn out a rough track and this worked very nicely for me. I found that the second half of the walk away from the canal was actually waymarked anyway. Malcolm met me in the car park and we went across the road to the Anglers Retreat and had a really nice lunch. I had macaroni cheese and he had ham egg and chips. Got back about 3:30 and Jayne had completely finished the living room and put everything back. It look really beautiful and classy. We then spent a frantic few hours clearing all the stuff that still had to go to the Convent or be thrown away and eventually, by the time we went up for a glass of wine, we had cleared the dining room off bits and pieces and the living room was looking stunning. Again we had an early night. Suki was whacked too with all the exercise that morning!
Our new classy living room
Sunday 9th. Awake at 5:30 so got up, put the washing on and some other washing out I'd been doing overnight, and then took Suki for a walk. Iit was dark when I went out and I was able to watch the dawn rise over Acton Park which was lovely. Mike was reading at the 8 o'clock service and then playing the organ at the Convent so we went to church together. He actually shared a joke with me during the eucharistic prayer - which is something of a first! Monica was away so I did the ringing circuit on my own but met with Trisha at the cafe in Barnes. After ringing went to pick up Jayne and more items for the Convent sale, then I took them to the Convent where we met up with Lorraine and went to see her room. She has done a lovely job of making it look homely. We picked up Mike and brought him back for lunch. After lunch Jayne and I went to the dump in Mike's car and then to Homebase to change one of the pairs of curtains which were stained. We had an amazing afternoon. We had a full refund of £90 for the stained pair of curtains in Acton, and then went to Ruislip where we were told they had some more in stock. There was a sale on in the Ruislip store and to cut a long story short we got a refund of £50 or more on every pair of curtains I had bought in Acton and also bought the other curtains we needed at a much reduced price ie a £100 set for £30. We were turned out at 4 p.m. when the store shut, and as we past Dunelm we noticed it was open till 5 so called in there and had another happy hour buying curtains for the spare room a bowl and drainer set for the kitchen and other bits and bobs. As we went out to the car park I realised with horror that we were still in Mike's car and he was supposed to be in Barnes at 5:30 to ring for a service. We hurried back and got to Mike at 5:15 where we agreed it would be quicker for me to go and ring. Mike took Suki out while I was ringing - which was a lovely surprise. When I got back Mike fixed the door on the cabinet in the kitchen so it wouldn't push in, and then all three of us went for a lovely meal at Lara. We had lots of meze starters, no main course and two puddings between us, and we shared a bottle of wine. Mike and I had Raki with our coffee while Jayne had a cointreau. It was a lovely evening.
Monday 10th - Although I had grave misgivings about painting the dining room walls (as I didn't think the wallpaper would take it), Jayne insisted it had to be done and set about it! It soon became clear that it was going to take a lot of coats of paint and take a lot longer than had been anticipated. I went to the local decorating shop to get a small roller plus some wallpaper paste and a seam roller, but as the morning wore on we were getting quite anxious about getting it finished and getting to Ikea to buy the Billy Bookshelves I needed. So in the end I gathered up all my courage and went to Ikea ON MY OWN!! I looked up online first to see which aisles the shelves and the extension unit were in so that I could go straight there. I was a bit flummoxed as I couldn't find any aisle numbers lower than 20 to begin with but eventually asked and found I had to go through a showroom to find them. I maneuvered the shelves on to the trolley, queued for hours to pay and then took them to the car and got them in - all without any help! What a nightmare experience! I certainly won't be going there again unless there is absolutely no alternative. Mike and I went ringing in the evening - separately so that I could come straight home and he went early for handbells. When I got back Jayne was in the hall putting the bookshelves together, so I helped her do that before we went to bed.
Tuesday 11th - Mike went in to work today. Jayne put a FOURTH coat of paint on the dining room walls. I went walking with Maryanne in the morning as this was a long-standing commitment. It was a beautiful day and we did the ill-fated Bledlow walk which we had just started when I fell and sprained my ankle in March. This time we completed it without mishap - it was a really nice 6-mile+ walk with hardly any climbs but still had some good views - see Map We then went for lunch at The Lions of Bledlow pub - we both had the soup which was delicious. When I got back I helped Jayne for a bit - she was by then ironing curtains - and then we all stopped for supper when Mike came in from work. He then went out to choir practice and Jayne and I spent a happy evening sorting all the books out and putting them into the new bookshelves. I was then ready for bed - but Jayne started painting again and was at it until 1 am!
Wednesday 12th. Got up early again to take Suki out for a walk and still have an hour or so to help Jayne before going to see Keith. He was very glad to see me as he had overlooked paying his credit card bills and I had to go to the bank in the village to pay them for him. This gave me an opportunity to buy some curtain hooks. Then went to Sainsbury's for him and was able to get a few bits and pieces for myself and for Jayne. When I got back Jayne and Svetla had transformed the dining room into a classy spacious space - it looked completely finished and it was wonderful. The fireplace had been completely cleaned out, the table had the four chairs around it and all the spaces looked clean and tidy. Also the curtains had been put up. It just looked fabulous.
Thursday 13th. Got up very early to take Suki for a walk and then get back in time to do breakfast and be ready to take Jayne to Heathrow at 7:30 a.m. We got to the airport about 8:20 and soon found check in but were told to come back at 9 o'clock. I had parked in the short term parking so that I could help Jayne with her bags etc we found a weighing machine and repacking area so we spent a happy half hour there moving things between cases and weighing them and generally getting the bags exactly right so that at least Jayne felt comfortable going to check in. We went back just before 9 and the kind man put us to the front of the queue athough it didn't open until about 9:10. We went through quite seamlessly, the bags went through ok and then we had a big hug and I burst into tears and we were both crying when I walked away = although the moment was somewhat spoilt by Joyce ringing me, before I'd even got out of the airport, to check on arrangements for going to the Civil Service reunion lunch later in the day. Got home about 10:10. had a quick shower, got my clothes on ready for the lunch, managed to do a couple of things including the winners letter for the numbers club, and then at 11:30 was picked up by Derek and Joyce to be taken to Stamford Brook tube station. This was a hairy journey including doing a 12 point turn in Emlyn Road and charging around without stopping at the back of the station or any other suggested places, however we got there and Joyce and I went on the District line to Embankment and then walked up to the Civil Service Club together. The lunch was very good and there were quite a few people there who I knew. We had three courses and a glass of Prosecco for £9.50 which is quite amazing. We met in the bar at 12:30 and I had a bottle of fruit cider and then with the meal I had two glasses of Prosecco and a very small amount of red wine. I had pate followed by spinach and ricotta cannelloni. Followed by an enormous piece of banoffee cheesecake. I was struggling to stay awake by the end and when I got home completely collapsed on the bed and slept until 7 p.m. Luckily I had arranged for Emily to walk Suki - I heard her come in and bring Suki back some 35 minutes later! A bit annoying as she was supposed to take her for an hour but I was very grateful anyway. I got up at 7:30 p.m. and did a few useful things to tidy up generally and to make the downstairs laundry room accessible for Mike. I also made it possible for him to let Suki out with a door opener left at the back of the utility room. I made a cup of tea and watched the last episode of Victoria and then I went to bed with another cup of tea. Needless to say I couldn't sleep. I ended up getting up at 2 o'clock in the morning and making a hot drink and a warm wheat bag for my neck and reading my book for a while. This worked a treat and I slept till 8 o'clock the following morning! I had a nice little notification on my phone at 12:15 am that Jayne's flight had landed which made me feel close. It looks as if it was half an hour late poor Jayne.
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| At the CSWHA Reunion Lunch I am next to Maureen Hill - Joyce at the far end Click here to see more photos |
Saturday 15th. Mike had a shower and then went out to Barnes learner practice. I finished off the cabinet by sticking the wallpaper to the back. It looked really good next to the bed.
Sunday 16th. Going to Devon today (for a rest!!) but first I decided to make sure that the house was relatively clear and that Mike could get around all the rooms including the extension. By the time I left for Devon at 4 pm I had achieved this - the back bedroom floor was clear, with the tools drawer sorted and neat, and all the music was in sorted piles on the guest bed. I had also moved things around in the extension so that there was now a clear thoroughfare for the wheelchair all the way to the back door. Mike went out in the afternoon to the service of rededication of Norwood Green bells and I found out later he had rung a QP there afterwards. Suki and I had a straightforward journey down to Bovey arriving about 7.45 pm. I fed her and then went to bed with a hot drink and a whisky and was asleep by 9.
