Friday January 24 2020

09:00 Lois is still hurting in her back and right hip, but she has run out of Ibuprofen tablets, so after breakfast I go along to the local pharmacy and pick up a pack of 32. And we will have to postpone our planned food shopping trip till tomorrow, although the traffic will unfortunately be heavier - there will be a 1-day horse racing festival going on at the local track. Damn!

On the way, I stop for a few minutes in front of the building site where our old doctor’s surgery once stood: the doctors decided a year ago to close the centre and sell this poky piece of land to a construction company that planned to build 6 new houses there: the doctors themselves moved to a newly built complex 5 miles away in the other side of the small town of Bishop's Cleeve.

They were such some bastards, those doctors !!! They didn't even send a letter to their patients to tell them about the closure of the surgery - they had no other way of finding out other than to show up at the old building and read the notice on the door - grrrrr !!!!

the building site as it looks today - 

the place where our old doctor’s surgery once stood

flashback to January last year: the doctors close their old surgery,

and move into a new one, 5 miles away from here. What bastards !!!

13:45 After lunch, I drive Lois around the corner to the local library so she can help the library staff lead the weekly Baby Bounce & Rhyme session for young children and their mothers (and grandparents).

I have to admit, I'm a little surprised that Lois didn't want to call the library and tell them she wasn't able to help them today, because of her aches and pains. But I think she is very eager to meet up with Karen, one of the librarians, who has promised to bring along her 6-month-old twin grandchildren this afternoon.

Mothers or grandparents with twins often ask Lois to hold one of the twins on her lap, which she finds nostalgic. Until about 4 years ago, Lois and I used to bring our own twin grandchildren to the Baby Bounce sessions - unfortunately Lily and Jessie now live in the other side of the world, in Australia: sob  sob !!!!!

a typical Baby Bounce & Rhyme session

at the local library

flashback to June 2014: we bring our then 1-year-old twin grandchildren

to the library to take part in one of these weekly sessions.

How cute they are though!!!!

flashback to December 2015: we see the bewildered-looking twins, for the first time on Skype

from their new home on the other side of the world, in Australia: sob, sob !!!

16:00 I pick Lois up after the session ends: in the meantime, she's already popped into the local convenience store, Burgage Stores. It's Friday and she's bought all of our usual sinful pleasures: chocolates and a bag of pastries: yum yum! We come home to relax on the couch and surrender to our suppressed longings haha!

Burgage Stores (left), the local convenience store

We listen to the radio a little, an interesting edition in the series "The Last Word". Lois and I have got into the habit of trying to hear this program every week, because we are eager to find out if anyone has died in the last 2-3 weeks.

Sadly, Terry Jones, the comedian and expert on the Middle Ages, died this week. I first saw him in 1968 when I was a student, and he was co-starring in a fun children's TV programme, "Do Not Adjust Your Set," which the BBC used to broadcast every Thursday between 5 pm and 6 pm.

It became a bit of a cult in our college, and the students’ common room was always packed with students who wanted to watch the programme, even though it was designed for children. And when it was finished we got into the habit of staying on and watching "Top of the Pops" and then "The Man From U.N.C.L.E". It became a bit of a tradition with us, I have to say. The study week was nearly over and people wanted to relax a little.

"Do Not Adjust Your Set" was just a children's TV programme, but John Cleese, who wasn't himself  in it, later described it as being the funniest thing on TV at the time. Michael Palin, Eric Idle and Terry Gilliam were in the show with Terry.

Children's TV Programme "Do Not Adjust Your Set" (1967-69),

with Terry Jones (left, at back)

And almost 40 years later (2006, 6 months after we retired), Lois and I sat in the audience as Terry gave a talk on the Middle Ages, the Crusades and Chaucer, at the Cheltenham Literary Festival, a presentation that was both insightful and funny, as one might have expected.

Lois and I did not know that Jones was also a gifted songwriter and singer, and during the programme this afternoon we hear his interpretation of his own composition, a very touching song that we have not heard before:

I'm so worried about what's happenin' today, in the Middle East, you know

And I'm worried about the baggage retrieval system they've got at Heathrow

I'm so worried about the fashions today, I don't think they're good for your feet

And I'm so worried about the shows on TV that sometimes they want to repeat

I'm so worried about what's happenin' today, you know

And I'm worried about the baggage retrieval system they've got at Heathrow

I'm so worried about my hair falling out and the state of the world today

And I'm so worried about bein' so full of doubt about everything, anyway

I'm so worried about modern technology

I'm so worried about all the things that they dump in the sea

I'm so worried about it, worried about it, worried, worried, worried

I'm so worried about everything that can go wrong

I'm so worried about whether people like this song

I'm so worried about this very next verse, it isn't the best that I've got

And I'm so worried about whether I should go on, or whether I should just stop

(pause)

I'm worried about whether I ought to have stopped

And I'm worried, because it's the sort of thing I ought to know

And I'm worried about the baggage retrieval system they've got at Heathrow

(longer pause)

I'm so worried about whether I should have stopped just then -

I'm so worried that I'm driving everyone 'round the bend

I'm worried about the baggage retrieval system they've got at Heathrow...

(continues)

There wouldn't have been a dry eye in the house after Terry's performance – that’s for sure!

A wise man once said that "it takes a worried man to sing a worried song". How true those words were! But death is a merciful master, and the plus with death is that you don't need to worry any more. Yes, Terry Jones can breathe a sigh of relief now that he's dead. Farewell, Terry, and hail to thee - you kept us out of the war, no doubt about that!

18:00 We have dinner, one of the ready meals we recently bought in CookShop: beef bourguignon (yum yum!) with another portion of Lois' home-grown / homemade gooseberry crumble (yum yum again).

We spend the rest of the evening watching some television, a couple of old editions of Top of the Pops from February 1989.

Very nostalgic for Lois and me to see Michael Ball sing his big hit "Love Changes Everything" and we recall that it was my father’s  favourite song - he was a very sentimental man, an ex-school headmaster - but his former students would have been surprised to see the tears that filled his eyes any time he heard a sentimental song - my goodness!

It reminds Lois and me that at that time (1989) my father was still reasonably healthy and fit - his form of muscular dystrophy did not develop until a few years later. He finally had to give up driving in 1996.  We have got very few pictures of him dating from this sort of period, just these 3 from Christmas 1990, when my sister Kathy and her husband, Steve, were  visiting us from the US.

 Christmas 1990 at our house

At a local pub: Lois, my father, my mother, our 2 daughters, my brother Steve,

my sister Kathy and Kathy's husband, Steve

Happy times !!!!

21:00 We continue to watch a little television, an entertaining episode of "The Goes Wrong Show", which proved, I have to say, that these rather amateurish but well-meaning actors, despite their many mishaps and cock-ups, can score some successes with their local audience: and  they certainly manage to touch them emotionally with this well-staged period-romance - tears were flowing in the cheap seats, no doubt about that: one spectator had to be taken out on a stretcher during tonight's performance, which speaks volumes, Lois and I think.

We have only one criticism - a somewhat discordant note is struck when the heroine finally gets her father's consent to marry her lover.

Her lover approaches her to kiss her on the lips, but unfortunately just at that moment the woman turns her face away from - apparently the two actors had had a fight before the performance, which was a bit of a shame. Lois and I think actors should put personal issues aside when they come out on stage, but maybe we're a little old-fashioned – but that’s something we're not completely sure about: the jury is still out on that one.

22:00 We go to bed - zzzzzzz !!!!

Danish translation: fredag den 24. januar 2020

09:00 Lois har stadig ondt i ryggen og den højre hofte, men hun er løbet tør for Ibuprofen-tabletter, så efter morgenmad går jeg hen til det lokale apotek, og henter en pakke 32. Og vi skal udskyde vores planlagte madindkøbstur til i morgen, selvom trafikken desværre vil være stærkere – der vil være en 1-dags hestevæddeløbsfestival, der foregår på den lokale bane. Pokkers!

På vej standser jeg i et par minutter foran den byggeplads, hvor vores gamle lægehus engang stod: lægerne besluttede sig for ét år siden for at lukke centret og sølge dette trange stykke jord til en bygningsfirma, som kunne bygge 6 nye huse derpå: lægerne flyttede til et nybygget komplex 5 miles væk i den anden side af den lille by Bishops Cleeve.

De var sådanne nogle sjovere, de der lægere!!! De sendte ikke engang et brev til deres patienter, for at fortælle dem om lægehusets lukning – man havde ikke andet valg, end at dukke op ved den gamle bygning og læse opslaget på døren – grrrrr!!!!

den byggeplads i dag, hvor vores gamle lægehus engang stod

Tilbageblik til sidste januar: lægerne lukker det gamle lægehus,

og flytter ind i et nyt, 5 miles væk herfra. Sikke nogle sjovere!!!

13:45 Efter frokost kører jeg Lois rundt om hjørnet til det lokale bibliotek, så hun kan hjælpe bibliotekets personale med at styre den ugentlige Baby Bounce & Rhyme-sessionen for små børn og deres mødre (og bedsteforældre).

Jeg må indrømme, at jeg er lidt overrasket over, at Lois ikke havde lyst til ringe til biblioteket og fortælle dem, hun var ikke i stand til at hjælpe dem i dag, på grund af hendes ømhed og smerter. Men jeg synes, hun er meget ivrig at mødes med Karen, én af bibliotekarer, der har lovet at bringe sine 6-måneder gamle tvillingebørnebørn med i eftermiddag.

Mødre eller bedsteforældre med tvillinger beder Lois ofte om, at holde  en af tvillingerne på sit skød, hvilket hun finder nostalgisk. For 5-6 år siden plejede Lois og jeg at tage vores egne tvillingebørnebørn med til Baby Bounce-sessionerne – desværre bor de nu i den anden side af verden, i Australien: hulk hulk !!!!!

en typisk Baby Bounce & Rhyme-session

på det lokale bibliotek

tilbageblik til juni 2014: vi tager vores dengang 1-årige tvillingebørnebørn med

på biblioteket for at deltage i én af disse ugentlige sessioner

tilbageblik til december 2015: vi ser de forvirrede-udseende tvillingerne for første gang  på Skype

i deres nye hjem i den anden side af verden, i Australien: hulk, hulk!!!

16:00 Jeg henter Lois efter endt sessionen: hun har i mellemtiden smuttet ind i det lokale nærbutik, Burgage Stores. Det er fredag og hun har købt alle vores sædvanlige syndige lyster: chokolade og en pose wienerbrød: yum yum! Vi kommer hjem for at slappe af i sofaen og give over til vores undertrykkede længsler haha!

(til venstre) Burgage Stores, vores lokale nærbutik

Vi lytter lidt til radio, et interessant afsnit i serien ”Det sidste ord”. Lois og jeg er kom i vane med at prøver at høre dette program hver uge, fordi vi er ivrige efter at finde ud af, hvis nogen døde de sidste 2-3 uger, eller ej.

Terry Jones, komikeren og ekspert om middelalderen døde denne uge desværre. Jeg så ham for første gang i 1968, da jeg var studerende, og han medvirkede i et morsomt børnetvprogram, ”Do Not Adjust Your Set”, som BBC udsendte hver torsdag mellem kl 17-18. Det blev til lidt af en kult i vores college, og opholdsstuen var altid propfyldt med studerende, der ville se programmet, selvom det var designet til børn. Og derefter havde vi for vane at se ”Top of the Pops” og dernæst ”The Man From U.N.C.L.E”. Det blev til lidt af en tradition hos os, det må jeg nok sige. Studieugen var ved at være slut, og folk havde lyst til at slappe lidt af.

”Do Not Adjust Your Set” var bare et børnetvprogram, men John Cleese, der ikke deltog i det, beskrev det senere, som det mest morsomme ting på tv. Michael Palin, Eric Idle og Terry Gilliam var også deltagere.

Børnetvprogrammet Do Not Adjust Your Sets (1967-69),

med Terry Jones (til venstre)

Og næsten 40 år senere (2006, 6 måneder efter vi gik i pension) sad Lois og jeg i publikummet, da Terry holdt foredrag om middelalderen, korstogene og Chaucer,  til Cheltenham Literary Festival, en fremlæggelse, der samtidig var både indsigtsfuld og morsom, som man kunne have forventet.

Lois og jeg vidste ikke, at Jones også var en begavet sangskriver og sanger, og i løbet af programmet i eftermiddag hører vi hans fortolkning af sin egen komposition, en meget rørende sang, som vi ikke har hørt for:

Det ville ikke have været ét tørt øje i huset efter Terrys præstation – det ved jeg med sikkerhed!

I'm so worried about what's happenin' today, in the middle east, you know

And I'm worried about the baggage retrieval system they've got at Heathrow

I'm so worried about the fashions today, I don't think they're good for your feet

And I'm so worried about the shows on TV that sometimes they want to repeat

I'm so worried about what's happenin' today, you know

And I'm worried about the baggage retrieval system they've got at Heathrow

I'm so worried about my hair falling out and the state of the world today

And I'm so worried about bein' so full of doubt about everything, anyway

I'm so worried about modern technology

I'm so worried about all the things that they dump in the sea

I'm so worried about it, worried about it, worried, worried, worried

I'm so worried about everything that can go wrong

I'm so worried about whether people like this song

I'm so worried about this very next verse, it isn't the best that I've got

And I'm so worried about whether I should go on, or whether I should just stop

(pause)

I'm worried about whether I ought to have stopped

And I'm worried, because it's the sort of thing I ought to know

And I'm worried about the baggage retrieval system they've got at Heathrow

(longer pause)

I'm so worried about whether I should have stopped then

I'm so worried that I'm driving everyone 'round the bend

I'm worried about the baggage retrieval system they've got at Heathrow

En klog mand sagde engang, at ”det tager en bekymret mand til at synge en bekymret sang”. Hvor var de der ord sande! Men død er en barmhjertig herre, og plussen ved det er, at man har ikke brug for at bekymre sig mere. Ja, Terry Jones kan ånde lettet, nu hvor han er død haha! Farvel, Terry, og hyl dig – du holdt os ud af krigen, ingen tvivl om det!

18:00 Vi spiser aftensmad, én af de færdigretter, vi for nylig købte i CookShop: oksekød bourguignon (yum yum!) med endnu en portion af Lois’ hjemmedyrkede/hjemmelavede stikkelsbær-crumble (yum yum igen).

Vi bruger resten af aftenen på at se lidt fjernsyn. De viser et par gamle afsnit af Top of the Pops fra februar 1989.

Meget nostalgisk for Lois og mig at se Michael Ball synge sin store hit ”Love Changes Everything”, og vi mindes om, at det var min fars yndlings-sang – han var en meget sentimental mand, en eks-skoleinspektør, og hans tidligere elever ville have været overrasket at se tårerne fylde hans øjer, når som helst han hørte en sentimal sang – du godeste!

Det mindes Lois og mig om, han på det der tidspunkt (1989) var stadig rimeligt sund og rask – hans form for muskelsvind udviklede sig ikke indtil et par år senere. Vi har få billederne af ham, der daterer fra denne slags periode, bare 3 fra jul 1990, da min søster Kathy og hendes mand, Steve, besøgte os fra USA.

Christmas 1990 in our house

på en lokal pub : Lois, min far, min mor, vores døtre, min bror Steve, 

min søster Kathy og Steve, Kathys mand

Lykkelige tider!!!!

21:00 Vi fortsætter med at se lidt fjernsyn, en underholdende afsnit af ”The Goes Wrong Show”, som beviste på, at disse amatøragtige skuespillere, på trods af deres bommerter osv, kan opnå en vis grad begrænset succés med at røre deres publikum med denne følelsmæssig periode-romantik - tårerne flød, ingen tvivl om det: én tilskuer blev fjernet på en båre under aftenens forestilling, hvillket taler volumer. synes Lois og jeg.

Vi har kun én kritik – en noget diskordant tone blev slaget, da det lykkelige par endelig får hendes fars samtykke til deres ægteskab.

Manden nærmer sig sin elskede for at kysse hende på læberne, men desværre vender kvinden sit ansigt væk fra ham – tilsyneladende var de to skuespillere skændtes før forstillingen, hvilket var lidt af en skam. Lois og jeg synes, at skuespillere burde lægge personlige problemer til side, når de træder på scenen, men måske er vi lidt gammeldags – det er vi ikke helt sikre på: juryen er stadig ude om det.

22:00 Vi går i seng – zzzzzzz!!!!