Things I’ve done in the last 24 hours

They used to come in those huge great jars, and the shopkeeper would hoik them out with a trowel. Nowadays they come in ever smaller bags.

Yes. Loved them too.

A strange combination I ate far too much of was ‘cherry lips’ with milk chocolate buttons. Regular purchases on the way home from school along with those pear flavoured fake cigarettes.

You mean these……?

ATB, J

2 Likes

Flying saucers - made of rice paper and filled with sherbet. :yum:

3 Likes

My first post in this thread. My neighbours often have to visit an elderly parent who is in a state of failing health. For any such visits, they leave early in the morning and do not arrive back home until the evening. I have a key for their house so when they are out I call in to care for their cat and confrim to her that she has not been abandoned. For the past two Christmases, they have given me a clothing voucher and despite my fear of online clothes shopping, I used both of them this evening. Thanks to my neighbours’ kindness, I have two new pairs of jogging bottoms, a sweatshirt and five pairs of underpamts on the way. Now you all wanted to know that didn’t you? :grinning:

13 Likes

Sent off my new photo for my upcoming Old Buqqers Driving Licence (coz of inpending significant advancement in age!).

I’d started the process on-line last week, calling up my passport for the identity check, but suggesting that a new photo would be in order - the photo in my passport is at least 10 years old, with more hair and fewer wrinkles! Went thought the rest of the on-line process - no changes to personal details, no heath issues, yes, I can see for many metres etc etc.

DVLA said they’d get a “new photo” form to me in seven days (OK so it took 9 days but TBF it was Easter!). The form was very simple; confirm my passport number, stick the new photo on it (no further validation required, coz I’m using the passport - I assume they’ll just compare the two), sign & date and send it back.

So job done, I hope.

2 Likes

I did mine this week although it’s a renewal under the 70 upwards regime. The passport is recent and they have always used the photo and did again this time.

It was confusing that it seemed I needed to provide a photo as I was over 70 and then next it was not necessary. I think they accept that as you get older you don’t change as much.

:crossed_fingers:

Phil

I could probably have used the 11 year old photo in my passport. Without doubt, it looks like me (wrinkles & hair aside), but is it a ”true likeness”( as I have to declare it?).

I suppose it comes to a definition of what is a “true likeness”, and ultimately it’s not whether I think it is a true likeness, but whether the authorities who might want to see the passport/licence ( I.e. police, immigration, etc) would balk at an eleven year old photo.

My only slight gripe is that I couldn’t upload the new photo (or rather it’s ID code) during the on-line application last week, in the same way that my wife did for her passport last month. However it’s done now and I should be able to use the same photo in three years time when the DL next comes up for renewal.

Next step is passport renewal in the autumn.

Picked this voluminous hardback up in a charity shop for £4.99.

G

3 Likes

I’ve done something today that I’d rather not have done; visiting the out of hours doctor and then spending the evening in Portsmouth’s Queen Alexandra Hospital A&E. Mrs HH had chest pains at lunchtime, and was sufficiently worried to take herself off to the aforementioned A&E. They did some ECGs and sent her home, having referred her to her GP. The GPs was full so she was referred to out of hours.

So off we went to Waterlooville at 6.45 and were seen by a brilliant GP, who said that Mrs HH should have had a blood test at QA to check her Troponin levels, which is apparently the sure way to know if someone has had heart issues. She emailed QA telling them to do it and off we went for the second visit of the day. No books to read, no food, as we had simply been expecting to see the doctor. Blood test done at 7.30 and we finally see the doctor at about 11.

Troponin - of which we knew nothing until today - should be below 5, and Mrs HH’s was 15. That’s not good, so I’m now at home and she is being kept in for more tests, chest X rays and whatever else they choose to do. It will take hours to find her a bed on a ward so she will be on a corridor for a while.

Despite the mess up over the blood test the doctors were wonderful. Mrs HH was in two minds whether or not to go to A&E but it’s a jolly good thing she did. Any Guardian readers will be aware that John Crace, their political sketch writer, had a heart attack recently and described his experiences in the paper. We both read it, and this had a big influence on Mrs HH’s decision to go to A&E. Thanks John.

Let’s see what tomorrow brings.

7 Likes

Wishing her all the best Nigel, that’s not fun.

4 Likes

Hope you get good new, I’m sure you’ll take good care of her in the meantime. Cheers.

3 Likes

Best wishes to both of you Nigel. I hope they work out what is happening and release her back to your care st home soon.

2 Likes

Hope things work out Nigel.

2 Likes

Like others already have done, wishing you both the very best and I am pleased to hear Mrs HH is getting good care and attention from the NHS. All the best.

1 Like

Take care, both of you.

DG…

1 Like

Hope all goes well. It must be worrying.
:crossed_fingers:

1 Like

Thinking of you both and hope it all resolves well Nigel.

G

1 Like

Thanks everyone. She has just messaged to say she finally got onto a ward at 5.30 and that the tea is very good. She will know more once the doctor has been later. It’s all rather worrying but she is in the best place. She had something similar on New Year’s Eve 2023 and had to pull the car over while the pain passed. I was at home and we decided she’d drive home rather than go the A&E, thinking it was angina. She went to the GP a few days later and they said she was fine. In hindsight she should have gone to A&E, but it being NYE we foresaw an eight hour wait and anyway, I’d been busy cooking a nice dinner.

When she had the chest pain yesterday she also had jaw pain which, having done some research on the excellent BHF website, is a common thing to happen when you have a heart attack. We’d always assumed that pain would be in the left arm, but it seems not. Hopefully as it was mild she will be given some pills and sent home. We shall see.

8 Likes

This is good news. I’m pleased.

On NYE or at anytime triage at A+E would have prioritised your wife with chest pain over anybody else. Yeara ago I had pleurisy as was seen before anybody else in the waiting room as I was experiencing chest pain.