52 Providence Road

Your First house is NEVER the house that you love the best. Well that's what I always think anyhow. Your second house, the home you perhaps plan for in a more considered and financially robust way, is often the one you have more affection for, even though you may move on to bigger and better things. In my case this is true. My tiny first home on Providence Road was an impulse buy in 1988, it got me on the housing ladder in the "credit crunch", it led me to the lovely terrace house in Wynyard Road in Hillsborough before Chris and I finally bought out first home together here in Wales When we called in to see Mike and Bev on Sunday, they gave me a clipping from the Sheffield Star, detailing the sale of my first home.http://www.thinkproperty.com/property/14656024 I hadn't thought about Providence Road in a long time, so today when I was slogging away in the allotment (tidying the beds for tomorrow's open day) my thoughts got to wandering into the direction of no 52. I bought the house when I was still a student nurse, twenty years ago and I remember that I was on placement on South 6 at Lodge Moor Hospital, which was a paediatric ward at the time the sale want through. The house cost 29,000 pounds and was originally on sale for 26,000!!!!!! Typically of Sheffield, I remember that a small bidding "war" ensured me clinching the deal. That little house witnessed a very happy time in my life.For the very first time I felt totally independent. I had a full and varied social life, many friends and an exciting job,I also had my own front door behind which I could feel safe and secure. Joan and Betty turned up in the garden to be adopted, Girlfriend Jane designed and helped make the garden (which sparked my interest in gardening) and for the first time I trolled the antique and junk shops of Walkley, in search of my own eclectic design style. It was a time of firsts. Providence Road, saw me coming out as gay, it was the constant in my career move into Spinal Injuries and provided me with the backdrop for the re bonding of a somewhat difficult relationship with my father a year before he died.I guess I am lucky to have nothing but positive memories of a simple two up, two down in Walkley.

The weather looks a bit ropey for the allotment open tomorrow, but I guess that even if there is torrential rainfall and no one turns up, at least I will have a score of cakes and a tidy field to show for it all. Mrs Jones sent over a fruit cake this afternoon in way of an apology for not coming tomorrow ( she had minor eye surgery done today) and Flower show secretary Slyvia is sending me one of her coffee bakes later, so there will be plenty of food available. The only small fly in the ointment is that Chris is serving the cakes, so I suspect it will be a"one for you and two for me" sort of thing going on.

Sad news flying around the village is that the missing man has been found dead on the Gop...such a shame.

The Search

The gop has been the scene of much activity today, as a villager suffering from depression has gone missing after leaving a suicide note. The police helicopter has circled the area constantly, and spent many minutes shadowing me and the dogs on our afternoon walk amid the trees which was an oddly weird experience.
This evening the mountain rescue volunteers have scoured the churchyard and allotment (even checking inside the duck house) and even later a dog search team has weaved its way down the lane checking the fields and woods west of Trelawnyd.
The noise and activity has unsettled the sheep and horses in nearby paddocks, and the sound of their bleating and whinnies has been rather spooky and this of course has been somewhat exaggerated bu the fact I have had not sleep and am feeling as usual rather jittery. Awful night shift last night, a multiple trauma RTA admitted.......I can't believe that Chris and friends like Geoff actually enjoy riding death traps that are motorbikes........

Catch up

Just had time this morning to catch up with Mike and Bev and Maisie for pancakes and muffins, before driving home to sort out the dogs and animals before another night shift....nice weekend!

A Sheffield/Cameroon/American wedding

It was a treat to be able to stay in a posh hotel on Saturday night, and the new St Paul's Hotel overlooking the Peace Gardens was lovely. I managed to get over to Sheffield by 2pm, met up with Chris then walked the stone's throw distance to the Upper Chapel on Norfolk Street for Mick and Meggie's wedding.

The wedding was a real mixture of cultures. Mick's family are salt-of-the-earth Sheffielders, whilst Meggie's family range from homeland in the Cameroons, to the states and a variety of countries in Europe, The couple had met on my old ward when both were working there as staff nurses. The ceremony style was overwhelmingly American, with both Bride and Groom having a score of Bridesmaids and groomsmen each, all impeccably dressed and turned out. It felt very My Best Friend's Wedding (1997)

Meggie's mother, almost stole the show with a lilting,impassioned and considered speech at the reception.The speech was almost evangelical in nature with relatives singing out key important words and phrases from time to time, it felt a breath of fresh air compared to some to the more stuffy wedding speeches I have previously had to endure. The interactive feel of the whole thing was warm, heartfelt and incredibly good natured.

The evening "do" meant that we had a chance to meet up with the old spinal injury staff. Above is affable, big hearted Alexa (left) with Diane (gay man in a straight woman's body). It was all very flattering that many staff missed me in post..........shallow but ever so nice to hear!!!!!!!!!

Helen, who took my job over as ward Manager

.......and Jane of course (my old ward's deputy sister) who had an unfortunate accident with her large cleavage and a particularly impressive Chocolate fountain......enough said....

We didn't have a late night, but caught up with more old staff, had a few drinks, chats and enjoyed a comfortable bed and air conditioning in the hotel. It was a nice evening

A strange crush, and an inability to get going........

Last night was a bloody awful shift: one transfer out, one death and three admissions.All with the minimum number of staff on. I was well over tired when I got home this morning. Chris needed a lift to town to get the train to Sheffield at lunchtime(he is going on a hen night there tonight), so I managed to grab an hour's sleep before dragging myself into some semblance of normality (and a dirty pair of combats) to get the chores done.
I will meet up with Chris tomorrow for Mick and Meggies' wedding (we are staying in a rather plush City centre hotel which will be a treat), then back on Sunday ready for night shift again.
I certainly don't mind the back-to-back activity of it all as Mick and Meggie remain two of my favourite co-workers from the Spinal Injury Unit, and I am greatly looking forward to see them both on their big day.Mick is one of those broad accented native Sheffield blokes with a big heart and a sensitive soul that was always a favourite primary nurse with patients and their relatives, whilst Meggie could lighten up the dullest of rooms with her big East African laugh and warm nature. I suspect their wedding will be a joyous affair!

Anyhow,. I am afraid the allotment tidying will have to take a rain check until Monday as before I drive over tomorrow I have to take William to the vets again ( a skin condition has flared again) and drop him and George off to Janet's who will babysit them tomorrow night. Carol is keeping an eye on the birds, Meg and Maddie.

So am just about to have an early night. Watched the BBC "comedy" game show this evening Would I lie to You? Generally it is all pretty dire, save for the comic Lee Mack, who I am afraid I have a bit of a crush on. I am not sure if it is his Blackburn Northern humour that I find attractive. or the fact that several years ago he was fired from pontins in Prestatyn for being drunk on stage.

The Mist II

Hazel and I went to a late showing of The Mist yesterday evening. Now, Wales does not really do late showing of anything, so I was excited at the prospect of being a little city-ish as well as seeing the film as it should be seen on the big screen ( remember I watched it on a two inch screen on YOUTUBE a week or so back)
Watching The Mist a second time, I realised why it perhaps didn't do that well in the U.S. The shock of what hurricane Katrina did to the so-called civilized southern states, frightened America to the core.and the rapidity of how a city became almost prehistoric (as the polarised shoppers did in the isolated supermarket in the movie) is a truth just too real for a nation to accept and watch all over again. Watching Lord of the flies is one thing, but to watch small town America disintegrating into anarchy is very much another Like 9/11, a critical look at the more unpalatable side of human nature, may be all a bit too painful.............

Had a lovely surprise off Nia today, as two cases of lovely wine was delivered- a huge thank you for my meagre work helping out with her belongings' shipment. I hope she doesn't mind but I would like to use them to be enjoyed by the entire family at Ann and Tim's big party bash on the 16th.

Baby Update

I received an e mail this morning from Cheryl in Canada (of all places) who asked how all the babies were doing.
Well...........The buff chicks are 7 weeks old now and are crackling little fellas. I suspect I have two cocks and 3 hens, so I may have to "cull" one male if I can't find a home for him. The little female (Violet) is tame and loves being stroked, especially just under her chin----I will be definately keeping her,

Boris and Grace have put on weight in the week they have been with me and even at 6 weeks are substantial and hefty little birds. They are too young to be let loose in the far enclosure as yet, so will be kept in the shed for another two weeks at least

The biggest change has been Broody Nolan's chicks who are now three weeks old. I think there are two cocks in this set of five but can't yet be too sure as yet All are looking somewhat scruffy as their feathers are still poking through the down.

They are being moved into the A frame this evening.

Saved

Today, the closure list of Welsh post offices was published.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7529179.stm
Our tiny shop and post office was not on the list and it was lovely to hear that at least for now, it has survived.