June 26th

We had a lovely day yesterday with Gwen and her daughter who came to visit us from Southampton. Swapping our hospital tales was a hoot and the weather was nice enough for us to sit outside the beach hut for a couple of hours in the afternoon.

Today was the scan. For some odd reason the car refused to start (again) so the plan to get to Cowes failed miserably. Instead we took our bikes to Ryde and went on the train to St Denys, from where the ride to the hospital is more rural and very pleasant. Unfortunately the insertion of the canula didn’t go so well, and after 3 failed needles into my arm, they used my hand. The dye then leaked into my tissues, causing excrutiating pain, and now my hand is twice the size it should be. I hate all these treatments. I really have had enough……

Whilst we waited 50 minutes for the train back to Portsmouth, we had to endure endless repetitive recorded messages: Please stand back from Platform three. The train is not scheduled to stop here. The 18.04 train to Southampton Central has been cancelled. A fault has developed in the train and it cannot be rectified.
Strangely the same fate befell the Winchester train. Next the list of engineering works between Portsmouth and Bognor. Passengers for Bournemouth change trains at…do not leave any unattended luggage. It is likely to be removed without warning.

All lies really. There wasn’t a railway worker present in St Denys to remove anything, and it is clear that Southwest trains can’t employ enough people to repair their increasingly failing stock. Maybe passengers for Bournemouth should just top themselves. Bounrnemouth is probably still full of young drunks having hen and stag parties and not worth the trip anyway. Cynical? Qui moi?