The Brunswick Plane

Friday was a long day, with a drive to and from London in heavy traffic to take J to an appointment with a specialist therapy/orthotics team. I was impressed by the thoroughness, care and detailed understanding of the occupational therapist and physiotherapist, who spent well over an hour focusing on her right hand and wrist to come to an understanding of what might help. We now have some things to try, with a follow-up video appointment in a few weeks. 

P drove us, but opted to wait in Brunswick Square Gardens, close to the  disabled parking space we had eventually found in the last location on his list - all the others being occupied. J and I joined him there after the appointment and admired the many mature trees. The Brunswick Plane is the largest and oldest of the many large, old planes there, probably dating from the planting of the square in 1794, and is thought to be the second oldest plane tree in central London. It is listed as one of the ten Great Trees of London, and the photo does not do justice to the height and spread of its canopy, which my camera could not capture in full from the edge of the garden. 

The extra shows the sculpture of Thomas Coram, the eighteenth century founder of the Foundling Hospital, which took in and provided for sick and abandoned children and was one of the first charities established in the UK. The Foundling museum now stands on the site; the hospital moved out of central London in the 1930s and later closed, but the charity remains, and administers Coram's Field, a garden for children with sports fields and clubs and various community initiatives and spaces, including a large hall which was hired for the 1Voice South East gatherings for AAC users which we used to attend. 

We drove home via Greenwich Great Park, which is becoming a post-hospital appointment habit, and ate a very late picnic lunch among the sweet chestnut trees. J was delighted to see flocks of green parrots feasting noisily on the chestnuts and darting between the trees. 

I still have several gaps in my  journal to fill: I have taken photos every day, but do not always manage to upload and write about them. Thank you to everyone to looks, reads and sprinkles stars; I'm sorry that at present I'm rarely managing to reciprocate.