Viles of Blood and Tony Morley

Hiya Bloggettes,

Well thank for you all clicking on my link in The World newspaper - my blog was the most read item on last week's site.

(The pic is a rainbow in Widnes, courtesy of my camera phone!)

My problems with Widnes doctors continues - my GP still won't prescribe salt tablets (needed by ALL people with Cystic Fibrosis) and only gave me five days of MMF (an anti-rejection drug)

I finally cracked and complained to the PCT and my consultant in Birmingham has also spoken to the practice manager. Watch this space....and maybe the newspapers.

They also wouldn't give me a vile of blood to send off to Newcastle without a proper blood container, which is fair enough, so I am awaiting one from up north.

Am almost up to where I was before the shingles with the swimming and the Wednesday lunchtime table tennis is good fun - if hard work.

I met up with Claire on Friday night and went to the 8 Towers Pub - names after the power station pillars opposite. It is also v.close to the site of the proposed mental unit..... ho hum...

Anyway. There was a lovely rainbow as I walked down and lots of rain as I walked back. It was good to catch up with CM....She was the first person I ever met in Widnes!

On Saturday I went back to Staffordshire after my physio session and met Erik and Diana for a balti in Walsall

On Sunday I went to see a team of Aston Villa Old Boys play Burntwood Dragons at B'Wood Rugby Club.

There were loads of former players, even from the European Cup winning team of 1992. It was great to see the likes of Gordon Cowans , Kevin Poole and Tony Morley at such close quarters...

I am slowly sorting out my holidays. Sarah and I are off to Norfork in August and Katrin is coming over from Germany in July.....

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Book: Pies and Prejudice - Stuart Maconie

Music: Close - Joy Division

Its a Hard Knott life

Hello Bloggettes,

I hope by now you have checked out my weekly blog on the Widnes World newspaper website - if not then shame on you and all who sail in you...

I played table tennis on Wednesday lunchtime for the first time since the lungs started rejecting - it was only for 40 minutes, but I felt good for having done it.

The next day was an open evening at the local TT club at Halton Stadium - so I gave it a go. I was paired with a 12-year-old, they didn't tell me he was also an England youth player. Doh!

An hour later I sat in the changing room, and sat....and sat.....and then the same in the sauna. About an hour later I was recovered enough to drive home.

I had Friday off because Sarah was coming over - in the end her train didn't get in til about 7pm. I cooked my favourite steamed fish and veg stuff and we just vegged. I tried to persuade her to go for last orders somewhere...But the Friday Night Project was on TV!

We were off to Cumbria (no don't ask why she came all the way down from Newcastle for a night, before we went back up the country to Cumbria, it's a long story!)

The place was near Scafell Pike, Boot, and was a well dodgy trek across country down 'unsuitable for cars' tracks and the steepest road in England. (The Hard Knott pass)

I was very tense when I arrived. The pic above is of Eskdale, near where we were staying. (Yes it IS high with very steep drops each side of the road)

We drove to the hotel CLICK FOR LINK and were picked up with the other guests about 2pm to be drive to the church in the middle of nowhere for the wedding. It was an Anglo/Sri Lankan affair....

Then the do was in Ravenglass a cute fishing village and Sarah and I were part of just one table of 'friends' - the others were relatives. I don't think Cumbria has seen so many Sri Lankans!

I am really a friend of a friend of the bride and was S's (plus one) and had only met her once!

It was nice to meet some new lively people and get some fresh air. I didn't feel much like taking it though after a night of Magners, Champagne Pimms and red wine (together at last!)

I had to drop Sarah off at Manchester so we went through Windermere. had lunch and looked at some swans - before heading back to reality. (Ouch!)

The photographer is putting the pics from the do on-line as are several other people, so I should get some pics on the site soon...

When I went swimming this morning I think I was still sweating Champagne - well that's MY excuse why the water went all bubbly when I got it!

A bientot

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PS: People have asked why the tunes I created haven't been updated for while. Well I have been without my laptop for a few weeks. But I have ordered a new one now...Patience!

Six Nation State

Hello Peoples,

I went to a posh dinner party at Rebecca's in Manchester on Thuesday - one of the guests was a doctor who knew my consultants in Brum and worked with CF patients in Manchester - small world (but I wouldn't want to paint it!)

It was the third anniversay of dad's death so it was good to get out!

Well I had planned to do nothing at the weekend - to try and continue my recovery from the shingles....which has left me a bit drained...

I went to the gym on Saturday at the stadium for my physio - it has been revamped and is lovely sparkly and new.... Everything smells like a new car.

I certainly knew I hadn't been doing exercise for a couple of weeks. Never mind. No I am not infectious I will try and swim this week.

Five months after moving to Cheshire I actually met my neighbours - who invited me for a beer at the front of the house - very sociable...

I then went to town in my eternal quest to find a rug for my lounge - no luck. I always get cold feet at the last moment before shelling out...

In the evening I went to Chester Racecourse to see a showcase of bands including Hot Club De Paris (rubbish) Vincent Vincent & The Villans (ok) Six Nation State (excellent) and Landaus (good)..

It made me realise the band order was all wrong with the best bands seemingly supporting the mediocre ones...

I am at thay difficult age where I would feel uncomfortable moshing with the kids, but am not old enough to just stand at the bar and feel cool...

I was there with Dave (an old college chum) and the Chester massive (!) - ooh look at me talking like a yooof.

There was Rebeccah, John, Rachel, Kempes and Amy (who is a lovely PR for the Oswestry Food and Drink Festival)

There was also a v.drunk Liza there - who is always very funny after a few drinks.

We ended up in an private members club called 'Politic' ran by someone called Neville Sidebottom - who is younger thatn his age suggests.

The problem is that I am feeling my age. My pedometer reading shows that I did virtually nothing on Sunday. A night drinking punished me for days!

After driving back to Wides I just lay down on my bed, too hot and hungover to sleep and too tired to do anything....

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Shingles, Bekakakah and Frank.

Hiya,

As you may have guessed from the title of this entry - I have shingles! I had a smell rash after coming back from Newcastle and I thought it was bed bugs or something from sleeping on a strange bed up north.... But no.... bah! It is now confirmed.....

Anyway. Back to work on Wednesday but I had an eye test in the morning. It was strange, they put drops in your eye to make it look as though one is on 'e'..

Huge pupils (and we are not talking obese school kids here!) So spent rest of day squinting at computer screen...

Then on Friday I had my outpatients appointment in Heartlands..But typical they tried to use the wrong machine to test my lung capacity.... I seem to be travelling all over the country for the pleasure of being prodded and poked!

It was slightly down on my Newcastle level of Tuesday - but it was still up on my last visit to Heartlands..Hope that makes sense....

And the pain of the shingles (although I didn't know what's what it was at the time) was resticting my breathing....

Friday night Ian and I went to see Frank Sidebottom in Wolverhampton - and met the great man. It was the only gig I have been to where you get food at half-time and the act raffles off the props.

On Saturday I had all good intentions of going into Stafford. But the kittens were demanding attention and who was I not to give it to them?

In the afternoon I went to visit the lovely Bekkkkkkkah at 'Fleur' in Stone, her last day working at the place and went back to see her boat.

They live in a lovely spot by the canal and even have a signal box in the garden.. WoW! V.cool.

In the evening I went to the Griff boys' dad's 50th - it was funny. They gave speeches and the only thing they could find their dad had done funny in 50 years was kick a ball against a fence... Andy Griff is meant to be a law peronsage - I hope he sums up the cases better than this!

Then headed back to wonderful Widnes - Gosh I itch and its not just the chemicals!

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