Garden in spring

Some of the plants in the garden are coming on, some much earlier than usual.

Some of you asked about WI. The cake sale made £78 for the food bank. There were also loads of food donations for it. I was impressed. The talk was by an ex-MET mounted policeman. He extolled the virtues of not only his horse for keeping unruly protesters at bay, (funny he didn’t mention Orgreave as he was serving then) but also of one of his favourite people, Margaret Thatcher - and as many other famous people he’d met that he could fit into his presentation which included photos him with said famous personages.

When I came out it was to get a message from Ailie to say that Chris had been ambulanced to Cramlington hospital having had a heart attack. I have since heard from Chris. She says it was a big pain but a little heart attack! She always plays things down but I hope she’s right. Ailie is visiting this afternoon and I have booked a slot for tonight. It’s a 2 hour round trip to all the hospitals. She’s being kept there for a few days for more tests then will be transferred to the Freeman in Newcastle. (That’s where son-in-law Phil works). Her daughter Zoe, #3 daughter’s friend, is coming up from Northants tomorrow. Neighbours are seeing to Chris’s dogs. I’m really quite upset and shocked. But very pleased she declined to do the walk with Ailie and me yesterday as we’d have needed the air ambulance if we could have got a phone signal had the attack happened there.

Good news is that the Upper Coquet Valley is to get, finally, mains electricity and a mobile phone mast.

Ros asked me to sit with her this afternoon while Geoff went out. She’s in such pain with the bleed on her knee not to mention the hip she’s waiting to get replaced. She’s on huge doses of morphine and is so depressed as she’s not seeing the orthopaedic surgeon for another 6 weeks. Then who knows how long before the op.

This is all a bit gloomy but at last the sun is shining!