HELPING HANDS
I have received several messages resulting from my disclosure last week that I have cancer.
Many are from people who have had cancer – and are happy to pass on that fact as a past tense. Hardly a day goes by without a message of some sort from the NHS and all letters are delivered to me first class, so thanks also to my postman.
“Let me know if I can help in any way” is the gist of many comments. And on several occasions my reply has been “yes” and help has duly arrived.
I find that if I am going to an important meeting and, believe me, these medical visits are important, I forget to ask relevant questions and forget to take in all the instructions given. Therefore I was extremely grateful to accept help from a neighbour, who happens to be a retired GP, who knew all the right questions to ask and took copious, and clear, notes.
Sometimes I am somewhat overwhelmed with suggestions and recommendations so some must – tactfully, I hope – be declined. My youngest is anxious to join us from Holland but my stepdaughter – an SRN – warned of all the bugs and other nasties which may be picked up in an aeroplane, so her visit has to be carefully timed between my treatments.
When I first heard the word “cancer” mentioned by the doctor I remembered how my eldest daughter had shaved her head in aid of Children in Need some years ago. She looked pretty good, in my eyes, and I wondered how I might look hairless.
In fact, I am told I may not lose my hair. But if I do, what might be disclosed? All those bumps and lumps seen by no one since I was born.
My mother told me I was born with hair so perhaps even she didn’t see the contours of my bald head. I could be a phrenologist's dream!
But maybe such an expert would discover all sorts of mental traits currently covered by my locks, for that is what phrenologists reckon they can tell from the bumps on the head.
Talking of looks – that picture of me at the top of this page seems to be getting older and more raddled by the week.
It was taken about nine years ago when I first stated on this page. I had not expected to be photographed, so “hair and make up” were not on hand. And '”lighting” was as the sun decided.
Several people over the years have commented that I look younger now than I do in that almost decade-old picture.
There were a couple of times when a different picture was used. Once when I was dressed as Mother Christmas for a celebration at the church. On another occasion my picture was replaced with an image by my middle granddaughter which she had drawn onto a canvas bag as part of Grandparents’ Day at her school and labelled as Granny Annie.
Quite charming and I would be happy to see that used again instead of this tired old representation of me.
I wonder if I could sue the News & Mail for libelling me over the wanton use of such a picture. Very often the illustration accompanying my page is a photograph supplied by one of my daughters, and I know they have plenty of pictures which they could supply to the editor.
As free of charge to the editor as is my page and their previous illustrations!
A Beautiful Site
In last week’s column I drew attention to my mostly fruitless search for places to visit during the Heritage Open days initiative, under which sites not normally open to the public throw open their doors.
This admirable scheme runs from 6 to 15 September yet it posed one important, and largely unresolved, question: where around Woking can one find these places?
No sooner had I finished bemoaning the lack of readily available information, at least around this borough, than I was passed a press release from the National Trust that was at least a step forward. Well, sort of.
The three participating venues it was promoting are not exactly local, but they are all in Surrey. So beautiful are they, though, I think it is well worth passing on the details. They may all need a little travelling to visit, but surely all are worth the effort.
Let’s start with Winkworth Arboretum: The release advises me to “visit on Friday 6 and Saturday 7 September for an opportunity to explore a masterpiece in landscape design created by Dr Wilfrid Fox, whose unconventional approach to planting has created a richly colourful space loved by locals and revered for its internationally recognised collection of trees and shrubs. As well as free entry, families can enjoy a brass rubbing tree trail, archery, and a bug hunting activity sheet.”
Or how about Oakhurst Cottage, Godalming? In this case I am encouraged to visit “the simply furnished, timber-framed Oakhurst Cottage to travel back in time. A 16th-century labourer's dwelling that was continually lived in until the mid-1980s, the cottage brings 400 years of uninterrupted occupation to life.
“See first-hand the radical changes home life has undergone over the past few centuries and explore the delightful cottage garden outside.”
Not persuaded yet? Well, the third leg of our own, rather more wide-ranging, garden safari is Claremont Landscape Garden in Esher.
“Many of the great names in landscape design history have played a part in the creation of Claremont Landscape Garden, all putting their distinctive stand on these popular pleasure grounds in Surrey,” the release tells me.
“Alongside the extraordinary views, serpentine lake, grotto, Belvedere Tower and Regency terrace, its most prominent feature is the grass amphitheatre – believed to be the largest of its kind in Europe. Claremont will be free to enter on Saturday 14 September with an exclusive opportunity to walk on its grass amphitheatre which is usually closed to the public.”
More details of all three can be found on the heritageopendays.org.uk website, just pop the name of the venue in “Search events” for everything you need to know.