Saturday 31 May 2014

Dr Wilson in Broughton

Is any one else having problems with this doctor ? a friiend of mine reported incompetence with this doctor and recommended coming to the Murray,Ulverston practice if you need a doctor in Broughton.

He found Dr Frazer of Murray's very helpful.For my part. I am very happy with this practice in dealing with my recent stroke and would strongly recommend them

Maya Angelou quotes

An incredibly wise woman: I"ve learnt so much from her. please take the time to watch.



Her quotes


Never make someone a priority when all you are to them is an option.
If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain.
There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.
I do not trust people who don't love themselves and yet tell me, 'I love you.' There is an African saying which is: Be careful when a naked person offers you a shirt.
We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.
You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.
My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.
Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.
I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass.
The love of the family, the love of the person can heal. It heals the scars left by a larger society. A massive, powerful society.
Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently.
Nothing will work unless you do.
It's one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself, to forgive. Forgive everybody.
I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way (s)he handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.

Site reorganisation

See the headings at the top of the page

Another lovely day

Been out causing mischief.
David is all set up on his market stall full of plants looking forward to a great day
Now I'm back for breakfast the lovely sound of Kathleen Ferrier :my what a lovely voice:





We'll be there playing chess on the Market Square,at 10:30 till 1:00

Will I beat Peter? : I doubt it but here's to a surprise move

Friday 30 May 2014

our town council



here'sthe view of one of our councillors

"I think you are right that councillors don’t encourage others enough, with some honourable exceptions. I also find it very frustrating that council meetings are often taken up with procedure and internal navel gazing about what time meetings are going to be held and who is going to sit on which committees. All of this stifles discussion about real issues that are important to the town – and as a result nothing happens. You are probably right that community action is far more effective."

in response to:


This my greatest criticism of councillors : they don't encourage members of the public to get involved :they are not for the most part facilitators, they want to be seen aswonderful leaders when they're not.

I made a sincere offer to help with ideas to get the market going : I made my living through my ideas : two patents working for Glaxo and Shell;was highly regarded in London as a teacher by the creatiivity unit at the QCA(education's think tank)      -   yet here I am totally ignored and even derided by people like the dreaded Colin Picthall who mocks my offer of ideas with: "we don't need your bad ideas"

It was this creativity that made by business at The Falls such a success with it's unique Food service.(btought to an end in 1983 by divorce) I have some high up educationalist who wish to call me a genius over what I achieved in the field of Information Technology - where I was well before my time! 

All of which, as you can imagine, is highly frustrating.

Thursday 29 May 2014

Take life as it comes

"You've just got to get on with it , haven't you?" from a lovely man we all know on the market.
a fellow 'free spirit who lives life to the full!
"We're very determined"says David repeatedlywith his head chopped off!-lovely view of his sweater!

Now David hasa new challenge :one he's taking in his stride :my what an example to us all

lovely quote


“If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.”

Such a tragedy occurred yesterday as the world lost the great, inspirational, and brilliant Maya Angelou.

Thank god I've been enabled by my education to be abnormal and proud of it!

Take care

Take care,   take care.    take care, take care,take care,take care,

Who wants to take care,when one can take such delicous risks as standing on a stool and testing your sense of balancewhen it's abit dodgey from having had a stroke?

Do you tell a sky diver "take care," before he jumps out of the plane?
Wouldn't "Have fun"be more appropriate?

Take care,take care,take care,take care,: boring, boring, boring, boring.

Welcome to another delightfully dangerous day: but then I'm a high risk taker: it keeps me "on the ball"and I love every minute of it.

Wednesday 28 May 2014

I did it myself !

This was the triumphal cry of Eric when he finally got his tricycle up onto the pavenent all on his own, something he had beebravely struggled with fo weeks and only helped at the very last minute.

THis is a mistake made so often by parents they like to 'rescue'there little dears asthough they can't cope for themselves. Letting children struggleshows far more respect for th child.This is the route to a confident child: something demonstrated well by Iris his sisterthen aged five. When we boarded a double-decker bus she was straight on the bus, well ahead of the rest us and up the difficult stairs to the top, to be found by us when we finally arrived, either sitting in the prime seat at the front with it's commanding view, or on the chummy back seat with the other characters!

The same kind of thing i shappening to me , now that I've had astroke people see me as helpless and needing their help. That doesn't last long I assure you. They quickly get put in their place .

I too lovecrying out loud :

"I DID IT MYSELF"

This keeps my self confidence running high as I charge confidently to a full recovery.

Bewarned :keep your helping hands to yourself: or I'll bite!

Be sure I'll ask if I need your help thank you for offering

Enjoy life being silly

Some ideas on how to get back in touch with the child deep inside each one of us, coming up.

Are we afraid to have fun behaving childishly?

This is perhaps why I love the company of very small children and feel severely deprived my being cut off from two of my 'mates', Eric and Iris. Now I have Holly , James and Ewan to act 'silly ' with.

This is, I think why I love reading children's stories:it gives me the chance to makelotsof unbelievably strange noises (backto my porage which remains only half eaten!)


When will the Cumbria Highways honour their promise?

Last December Andrew Moss , Head of Cumbria Highways, made his promise that Union Lane would be completed "Early in the new year" :    it is now June and still the junction with Stanley Street  is unfinished.


  • It has still an unfinished road surface.
  • It still has no road markings.
  • There is now a ramp to negotiate.
  • Lives, especially those of inexperienced young children, part of large families with push chairs are being put at risk as they attempt to travel every morning to school,and then again at home time.
  • By contrast there are many over eighty year olds that are now very waryof using this intersection because of the chaotic situation left by CCC Highways department.
  • There is substantially more traffic because of the new estate up the lane.
  • Contrary to the planning agreement, Persimmons have allowed their delivery lorries to access their building site aggravating the situation at this extremely dangerous junction.These vehicles have stopped using their agreed access through the Health centre
  • Almost daily there is danger of a serious road accident  with cars turning up the lane round a blind corner and meeting approaching cars having to negotiate past dangerously parked vehicles.

  • Because of the lack of road markings the end of the road is being used for  parking, sometimes by large vans leaving visibility very difficult.
  • Several people have left notes on parked vehicles to point out the danger of the way cars and vans have been parked, warning of near head on accidents that they only just avoided.
  • Neighbours have been left to try to regulate this dangerous intersection themselves.
  • Local people feel deserted because of the disinterest of their councillors: where is County Cllr James Airey when you want him?
  • District Cllr Helen Irving and local Town Cllrs Colin Pickthall, Margaret Hornby and again Irving are unavailable.
  • This is a vary serious situation. Who is going to do their job and see this endless disruption and chaos brought to an end.
  • Are people that use this intersection: young children, the aged  and regular road users  being seriously let down by incompetent officers and councillors?
a pedestrian points to the ramp across the road that they tropped over

Thestate of this intersection :notice the obstructively parked car because there  are no road markings

How temporary is "temporary"?

parking at night

at night again

Monday 26 May 2014

improving by the hour!

One trick I've learnt is to give your duff hand something to do .The brain gradually learnswhat is requred - when you've got a good hand you tend to use it all the time:this means the one that doesn't work never learns.I can use my duff hand like a hook andcarry quite heavy objects.It's great to realise what I CAN DO. whoopee

What a great thought



read the story

David and Goliath

I've just received this very impressive presentation in favour of an alternative use for the Robinson's site

Ulverston really is special which is why I'm back here having been to California to work for Shell Research and later to London to train and then teach in London, having first come to Ulverston to work for Glaxo a sa research Chemical Engineer in 1960.

Please watch the video and pass on this link: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/save-ulverston-a-unique-lakeland-market-town-from-supermarket-developers

 

Ulverston's roads are already showing that we can't cope with the traffic.

Furthermore we need small well designed flats for our young people as well as those that are ageing where being in the centre of the town has so many advantages

Lots of individually run shops and local businesses make far more long term sense than a supermarket run with outside  commercial interests of share holders miles away in London or even Europe

Saturday 24 May 2014

Jayne Kendall

May I dedicate this little poem to you!

There Was a Little Girl


There was a little girl,
Who had a little curl,
Right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good,
She was very good indeed,
But when she was bad she was horrid.

-- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow


Full marks for helping us have such a brilliant Market today.

Directed I'm sure by Judy Picthall

Hasn't she been a brilliant Mayor?

Three cheers for the two of them
Well done.

follow that  Helen Irving,  our next Mayor

(we'll have to find you a little poem too)

That should be fun  - any wicked suggestions - how about it Pat?

Thursday 22 May 2014

here we go again

soon I hope to show you some of the tricks I use to get the messages through from the brain to the muscles - what we're trying to do is forge new routes from my working brain that byepass the part that is now dead.

One very good tip I got from Steve who is actually my occupational therapist  who fixes rails in your house  (- a great guy - a breath of fresh air - someone who loves his job) :use the none -working part of your body to do anything you can think of- don't just leaveit to rot - I'm already giving my 'dead hand' things to do:  just an hour ago I got it to help carry a heavy tray (two handed)down the garden     This was a risky business and when I felt my duff hand slipping I stopped :got a better grip and went abit further - Whoopee I got there wthout dropping the tray with all it's contents to indside the greenhouse- where I wanted it - the feeling of achievement was tremendous.

Come back again and see what new things I've achieved - it's good fun really!

my, I'm tired - off to bed for some beauty sleep -if it indeed  it exists !

vote!

Unawares, voting day has arrived.

May I urge you all to vote green    they have got a good group of cadidates - I've been asking around all my contcts who would be knowledgable and they generally agree t:the Green people are the most reliablewith both their policies and the energy with which thet will put their viws into practice .What is more with the present voting system every vote will count so may I recommend :

go and vote Green today

Wednesday 21 May 2014

Chris behave

If you're emailing the Ulverston police when drunk:stop it : I'm fine , very alive and kicking as hard as I can!
They've got better things to do than follow up messages from a nutter -no matter how much we like you!

Geoff

Sunday 18 May 2014

Talent Great potential Jess Gillam

I suspect it's not :talent which is a misleading word as though if you havan't got 'talent' you can't do it to which I reply : Hey we've all got "talent" .

What we haven't got is the determination to enjoy practicing day in and day out.

For me , Talent is sheer bloody hard work. Let's not kid ourselves. and Jess Gilam has shown she can do it.

Well done Jess


 - I hope you survive all the empty words     as thoughyou achieved what you did just because you had 'something magic called 'talent' Well done for all the hard work you must have put in.

I'd love to follow you. After all I've still got my right hand that still works well.

Lrt's see what I can do with that. ~have I got Jess' determination - we'll see.
First I've got to recover from my stroke and then it will be sheer hard work.

Jess will be my inspration!

Saturday 17 May 2014

"how is he bearing up

Veterinarians at the Four Paws bear sanctuary in the Kosovan capital, Pristina, check the health of a rescued brown bear yesterday. Until 2010, Kosovo had no laws against keeping brown bears, and many were snatched from their mothers by animal dealers and sold to restaurants to entertain customers.    

I love this picture of a real bear. I love the viewpoint. I've beengiven a stuffed "Ted' which I now carry with me every where I go. He gives my recovering arm and hand something to do! rather than hanging down limply by my side.I may soon becomeknown as"big ted" you never know.

stroke, stroke, stroke

Do you know anyone  in the area of Ulverston who has had a stroke?

I am having a great time recovering - largely through my own efforts - I stlll have had no therapy,


There is very little help available. The exception is Lynn Jones of the "life afterStroke" organisation in Kendal who has been a star.

Dispite this I am recovering at a rapid rate.     I'm a right bloody minded old fogey !

If you want to talk to me phone 01229 480 347 -if I'm out - keep trying and leave a slow clear message and Iwill get back to you quickly , ready to help all I can to help get"the wheels turning" for you.You could also  email me - gd at tygh.co .uk      put "stroke" in the subject line so that I don't miss it.

Look forward to meeting you and giving you some encouagment! There is indeed lots of life, to be had after a stroke! - I'll be dancing using both arms on Monday at the Coach house, Ford Park every Monday at 12:30 - join me! just come for a coffee if you like , in which case arrive at 1: 30.

Now I'm off to play chess in the Market Square: 10:30 until 13:00 ( and every Saturday aftern that the weather is decent.)


Don't let the buggers get you down


Geoff

( watch my next video here!)

Thursday 15 May 2014

latest video

A visit to Lancaster


My favourite children's books with accompanying noises!

Using a web cam and Youtube

Here goes !




Just returned from seeing Dr Walkerat Murray's practice Ulverston and no definite help. It seems the NHS can't cope wth the demand.     -  We need to help each other.

Still waiting to have a chat with a Neuro Physio just for some guidanceon exercises. The situation is very frustrating and potententionally very depressing.

Wednesday 14 May 2014

Time to come out fighting

I'm getting no help from any Physiotherapists so I'm doing it myself .

The situation is chronic and very frustrating- is every having a Stroke?-which makes me even more determined

As you see I'm getting better and faster at typing with one hand.

"Don't let the buggers get you down "

is my motto and I'm really enjoying myself: I've always enjoyed a good fight and this one is a beauty : I can't loose because my opponent is none other than me!


I'm getting my dead arm to behave itself and in the last week have got it to come up and 'scratch' my nose- with a bit of cheating by moving head to go where it had got to!

Today for the first time since my stroke 17 days ago I can get my fingers to close over a small bean bag(that I'm grasping at this very moment) . 


I say 1,2,3 GO  and amazingly my fingers close. Now I'm walking about with it , trying not to drop it.

another battle won!

Any one else had a stroke? Let's join forces


I'm doing an amazing number of things in Town

People are not happy with officialdom : we need to work together - these 'important people' behave like irresponsible teenagers and love throwing there weight around - stopping initiatives.and doing very little constructive.

More of this soon: Judi Picthall. Ralph Spours and Peter Winston - the town traders down Market street are not happy - and with very good reason.- watch this space.


Tuesday 13 May 2014

It's time

It's time to find out who my real friends are!

People who want to work with me and achieve something.

"achieve " needs to be examined i    - it could just be 'just' sharing a love for life.

There seem to be   alot of people who haven't discovered that commitment is important.

It's lovely to have friends who genuinely want to work with you. So rewarding all round

Monday 12 May 2014

Persimmons show their true colours

Residents of Union Lane find Persimmons' behaviour unacceptable and request a sincere apology:

Far from Persimmons being conciliatory, their site manager was angry when asked to abide by the agreed procedures and regulations regardingaccess to their building site at the end of of the Lane. 

:regulations they were happy to comply with previously.

Please note Persimmons:

     Access to you building site does not permit you or your contractors or your suppliers to use Union Lane

At the moment we have dangerous situations from the mix of heavy lorries and young children and pedestrians on a new road with no road markings and a dangerous  junction with Stanley street with a blind corner.

Persimmons you haveaccess to your site that has been used before by you, via the Health Centre. 


Use it.  Stop breaking the law

George Monbiot is so right see the link on the right


Andrew Moss our Cumbria Highways boss has broken all his promises  to get Union Lane fixed "early in th new year." You can't help thinking that he's in the pocket of Persimmons. The newly bulilt houses are stlll without phones wating from last November.

we have a very dangerous situation at the bottom of the road with road works and no double yellow lines to stop parking at th road junction with Stanley Street - a collision expected any day now

Who could be doing somethimg about it?


James Airey our county councillor .

Where is he?

Colin Picthall for all his friendliness is no better - he just goes  through the  motions when he could be spaeaking out about the situation here and at Mill Dam Park.

Come on Colin we should be working together as part of a team.

Trying to get a councillor to show an interest is like trying to get blood out of a stone: you have to squeeze very, very hard.     and keep chipping awayendlessly  (mixed metaphors!)

Lfe after a stroke

"Soldiering on" was  a great expression used frequently by my great friend and fellow enthusiast for living life to the full:Phil Hopwood who just andso just made it into thispresent century

No sign of Physiotherapy yet, so I'm making up some exercises based on  a couple of You tube videos

It's hard work to WILL your arm to move when no message seems to get through to those muscles that you know that you've got . Typing wih just one hand when you're used to touch typing  is hard going.But I'm getting better by the day . This of course makes life great fun.


The sense of achievement is immense. I daren't even consider what it would be like without a partner

It's great each day doing new things : even walking around town on mty own is a great achievement . You have to blank out the thought that you could easily fall and not get up without help. I've had many near trips but survuved each one . It's great to be independent and not feel you need someone always by your side.

A great small team of friends took over the taking down of the flags in The Gill yesterday while we skived off to Manchester to induge in the art work of th amazing Joano Vsscacelos (?)at their impressive art gallery. Had agreat meal there and had great fun tracking down all her artwork some times full frontal like the very big booby put in th room wth lots of nudes and lotsthat hasd to be discivered in amongst 'normalexhibuts- one in the middle of tea pots especiaslly - the whole show is so outrageous and fun  see my earlier posting here:

 http://geoffdellow.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/great-art-exhibition-at-mancheter-art.html

recent achievenents:

Having a bath - what a luxury to be able to lie there listening to great music of my choice.

The big worry was would I| be able to get out : I COULD BE THERE STILL but I'm not!
It was one of those situations where you had to just jump in and find out. Situations I LOVE!

MUST STOP AND HAVE MY NEXT PILLwith my porrage: anew day awaites me.

What's been growing while i wasn't looking?

Tuesday 6 May 2014

strokes

just had one .

please join in - it keeps me happy!

Progress

my left arm has been left paralysed by my stroke.

I'm beginning to get a little movement : working hard at it !

at least I can talk!

enjoying all my challenges : today it will be getting out of my bath - a tough one. I've got some great neighbours!

sweet peas are growing well : soon have some flowers

The guides have offered to help in Mill Dam Park - whoopee.

Went to see Dr Ema Walker   -     very helpful


Sunday 4 May 2014

for jeanette a nurse at FGH WARD 6

I've had a stroke - no left arm at the moment