Hill of Arrows

Today I have got very little planned.

After a think at the kitchen table with a bucket of coffee, I decided to clear the cupboard in my bedroom that leads up to the attic.

When my little Bathroom man arrives , he will need access up there to put in an electric shower.

The whole cupboard was crammed with junk.

A broken Lloyd loom laundry basket, a broken lampshade, old papers and moulding eiderdown, the usual crap you hide away from sight …everything was thrown into the front garden much to the surprise of locals walking up and down the lane.

In a rather dusty old suitcase I found a photocopied publication dating from 1910. I have no recollection of having it.

Tucked behind the Welsh text was a translation of the this book which was described as thus

This is the winning Essay

Submitted for the Newmarket Eisteddfod

Held on the 1st August 1910

Written in welsh by R.T Williams ( pseudonym Trevor Mon)

Entitled

“ Newmarket, it’s Antiquity, Biography and Present History”

For those that don’t know Newmarket is the old name for Trelawnyd.

I fell into a few hours of reading, sat in the window seat of my bedroom. The book sharing the history of the village from as far back as the Welsh tribes who lived on the land before the Romans arrived.

It’s a fascinating read and much of the information within its pages was new to me. The old, ancient names of hills that surround the village interested me the most. Bryn Y Saethau ( Hill of Arrows) , Bryn Y Lladdfa ( The Hill Of Slaughter) and Bryn Y Coaches ( Hill Of The War Chariots) all conjure up ancient battles and folklore 

The text also features biographies on local ( men) from the turn of the century as well as detailed descriptions of local houses and their histories, forays into local folklore, and discussions about Marriages  and everyday life of an Edwardian Welsh Village.

I’m happy to provide anyone local who is interested in reading this essay a copy . All I ask is that they pay a 5£ fee which will be donated to the Memorial Hall.

Wateringtocan

I bought a fucking useless watering can today

Just because I liked the look of it 

 

Getting On

Nurse’ humour is, I know , an acquired taste.

I watched Getting On the other night, which was a sitcom based in an over worked and fraught nhs hospital ward. It’s a work of genius and captures perfectly the screwball nature of very dark humour.

I was reminded of a conversation I had fairly recently with a patient who was somewhat challenging in nature.

He asked me to do something that I was not prepared to do and the subsequent conversation was roughly as follows after he had sworn at me and was now sulking

Patient :”Have you always been a nurse who argues with their patients?” 

Me “ I like to think I’m assertive but fair“ 

Patient: “ I will take that as a yes then” 

Me (smiling  sweetly) “ no problem”

Patient: “ Have you killed anyone this week?” 

Pause

Me “Only two this week”

Patient: “ Only two?”

Me”It’s been a slack week”

Patient laughs

Patient: “What’s your name again? …I might have to report you”

Me “Beverly Allitt”

Patient laughs again

Being Gay

 

Sometimes it’s nice to have a gay old day.

I got to Liverpool early and bought the outstanding remaining pieces of my dinner service from John Lewis. I couldn’t find the cutlery section , as it had been moved. I told the very camp salesman I was in a hurry and he let the charge to the right shelves with a wave of the arm and a merry “ Tallyho”

I met my friend Colin at The Italian Club just on time and we drooled like schoolboys over the army of bearcub waiters on duty, with their heavily dyed beards and big hairy arms .

When Colin payed the bill, one such waiter gave his hand a cheeky caress which made my friend blush Pinkly and made me laugh like a drain.

We went to the Philharmonic Hall to watch the Liverpool Symphony Orchestra play Beethoven Leonore Overture, Sibelius’ violin Concerto with sololist Maria Dueñas and Prokofiev’s Symphony No 5 .

The music was , as usual top notch , but we both were watching conductor ( the floppy haired Venezuelan Domingo Hindoyan) like predatory hawks 

Such Fun

Catch Me If You Can is an ok potboiler of a whodunnit, that is mildly amusing, smart mouthed and clever enough to keep the audience clapping.

Starring Patrick Duffy ( Dallas) and the pert Linda Purl ( a darling of 1970s TV movies )

It felt like the middle aged, middle class choice tonight 

No real shakes, but ok. 

For my sister Janet, it was her first foray back into a packed theatre for two years and I hope she enjoyed it enough to go again soon. 

I suggested that we book a London show next time and make a special time of it with a posh hotel, meal, champers, excursions  and such fun

all for our joint 60th….

It’s hard to think that on this planet I have known just two people, my sisters, the longest in my life …. for nearly 60 years.

How special is that ?

 

Conwy

 I parked outside Conwy and Mary and I walked into the town across the suspension bridge which sits in the shadow of the ancient castle.

It's getting brighter but We are not aiming to sit out.im off to the pub to meet with work friends.

At the art deco Albion Pub which welcomes dogs.

My sister Janet and I are going to Theatre Clwyd later, so itsa day of two halves

Silence

 

Bliss

Silence

Barcarolle

Yesterday I found myself changing two syringe drivers at a patient’s beside.

For those that don’t know a syringe driver is a device that gives a specifically measured amount of drug to a patient via an abacath placed subcutaneously under a patient’s skin. 

Large amounts of analgesia, anti sickness meds and medication  that combats terminal agitation can be given safely and incrementally and the drivers are the staple in a palliative care nurse’s weapons to maximise symptom control

Checking the drugs for these drivers has to be done with with another trained nurse and this is time consuming, but I always take my time when changing the drug syringes as it gives you a change to assess your patient, often in the quietness of a side room without distraction or fuss.

My patient was unconscious and alone when I started work changing his meds yesterday morning.

Classic fm was tuned on the tv by his relatives .

And the Barcarolle from Tales Of Hoffman was playing 

It was a beautiful moment of peace on a busy day 

Sublime

It’s cold again this morning……