Budget - Spring 2014

Although I have not had chance to study it in detail, the 3 year 4% pensioners bond for up to £10000 each looks good. It means my wife and I can get 4% return with low risk on £20000 of joint savings. This is above inflation and a much better rate than competitors. It runs from 2015. Also promising is the new NISA  allowing up to £30000 (joint income) to be sheltered from tax each year starting in July 2014.

Ely

Every week for the next 8 weeks I am attending physio (for my stroke) at the Prince of Wales hospital in the city of Ely.  This was once an RAF hospital.

Ely is a delightful place with a cathedral 1300 years old (LHS). My wife walks into town during my sessions. As a local parishoner she gets free entry too. Down by the river Ouse is lovely too and the market , although small, is delightful.

Years ago, during WW2, my dad (see RHS) had his appendix removed in the old Bishop's Palace in Ely (RHS).  He flew Lancaster bombers (see below) in the Pathfinders and was very lucky to survive the war. He crash landed once on the way home. He rarely spoke of his WW2 experiences: I think he did not really like the idea of helping to kill innocent civilians. He was much happier living his simple rural life in Devon after the war years . Wars are so bad for everyone on all sides. It humbles me to realise how young he was in those days: 20-26yrs old only. In the last months of the war he had a young child too. I never realised how brave he was until it was too late to tell him.

The Bishop's Palace,which dates back to the 15th century, was a Sue Ryder home, but since 2012 has been the home for the Kings School's 6th form.

http://www.newsbiscuit.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/lancaster-bomber1-300x200.jpg

Fake coins

Apparently 3% of  pound coins in circulation are fakes i.e. forgeries. Next year (2017) a new 12-sided 1 pound coin is to be introduced to all but eliminate fakes. Not sure if the 2 pound coin is being replaced too?

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-2663286 .

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/73667000/jpg/_73667988_73667987.jpg

Junk mail

Don't know about you, but I am fed up with junk mail that typically is around 50-80% of the post we get nowadays. I know this is how the Royal Mail bolsters its profits, but what a waste!

In our case it goes straight into the recycling bin and does not even get opened often. If the post was properly nationalised they would not need to deliver this crap. It saddens me to think jobs depend on the delivery of such rubbish. Better these people were employed in something productive actually adding real value to things. This is the sort of work that really adds no value to the lives of decent people. Such worthless work cannot continue for too long into the future. In time all work will add real value.

Although signed up to the Telephone Preference Service it does not seem to stop calls starting in the UK but coming in via foreign numbers. Overall I still think it is a "good idea".

10m Antenna Effectiveness

One of my hobbies is amateur radio.

Comparing my 10m (28MHz) signals with those of others, I suspect my antenna may be down in effectiveness compared with better optimised systems. My 2W is equivalent to 200mW from the better equipped stations. When fitter (my darn stroke) I may try changing the 10m antenna for something better. A vertical 1/2 wave would be less directional on transmit but might be noisier on receive.

At the present time, my poor state of health is preventing me doing too much outdoors. For example, climbing a ladder  is quite out of the question, so I have to live with the antennas I have.

Bored with routine (stroke)

I am tied to my liquid feed for 7.25hrs a day: food fed directly into my stomach through what they call a peg feed. Luckily I can disconnect this if we go out for a walk but I am in my chair most of the day.  Although I now also eat food and drinks by mouth, these don't always go down too well. I am still trying to work out what affects this. Breakfast Weetabix and banana are the best and easiest to eat, maybe because I am less tired?

To be honest, my stroke is getting me down: same routine, still unable to be free of the peg feed and still feeling so giddy and exhausted after the smallest amount of physical exertion - it gets me down. I battle on in the hope of better times ahead.

Normality seems a distant dream: I long to do the things I used to do and to be able to eat and drink as I was once able to.

Crimea - Russian?

The West's attitude on Crimea is puzzling.

Until 1954 it WAS part of Russia until the then Russian leader "gave"  it to Ukraine, then part of the USSR. Since then it has had special status, is filled with mainly Russian speakers, and  is home to the Russian Mediterranean fleet.  In many ways it still seems like part of mother Russia.

Why not let Crimea rejoin Russia if that is what its people want?

The case of mainly eastern Ukrainian states is more difficult, but I feel even these should go to Russia if its occupants want this. A western looking Ukraine, mainly Ukrainian speaking, may well be smaller than the nation is currently.

The Ukraine should NOT be an excuse for a new Cold War or even WW3. We sleep-walked into WW1 remember. The Russians are being portrayed as the bullies here and this is not the full truth.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukraine .

Some Ukrainians have long memories of Soviet domination and starvation back in the bad days of the 1920's. It is easy to see why Ukraine has little trust in Russia today.  Russia needs to act in a statesman like way here and not be seen as a big, ignorant bully.

Mercury - planet

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_%28planet%29 .

According to the latest NASA mission Mercury is shrinking as it continues to cool. There are active chemicals on the surface and ice in craters at the poles.Altogether,this planet nearest our sun, is more interesting than once thought.

Pauline's Swamp - Burwell

Pauline's  Swamp - Burwell

This afternoon the March weather was glorious with temperature approaching 18 deg C.  For the first time we visited Pauline's Swamp, a small nature reserve off Reach Road that is maintained and owned by the local Parish Council.  There are clearly lots of wild flowers there and, right now, plenty of clumps of daffodils. Altogether it was a nice find. We will go there again. It was rather obscure and not easy to find. The entrance is about 100m further down Reach Road (on the left) after the fire station.

See http://www.torrens.org.uk/NatHist/PAWL/Burwell/swamp.html .

Stroke recovery pattern

My all too slow recovery from my brain bleed (stroke) continues but I seem to have a pattern: some days go well and I think I am getting better then this is followed by a lousy day when the food and drink don't go down and my body is just a tired and wobbly mess.

Today was one of those "off" days and I also felt tired most of the day, a tiredness that cuts one to the very core - more like M.E. than just any old tiredness. The trouble is it gets my wife down too, but it is SO hard to smile and be cheerful when inside I feel so very ill with nausea, and poor balance - I feel like I've just had 8 pints of beer whenever I stand and the smallest physical task exhausts me.

Let us hope the rest of the week is much better.

Weather - odd

Weather is a funny business: this winter in the UK has been the wettest on record with several places badly impacted by flooding. Here we have had no floods, no snow and only a couple of mild frosts. In the last few winters we have managed a few weeks of snow and several quite heavy frosts.

At the moment, snowdrops are now dying off,daffodils are fully out and even oilseed rape is starting to flower,which is 4-6 weeks early.

In the USA, it has been extremely cold - all because of a shift in the jet stream.  It is probably too soon to say if this is all down to climate change, although I suspect it is. Our climate IS changing but the jury is out on whether this is Man's doing or natural variations.

Opinions?

Body Mass Indicator

During my hospital stay I lost 1.5 stone in weight but have been recovering since. My dietician says I am already at my "right" weight and should now try to maintain this, reducing the liquid feed by 100ml every 2 weeks if my weight is not falling. I am liquid fed by a peg in my stomach for 7.25 hours a day but also eat some solid food and drinks by mouth now, thankfully.

This was the result of  my BMI calculation today. My weight is exactly 11 stone (naked) and I am 5' 8.5" tall.

Your BMI is 23.1, which means you are in the healthy weight range.

BMI calculator results - what do they mean?

• Less than 18.5 = underweight

• 18.5-24.9 = healthy weight

• 25-29.9 = overweight

• 30 or greater = very overweight or obese

See: http://www.nhs.uk/Tools/Pages/Healthyweightcalculator.aspx if you need/want to calculate your own BMI.

Religious propaganda

Recently I seem to be getting several "comments" that can best be described as "religious propaganda" that bear very little or no relevance to the actual post. Please be aware that I am highly likely to DELETE such rubbish. I hold my own religious/moral views and don't need fanatics to help me, thank you.

My recent stroke has been a wake-up call and I have really found out what true love and kindness is. Some people have been exceptionally kind to me and I shall be forever grateful to them. The so called religious comments are of zero relevance. Don't post such comments again please Steve Finnell and others.

Feeing a bit better

This morning I woke feeling nearly normal, no sick feeling, no nausea, just "near normal", despite my stroke. Getting out of bed I still felt wobbly on my legs and I knew things were far from right, but I do feel positively better.  I'd now rate myself 50% of normal rather than 45%. I feel less tired too. I have avoided pills so far today and will continue this unless I go downhill.  Praise be!

For several days, before this morning I was beginning to feel I was sliding backwards on my journey of recovery. It is horrible feeling one is losing the battle.Today I feel strong again to carry on again on the battle to full health. Do not give up!

Landwade, Nr Exning

Today, in the sunshine, Lis and I did our annual walk at Landwade, near Exning.

Plenty of snowdrops, aconites and daffodils around and NO people apart from us.

Because of my stroke we took a slightly different route to avoid climbing stiles and gates.  My walking stick is behind the tree trunk.

This is the view outside the little church,which is sadly locked these days.

Stroke ( continued)

The after effects of my stroke continue.

My walking is definitely getting better and I no longer need a Zimmer frame. Outside of home I carry a stick more for reassurance as I can get around just about without. Inside home I can manage without even the stick. My main problem is balance which is still impaired. It is slowly getting better but still far from OK.

Swallow also seems to be improving  with a better tolerance of foods by mouth.  Touch wood, I have not suffered any problems with food going down the wrong way (aspiration).

Other issues are fatigue and clumsiness:  simple things tire me very easily, including talking. I am still awaiting news from the DVLA about my driving licence, but I am likely to be banned (because of the head injury) for 12 months.

I also suffer from a degree of sickness and nausea during the day which is helped with Domperidone pills (20mg x 3 times a day).I am on 8 hrs a day liquid feed but manage a Weetabix and banana for breakfast and soft foods by mouth lunch and teatime. I drink tea or coffee with thickener several times in the day.

I already have a blue disabled badge.

Physio takes place as an out-patient in Ely Hospital most weeks with the speech and language lady visiting me at home every few weeks. The physio man at Ely is excellent (Sam Yovan).

Mentally and physically, apart from the issues above I am in good shape.

In 6 months I hope to be back to full health. This is my definite aim and, based on progress to date, a real possibility.

Our windmill (next door)

Our local Burwell windmill is being fully restored thanks to a National Lottery grant. The video shows the 4 new sails in action and being tested today. The view is from our lounge window.

NHS Communications

As a person at the "receiving end" I am appalled by the poorness of NHS communications. It would appear that the UK NHS communicates, occasionally, by flags, bonfires and pigeons.

When will the NHS communicate between people inside and outside hospitals in MODERN ways e.g. scan barcodes into tablet PCs and databases shared throughout the healthcare industry? Others can do it. Wake up NHS or you DESERVE to fail. Clinical care has been good,but communications is a joke. Except it is no joke if you are not seen,miss scans or worse. I dread to think what it must be like to be 85 and with Altzeimers.

Living with a stroke

After 3.5 months in hospital I have now been home for 2 weeks. My walking is slowly improving, my swallow maybe a little better but the worst aspect is still feeling very giddy and unsteady when  moving.  Although I feel I am "on the mend" I must learn to take things a step at a time and not expect overnight miracles


UPDATE Jan 25th:  It is now 3 weeks since I have been home.The promised visits from the Community Stroke Team have NOT happened and I'm unable to contact them as their lines go unanswered or get disconnected. Do they even know about me? Yet again poor  NHS communication is the issue. They need to fix this fast.

Living beyond our means?

On the BBC website they report record UK new car sales in 2013. See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25632668 .  Cheap credit? We will only get out of our current financial mess when we truly live within our means.