Thursday December 8th 2022

Two jobs for Lois and me to do today - get our repeat NHS prescriptions, the first ones we've received from our new Malvern doctor's surgery, and secondly to visit a branch of Lloyds Bank in Tewkesbury to get them to unlock the lock on Lois's church business account. 

Lois doesn't write all her passwords and pin numbers down in a book, and she got it into her head that her Lloyds pin number was something other than what it really was - all the numbers were right, she just had them in the wrong order (as comedian Eric Morecambe once famously explained to internationally famous classical musician André Previn).

Comedian Eric Morecambe (left) explaining his poor performance

at the piano to internationally celebrated classical musician André Previn (right)

It's always a pleasure to enter the wonderful old Tudor building that houses Lloyds Bank on Tewkesbury High Street, and the staff are incredibly helpful in unlocking Lois's pin number  - well, done, staff!

Lloyds Bank in its lovely old Tudor building

on Tewkesbury High Street

After that we can't resist having a coffee and a slice of cake at Melanie's a little further up the street, in company with all the other old couples who've dropped in there - what a wild and crazy lifestyle we're leading these days haha!

Later there is much remorse when we reflect on how much unhealthy food we're eating these days. Also, paradoxically, there is also some regret that we didn't notice the specials board on the side wall of the restaurant's interior advertising treacle tart - damn !!!!!

today's "specials" board at Melanie's coffee-shop in Tewkesbury

Lois and I are feeling a bit smug at the moment - a "cold snap" has started, and is set to continue for a few days. 

I had to de-ice our car windows this morning for the first time this winter. But most of the day we're snug'n'warm in our new home, with blinds on the windows and a lovely cosy fire to toast ourselves by in the evenings. 

The Iranian Christian refugees who've flooded into Lois's church in the last couple of years are not feeling so smug about the first wintry weather of the season, however. They're living in UK Government accommodation, some in hotels and some in special houses. The ones in hotels are okay, because hotels tend to keep their rooms well heated, but the ones in houses are not so lucky. They're used to warmer temperatures than we get in the UK, and they're feeling cold at night, particularly the women.

this week's weather forecast for Shiraz, Iran

Lois and her friend and fellow-church-member Mari-Ann realised this week that an easy way to alleviate this situation without spending too much money was for the church to buy a number of  hot-water-bottles that the Iranians can put in their beds at night. Lois and I ordered a bunch of these from Amazon yesterday and they've been delivered to Mari-Ann's house today, which is nice!

Mari-Ann (left) with three of the Iranians

who are complaining about feeling cold at night

What a kind thought!