This afternoon we motored over to Frinton to see our good friends John and Ann C.T. We stopped off at Manningtree and took a couple of snaps of the river (or should that be the estuary - not sure). They had a fairly awful Christmas. They went on a cruise of the Bahamas - and no, I know that doesn't sound awful but wait - and on Christmas morning John was taken very ill indeed. The ship had to change course to get within helicopter range- this took eleven hours- then John was airlifted onto the helicopter "(they hoisted me and the stretcher up in the air on a bit of string and we spun round and round"). Not pleasant. Even less pleasant was the fact that there was no room on the helicopter for Ann so she had to stay on the ship. John said this was worse for Ann than for him "I knew I was still alive but Ann didn't know if I was alive or dead." He then spent some days in a hospital (I think in Guadeloupe - near Antigua anyway, but my geography is shaky), then he spent some days in an hotel, whilst his insurance company argued about who was going to pay the bills, and was eventually shipped home. Ann eventually got home before John did. The whole thing as nightmarish. Their daughters have told them that it's the end of globetrotting for them, and at the moment they really don't mind very much. I think I mentioned last August or September that we went to their Diamond Wedding Anniversary. Anyway, back to today. When we'd been there awhile John took a 'phoned call from their daughter Bea and we piled into our car and drove round their house where Bea wanted me to look at a thirty hour long case clock that they've bought. It's by George Spurr of Aylesbury, and despite (or because of) it's having been pretty well got at, it needs quite a bit doing to it. Have agreed to do the necessary eventually. We then went back to John and Ann's for a bite of tea, and eventually came home. It was lovely to see them but I'm afraid their Christmas adventures have taken it out of both of them quite badly. On the way home found there was a six mile tail back from the A12 to Manningtree due to a serious road accident on the southbound A12.
I'm going to knock off and go to bed in a minute, but first I'm going to try and put another snap of some swans at Manningtree on the blog. No, it doesn't seem to work. It'll have to go on in another blog. Goodnight.
5 comments:
I'm afraid cruise ships will continue to be the most bio-hazardous venues available until sensible folk simply withdraw their custom until a guaranteed clean up is seen to be effectively done. I rather feel the same way about NHS hospitals. Sickies of the world unite - we have nothing to lose but un-Hygea-ic mismanagement of unintendedly anti-social services. Bring back Elizabeth Fry, Florence Nightingale and Dorothy Clayton - they'd soon scuttle all the penny pinching miserly managers who disregard basic sanitation on budgetary grounds.
Ahem! Crowbards, I refer you to the last sentence of your comment, and also to the photo dated Thursday 24.1.08 :- Of the three ladies you mention, one is still very much with us and therefore cannot be brung back yet.
Much luv - big bruv.
Ahem! Crowbards, I refer you to the last sentence of your comment, and also to the photo dated Thursday 24.1.08 :- Of the three ladies you mention, one is still very much with us and therefore cannot be brung back yet.
Much luv - big bruv.
Dear Big Bruv,
You misunderstood the implication of my last sentence, I wished to imply that these note-worthies should be brought back into service as comptrollers of the nations hospitals and the worlds hygene generally. I had forgotten that two of them would require considerable efforts at resuscitation in order to become so employed. I anticipate the younger (or most recent) member of the triad to be competent to fulfill this role for at least another half-century judging by her current vigour.
Ah yes, Crowbard, I did misunderstand your bring back - I've no excuse as nearly all the nurses I know Have said at one time or another "bring back Matrons" - those Hatty Jaques figures feared by all. How well I remember having to lie in bed at attention because Matron was about to do her ward round. Anyone dead or otherwise seriously bedbound was excused standing to attention in Matron's presence, but was of course expected (or if comatose - arranged) to lie to attention. Ah those were the days. Perhaps I'm exaggerating very slightly as to the facts, but the attitude and atmosphere in hospitals were as I've described. Warm regards to you both, Mike.
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