Today I shall be Mainly...

[Sue]

There is no argument Stanley, I can have an extraction, I don’t want an extraction when there are other options which there are. Extraction was the only emergency treatment they were doing. All this is up to the Government who stipulates when they can start doing certain treatments. My routine check up has been changed three times thus the monitoring I was promised in July and August at the routine check up has not happened. It could be that I can have treatment now. My routine check up is not now till November so I thought I would raise the issue today rather than wait till November . The tooth gives no bother provided I don’t chew hard with it. There is mo ache or pain, only a pressure pain, which implies the diagnosis of a crack somewhere is correct .

The fluid filled swelling is a different issue. It comes and goes about every three days. Sometime I feel and taste it as it bursts, other times it just disappears as it appeared. I read on the internet that it is a common condition but I want a professional to confirm this.

[Gloria]

Stanley, Jeyes Fluid?

[Stanley]

Yes Gloria, or rather the modern equivalent to Jeye's and San Izal, they call it 'Black fluid' I think. I used to be able to get it in 5ltr bottles when Majestic Discounts was active. I think the next source may be West Cumberland Farmers at Skipton.
Maz, I know exactly what you mean. The school dentist with his pedal powered drill was nothing but torture and as soon as we got the appointment it spoiled our lives until it was over.
Sue, whether it's common or not the sooner you get rid of it the better. Probably good that it bursts, otherwise you'd have an abscess and I know what misery they can be. Good luck with it all.
Today I shall be avoiding household tasks, getting in the shed, ordering my meat off Cathy and remembering to ring the surgery to ask about the flu jab!

[Sue]

Morning

Well its a damp start today in Filey but the forecast is warm and dry, as was yesterday, the rain arriving only for the evening. We have no plans except to investigate, stroll, potter and enjoy a dry day.

The trip to the dentist revealed an infection so I am now on antibiotics. I had another more successful xray which showed very little if anything of note wrong with the troublesome tooth and decided it may either be infected or the filling needs redoing. We are hoping the antibiotics will have an effect. I am to give it 10 days and if no improvement she will book me in for a filling which they have just had permission to do. There is a long waiting list.

We has a walk round Scarborough yesterday afternoon, a very typical sandy holiday place but lots of history. There is a heritage trail but we didn’t have the leaflet, but a manor house now pub facing the beach is supposed to be a place Richard the third stayed. It was handy for his morning swim and fish and chips for tea, all very close winding back alleys and interesting names, far more interesting than amusement arcades and shops selling holiday tack.

So thats it for today. I see Andy Burnham is stirring action to a change in approach to lockdown areas. I wrote a letter to him, my MP and local councillors the other day stating more or less the same as he said yesterday, mainly the inequality of who was being restricted and who was not, the stupid anomalies of the legislation, that Rochdale numbers were remaining the same despite the restrictions, that half the town was nearly covid free but still restricted , the current methods were not working, a different targeted approach was needed and more help given to the affected areas. One of my local councillors replied with a rather empty stock response, but he did reply. Rochdale Council must have had a few not so pleasant letters ( mine was perfectly pleasant and polite, just stating facts) . Their response was to put, what could only be described as a threatening official message , on facebook and as far as they are concerned low covid wards are part of the whole town and will remain and treated as such . So no remission for us.Come on Andy burnham do you stuff

Have a good day all

[Stanley]

I understand your frustration Sue and the root of it is the government's insistence on central remote testing labs instead of financing local health officials and letting them get on with it.
If I heard right we have another example of that this morning, just when routine weekly testing for everyone in work is recognised as essential, testing facilities are being withdrawn from areas with lower rates. This leads to anomalies like people in London having to travel to the Brecon Beacons for a test. This is a time for increasing routine tests not making it more difficult. One has to wonder about testing capacity despite the boasts we constantly hear.
I heard a report this one morning of a university that has set up its own testing facility on campus to routinely test students. That sounds to me like the way to go!
Sorry about that Sue, I went off piste! Glad you are getting some treatment and I hope it is effective and perhaps cures the tooth as well.
I am having a rest after a very frustrating and exhausting 2 hours in the shed, I shall report later....



This pic says it all. For the full story see shed matters. Two very frustrating hours!

[Sue]

You missed the point Stanley my argument is about the actual numbers with the virus not the testing. Areas all around us are having g restrictions removed with higher numbers than us. Half of Rochdale is nearly covid clear. We have a LOT of testing going on There are two areas of Rochdale that have very high numbers . Rochdale refuse to release the clear wards insisting we are treated as one yet the other wards do not change indeed increase in number Thus we will never get restrictions removed with this policy. In this case it IS local decision making that is causing the problem. We all know which areas it is, poverty, high density, multigenerational housing, but if anyone says anything we are accused of being racist. Those that write to the council have been officially warned that any reference
to racism and we will be taken to court. What we want is solutions for these other areas not threats to the rest of the town. I am particularly angry as my letters never mentioned race, I am not racist, I have friends and relatives who are of Asian origin. I checked and rechecked my letter. Bob assures me I was not racist but suggested other people who had written about the same issue may have been. The way we are being treated is creating a divide. I am writing this so you can read it , but will then delete, I do not want to be taken to court simply because I express an opinion thought not only by me, but half the town.

[plaques]

I'm with you Sue, exactly the same situation exists in Pendle. Low household income, high density, multigenerational housing. David Whipp in Barlick 10 miles away from the nearest covid epicentre is quite open about this. Every effort is being made to test everyone in the affected areas and although the immediate numbers of positive cases is rising because of this testing its no doubt the correct thing to do. But Pendle being a long narrow strip with thousands of people venturing no nearer than a name on a motorway exit its hard to see why 70% of the remaining Pendle population has to suffer. As we have long suspected the 'North' is an area that has been neglected and ignored for at least two generations so they are not going to change their spots for us.

[Sue]

The council just put another on facebook to say covid not a racist issue and all wards are above the national average but won’t publish the data. Bob has told me to keep out of it. I am fuming its not true. I am sorry but this is a labour council saying everyone is equal and will remain so . They are making it a racist issue. Funds should be diverted to the areas that need it. I would also like to know what exact endpoint we are looking for . Is it

1. No covid infections...not possible
2. A vaccine.. could be months if not years
3. An effective medical treatment...we seem to be getting there.


What exactly is the government aim? Deaths given us every day but no mention of the number of daily deaths from breast cancer , prostate cancer, heart failure, strokes etc etc. Just WHAT are we aiming for , so what have we to look forward to. In so many cases no family, no social life, no interests as they have all stopped . Once the bad weather arrives in a month then no walks either. Someone needs to think this through to an endpoint to give some degree of hope. No end point has ever been mentioned. Surely we have reached a stage when each person has assessed their own risk. And what they are prepared or not prepared to do whilst the virus is around.

[Sue]

As of today I see all areas but 2 have gone right up, perhaps the council statement is right, my area has gone from 0 to 9 in three days. Why , because people are saying, we tried you did nothing, forget it. Am I a cynic, may be ? But if there are no rewards for trying, you give up trying, me included .

[Tripps]

I would also like to know what exact endpoint we are looking for

Good question - and not just for Rochdale. It's obvious;y irritating you a great deal. I don't remember anyone asking it at national level, though I doubt they would get a sensible non political answer.

On the other matter - we spoke about it in July - in regard to Leicester

I can't believe I used he word 'granularity'. It's on my list.

[Sue]

I use the ONS website to get up to date information daily, I cannot believe the change in Rochdale in 3 days, clearly what they are doing is NOT working .

[Sue]

I would also like to know what exact endpoint we are looking for

Good question - and not just for Rochdale. It's obvious;y irritating you a great deal. I don't remember anyone asking it at national level, though I doubt they would get a sensible non political answer.

I don’t know how to ask the question or who to ask. All letters I have written have had blanket replies which imply that the actual contents of my letters haven’t actually been read

[Stanley]

You are angry Sue and rightly so. Problem is you have an active intelligent brain and know more about the virus than the apparatchiks who are sending out the form letters. I suspect that they are more guilty of introducing the race card into the equation than most of the public are. There may be spikes in local communities but they are more likely to be due to other factors, race should not be an issue.
This whole affair is a minefield and in the interests of my own sanity I refuse to walk into it. I am looking after myself and being nice to as many people as possible. That's why I am not arguing with the surgery over their administration of the annual flu jab, I have found another route that ensures I get mine 3 days after the programme starts here in September.
There is only one problem in my mind at the moment, cutting the slot in my clevis accurately! I shall prevail on that front this morning one way or another!

[Sue]

Morning

It was a beautiful day yesterday, sunny, stiff breeze on the cliff tops but not cold. Apparently they have had a fairly dry summer. I overheard one couple say they could do with some rain. We spent the day in Filey, pottering round the shops, along the coastal path and along the prom and beach. In all we walked over 5 miles and my feet knew it in trainers. I like Filey, I could come again.

Today its an early start to visit the market town of Malton ( a Maylard ancestor is buried there, he died of smallpox at the age of 16, in the last smallpox outbreak in the UK) we can’t find the cemetery on the map so I doubt we will find anything. Then we have a ticket to visit Fountains Abbey at noon. We shall have a good cooked breakfast so won’t need any lunch.

Then its home.
Talking of home , sadly the Shawclough area of Rochdale Covid numbers have soared from being the lowest to being the highest in Rochdale. Thats what happens when people give up. Once again the council made announcement in facebook to say there will be no lifting of restrictions for any ward. Meanwhile the numbers soar as the system is just not working. Its very depressing. If this continues we will be up with Bolton as the worse numbers in the country.

Enough of that. We shall enjoy our leisurely day

Have a good day everyone

[Stanley]

That's it Sue. Look after your own knitting. No point getting in a sweat about things you can't control. Enjoy the day and keep up your precautions. That's what I am doing!
As usual I am sat down after two hours in the shed, it's gone much better this morning but I am not out of the wood yet. I shall post after a breather, a walk and some breakfast.



No cock ups this morning. Here we are, well on the way to success.

[Stanley]

The shed will probably take a hit today! For a start I was a bit late up and then got mail asking for information about events long ago. The surprising thing to me is that I thought the enquirer knew the facts. Add to that that I am the only one alive who knows the full story and the enquiry merits a full reply.
This was a curve ball, I had always assumed from other evidence that the enquirer knew the 'secret'. Not very often you get mails like that! The terrible thing to me that has caused me to question some other assumptions I had made, this is a matter that goes back almost fifty years and it's a disgrace he was never told.
So I shall be busy rewriting a personal history. It will be life changing for the person concerned. Thank God he asked me the question.

[Sue]

Morning

Its a little cool this morning, see what the day brings. Over Filey way I heard people talking about a lack of rain, not so here. It obviously rained whilst we were away, yet more flower heads have rotted. The rain gauge showed 2 cm of rain since we left on Wednesday. We had three lovely days. We had a lovely day at Malton and Fountains Abbey yesterday, managing another day of 6 miles plus just strolling and doing a set walk along the river and back. Now back to the status quo. We loved Filey and surrounding area, not so much Scarborough. Everyones attitude was different too. Most wore masks, and politely sidestepped as you approached. This is not what we endure here!

On our return yesterday I picked about 9 tomatoes and many more were colouring up. I made room in the greenhouse for the pots with my summer squash plants with the hope of keeping them going long enough to actually get some squash. The courgettes are over, the beans have produced two beans and the butternut squash are dying without even flowering. What a miserable summer produce wise !

Its Bacup market this morning, then I have no plans. I may make tge pattern for my pilates leggings. This evening is tge U3A ZOOM wine appreciation group .

Its raining again

Have a good day everyone

[Stanley]

As I suspected, the shed went overboard. I have spent two hours writing an explanation for my correspondent. Now I wait to see if I have shed light or lobbed a grenade into his life. Interesting thing Life....
I like your comment about masks in Filey and Scarborough Sue. Sorry you find it different at home. It's a shame isn't it, all that's needed is a bit of thought and common courtesy. I don't wear one on my walks but make sure I keep well away from everyone. It's different shopping of course.
On masks, I smile every time I see someone waking towards the Co-op, stopping suddenly and retracing their steps. I've done it myself, you set off then remember you forgot the mask!

[Sue]

As I suspected, the shed went overboard. I have spent two hours writing an explanation for my correspondent. Now I wait to see if I have shed light or lobbed a grenade into his life. Interesting thing Life....
I like your comment about masks in Filey and Scarborough Sue. Sorry you find it different at home. It's a shame isn't it, all that's needed is a bit of thought and common courtesy. I don't wear one on my walks but make sure I keep well away from everyone. It's different shopping of course.
On masks, I smile every time I see someone waking towards the Co-op, stopping suddenly and retracing their steps. I've done it myself, you set off then remember you forgot the mask!

Your story about your enquiry sounds to have stirred up something from the past. I hope it isn’t too traumatic for the person concerned..

We always carry a mask in a small plastic bag in our pockets. We took several with us as we did want the freedom to go in and out of places as we wanted. At the toilets at the National Trust places you could not enter without a mask and sanitising your hands. You certainly couldn’t go in a rush , what with queuing, finding your mask, and hand sanitising . At least you felt safe. We didn ‘t generally wear them but lots did, especially older people a d often children in a family group of wearers. It was the polite giving way and sidestepping that really struck us and polite notices written by shop keepers , stuck in their windows and on doors.

[Sue]

Just got my first two genealogy assessments back. 100% on both. Thats cheered me up and instilled some enthusiasm

[Stanley]

Re. masks... That sounds civilised Sue.
As for the revelation the immediate response from the enquirer is "Thank You, thank you. I shall digest this and respond". Sounds as though I might have got it right!

[Stanley]

Despite my back nagging me my first target this morning is to clear the bend in the flue on my Morso stove, a major operation. it involves getting on the floor!

[Sue]

Morning

Its a misty start this morning, I don’t know if it will clear although it is supposed to be dry this morning, rain is forecast for this afternoon.

Yesterday I did some washing and ironing then spent most of the rest of the day doing some genealogy charts for my course. I shall probably finish those today, completing assessment 3.
This morning is yoga. I may cut my clematis back later if it stays dry long enough.

Not much more to say except I have nearly finished my antibiotics and the lump on my gum has come back, so I don’t think that has worked. The agreement with the dentist was to take the antibiotics and do five more days of salt washes before I get back to her. There appears to be no change in the tooth. Whatever is wrong is persistent.

Have a good day everyone

[Stanley]

Morning Sue. Too persistent for comfort! I do hope you get an improvement soon. When something hangs on like that you begin to wonder what will happen if it has a flare-up.
On reflection I ditched anything outside my walks today. Bugger the stove, it can wait! My back is trying to tell me something. Just had my second short walk, it has stopped raining but is still clouded over. Very noticeable that the foliage of the trees on the green is past its best and starting to change.

[Sue]

Morning Sue. Too persistent for comfort! I do hope you get an improvement soon. When something hangs on like that you begin to wonder what will happen if it has a flare-up.

It has got worse through out the day. Another phone call to the dentist in the morning. I see Rochdale is 0.5 off the magic 50 Covid numbers , when all we will be able to see is each other, no mixing at all outside of the house. All Boroughs creeping up, yet UK as a whole still one of the lowest in Europe. I read a BBC article today that they have found the test throws up positive for dead viruses too! They are now going to try and develop a test that calibrates for the number of live viruses. They think a lot of results are false positives from people who have been ill and did not know . Will this never end