Times change, fashion too
but Memory Lane never do.

People walk down Memory Lane,
in happiness and in pain.
For some the sun shines very bright
But for others, it’s twilight.

One never tires, down Memory Lane
It doesn’t matter, if one’s
Memory Lane is there for all,
No change, just memories to remember.

Written by Evelyn Cattermole, my grandmother.

Greetings, salutations and hello!

It has been an immensely long time since I last wrote in here, and so to make up for it this blog entry will be long enough even the writer of War & Peace will be envious!

Much has happened since my last post.

I have now moved, and have ‘almost’ settled into my new apartment. Admittedly, I do still have about 10 cardboard boxes in the living room that need unpacking, but the majority of the work is done. I also – as you can see – have internet access, although this was a major uphill battle with BT. Firstly they claim that my new building does not exist (?!) and then they try to say that I already have a phone line there – which is weird considering no physical line was actually outside my property. After a grand total of 5 appointments that were missed by BT engineers, I finally had a landline and internet connected.

I do have some news, which is rather strange for many to understand.
For many years now I have been a blood donor, on and off due to travels overseas. Well now, back in December last year I decided to also go on the register as a bone marrow donor. Rather surprisingly, I received a phone call in March to say that I had been matched up with a recipient, and off I went to hospital for further tests to make sure. Then in June I heard that this was on hold, and I thought no more about it… until last week. I received a phone call saying all was back on again, and on Tuesday I went to London to have yet more tests. This time – would you believe – I went to a private clinic in London on Harley Street! This time round I had a chest xray and an ECG – I think they were to check and see if I had a heart?! – plus various blood tests to check HIV/Aids/Hepatitus and Syphallis. I now have the go ahead, and bone marrow donation is scheduled for the 6th September. I do have to admit to being a little concerned about the pain that many people have warned me about, but at the end of the day, there isn’t really a choice.

My ‘experience’ with my ex-fiance living up in Yorkshire has been interesting to put it mildly! As some people may recall, earlier on in the year I was planning on moving up north to Halifax, and if I had to be honest I also harboured some residual feelings for her that I thought had been lost long ago. Thankfully I listened to other people, all who though t thatit would be madness to leave my friends and family for a ‘what if’. I say thankfully, because about a month ago I received an email from her, telling me she was pregnant once more. It would have been sheer stupidity for me to have moved all that way only to have had my hopes dashed like that! We havent communicated since then, and I think that our brief period of friendly chatter has now gone the way of mists in the wind. A shame really, as it would have been nice to be friends. Still, life goes on…..

A month ago I started on a new career path – I have started retraining as an electrician! OK, so it is a ‘little’ different than being in retail management, but I have been thinking about this for a while now. There are increasingly less and less job vacancies opening up in the retail sector, with more and more people applying for the same jobs. This study will take between 1-3 years, but at the end of it all I will have many bits of paper that altogether will mean I am a qualified electrician, with a nice salary to match. I will have a world-recognised trade, and as such if I choose I can move overseas. At the very least, this will help me to pay my own way in life! The only downside is that for the next year or so I have to accept being short of cash and having to watch my spending, not such a bad thing I suppose.

Today and tomorrow is a big thing in Lowestoft where I live, it is our airshow with many flying ‘things’ in the skies above. Whilst I do see some of them, I spend the days with a microphone in my hand dancing and prancing outside Age Concern in town whilst playing music and ‘encouraging’ people to come into the shop to spend their hard-earnt money. We also this year have volunteers outside the shop with donation tins and we are trying to get people to dig deep in their pockets for their spare change. Todays result was not the best you could hope for; people seem reluctant to help others. Hopefully tomorrow will be a little better. So then, if you live in Lowestoft or are visiting, please feel free to find the idiot holding a radio mic and I will do my best to play your musical request! Mind you, with it being Friday the 13th – who knows??!!

And on that note, I shall bid you adieu and goodnight…..