I’ve just left it to sort itself out.
G
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Well yesterday I picked up Ben an Laura and headed to see Sarah, packed all of things in the car, and waited for the 12pm ceremony. Lots of people there, patients, carers and nurses. The lead nurse introduced everything and said there were people that wanted to say a few words, and Lynda was first up. She had a stroke a year ago, and has not regained her speech properly at all. . The SLT held up a sheet of paper and mouthed the shapes of the words and Lynda spoke them with difficulty, that was a tearjerker and very emotional, many were dabbing at their eyes, Laura was videoing all of this on her phone. Others said their piece, and Dr King her said that her progress was down to her determination, and she hoped that Sarah would come and visit soon, as an aspiration for other patients. Then they asked Sarah to ring the bell, and everyone cheered, lots of hugs all round. Drove home, and it all felt very odd, a very emotional day.
The pictures show Sarah with Nancy and Issy, her therapists, and with Lynda and Louise.
.
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Today is our 40th wedding anniversay. We needed a rest after yesterday, but the weather didn’t help with that.
This evening we went to Cinnamon Culture, an Indian restaurant in Chislehurst, with Laura and Ben, very good all round.
Ben and I have both been on their cookery masterclasses there.
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Got the final result from this year’s “MoT”. Looks like you’ll have to put up with me for another couple of years.
Went to the Southampton Mela this afternoon; listened to the music and watched the dancers. Stonking hot but we managed to find some shade in front of the “sound mixing” booth. Lots of lovely food from all around south Asia….which, I was informed, I WAS NOT allowed to sample coz of my allergies…BUGGER!!!
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Ha! Mere youngsters!
(OK….so we’re only one year ahead 
)
Great stuff! Congrats 
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It’s our 39th in two weeks. We are off to Beauvais for the occasion.
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Congratulations to you all and hoping that you had a lovely meal.
My very bestest wishes
Ian
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Decided that I didn’t need three BMW RT touring bikes (a 1999, 2012 and 2025 models) and that I really ought to have one more fling with a 90s sports bike.
Traded the 2012 RT in on this:
A 1998 Kawasaki ZX7r. Pretty standard, it has an objectionable exhaust but deep in the garage I’ve got one that I think will fit (off a similar vintage ZX9r) so that will be fitted once I get it home.
Test ride was fine, except for the exhaust and the riding position is a bit dedicated (head down, arse up). Funny that I didn’t notice the riding position the last time I rode one twenty or so years ago!
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Loved my ZX-7R. Sadly got lost during a highside caused by tar and chipping road repairs.
I ran shorter gearing with a bigger rear sprocket and an ignition advancer. Nitron rear shock made the ride more comfortable and cornered better.
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Very simple day. An hour of physio., a light breakfast out in the middle of that and, er, I’ve been sat in the garden in the shade since around 10:30am with the only interruption being a Greek salad for lunch.
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Finally figured out why Mrs Willy was so insistent on building a larger kitchen.
Well, I presume this is what she had in mind.
Willy.
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Been in the North Sea. Love sea swimming. Finishing with a stout or two.
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It’s too bloody cold 
Well she knew she had a ball boy (dog) for those that miss the entire table.
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Lol but it’s not big enough for a 12-foot table. You might need another kitchen extension!
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Was fine today. Got to get them shoulders under to keep warm.
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On the one hand I am managing/trying to address what appears to be a serious health deterioration.
On the other hand, tonight I went to watch “Pavements”. a film about. er, the band Pavement. Two star review in the Guardian amidst talk of missing the obvious (why the name) and confused narrative between the fictional and factual. However, Everyman in Manchester was showing it as a one off and I like the band so… well how wrong can you be.
At the risk of hype, this was an astonishing film. Anyone bored with endless music biopics and their predictable narrative arc - poverty, struggle for success, success, tragedy/dispute and redemption - should absolutely watch this. This is your wildest dreams come true. You don’t need to be a fan of Pavement, although there are laugh out loud moments if you are.
The basic premise is to imagine what would have happened if Pavement had not been on the one indie label all career, hadn’t blown up their own career with Wowee Zowee, hadn’t blown up Lollapalooza and hadn’t pretty much split up on stage. What would have happened if they had been as big as Tina Turner and as important as R.E.M.?
The answer of course is that they would eventually get a travelling museum exhibition/career retrospective, would get a standard biopic made using the above described narrative arc and, like Tina et al, eventually there would be a musical.
Here then we get the token nod to the narrative arc as the rehearsals and shows from the 22 comeback make up one quarter of the film. We get one quarter showing the recruitment for, preparation for filming of and the premiere of the fictional biopic. Joe Keery and Jason Schwartzmann are excellent. The third quarter is the lead up to and launch of the exhibition and the final quarter is the musical. Zoe Lister-Jones being one of several familiar faces. Split screens all the way through shouldn’t work as each of these are mixed seemingly randomly and yet… totally works.
Fact meets fiction as the band attend the opening night of the exhibition which of course contains amazing Pavement artefacts and, hilariously, very fake ones. They are visibly moved. Absolutely captures the spirit of Pavement. The snarky, slacker contrariness with an underlying sincerity and comic genius.
No-one can make this type of film again. It’s a complete one off and post cinema it’s been gratifying to read that everyone else has given it fabulous reviews.
The thing that makes it, bizarrely, is the musical. Hard to imagine anything less likely than a Pavement musical but by taking it so deadly seriously it manages to absolutely take the rip out of the medium in a manner akin to Spinal Tap. The whole thing looks embarrassing and is portrayed as an accident waiting to happen. All the more astonishing then that the band watch the opening night and we’re treated to an orchestral medley of the greatest never hits of Pavement. Talking to other cinema goers by the loos afterwards and we all went from laughing to having a huge lump in our throats. And yes, we all now think that the world needs an actual Pavement musical.
Brilliantly YouTube has a fake trailer for the fake biopic and the musical medley. Genuinely unique and magical filmmaking.
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Went on-line and requested a desludge of our septic tank. Can’t imagine how the rest of the day could get any more exciting.
Willy.
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On the desludge day go on a business trip and leave the wife in charge😂
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One regular poster here would not get away with that!
Phil
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