Random Jottings

Easter Ramble

As I write this the sun is shining, the sky is blue and, finally, the feel of Spring is in the air. Mind you, I thought that some weeks ago and we then had snow so fingers crossed.

I have had a busy couple of weeks.  Oh this is a ramble by the way and probably not of any literary merit whatsoever so if you want to nip off and scoff your Easter eggs then please feel free. 

I live in a small flat with no storage whatsoever, and I mean none. What I did have was a space filled with a water tank and a huge old fashioned water heater - bit like the old coppers washing used to be done in years ago - and every time I looked at it I thought what a waste of space. So I bit the bullet and have had them taken out and a small electric wall heater installed.  It was a three day job and I made copious use of local coffee shops and wifi while it was going on. Shelves added and flooring laid down and then I tackled it with a pot of white paint as it had not been touched for years.  I was up a ladder dealing with all of this and, bearing in mind my limited mobililty these days, made sure I had my phone nearby just in case I toppled over backwards. I tucked it in my bra to be on the safe side. I also tiled the shelves.   Here are a couple of pics, before and after for your delectation and delight - actually it is after and before as the photos have swapped...

All in all a productive day and all well. I then sat down and dozed off in my armchair to be woken by my landline ringing. Got up to answer it. My left foot had gone to sleep while I napped and collapsed under me, my ankle wrenched sideways and I crashed to the floor. Dear Readers, it hurt. Boy did it hurt.  I decided not to move and wait for the pain to subside and then sat up gingerly and checked that I had not broken anything.  Long story short I ended up with a pack of frozen peas on my ankle which had assumed alarming proportions and had turned the most hideous shade of black/blue.

A week later and it is more or less back to normal but I found it shook me up and hurt my back, where I have arthritis, and my walking has been painful. Had a chat with my daughter who urged me to use a stick and realised that this was sensible. I don't like it. Purely my pride and the realisation that I am no longer a lively young thing made me feel pretty low this week and I freely admit I had a little weep. BUT, onwards and upwards and I have been online checking out walking sticks and am amazed at the variety on offer. I already have one which I bought several years ago when I had ripped a tendon in my left leg and needed it, but I have decided that if I am going to use a stick then I am going to Do it With Style. I am looking at leopard print ones and striped ones but this one caught my eye. Out of stock at the moment so I have asked to be told when it is back. 

And, believe it or not, I have managed to read a bit as well though I have found it hard to concentrate.   For some time I have been receiving recommendations from Amazon on the strength of You read this so you might Like this and the name Mark Herron kept popping up. Seemed to have a huge following on Amazon and a lot of fans.  Then a new series called Slow Horses, based on his first book, appeared on Apple TV.  Slough House is a place where old, burnt out and useless spies and spooks are sent to while away their days.  Gary Oldman plays the head of this group, Jackson Lamb, and it was this casting that made me decide to take a look.   With impeccable timing Apple TV offered me a three month free trial which I grabbed straight away and will use to watch this. It is very downbeat with a mordaunt wit and I am thoroughly enjoying it.

Needless to say I have started reading the books and there is one character, a member of Parliament, who is obviously based on Boris, our Beloved Prime Minister, though this has been toned down a bit for the TV series.....

Not sure these books are for everyone, the language is a bit fruity at times, but so witty and funny at others that it balances it out. There are eight of them and I am now on No. 4.  I am doing my usual motor through a series and then will have to be patient for the next one.

OK so a ramble and I am off to Cambridge tomorrow but thought I would drop in and wish all of you a lovely Easter and, as always, my thanks for visiting and commenting. I don't blog as much as I used to but I am determined to keep going as I enjoy doing it so much, so do bear with me if you will.

Queen of our Times - Robert Hardman

Another busy week, this time on the domestic front with new boiler and water tank and the ensuing disruption, and I have been reading this in between the work being undertaken, and enjoying it very much indeed.

There have been so many books written about Her Maj and, I daresay, there will be more in the future, and striking the right note is always tricky. Royal biographies written back in my younger days were mere hagiographies and the impression given was that the subject was a perfect human being, a saint and we should grovel at their feet.  On the other hand you can find some which are quite unpleasant and take delight in showing the feet of clay. One in particular, is a book written by Craig Brown about Princess Margaret which was a total hatchet job and totally and unneccessarily vicious and which gave away more of the character of the author than the Princess.

Robert Hardman has written an admirable book.  It is refreshingly lacking in hyperbole and he has a journalistic style which makes for easy reading.  I think most of us here in the UK are aware that the Queen is not going to be with us much longer and it will be difficult to imagine her not being there. She has been on the throne longer than Queen Victoria and for generations she has been an immovable figure - we just accept that she is around somewhere and I, for one, find it very reassuring to have a stable figure in society.  Having a King rather than a Queen is going to take some getting used to.

I do not think there is any need for me to go into detail of the book's content as it has all been in the public eye for so long but one thing that struck me when reading is the non-stop, never ending daily duties to be done.   Living in a palace and having all the comforts and wealth you could possibly need sounds wonderful but it is not a life that I would find appealing. Always in the public eye, having to smile and be welcoming when your feet might be aching and you have a splitting headache, being constantly criticised and never ever being able to answer back, it would drive me mad.

One of my favourite moments of the Queen's entire reign is when she took part in a James Bond sketch for the opening of the Olympics in 2012.  When Daniel Craig as James Bond walked into the palace I, and everyone else, was expecting a look alike and then when Her Maj turned round, smiled and said "Good evening Mr Bond" I let out a shriek along with millions of others. I remember Twitter crashed. Here is the video:

 

I am an unashamed royalist and I admire the Queen enormously. Watching her at this week's memorial service for the Duke of Edinburgh and seeing her on the verge of tears, one has to remember she can feel grief just like everyone else.

An excellent biography and well worth reading in this her Platinum Jubilee Year.