Tuesday 4th June 2024

Woke around 0800. Got up and made tea. Read some Dickens in bed before rising to porridge. No work on, so sat about reading a bit of Dickens here, and a bit of "Coming Through Slaughter" there. Partook of an early lunch...the leftover Bolognese sauce on toast with a bit of salad. Aki wanted to go in to town to try on some trainers...we walked to Finsbury Park tube station, and took a Piccadilly Line train to Piccadilly Circus. Kath texted to say that the news from the Freeman Hospital wasn't good. It transpires dad has prostate cancer, and it has spread to his hip, which means cancelling the hip op pencilled in for tomorrow morning. He starts a course of medication, so it sounded hopeful that the disease could be stalled, at which point we can get another opinion on the wisdom of a hip op. Aki tried some trainers on in a shop on Piccadilly, and found a pair she liked, but they only had one colour, so she decided to make further investigations online. Walked round to the Japanese convenience store on Brewer Street, where we bought some odds and ends, then dived back down the tube station and headed home. FaceTimed ma and pa...they seemed in good spirits, despite today's setback. He starts a month's course of tablets today, and then has to report to the Freeman for an injection every six months. Had the last of the Spanish bean and tomato stew, with pan-fried cod, and some greens on the side. I walked over to Hilmarton Road for rehearsal with Vox Holloway...Mr Brough was on good form, though we struggled to get through "All of My Friends Were There", a very complex arrangement that will take a lot more work prior to the concert, I fear. Walked back in the rain. Watched The Ten before bath and bed...

Monday 3rd June 2024

Slow start this morning. Dozed until 0900. Aki brought me a mug of tea, which I drank in bed; read some Dickens. Porridged at the computer, as I needed to put my May expenses claims in. We had trout and salad for lunch. Aki pottered about in the front garden after lunch. I sat about reading, most of the time...started "Coming Through Slaughter"...lovin' it! Got a message from Kath saying dad had been offered his hip operation on Wednesday, the team having had a last minute cancellation. He hasn't had the results of last Thursday's bone scan, though...I think he should wait to get that before going ahead. I rang him, and he said he'd just had a message calling him in for a chat with the scan team tomorrow morning...hope it's not bad news. Kath said she'd take him in, with mum riding sidecar. Had an early dinner...ragu and tagliatelle, with some cabbage on the side. Tasty enough, though I think it could do without the chicken liver, which adds slightly too strong a flavour. Walked up to Hanley Road for Gospel Choir rehearsal. Not in good voice, but got through it in one piece, and walked home. Watched a bit of telly before bath and bed...

Sunday 2nd June 2024

Woke around 0900. Kath had already gone to work. Mum and dad sat at dining table having breakfast. Jim and Emma were breakfasting in their van on the driveway. Nice sunshiny morning. Sat outside with a mug of tea. Took a walk down to Darras Hall to get some stottie cake for lunch, but couldn't find anything of much interest in Davidson's Bakery, so resolved to make my own, and bought six oven-bottom muffins from the Co-op. Walked back to High View to discover mum had prepared open sandwiches for lunch! I pimped them up with some additional avocado, olives, and rocket, and added some cold meats to the plates. Kath drove me down to Callerton parkway to catch the Metro...mum came too, and we said our hurried goodbyes on the platform as the train came in. Got to Central Station half-an-hour before my train was due to depart, only to find utter chaos, as someone had gone under a train north of Newcastle, thereby stranding trains heading for Edinburgh, and trains coming from that direction. Stood on platform 4 watching the departures board change as services were delayed, or cancelled. My train finally rocked up an hour late, and we headed south at last. Got in to Kings Cross at 1830, and took a No.91 bus home. Aki had prepared a tasty roast chicken dinner. We watched some telly...got a bit teary over The Piano as the chosen few rehearsed for the concert finale...some astonishing talent on display, most notably the Scouse lad, Darius, who composes movie-less film scores, and had created one celebrating his foster parents...not a dry eye in the house! 

Saturday 1st June 2024

Woke at 0900…exhausted after yesterday’s efforts in the kitchen. Read some Dickens before descending for crunchy nut cornflakes and a mug of tea. We sat in the dining room reading the paper. By late morning it was warm enough to venture out into the back garden. I cooked a sardine agrodolce for lunch with toast and a bit of salad. Jim and Emma turned up as I was serving up…they plan to park the van on the drive tonight. Sat outside supping tea and having a catch up. Ordered Indian takeaway for dinner, as there are six mouths to feed this evening. I took some afternoon exercise, walking down to the shops at Darras to buy some milk, and a bottle of sherry. Kath drove down later to pick up the food…I put the oven on and warmed the naans. We ate outside on the patio...very tasty...the food, not the patio! Watched a bit of "Rebus" before heading upstairs to listen to some Kinks rehearsal aids. Kath came in on her way to bed to say the 87 year old woman she'd been out to see this evening had fallen downstairs, and she'd had to call an ambulance out! A rather grim hazard of the caring profession, I fear!!!

Friday 31st May 2024

Woke at 0800. Hauled myself out of bed and downstairs for breakfast. Mum had cancelled her visit to the Freeman for physio…she has exercises she can do at home. I did an hour and a half’s work at my laptop…seem to have put my neck out…very painful for the rest of the day. I then drove down to Waitrose in the Up! to do a little shopping. Put lunch together when I got back to High View…poached eggs on toast with salad and sliced cold meats. Had forgotten to buy bread this morning, so took a walk down to Darras shops and bought a sliced loaf from the Co-op. Spent the rest of the afternoon cooking…put together a fish pie, cauliflower cheese, and a fruit crumble. Kath returned from work in time for dinner. Watched a bit of telly before shower and bed...

Thursday 30th May 2024

Alarm at 0700. Rolled out of bed and staggered downstairs to make tea. Dad already sat at the kitchen table having his cereal. Set off for Gosforth at 0815…I drove dad in to the Freeman hospital in Mum’s Up! Parked up in a disabled bay in the visitors car park, not realising this would mean a quarter mile long walk through the endless corridors of the south wing of the hospital. Got to the Nuclear Medicine clinic on time, and dad was called in fairly promptly...I went to the cafe to find a coffee...to my surprise, dad wandered into the cafe just as I had paid up. He had had some kind of fluid injected into his system, prior to a full body scan...we were told to come back in about two hours, so we decided to drive over to Kingston Park, so I could buy some odds and ends ahead of tonight's dinner. Got him back to the Freeman in good time for his scan...I went for a walk through nearby Paddy Freeman Park...needless to say it started raining. Got back to the hospital by noon, and was again surprised to see father in the cafe...thought they'd take longer with the scan...we sat and had a coffee and a bun, then walked back down the long corridor to the car park. The staff suggested the scan results wouldn't be ready until early next week. Drove home. Spent the afternoon cooking...made a bolognese, which we had with tagliatelle for dinner. Sat and watched a bit of telly before bed...

Wednesday 29th May 2024

Alarm at 0730. Hauled myself out of bed and had tea at the computer. Uploaded the photos I'd taken yesterday. Aki cycled off to Rowing Club. I finished packing and made myself a sandwich to eat on the train. Caught a No.91 bus to Kings Cross…got there in good time. Sat with a coffee at Pret a Manger. Train was running on time…we departed at 1218…the seat next to mine was also reserved, but the occupant didn’t show up, so I had room to spread out a bit and enjoy my sandwich lunch. Read some Dickens. Got into Newcastle Central station on time, and reached the western car park just as Kath and mum drove up to collect me. Traffic pretty bad. Dad was sat out in the sun in the back garden when we turned up at High View. Both he and mum looking a bit frail, but soldiering on in their usual indomitable way. Kath had put together a lavish salad for an early dinner, as she had to slope off to work. Sat about and chatted for a bit before opting for an early night…need to rise early tomorrow.