Athletics, test match, last day of York races and another warm up match for the rugby world cup - playing Sunday has its advantages I suppose. Enjoy your free Saturday everyone!
Morning all, son and family have gone out for the day, so two boys who are more difficult to understand with their broad Yorkshire accents than a drunken Frenchman will give the old grey cells a bit of a rest. Yesterday they were saying how hot it was, but today is forecast to be warmer at 33°C. Hope they survive.
This afternoon while the kids were at play, I went to the home of my friend Anne and her late husband Owen. Owen was a six foot Scot who at one time had reddish hair before it fell out. He had one of those gentle accents that sounds pleasing to the English ear, and that suited him because he was a very gentle man despite his size. Although he showed the outward signs of a person at peace with himself, he had inward devils that we didn't see. He had been on a course designed to help him, and the medication he was taking helped him greatly, but he wanted to rush his course of treatment, so stopped taking the pills. One afternoon a couple of years ago Anne returned from the shops and couldn't find him in the house. She searched the outhouses and found him hanging from a beam. I was really upset to lose a friend in this way and couldn't understand why he should wish to leave his family to suffer the agony of it all. Our friend Hornette who has lost friends in this way suggested that the troubled mind sees it as a way to relieve the family of having someone around who is a burden. That seems very reasonable to me, but for the family it is hard to grasp. As I sat in Anne's garden under the shade of an apple tree looking across at the barn where it had happened, I couldn't help but think what it had been like for her that dreadful day. I could feel his presence still there, as she can. Anne has now carried on as she did before, looking after the gardens and being a very busy person. She told me today that Owen enjoyed the occasions when the two of us sat down for a chat, as I did. So often we wish that we could turn the clock back, but we know that we can't. Maybe we should be more aware of what we say and do when interacting with others and not allow our basic use of language to create the wrong impression. Read around some of the other boards on here, how members abuse each other, and you will understand where I am coming from. Many thanks to all those on the Watford pages who despite our different experiences stay concerned about our ways of expressing ourselves. Long may it continue.
Oh Frenchie, I feel for you and your friend Anne. Having to deal with a death like that must be very hard. I know what you mean about the ghosts. Obviously your friend has decided to stay on in the house. I find that very brave. I second your comments on the abuse that happens on various boards. Life is too precious to treat people in that way. Whilst people rally round, as happened last year with the Swansea fan, that is no help if it is too late. I haven't expressed any of this as eloquently as you did.
Goos morning all from a wet and warm Weston-super-Mare! Have a good day and good luck to your Golden Boys! OFH your post has touched me and moved me, I will now have to ponder on how I can make it happen for me! Much love and condolences to you and your friend Anne!
Morning all from an overcast West West London. Woody - have you visited Dismaland in Weston Super Mud? I had to laugh when they interviewed one of the artists that worked on it - he said it was a bit like Bedfordshire - I roared up!
I've not been yet, the queues have been horrendous, but it's on for five weeks so I'll get there eventually. I've seen a lot of it on local TV, it certainly looks interesting!
