26 January 2025

My eldest child is in Nepal…

Scarcely has the ink dried on her final exam that my eldest is off on medical elective… in Kathmandu!

My lovely girl pops home for 24 hours before she goes and because I am a flexi work-from-homer these days, I am able to make the most of it. The washing machine whirrs on overdrive, I cook favourite meals, I help to find room in her rucksack for: 5 sets of scrub, a stethoscope and a stock pile of painkillers.

And then, somewhere amidst the busyness, I just stop and stand still for minute. Over thirty years ago, I was the girl frantically packing and re-packing my backpack for a 5 month trip to South East Asia. Excited, raring to go and full of adventure and I recall, moments before I set off , my mum appearing, bursting into tears and saying,

‘It’s just such so far away…’

And today that is me – oh how the tables have turned!

Four and a half thousand miles, fifteen plus hours by plane, a new culture and working in a hospital that will feel entirely different to her experience in the UK. Gosh; it is quite a challenge! And if she does need help – not even my flexi work from home status will be of much use for the next two months.

But, rolling the years back to the start of the 1990s, when I boarded that plane to Bangkok, I was on the verge of some of the best months of my life. An unbelievable time of joy, amazement, wonder – 5 months of feeling on cloud nine and more full of life and excitement than I could have hoped for.

So I keep my worries to myself. But as I drop her off at a friend’s house in Sheffield for the journey down to Gatwick I do give her a very big hug. And I also allow a little voice in my head to say,

Please keep her safe…

Friday 25 October 2024

“Half term already?” laughs one of my friends.

Already? Coping with new jobs and being very much out of my comfort zone, I can assure you that the last eight weeks have felt like eight months! What I need right now, to recharge these batteries is ..something familiar! And nothing can be a better familiar than family. So roll on a city-break reunion with my squad as we all descend upon Small boy, the newest university child, for a long weekend.

Some of us drive down and one of us flies in but by Friday evening we are all together, catching-up over some fine food and wine in a riverside eatery. And it feels great to be a four again.

Saturday, after a lazy morning and a lovely hotel breakfast, we shop a little and chat a lot. As night falls and this liveliest of cities ramps up for Halloween celebrations, we head to ‘Urban Tandoor’. Top-rated on Trust Pilot, this restaurant, is rammed and bursting with life. The Indian food is delicious and the atmosphere unbelievable – on at least two occasions, the diners all break into communal song – including us … and we love it!

On a crisp, sunny Sunday, a proud Small boy takes us on a tour of the University itself. The science buildings are beautiful, set in leafy parks and greenery and my son points out places where he sits for lunch, takes a class or attends labs. He clearly loves it!

It is also here that we come upon the bronze life-sized statue of Henrietta Lacks. Hailed as the ‘mother of modern medicine’, Lacks was a young black woman and mother  who died in 1951 of an unusually aggressive form of cervical cancer. While her disease was a tragedy for her family, for the world of medical research – and beyond that, every one of us on the planet – it was something of a miracle.

Because, in the years since her death, Lacks’s cells – taken from her tumour while she was undergoing surgery – have been responsible for some of the most important medical advances of all time. The polio vaccine, chemotherapy, cloning, gene mapping and IVF: all these health milestones, and many more, owe everything to the life, and death, of a young mother. Henrietta’s cells however were taken without her or her family’s knowledge or consent and as a result her name is also synonymous with ethical issues, eloquently expressed in the statue’s inscription

More than a cell.

To all the unrecognised Black Women who have contributed to humanity, you will never be forgotten. 

It is very inspirational. To remember that we are all actually, ‘more than a cell’ and have a contribution to make, whether this be like Small boy dreaming of a Nobel Prize or me, now old and wise enough to recognise that it is these very family bonds and deep relationships which anchor us to humanity and ensure that we are ever-remembered.

So as night falls and I hit the road back North, I definitely feel re-balanced and back in kilter. A new job, a new car, a new music gig these are all just transient superficial changes. The important stuff, your core values and closest ties…they rarely falter and will always be there to steady you at the rockiest of times …

.

Friday 4th October 2024

From the dreamy candlelight of the Cathedral … to a community pub in Hulme!

Autumn weekends; they have been kinda fun! Be it the liberating empty-nester effect or the fabulous change to a four-day week, something has given me a welcome boost of energy and put me in the mood the step out and soak up the city.

So when my nephew posts his band’s latest gig on Social Media, I call one of my favourite people and we set out to track it down. Thank the Lord that my companion has a great sense of directions because, left to my own devices, I am not sure that I would every have found the pub, hidden in the depths of the Science Park!

There is a quite a crowd and, having dashed into town at the end of a very busy day, only time for a couple of (very tasty) IPA before the bank strike up. Gosh, I love it, the music is ‘right up my street’, old style jazz and swing, richly orchestrated and played with oodles of heart and soul. In some numbers, there is a singer and she is just, top-drawer-amazing with terrific tone, timing and timbre. I find myself wishing my dad was still around as he would also have really enjoyed this!

Eventually, three sets later, we bid farewell and head back into the city centre for some late night food.

‘We are playing Band on the Wall in January’, my nephew reminds me.

Well, count us in, say I. Live music; be it classical, jazz or good old rock and roll…you just can’t beat it!

Friday 13 September 2024

The portent of doom, the omen of misfortune; what would Friday 13th bring this September? Who knew that it  would turn out to be such a good day …

Did I mention that I no longer work on Fridays? Believe me, this alone would be enough to ward off the dark clouds of gloom, but as an added bonus, as my alarm rings, sunlight streams into my bedroom; it is a glorious day,

‘But wait’, I hear you cry, ‘why an alarm on your day off?‘

Well, that would be a slightly earlier walk than usual, plus it is my turn to bring the cake. Battling through the ‘school run’ traffic I dash into ‘Miles Bakery’ and bag some carrot muffins before racing to the start of our ramble.

Such a beautiful route this morning. Late summer sunshine, stunning views across the reservoir and acre upon acre of unspoiled woodland and hillsides. To top it off, the carrot muffins are also delicious. Rich moist cake, with such a kick of ginger and spices that even I am glad of the icing, to balance those flavours out!

Back home, I do have tickets a few items off the ‘to do’ list. With all the offspring back at University, I take a deep breath, swig copious amounts of caffeine and embark on the quest of cleaning up the three abandoned bedrooms. I know, fellow parents, this if not a task for the fainthearted! The most disgusting moments, those encounters with long-discarded take-out packages lurking below beds and in the darkest corners of the chaos. The most satisfying, solving the mystery of where my parcel tape, spare phone charger and favourite cardigan have been hiding for the last few months!

Several hour later, weary but triumphant, I stagger into the shower to clean myself up! Because I am off out for the night.

First stop is the Cathedral for a ‘Candlelight Concert’. The inside of the glorious Gothic building is swathed in gentle candlelight; romantic and dreamy. The talented string quintet bring us ‘Funk on Strings’, the soulful sounds of Stevie Wonder and James Brown, the perfect match to a glass of red wine and a relaxed post-work Friday concert. As the music ends, we stroll out for food and more wine, spoiled for eatery-choice in the busy Manchester streets, as far as I am concerned, with the best-est of company.

A harbinger of doom this day may well be in folk lore and culture, but happily on this occasion, no dreaded  disasters for me. The only ‘Superstition’ being Stevie Wonder’s funkiest tune played by a string quintet. Far from unlucky, , I’d call that an almost perfect day…

Friday 6 September 2024

My work patterns are a-changing this Autumn and, for September at least, I have Fridays off – what a treat! How to celebrate? Well what better than a walk on a glorious sunny morning, followed by a chocolate muffin!

It is 21 years since I last had a ‘free Friday’. Back then, Prom-dress daughter was a new-born and whilst I still wanted to balance some work with two under 2s, four days a week was quite enough. I loved it then and I am loving it today.

There are no ‘Toddler Groups’ or ‘Ballet Classes’ today but I do have company, the sun is shining and my mood is ecstatic. We hike around a beautiful reservoir, catching up on lots of news and enjoying some stunning views and countryside. It is peaceful, calm and beautiful. Away from the hustle and bustle of work, the overwhelming stress of a punishing workload, and the chaos of gridlocked commuter traffic, this feels like living!

And, of course, we have cake. Not a specialist bakery today but a ‘Tesco finest Belgian Triple Chocolate Muffin’. Do we recommend? We certainly do. Mini chocolate cakes with white, dark and milk chocolate chunks, filled with a rich gooey chocolatey sauce. The buttercream topping finishes off the indulgent, velvety experience of these post-walk delights. Truly delicious and a fitting reward for our morning exertions.

It also sets me up for a more frantic afternoon of shopping for my mum, who is really immobile these days, helping Small-boy to get packed for University and gathering up Prom-dress daughter from the train station. We all have a busy weekend ahead. Thank the Lord it will last three days instead of two!

Saturday 17 August 2024

Can there be a better way to finish a bracing walk than with a 10 out of 10 slice of cake?

Running is definitely out for me for the next few weeks. Despite daily yoga and a renewed commitment to my arthritis exercises, my knee joint is incredibly sore and not able to take the impact of even my modest jogging.

But, as the wise old adage goes, ‘every cloud has a silver lining‘ and for me it is walking. To quote the Arthritis Foundation

What’s not to like about walking? It’s free. It’s easy to do, and it’s not just easy on joints but it also keeps them lubricated and flexible. 

And on this sunny August Saturday, we enjoy a marvellous 4 mile stroll through the lovely Lancashire countryside, exploring new tracks, discovering little churches and pretty lanes and rounding it off with a trip to Pearson’s cafe: and that Victoria Sponge.

Oh it is glorious. A firm, delicious cake, thick rich cream and a fruity shot of jam. It is a taste sensation and I savour every mouthful, trying to put off the moment when the plate is finished. Perfection on a plate and our first score of 10 out of 10. Now that is what I call a great morning …

Thursday 25 July 2024

Week 1 of the Summer holidays takes me to The Lake District,  to quote William Wordsworth

” the loveliest spot that man hath found”

I’m joining friends who have recently purchased a cosy wooden lodge, a few miles north of  Ambleside … and I am instantly in love. The setting is just so glorious.  I actually feel as if I’m in a tree house with lush, vibrant greenery in every direction.  It’s peaceful, it’s magical…its perfect.

And I am not the only person to find trees such a source of bliss. There is much research about the benefits to both physical and mental well-being in aboretal locations.

According to NHS Forest, 

Specifically, spending time in woodland areas has been found to stabilise blood pressure, reduce stress levels, and induce a sense of calm.

It feels oxygen rich and re-energising and instantly…if not permanently…the stresses and worries of: work, money, family, friends all melt away.

So I make the most of a wonderful few chill days. And, after the soggiest of Summers so far, the sun even shines on us.

We walk. We bus. We eat. We drink. We enjoy…