Having been released now for 6 weeks, I have busied myself with reems of paperwork which accumulated over the months of my hospitalization. Not really venturing to far away from home. Relying heavily on the Jeeve's to do petty chores such as posting letters, buying milk etc etc. the reality being that my sub-conscience was not wanting me to face the everyday ups and downs, together with the frustrations of being wheelchair bound ! - My bubble soon to be burst !!!
Friday was spent crisscrossing London in search of " The Vic " bar - from Eastenders - Yes, can you believe it ..... C is an avid fan of this soapy ! To no avail, and only to find out that the bar is fictitious ! Built inside the filming studio - So....... That was all kind of a wast of time, but we did get to see some parts of London that I had never been to, most of them that I don't want to see again !
Saturday we met up with Nic & Graham in Kingston for lunch on the river. As always, plenty of laughs, fantastic food, and plenty of Pinot Grigio ! With Nic monitoring my every sip ! And making sure that I was sipping from my water bottle at regular intervals ! She has become my " outside mother ", very protective of my wellbeing, and I love it !
A very well attended flower market, unyet loads of Londoners don't know about it is the Columbia Road flower market. I stand to be corrected, but I believe it is one of the oldest markets in London. A heaving mass of people bartering with the sellers for various bunches of blooms ! A gem of an experience, coupled with numerous eclectic, cafes who put tables and chairs out on the pavements !
One can spend the day just people watching, with buskers plying their CD's. Sadly, being in a chair
renders it almost impossible for me to negotiate the small road with heaving masses of people. My only option is to sit at a pavement cafe and have Jeeve's running backwards and forwards with bunches of flowers for my approval ! AGAIN, it dawns on me just how restrictive it is in a chair ! I do not like this, and check to self - harder work with physio's, in my quest to walk. With heaps of flowers and Cyclomine plants to replace the herbs that are slowly dying as the winter creeps in, we hail a cab to get us home - pure bliss, as the cobbled streets play havoc with my spasms, which makes me contort and twist much like Uri Geller's ( spelling ? ) spoons !!!
Another realisation of my restrictions came when we made our way to a show in the west end last night. Oh Soho, Soho, a stomping ground of brilliant restuarants, bars and sex shops. A part of London that has tourists just HAVE to see. One of the gay capitals of the world ! Anything, and I mean anything goes ! Drag queens, out on the streets waiting to perform their acts in dingy bars, a
diverse mixture of street sweepers to doctors and lawyers ! Punks to conservative accountants ! A part of the city that never sleeps !!! Some very fond memories of some very enjoyable times, Sharron and Errol, Heidi, and Cindy etc etc where we have celebrated birthdays in these buzzy bars and shows - in the days of legs !
So as I manoeuvre my chair down the drag, cursing and swearing at the cobbled pavements, some ramps at the intersections, some not, the realisation again sets in ! I long for my legs ! Most of the bars are not chair friendly, and to be honest, I notice that there is not another person in a chair ! The stares, re-organisation of furniture to get into the bars that don't have steps etc etc etc - makes me more determined to find my legs again !!
Miss Siagon - A must to see ! I had seen this 20 odd years ago, but with a completely different take
this show is outstanding ! Do go and see it !!! One advantage, is that the only seating available for wheelchairs is in one of the side boxes - amazing show, amazing position......Go and see it !
Then on a more somber note, a few of you might remember Colin, Colin du Plessis, a man who gave of his time whilst Jan, Cyril and myself tried to set up a food market in Durban. He gave unconditional support and helped all of the stall holders, making burgers, boerie roles, helping with the coffee making etc etc etc. unfortunatly and very unexpectantly passed away yesterday. May he rest in peace.
As always, this blog is written with love and hoping that we can all be thankful for what we have. Remember that we are only lent to this world and none of us knows what awaits us around the corner. Look ahead, be compassionate, and most importantly be yourself.
XXX
G.
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