Glasgow

Has Doctor Who landed his Tardis in the centre of Glasgow, or is it a Police Box ??

This is the view from the Jury Inn Glasgow " River Road & Railway"

After a very busy week preparing for Speakers on 15th, Dorothy and I had a ride out to Boundary Mill in Colne a huge factory outlet about 40 minutes drive away., to see if we could pick up a bargain. I was very lucky, found two smart jackets, a grey blazer type that will be very useful next summer and a three quarter length in black for the winter. After lunch we called at my good friends Anne and Derek for a cup of tea and chat before heading home. The following weekend I travelled to Rochdale by bus, a place I haven’t visited for many years and I don’t think I will be bothering again. It was a warm sunny day and the crowds where out in the town . I wasn’t at all impressed by the layout of the town it seemed to be a disorganised urban sprawl. The Town Hall is a magnificent building but like most northern towns today the towns infrastructure was depressing. I arrived home having bought nothing which was an added disappointment. For the past year Bolton has been restructuring our Victorian Market Hall and it was opened on the 16th. That was another disappointment for me, my town now has a clone of every other mall in the UK. From a vibrant individualistic unique building filled with a variety of local merchants we now have a number of fancy Boutiques and fashionable coffee shops. Nothing for me, but for anyone under 30years old, less than a size 16 and with a huge bank balance they will be welcome. The six coffee shops within one - two minutes walking distance of each other, will soon be in financial strife.
Enough moaning lets be positive. I had a great reunion in Glasgow with my good friends Leslie and David ,they live in California and are touring Ireland and Scotland by coach until the end of the month.
It was wonderful to see them again, they passed on a couple of trips so we could spend the day in the city . I stayed overnight in their hotel so I could wave them off next morning as the left for the Isle of Skye. It was a short but sweet visit but well worth the effort.
Write Out Loud was featured again at the Octagon Theatre, with poetry and music from guests and our popular open mic poetry session, another successful evenings entertainment.
Went to see the movie “The Duchess” Georgiana the Duchess of Devonshire. It was excellent rather sanitized as an autobiography but that’s what film makers do. The book was better I really enjoyed it and visiting Chatsworth House in Derbyshire was a bonus.
Had a check up at the hospital my elbow is less stiff and the pain more intermittent and not as severe. I have another appointment in November to determine the next course of action.
http://www.chatsworth.org/

An Eventful Week

What a week I have had. Road works on the main road into town have been quite obstructive and seem to be lasting for ages. I have been taking a long detour every time I wanted to go into Bolton. Or been confined to sitting patiently on the bus, still what else would I be doing ? We had an unexpected warm sunny day last week, so I invited Mary my neighbour around for afternoon tea and it was so pleasant we sat in the garden. I regret that we have not had any summer this year , I have had no inclination to sit out at all. Needless to say that was the only day in the past fortnight that we could sit out. Horrendous rain again and poor Wales has come under floods ,Scotland last month and now Wales. Under a very dull grey sky I drove into Yorkshire to visit my son, it did not improve but we managed to walk the dog around Swinsty Reservoir again before the rain caught up with us. My grandson back from his holiday in the sun looked so grown up, he is so handsome and tall just like his father. I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived to find a lounge full of six foot teenagers, when I had last seen them they where children and now here they where fine strapping young men.
Speakers Club has started again, we run from September to May. As Educational Director I have to plan the meetings and arrange assignments for the members. Oh dear what have I taken on, I have great respect for anyone taking this responsibility. Still I think I have overcome a few of the hurdles. It will be a ongoing challenge but I am determined to continue, it will be trial and error but I feel sure the members will be supportive and patient with me. We enjoyed a pre session dinner at a local Chinese Restaurant, not one of my favourite choices but it was a good evening.
On the 11th July this year I fell rather heavily in the hall. I was shaken and it took me some time to recover but there didn’t appear to be any serious injuries,being a nurse I usually can tell. A carpet burn on my forearm and a few bruises on my left side. Elbow ok but bruised and within a week I was feeling fine. Six weeks later I have a haematoma on my forearm and a stiff elbow . My GP thought it was a dislocated elbow,horror of a manipulation was facing me I was in shock.. I went to straight to the Orthopaedic department at the hospital and it was X-rayed, no fracture but a suspected foreign body inside the joint . The fact that I take aspirin daily seemed to confirm the haematoma on my forearm, thought to be a result from the carpet burn that did not break the skin but was bruised. It was suggested I attend Physio to overcome the stiffness and have the elbow and lump scanned . Today my elbow works fine it aches now and then so I am cautious. I have to return to the Hospital on the 11th September .for the Scan . I pray every day that the scan will not show a foreign body that needs investigating. Been out and about promoting Poetry hoping to start new events in the town . On the 17th September WriteOutLoud has a special evening event at our local theatre The Octagon where we have visiting poets and we showcase some of our members. There will be a short open Mic that I will probably take advantage off. Travelled to Hebden Bridge one evening to support a new WOL Poetry event at the Stubbins Wharf Inn, rather a long way but worth it. My friend Anne came along as Navigator as I was unsure of the way, I hope she enjoyed herself, I accept that not everyone is as passionate as I am about poetry. .
Last Wednesday my dishwasher blew up smoke and smells filled the kitchen no surprise as it was maybe 20years old.. Fortunately I have my ex: who is well able to sort my house hold problems out. I need a new dishwasher but its not a priority now I live alone. I am waiting for my new car, it will arrive on the 6th October at Dover en rout from the Fiat Factory in Italy. This will be my third Fiat Punto, a brilliant car that I am happy to drive.

Bolton Theatre http://www.octagonbolton.co.uk/

Read Andrew Motion on Performance Poetry
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/08/29/bomotion129.xml

Go look at my new car, click on versions and go to the 1.4 Eleganza multijet,beautiful car.
http://www.fiat.co.uk/Showroom/#showroom/grande_punto_5dr/configurator