December is always a crazy month – client drinks, work drinks, friends drinks, parties, shopping. This year I tried to be organised but it still got pretty bonkers.
Now that my Nan is in residential care, we had to begin clearing out our home in order to return it the the council. It’s odd to think that I will probably never go there again, unless anything more needs doing to help with the move, especially as it is a place I spent much of my childhood. A house as familiar to me as my own home for many years. And an area that became more familiar as I got older, with my first job at the BBC being based in White City as well.
White City was farmland until the beginning of the 20th Century. In 1908 the stadium was built and it was used as the site of the Franco-British Exhibition (and subsequently other exhibitions) and then for the 1908 Summer Olympics – the last time before 2012 that London hosted the games. When I was young the olympic stadium was a greyhound racing track and also used for athletics. It even hosted one match in the 1966 world cup. In 1985 the stadium was demolished and is now the site of a BBC building – not the one I worked in, which was just the other side of the Westway.
The housing estate was built in the late 1930’s and finished in the early ’50’s and both my parents grew up there. The streets were all named after the countries that had featured in the great exhibitions and my Mum was born on the White City, overlooking the football ground of Queens Park Rangers. I’m not much of an active football supporter these days, but given that my Nan lives/lived about 500 yards from Loftus Road (the home of QPR) the superhoops have always been in the blood, and during the 70’s when I was a child I would regularly go to matches with my Dad. More often than not with a colouring book and pens, a treat of a Bovril and a pie at half time, then back to Nan and Grandad’s for dinner and Doctor Who. There was a match on while we were there working in the house, and with the noise and the floodlights it took me back instantly, evoking lots of memories.
It’s rained all day, so as there didn’t really seem any reason to go out, we’ve holed up and had a mini-Sunday. I put the fairy lights on as it got dark – they always look cosy, and realised I still have a bowl of Christmas baubles out. No point in putting them away now. It’s been a lovely day off.
Bonfire night. And my first weekday off from work in a while. We went into Brighton and had a cocktail at Bohemia and lunch at English’s. Then we came home and watched some tv, before going out for cocktails and a Thai dinner locally. Wonderful day. This is us sitting outside The Dorset, hiding from the rain.
My last day at work for this week – not sure I’ve ever been so excited to have 2 days off. Not because I have anything planned, but because I could do with a rest. Once I’d finished work I made my way to a nice evening out for a meal and chats with my friend Katie. She asked me to meet her at her shop in Reigate and she treated me to 2 lovely new lingerie sets as a late Birthday present. What a wonderful treat.
Today I attended a Barnardo’s conference at the Royal College of Nursing in London. It was interesting, and nice to be going into the west end, rather than EC1 in the morning for a change. After the conference we went for a few drinks, as with Thrusday and Friday off work, Tuesday was our Thursday. We got the train home from Farringdon and were indoors by 9.45pm – pretty good going.
It’s been really foggy for a couple of days. Lot’s of flights have been cancelled and people inconvienced. I quite like it, it feels very English – a proper pea-souper. It makes the street and shop lights take on different tones against the mist and this poor old battered bollard on my walk from the station looked unusually bright against it.
This week we had multiple celebrations. Madge and I have been married 10 years. 10 years! A whole fucking decade.
It’s been a blur of cocktails and business and hotels and motorbikes and fun and laughter and worry and togetherness. The fun and laughter and togetherness always outweighed the worry. Motorbikes will always be fast and business will always be business. In the end. There’s more to it, there always is…but that remains between me and him.
We’ve come out of it still in love and still friends with his kids. The two things that mattered. I literally couldn’t have asked for more. I take my marriage model from my parents, and as they have reached 46 years, I still have some way to go.
Also, this week, it was His Birthday. When someone says to you, ‘I don’t want anything’ it’s impossible to know what to get him for his Birthday. So, instead of presents, we did some stuff. Low key, lovely stuff.
On Sunday it was my Nan’s 90th Birthday.
Since being released from hospital back in June, she has settled into her new home at a residential care centre. My Mum and Aunt viewed the home ahead of Nan going there and were very pleasantly surprised at how nice and welcoming it is. I think you expect the worst – a dreary, sad place – but where Nan is seems to be the opposite. The staff are nice and there’s always an activity or something going on.
Adjusting to leaving her own house and living in the care home was not easy, and at first she was very upset and disorientated. However, as time has gone on, she has become more settled and happier than I have seen her in years. Apparently she can stay here for 12 weeks or so, but it would be a terrible shame for her to have to move again. If only she could stay here for her last years.
With round the clock company and care, she has thrived. In no small part I suspect, due to eating three meals a day and taking her tablets regularly. And just having people around her.
We all went to see her and had a small Birthday party, with sandwiches and cake, and spent some time in the garden. It was lovely.
Mum and Nan