A Night For Christy and Dublin

I felt like kissing the ground when we got off the plane in Dublin, it had been 14 months since we'd been here, the longest time I've gone without visiting since I first started going there in 1989 (yikes!!) It was great to be back, like coming home.

Debbi and I stopped off at the Avoca Cafe in Suffolk Street on our way to the hotel and had some welcome tea and I had a gorgeous mixed berry scone, which I can honestly say is the nicest scone I've ever had, the biggest too! We passed by The Olympia Theatre and popped into the box office to pick up our tickets for the A Night for Christy benefit concert for Christy Dignam singer with Aslan who is fighting cancer, that evening. The fellow in the office said the upper circle - the gods - was unreserved seating and we would need to be there early to queue to get the best seats.

We got to The Clarence Hotel at 11am and luckily our room was available. It was a large twin room with a a small seating and office area that over-looked the Liffey.  We had lunch in The Study which was being used as a temporary restaurant as The Tea Room is now closed and being stripped out to be re-opened as Cleaver East next month.  The food was good, but not to the standard of The Tea Room, they were cooking it in the function room on the first floor!

We did some shopping for wine and nibbles and then got ready for the gig. The Olympia Theatre was less than five minutes walk from the hotel. We passed a load of youngsters excitedly waiting at the stage door - probably for Jedward, yes, we were going to have the joy of Jedward this evening, never thought I'd see the day lol! We went past the theatre and down a small lane and waited at the entrance for the upper circle, there were two other women ahead of us in the queue, we were three and four.

The doors were opened a little before 7pm and we climbed flight after flight after flight of red carpeted stairs until we breathlessly reached upper circle. We got seats right at the centre front of the circle. We certainly were certainly close to the gods, it was very steep and I could almost touch one of the three huge glass chandeliers that hung from the ceiling that was painted red and decorated with white stucco. The Olympia was know as'The Star of Erin' music hall when it opened in 1879 and was then renamed Dan Lowerys Music Hall in 1881. It was finally given the name of The Olympia Theatre in 1923. It. is a wonderful old Victorian theatre, red velvety seats, brass rails, main colours red, white and gold, boxes to each side, you can feel it's history, it's ingrained in the walls.

Deb and I have only seen Aslan play live once in Vicar Street quite a few years ago, unfortunately our visits to Dublin have since not coincided with them playing. It was an amazing raucous show, and Christy performed like I've never seen anyone perform before, we just couldn't take our eyes of him, he was mesmerising.

Ryan Sheridan

While we were waiting they screened a new documentary called Please Don't Stop about Aslan's 30 year career, made last year before Christy was diagnosed with cancer.

The show proper started around 8.30pm,  compered  by none other than Guggi, who did a really good job. It consisted of various artists performing mainly Aslan songs with the other four members of the group. There was a myriad of Irish artists, new and old, some of the younger ones I didn't know.  Others such as Tom Dunne (Something Happens),The Horslips, Steve Wall (The Stunning) brought back many memories of my early days visiting Dublin and the fantastic bands around then that showed so much promise, most fizzled away, U2 were already megastars, Aslan never hit those heights, but not because of any lack of talent, but after 30 years they are still delighting audiences.

Gavin Friday

Gavin Friday performed a very theatrical version of Bowie's Five Years. Jedward, hair kind of coiled on top of their heads lol, did a muted performance - for them, no cartwheels across the stage. With their relatively normal looking hair I noticed for the first time that they are good looking young men. They got a massive reception from the young girls!

I had never heard of Ryan Sheridan, but his performance really impressed me. He reminded me a bit of Bono in his performance and how he engaged the crowd, he certainly has stage presence, plus a good voice.

U2 performed This Is via video link from New York. It was a powerful version of a fabulous song, they really did the song justice. There had been rumours that Bono was going to appear in person but he didn't.

All the bands came on stage to perform This Time with Christy's daughter Keira. Finally for Aslan's most famous song, Crazy World, Christy himself came on stage, the whole place erupted, there was such a out-pouring of love towards him that it was incredibly moving. He looked frail and thin, but was buoyed up by the crowd. I noticed Keira wiping away tears as she stood behind her father and at times she had to help him out with the singing. I think it was very hard for him to perform but I'm sure the love he received from the crowd gave him a boost.  For around five minutes after he left the stage the crowd kept singing.

I thought that I'd be really disappointed if Bono didn't perform in person, but when it came to it I realised it didn't matter at all. This evening, this gig was for Christy and that's what it was all about and it was a brilliant gig. Let's hope one day when he is better we will be able to see him perform live once more.

Christy Performing Crazy World

Set List  -  First Half

Paul Walsh – Gotta Make It

Riptide Movement – Lucy Jones pt1

Gavin James – Chains

Jedward – She’s So Beautiful

Steve Wall – Pretty Thing

Danny O’Reilly – Hurt Sometimes

Original Rudeboys – Lucy Jones pt2

Bressie – Angie

Jerry Fish – Rock’n’Roll Suicide

Ryan Sheridan - Wish You Were Here

Gavin Friday – Five Years

Adrian Kennedy

Dublin Gospel – Down on Me

Second Half6

Horslips – Different Man

Damien Dempsey – Bullets and Diamonds (From a Studio in London)

Paul Brady - We Did

Mary Black & Don Mescall - Too Late for Hallelujah

Mark Feehily – Where’s the Sun

Kiera Dignam - Catch Your Fall

Tony Fenton (speaking)

Tom Dunne – Rainman

U2 – This Is (Live from Electric Lady Studios NY)

Kiera Dignam with all other acts –This Time

Aslan - Crazy World

After the show we went back to the hotel and had a drink in the bar, Gavin Friday came in with a few friends. There was a group of loud drunk men near us some of who ended up getting chucked out of the hotel!

We went to our room ordered room service meals, opened a bottle of wine and chatted until it was light outside! I love holidays!

June 22nd. Needless to say we had a long lie in.  We had breakfast served in our room (they serve it until 11am, very civilised in my opinion LOL!) We saw a guy sitting in the middle of the busy road outside the hotel shouting "Do me a favour!" to a group of lads who were in the car he sat in front of. Think he knew them as he just picked on their car, he eventually got up unscathed.

We had a really lazy day, wandered down to the bar for a drink or too and had our dinner in The Study. There was a tableful of very loud, very drunk men there (drunks seemed to be following us on this trip!) They really got on our nerves and spoiled the atmosphere a bit. Had a few drinks in the bar before heading back to our room.

It was a very short trip, but lovely to be back once more. Roll on October when we will be back for a whole week!

Bruce Springsteen, Wrecking Ball Tour, Glasgow June 18th 2013

The sun shone down onto the crowd at Hampden Park in Glasgow and I was excited to be at a gig once more, Bruce Springsteen's Wrecking Ball Tour had reached Scotland.  It had been around a year or so since my last show and it was lovely feeling that buzz and atmosphere of a live concert.  After a while one of the staff came to our area and asked if any of us wanted to move to the lower tier centre, well she didn't have to ask twice! The seats were directly in front of the stage so we were well chuffed! Maybe some corporate types did not turn up (Hampden is one of those stadiums where the stage is set on one side rather than one end, much better really.)

Bruce and the E Street Band came on-stage with no razzmatazz and launched into We Take Care of Our Own. Very early in the show Bruce went into the audience and collected sign requests, such a great thing for fans. The first request played was Jole Blon which I'd never heard of, apparently it is a traditional Cajun song that Bruce has adapted.

The pace of the show was fast, rockin' and fun, the sign requests, the frequent physical contact with the crowd Bruce had certainly made me and the crowd feel very much part of the show, even in a large stadium like Hampden. The boss certainly knows how to engage with his audience.

The pace slowed up for a tribute to the Big Man, Clarence Clemons, stalwart of the E Street Band, who died exactly two years previously. Bruce made it personal by asking people to remember their own lost loved ones too and as he sang My City of Ruins it was very emotional, the whole crowd sang "Rise up" so loudly that the words must have been heard echoing through many streets of Glasgow. Jake Clemons, Clarence's son, played the sax, it must have been very moving for him to see the reaction of the audience. It was sad, yet also full of love and at the end there was an explosion of applause as everyone rose up, it was one of the most touching, spontaneous and emotional moments I've seen at a concert, amazing.

The next sign request was Dancing in the Dark. One girl had a sign saying she wanted to dance with Jake, she was brought up on stage and danced with him and ended up playing a guitar and singing. When she was back in the crowd a camera caught her expression which was priceless. Another lad asked for a pick, Bruce gave him one, from the look on the lad's face you'd think he'd given him a million pounds lol!

Bruce got a middle-aged woman called Hazel up to dance, then after a conversation with her he also got a young girl up, who I think was the woman's daughter, and he danced with both of them. Hazel gave him a tartan scarf.

Next, a very poignant moment, a sign request was for Tougher Than the Rest, one of my favourites. Bruce had picked out a sign from a girl that bore a photo of a man and asked for this song to be played in memory of Shug, the girls dad, 1951-2013. The lovely thing was that at the end of the song Bruce went back to the crowd, found the girl and gave her back the sign, what a lovely gesture. Certainly a teary-eyed moment.



We all sang along with Waitin' on a Sunny Day as the sun started dipping down in the sky. The party continued, for that's what it was like, a party. The band was very tight musically and Bruce's voice in fantastic form, and they were having a party on-stage too. It's so wonderful to see musicians truly love what they are doing so much. Listening to the songs from throughout the decades it struck me at how many genres have influenced the music, rock, soul, folk, gospel to name a few.

Great to hear more faves of mine Badlands, Born to Run and Rosalita. Towards the end the crowd wanted more and more, Bruce laughed,

"I've gotta go home, I'm sixty-fuckin-three!  I'm gonna have a heart attack!"

He's got energy and stamina that belie those years, I mean, who else does three and a half hour shows? You certainly get your money's worth with Bruce

A rockin' Twist and Shout/La Bamba followed by Shout, a massive hit for Glasgow girl Lulu in the 60's seemed to be the end of the show. The E Street Band left the stage, but Bruce didn't, he got a guitar and played a fantastic acoustic version of Thunder Road. It was stunning, and what a way to end the show. I looked around, usually by this time in a gig a lot of people are leaving to catch the transport or avoid the traffic jams. The aisles were clear, like me, people were transfixed, we knew we were lucky enough to be watching a true music legend.

So, three and a half hours after coming on stage (with no interval) Bruce finished the gig. He showed what a show should be all about, music, the band and the audience, in the right hands you need no more than that.  He may be "sixty-fuckin'-three" but he can show artists much younger than himself how to rock!

Bono "Meaning of Life" RTE Interview with Gay Byrne, 25th June

Bono was interviewed by Gay Byrne for his Meaning of Life series of interviews which was shown on RTE One tonight.  It covered his childhood, his parents' inter-religious marriage, Lipton village, how he met Ali, his relationship with his father, tax affairs, his faith and activism. Nothing really new in the interview to the U2 fan. 

Photo: Irish Independent

When asked about some of the people he has had to talk with as part of the activism, Gay asked if it was sometimes like talking to the devil. Bono relied that he didn't want his activism seen just as the creation of the left and leave the right - and a lot of people - out, he wanted to have,

"A radical centre." 

He obviously still has the passion and drive for that work and said that 7256 less children die everyday because of changes over the last few years. At present he said they are working on transparency to defeat corruption.  You can't help but admire him for the time and dedication he puts into his activism.

He seemed a bit rattled when asked about the taxation issue, which Gay said he felt he had to ask about. Bono came across very much as the businessman and said that he was tough on that front, and that U2 were, 

"Tax sensible as every business is."  

Gay also asked if Bono thought he was now removed from ordinary people. Bono replied that he probably was,

 "I don't think myself removed, but I must be." 

Which really is inevitable for people in his position, fame does isolate "celebrities", though we fans know that Bono makes himself as accessible as is possible.

Nothing was mentioned at all about a new album, but the Irish Independent had an interesting snippet today from Gay Byrne that kind of confirms it's going to happen this autumn woo hoo!

Broadcaster Gay Byrne said that Bono was "very fussy" about when his episode of 'The Meaning Of Life' would be shown on RTE television. The U2 frontman was "adamant" that his recorded interview go out months ahead of when the full series broadcasts in the autumn, as it would overlap with publicity for his band's new album......"He's very fussy," Byrne said. "U2 have a lot going on later this year with musical activities, so he was adamant that this should not be part of that.

Shopping and Graveyards

Had a busy day today! I met up with friend Christine and we went out for a late lunch. We then drove a short distance to Gretna Gateway outlet "Just to look in M & S." There wasn't much there and the other shops somehow drew us in, especially shoe/handbag ones LOL!  I ended up buying two pairs of shoes, and, the bargain of the year, a lovely leather handbag for £10, I was well chuffed.

We eventually got round to doing the original purpose of the trip out, genealogical research. We were going to look round graveyards which are a haven of information for family research. Our first stop was in Langholm, where drove up a steep, narrow road through woods full of bluebells to the graveyard. You may think me strange, but I like graveyards, they are peaceful and this one was in such a beautiful setting, high on a hill, surrounded by mountains, and it was a beautiful day (we've had over two weeks of glorious sunny and warm weather.)  There were two areas, the older graveyard was surrounded by stone walls, this was the one we were interested in. Both Christine and I have ancestors from Langholm and though we saw the same surnames we didn't find any of our people.

Christine said she knew of a very old cemetery in the countryside just outside of the west side of  Langholm. So we drove there. It was indeed very, very old. There was a rusty iron gate that was difficult to open, and once we were in we were greeted by a totally overgrown graveyard full of stones and memorials, many leaning at precarious angles. The ground underfoot was uneven with knee high grass, we had to be very careful not to fall.  It was very peaceful there, the only sounds being birdsong, the river nearby and the occasional car passing by on the road.  I got photos of a couple of stones that probably were from my family of Dalgliesh, though not direct ancestors. As we walked back towards the car I heard a cuckoo calling, long time since I've heard one of those.

Next stop was the little church and cemetery of Ewes, a tiny hamlet a few miles out of Langholm on the A7 heading towards Hawick. I knew some of my relatives lived in that area in the 1700's but there were no gravestones that gave me any further family information there. Again it was such a beautiful location for a graveyard.  I noticed the symbols on the back of one stone (photo right) which were a bit weird!

We headed back towards Carlisle after Ewes and stopped off at Canonbie churchyard. A lot of Christine's relatives were from this little place. For the size of the place the church (built 1812) was large as was the cemetery. As at Langholm there were two areas of burial and we went to the old one. The whole place was teeming with rabbits hopping about in the sunshine, these places are havens for wildlife. We found a gravestone with lots of information about Christine's family which was brilliant.

By now we were getting tired, we'd trailed around shops and four graveyards for about five hours.  It had been a good day though, we'd got some genealogical info and the weather had been perfect. Plus it's always good to do something different and spend time with your BFF!

U2 Album being Mixed in New York - Update

Photo: Jaime Scatena

@U2 has some updates on the info that came out yesterday, seems the band has been doing a bit more than mixing the new album, such as, making a video on the roof of the studio, and for some reason Chris Martin is around now too. I am at last allowing myself to get a little excited LOL! 

Read the updated information here

U2 Album being Mixed in New York

Looks like the next U2 album really is not that far from release, there are credible reports that the band is mixing the album with Dangermouse at Electric Lady Studios, New York.  @U2 has put together recent information here. It fits in with their usual four yearly releases and it seems U2's PR machine is at work as U2 is being played on the radio much more recently.... But being a fan for so long I know that they can ditch or change an album very late in the process, so not letting myself get too excited yet!

Franki's Forever Home!

You may remember Franki, the dog that was horrendously neglected and hours from being put to sleep before being rescued by Extreme Rescue Inc.  She recently arrived in her forever home and I think this fabulous picture shows that she has settled in very well with this lovely family! So great to have such a happy ending to her story. Well done Extreme Rescue!

Some Things Are Meant To Be!

On May 10th I was working. It was a busy shift and just before I started it I'd received bad news about a friend which had upset me, so when I set off to work I felt quite down. I'd taken a CD of U22 with me as I'd just received it and U2's music always lifts me. So I was scooting around the city doing my calls listening to great music - the live CD is fantastic!

I had a break in calls that coincided with me being close to home so I popped in for a quick cuppa. I checked my phone and saw a post on Facebook from @U2 about a benefit gig in Dublin for Christy Dignam  (the singer from that great band Aslan) who, sadly, is suffering from cancer. I remember many years ago seeing Aslan (who then we'd barely heard of) at Vicar St in Dublin. It was a raucous gig, lots of beer,  but also a very amazing one, we were both well impressed and captivated by the totally unique performing style of Christy Dignam. So it was very sad to hear that he is now gravely ill with cancer. The gig is to raise funds for his continuing treatment.

In the article it said that Bono was going to be one of many Irish artists who will sing with the rest of Aslan. Well, I nearly fell out of that chair when I saw the date June 21st - I am on holiday that week! It's been a year since I've been in Dublin and I am sooo ready for a trip there.  I immediately sent a text to Debbi, "Fancy this?" and so began an hour of frantic back and forth texting. I had to go back out to work so Debbi had to try to get tickets, we knew they wouldn't be available for very long.

Eventually I got a text from Deb, "We're in!" Yay! I was over the moon. We got seats in the gods of the Olympia Theatre, but we're in there and that's the main thing. We had no idea if we could get flights or accommodation, and Deb didn't even know if she could get the Friday off! But sometimes you've got to be spontaneous and just go for things. Most of our lives we are "sensible" and, for me, that can get a bit boring, so it's good to take a risk now and then. Luckily we both have that attitude!

And it has all worked out, we got reasonable flights, a brilliant deal (great negotiating Deb!) for a room for two nights at The Clarence and Deb also got her day off.  So it was meant to be, especially as it was also a special birthday ;)!

Review - Afternoon Tea at The Plough, Wreay, Cumbria

This weekend I had my friend Debbi staying for a couple of days. It's ages since we've got together and had a lot of catching up to do. Had a brilliant time and the wine rack is now empty lol! For something different to do on the Saturday we went to have afternoon tea at one of my favourite country pubs, The Plough at Wreay. I've always loved having a proper English afternoon tea, it's very civilised. We were so impressed I felt I had to do a review, so here goes!

Address and Website:
The Plough, Wreay, Cumbria. http://www.wreayplough.co.uk/

Cuisine:
English/European, a cut above normal pub food.

Ambiance:
A genuine country pub in a small village just south of Carlisle. Modernised but retaining its character. Roomy, tables nicely spaced. Lovely panoramic views of the mountains from the car park.

Didn't get the scones on this photo!

The Afternoon Tea:
We had typical afternoon tea crockery, bone china with flowers and pretty scenes on them. We were a bit - ahem - dehydrated from sampling my wine the previous night and couldn't wait for the tea to come. It was accompanied by a pot of hot water to top it up.

The sandwiches were tuna, egg mayonnaise and ham, very fresh and tasty. There were four small slices of toasted cheesy bread and  gorgeous scones with blackcurrant jam and doubled cream, again very fresh, in fact they were slightly warm still.

The coup d'etat was the lovely old-fashioned cake stand with ten, yes ten, fresh cream cakes! There were chocolate choux buns (real chocolate), Victoria sponge, cup cakes, apple turnovers, and more scones with cream and fresh strawberries inside. We could not eat them all and took what was left over home.

Price:
£14.30. Afternoon tea is served 2-4pm Saturday and Sunday, you must pre-book, tel. 016974 75770

Overall Impression:
Excellent value for money, everything was very fresh and we got more than enough, and we have good appetites! Alos very good and friendly service. Go on, treat yourself one weekend.

Parrot Rescue

I grew up with exotic birds, as far back as I can remember we had parrots and parrakeets in our house. My mother was bird mad. I've had birds myself but none for the last few years. Whilst in a pet store I saw a poster for Birdline Parrot Rescue, and I was intrigued. I thought about it for a while and then decided to get involved. The other day I had the "Safe House" check and all went well. A safe house is where birds are put immediately after being rescued, the length of their stay can vary. So now I'm just waiting for my first rescue bird, it's quite exciting!

Franki Has Got Her Zest for Life Back!

I don't know if you remember my post in January about the dog Franki that was hours from being put to sleep at a shelter in Miami. She was skin and bone and had nigh on given up, you can read the post here http://the-crystal-gazer.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/franki.html.  She was rescued at the last minute by Extreme Rescue Inc an organization that, as the name suggests, takes dogs that most people have given up on.

Photo from Extreme Rescue Inc

So, two and a half months later in April here's Franki! Hardly recognisable, healthy, full of life and now ready for her forever home. Apparently she is a great, loving girl so I'm sure that it won't be long until she finds somewhere where she will get the love she deserves.

Well done Extreme Rescue Inc, thank heavens there are people like you out there that give dogs such as Franki a second chance!

Adam Clayton Interview

There's a good interview with Adam Clayton in this week's Hot Press. He talks about U2's new album-in-progress (working with Dangermouse), his problems with lack of self confidence and addiction, his son and his work with the mental health charity for young people, Walk in my Shoes. The interview is very open and candid, and the great news according to the reporter is, quote - The last time we spotted Mr. C at Christmas, he had a near Afro, but today the hair is almost back to regulation U2 bassist length. Phew!!

Read the interview here

Friends

I had a lovely weekend with school friend Marian. She now lives in southern England so we don't see each other that often, but when we do it's as if we've never been apart.  And that's a sign of true friendship, you don't have to live in each other's pockets, don't have to live close by. For many of the years I've known Marian there weren't emails, Skype or texts, but we still remained friends, and now in these days of the Big Idea (U2ers will recognise that lol!) it is so much easier to stay in touch.

She is having a difficult time at the moment and needed the break here. We had a fabulous facial at High Head Spa which was pure bliss! On Saturday we went out for a meal at The Plough in Wreay and another school friend, CJ (my best friend and as near to a sister as I have) joined us.  It was a lovely evening, we laughed, reminisced, even got CJ to pose for a group photo (no mean feat!) and couldn't believe how many years had passed since those school days.  We've got big birthdays this year and it's so strange that you don't feel your chronological age inside, though sometimes your body let's you know lol!

We've all been through difficult times, and have been there for each other.  I haven't got a big family but I am lucky to have wonderful friends. Both long time ones like Marian and CJ, other good pals locally and other fab people I've met through a mutual love for U2 and who have become real friends of long-standing too. My next visitor will be Debbi one of those good friends I got to know over 20 years ago through U2. We are both are quite "sensible" most of the time, but like to be spontaneous every now and then and and we've shared some amazing adventures over the years and I'm sure there are more to come!

So, in this post I'm celebrating that special thing, friendship. Friendship isn't an accident of birth, friends choose you and you choose them. Some are lifelong, some peter out, some change as we make our way through our lives.  Different friendships play different roles in your life, but they are all special in their own way.  

Bono at the TED Conference

After watching Comic Relief I thought I'd put up Bono's talk at the TED Conference in America. He gets a lot of stick for his campaigning and his motives are much mis-understood. But he is driven to help eradicate extreme poverty, he has seen the heartbreaking things that were shown on Comic Relief first hand.  He knows his stuff inside out, he is not just a figurehead for a cause. His speech is eloquent, funny, informative and very encouraging on progress so far.  It's well worth watching.

My Afternoon at the Hospital

Had a bit of a day today. For around 20 years I've had a hiatus hernia which has been well controlled with medication. However over the last year or so the medication wasn't working as well and I've suffered indigestion, pain, difficulty swallowing, fullness and wind. I went to my GP and she referred me for a gastroscopy. I went for that today. I had made the mistake of reading what people said about the procedure on the Internet and was quite nervous and determined to have sedation so I would be a bit out of it - I'm not brave lol! I thought I'd write honestly about my experience here to help others who may need the go through the procedure themselves one day.

I had nothing to eat or drink before my appointment as instructed. After arrival I was taken through to a room and there had an interview with a nurse and she checked details and did basic tests such as blood pressure, blood oxygen, etc.  I then was seen by the consultant, a very handsome, dark, foreign man and he explained the procedure.  He said the examination would take about five minutes and I ended up suddenly being inexplicably brave and said I would have the throat numbing spray instead of the sedation! Maybe I was so given courage by the stunning doctor lol!

I went through to the room where they would do the procedure.  I was greeted by two lovely nurses who chatted away to me, we ended up talking about shoes! The doctor introduced me to a young woman who was a junior doctor just there to observe and learn.  I was sat on the bed and the doctor sprayed the numbing spray at the back of my throat throat.  It was very bitter in taste (I had been fore-warned) and worked quickly and it felt bizarre not to feel anything when I swallowed.

I had to lay on the bed on my left side, one nurse stood behind me and kind of held me, every now and then she gave me a pat which was nice, little things like that mean a lot when you are a bit scared and vulnerable. I think another role she would have had would have been to hold me as still as possible if I'd struggled! The other nurse was on my left by my head with suction just like you have at the dentist which she used occasionally.  A gag with a round hole was put into my mouth and tied round the back of my head with bandage.

Then the doctor inserted the endoscope through the hole in the gag and down my oesophagus.  He didn't mess around and it was momentarily quite uncomfortable as it went down. I was conscious of it there, but it wasn't too unpleasant.  I felt a slight sensation of fullness when they expanded the stomach with gas. The doctor then had a look around my stomach and duodenum. It was really weird because I did have a sensation of something moving about in me. Again it was occasionally uncomfortable but not painful.  The doctor was explaining things to the junior doctor and I was trying to listen but the two nurses were talking so I didn't catch a lot of the conversation.  As the consultant and machine were behind me I couldn't see my insides, I would have quite liked to! He took a couple of photos with the machine.

Then the doctor quickly removed the endoscope and the procedure was over. I gave a massive set of burps as the scope came out because of the gas they had put in and there was a lot of gurgling lol!

I was immediately told that my problem was, as I'd thought, my hiatus hernia. It was very large and accounted for all the physically symptoms I was experiencing.  He said to double my medication and that I'd probably need an operation to sort out the problem.  Not the best of news, but it could have been much worse. He will contact my GP. I was then free to leave and that was that!

I called my friend to come to pick me up - she was shocked to hear from me so soon as I'd told her I would be having sedation and would need picked up late afternoon. She soon arrived and took me home, and, bless her, had brought me some soup (that she was going to heat up for me thinking I may not be able to eat much at first) and my fave coffee creams as a treat. She's a pretty amazing friend :).

I have few after effects from the procedure, the numbness soon wore off and I have slightly sore throat and wind lol! Everyone I saw was wonderful, pleasant and professional. None of my examination cost me anything and if I do have an operation that will be free too. Our National Health Service is a wonderful thing, I'm one of the lucky generation, born a few years after it was created and so it has looked after me all my life so far, and I, as a nurse for over 30 years was also part of that NHS, so it is very dear to my heart. I hope that it can survive by adapting to the modern day needs of the population, it's too special and precious to lose.

Dance Pony Dance!

This has to be one of the best ads of all time, it'll make you smile and brighten your day! Brilliant stuff!

Scooby, the Guide Dog I'm Sponsoring!

Meet the gorgeous Scooby, a potential guide dog for the blind that I am sponsoring.  I was in Sainsbury's the other day and there were people there from Guide Dogs for the Blind trying to get people to sign up to sponsor puppies for their training - which lasts two years and costs £28,000 per dog.  It was something I had been thinking about doing for a while so I decided to sign up. There were two dogs to choose from, the other was a gorgeous golden "Andrex" puppy, but I chose Scooby because I thought not as many people would go for him even though he's such a handsome boy - it's that black dog syndrome  they are the ones least adopted in kennels too. I think he's fabulous with his luxurious, shiny, curly coat!

Sponsoring costs only a few pounds a month and you are regularly sent information - Pupdates - about your dog's progress and photos right until he/she graduates at around two years old and is matched with someone.  This is my first photo of Scooby he's a golden retriever/labrador mix and he's around six week old.  Once you have signed up they send you a little album to keep your photos in, along with a certificate, and a small calendar. I think it is lovely how you are able to keep up with your dog's progress in such a close way, and online there is even more, including videos of the dogs.

I think guide dogs are absolutely amazing, and I'm proud to be able to help in the training of Scooby in a small way. He has loads to learn, and I'll eagerly watch his progress - I'm sure he'll do well! I'll keep you updated.

You can read more about sponsoring a puppy here

The Year Ahead

Nearly the end of February, after that this month is over it's all downhill into Spring!  When 2012 turned into 2013 I had NO trips on the horizon at all, I hate that.  I have a big financial outlay for my home this year and I was going to be "sensible" and only go away to celebrate a special birthday in Dublin in October. Well, my birthday is actually in September, but this year I'm like the Queen, having a real and an official birthday lol!  I will be celebrating it with a stay in the penthouse at The Clarence Hotel with friends and family, what better way to enter a new decade!

Then saw Bruce Springsteen was touring again and I regretted not seeing him live last year, so I just had to go to see him in 2013. So I have a short break in Glasgow in June for that!

My friend Dianne and I have always wanted to go to Iceland for New Year, and seeing it was so far off I said I would do it.  But when I looked into airfares they were very expensive over the New Year.  So we changed our plans and are now having a two centred trip, New Year in Dublin (which is always wonderful!) and then on to Iceland for Þrettándinn, 12th night (or more accurately 13th night in Iceland) on 6th January, a time when they have bonfires, fireworks and parades.  Maybe catch the northern lights again and I want to fulfil  my ambition to go dog-sledding then too.  

I have two visits from friends to look forward to as well. My school friend Marian who lives in the south of the country is coming for a few days next month. It's always good to see her, we just pick up where we left off last time we got together!  Then in May my good friend Debbi is coming up.  It's ages since she's visited here, because we saw each other so regularly on our trips away together there was no need. But this year our only trip together will be my birthday one so we couldn't go that long and not meet up!

So, this year is now nicely filled up with a combination of trips away and visits from friends, good to have all that to look forwards to! And maybe we will actually get a summer this year and I can relax in the sun in the garden eh?! Got to be optimistic......