Brie and Now you see us.

 In the last 24 hours I have learned the incredibly bright and interesting husband of a late friend has dementia, another person I know is being treated for cancer and two people have suddenly died. One local, one from my past.  Brie was my best friend at school. In some ways we could not be more different.  Her father was a police officer and her mum was like her a nurse.  She had a sister. Her family were so different to mine. We were all buttoned up and they were all let it hang loose.  I think I first really experience Chinese food at her house.  Her mum was my minimum (cos she was smaller than my mum) and my mum was her maximum.  I probably stayed over with her more than she did with me, but she came on holiday with me.  I will try and find some pictures of her in her short short skirt.  She was a Tory and I was in those days Labour.  I once remember leaving school and having a blazing row with her over deaf and blind charities!   We became friends over films.  I wanted to go to the cinema but did not have anyone to go with, then discovered she was going to see The Entertaining of Mr. Sloane and I joined her and after that we were very good friends till she moved to Scotland.   

She was more boyfriend orientated than I was, or much more experienced. My only visit to her in Scotland it was very interesting to see the work her mum was doing, but the energy was different, she had a fella and seemed a world apart, but then she came back down to England to train as a Nightingale. She worked at St. Thomas' for many years and she I definitely kept in touch.  I cannot remember whether it was then or when we were younger, probably the latter, but after a programme called Smith and Jones, she became Gabriel White and I was Halleluhah Black - players on our names and we communicated using these characters.  However, aside from that she seemed much posher and grown up than me, dating doctors etc, but then suddenly it turned out she was dating one of my flat mates!  So that was quite a turn up.  After that I got married, met John Green and I suppose somehow through me she met him too and they married.   In some ways John seemed to be the every day Brie, whereas she had become a "Nightingale a professional" but for many years I think they were good together. I loved visiting their various homes in  Woodbridge. I always thought she was better than me, better at life, they went to the pub, she cooked Sunday dinners etc, whereas my marriage had broken up.  But then John went through some bad times and the marriage did not survive and sadly nor did my friendship with Brie.  At some point John became my partner, but I think Brie had already broken off the friendship. She wrote to me saying something about no longer being on the fence.  I never really knew what it was about.  Many years later I visited Woodbridge and showed my then partner all the places I used to go with Brie and I bumped into her.  I think she was touched that I thought to show him where she lived but all attempts to communicate with her failed, so I should learn from that. Despite that  I was in Woodbridge last year with another partner. I always hoped that at some point I would see her again.   But clearly it was not to be.  

Woodbridge 2023. 

Ordinarily I would love to go to say goodbye, but how do you do that when you would not be welcome at the funeral.  I will try instead to one day quietly go up and see the grave.  I am saddened and interested to learn she had an autoimmune condition.  She was a very good nurse.  But also smoked and drank.  I wonder what the condition was.   I am also pleased to know she wants a green burial.  Something I would like too. I wonder if we would be more politically aligned now.  I suppose on Tuesday when they lay her to rest I can try and spend that time with her.  

Too much death at the moment.  I know it is always there and it is a great motivator for getting on with life.    Luckily I find with most people my age we can laugh at our bodily challenges and try to make the most of our lives. I feel incredibly blessed by how much I get to do.  Today for example I was in the Tate, having a tete a tete with friends I have known for some 30 odd years at an exhibition about female artists through the years.  Wow, wow, wow,  given that the art history degree I did seemed to think women artists did not really exist in the distant pass what a revelation to see these successful professional artists who succeeded despite the odds against them.  

A wonderful British seaside break and frightening undertones.

 For years Alnmouth has been a tantalising green blue river with a hint of sea glimpsed from the train, but I did not manage to get there when just up the road in Alnwick, yet when my friend LM asked me to join her there I first demured - after all I had been nearby twice before recently. However, it is nice to be asked and it would mean finally finding out what the village and sea beyond really looked like so I decided despite the cost to go for it.   And thank goodness I did.  When LM last visited the HF house there she had dreadful weather and the walk plans were curtailed but this time the weather was stunning.    Is there anything nicer than soft sand under ones feet and a beautiful beach?  And being Northumberland apart from some intrepid families wrapped up against the wind and some ecstatic dogs,  the beach is relatively empty.   

LM was walking the Pilgrims Way,  I headed inland the first day and went to the Ad Gefrin museum in Wooler.  The bus times made a long visit impossible, but there is not a huge amount in the museum and much of it is a recreation. so, in some ways visiting from far away does not make sense but if you are in Wooler it is a great addition.  There is also a little distillery on site and I was lucky enough to be given a glimpse of the shinning new coopers.  Lovely.  And then I was back in time to loll on the beach and paddle.  

The following day was even sunnier.  I caught the bus to Amble as a local had suggested the market there.  I was not sure how far I was capable of walking and felt quite tired as I walked along the river to Warkworth Castle.   But scaling the stairs and the ins and outs of the castle revived me and I did then manage to walk back along the coastal route to Alnmouth with plenty of breaks on the beach reading.   Absolutely lovely.  Some idiots had almost set fire to the brush by the beach but luckily they put it out and so I have learned how good sand is for that purpose, in fact better probably than water as it was nearer to hand, but it is scary how easily a fire can catch hold.  

Greece and Canada have been aflame, and Europe in scalding temperatures, England has been aflame for different reasons.   The far right are on the march.  I did not hear anything untoward in Northumberland but all over Weardale there were whispers of protests and back home I heard that the local hotel where there are some refugee families ,there is extra security.  

Meanwhile I am not the only one complaining about the appalling customer service with Booking.com.  Two programmes of You and Yours have covered problems, but still not addressed the questions I have raised. It is probably too late to write to them to raise my issues, but if I have the oomph I will. 

Still not sure who to complain to or how to complain about Booking.com

 Nothing new,  I just listened to a programme on Customer Service and in the UK people are regularly complaining about the appalling services with many companies.  One of the experts talked about how good Customer Service will bring return custom and I felt that is what Booking.com needs proper training about how to deal with and support customers, which is I know a sort of nebulus complaint but one where action can happen and be clear and specific.  However, can I find out who one complains to about them .. no, trading standards?  No Simon Calder  No,  ABTA No.  I complained to the CEO but that did not even get an iota of a response.  So whilst I have used Booking.com once since then, I am still on the whole trying to avoid them.  But dear reader if you know of how to formally complain abou tBooking.com let me know. 

Meanwhile thrilled that the Olympics going so well in Paris, despite the pollution in the Seine, but worldwide things seem more unstable than ever and England seems more violent these days, what with cross bow and knife deaths.    Thank goodness for Cambridge.  just a chance to chill and relax with friends and listen to good music.  However , my poor little body has been recovering from Parsnip burns so I have been in a lot of pain.   Makes me realise how difficult it must be for people with constant pain from skin conditions.   No wonder we are happy to disappear into sport and music to forget everything else.