I arrived early at Stanton on another dry as planned early on another dry but misty morning but was dismayed to see that the hospital blood test and the doctor’s appointment had been deferred until the next day so that Freda and Alf could get to the railway station and thence home. I phoned and managed to reinstate these (just) and learnt a lot about Mum’s condition and capabilities from being there. We had visits from the home help manager, the caravan site manager and friends and an occupational therapist visit is now planned soon.
I rushed back to an evening Little Paxton Parish Council meeting and subsequent Christmas social, which went well. The Czechoslovakian Prime Minister resigned, and the deputy premier is forming a government and, in East Germany, an ex-leader is arrested on corruption charges and free elections are due next May
I was up early to take the remainder of Mum’s things across to Stanton. I arrived as planned 8:30am and was prepared to take Mum to Bury St Edmunds hospital for a blood test and get her back for the doctor’s appointment at Mum’s home. I learnt to my dismay that the doctor’s appointment had been put back until tomorrow and that the first priority was to get Freda and Alf to the railway station for an even earlier departure. It seemed to me that they were leaving with indecent haste before Mum’s arrangements had been settled and that I was also being grossly inconvenienced. I phoned and reinstated the appointment for Dr Bawden, dropped Freda and Alf off at the station to get them out of our hair, and managed to get Mum through the blood test and back before the doctor arrived. I was lucky that he had been called away on an emergency and had been delayed facilitating this original plan.
This meeting went well and I was able to listen and contribute to the discussion that followed the examination. Mum can take exercise with a walking frame but must be sensible about bending and stretching. Next, the home help manager also arrived and confirm that Mum will get Doris two hours a day (but once at the weekend). The site manager, Myra, Marie & Fred, and Doris all called, and it seems Mum will be kept under their eye as well. I helped Mum put away the latest things, turned out the drawers and cupboards, and put the electric chair charging units in a better place. She is to get a visit from an occupational therapist to see if any aids or alterations will help her condition. I bought more sandwiches for the local shops and eventually left in late afternoon to arrive home in time for tea at 5pm.
I attended a parish council meeting this evening and there followed a social gathering with mince pies and sherry at the Chairman’s house afterwards. We co-opted two new councillors this evening and dealt reasonably well with several issues, even if a bottle bank site was not found. The news this evening is of the Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia resigning and of the Deputy Premier being invited to form a government. The East German ex-leader has been arrested on corruption charges over foreign currency dealings. New free elections are due in this country next May. Today was another dry and misty day in the high pressure and the stable weather is set to continue.