Sick Man Blues

Got back from Florida last Friday.  Had a couple of hours rest and then got up. A suggestion from my brother, Neill, to beat jet lag. 

Having kitchen fitters in does help with early mornings and no lie-in.

Saturday was a bit knackered and had a lie-in. Sunday up to get to the County for the monthly Meldrews Meeting.

Monday went to work. Feeling okay.

About halfway started to feel warm. Took off sweatshirt. Hotter. Hotter. Sweating. Chilling.

Then apparently I passed out.

I was helped off the train by a kind lady who turned out to be a nurse.  I was sick on the platform. She stayed with me for about twenty minutes. I was so out of it I can't remember her name.

Some British Transport Police came along and called a Paramedic.  She came quickly on her bicycle.  Fully equipped.  Did blood pressure and heart rate. Then when I told her what drugs I am on she called an ambulance. Possible heart attack?

The station guys were excellent and took me to the first aid room. More vomiting on the way. Ambulance was there.

They took some ECG's  and saw some iregularities, but each one they did was the same. 

Firstly under blue lights and sirens we went to St Bartholomew's (Barts) where I was wired up again for more ECG's.  Same result. They decided that there was no coronary problem.  Back to the ambulance and more sedately to The Royal London Hospital. One of the oldest hospitals in the capital.

Loads of tests and they determined that I had a normal fainting condition.  Body temp rising allied with low blood pressure and low heart rate and poof! Sparko!

Still feel tired and as we say cream crackered in Cockney Rhyming Slang. Saw my own doctor and advised not to exert myself and return to work on Monday

Work ain't gonna be happy.

Decembeard 2017

I have signed up again.  As I still have Decembeard 2016 around my face I will need to shave it off and start bare-faced from November 30th.

So if anyone wants to contribute, this is my fundraising page.

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/paul-devall-decembeard-2017

The more sophisticated can even donoate by SMS - Text PAGD50 £5 to 70070 to sponsor me - £5 is their suggestion and it can be anywhere between £1 (boo-hiss) to £1000 (gulp!)

As Seen from the Sidecar - Round the World Blog

An ambitious project to navigate the world on a small scooter with attached sidecar. 

I will be following this and made a donation to the cause earlier today. The donation actually entitles me to ride with them through the Eurotunnel as far as Paris. The first leg of their RTW trip.Whether I'll actually do that is debatable and under discussion with Claire.  The ride is only a week after we get back from Florida.

Slavery exists and needs to be stamped out across the globe. It was finally outlawed in 1807 in Britain and its Empire. Yet today it exists in many forms.   

Sign up to the blog and read the entries from the organisations they are hoping to support on the trip.

The guys don't set off until October 21st. Plenty of time to catch-up and even donate.

https://asseenfromthesidecar.org/blog/

Orlando City Soccer Club

I think I have become the 2017-18 season Jonah.

All the teams I have some history with are struggling.  Even the Arsenal.

But with the club of my childhood,  Oldham Athletic,  currently bottom of League 1 in England, and Zbrojovka Brno bottom of the Czech League,  it looked like my new international team in Orlando would be okay.

Sadly from being top of their MLS division they have failed to amass more than 4pts since I booked tickets and have sunk to 3rd from bottom.

Two places further to drop down the table  to match the others!!

At least Arsenal have managed to get to 12th of 20 in the Premier League.

Hopefully, Hurricane Maria withstanding,  they will rally when I am there at the end of September.

New Helmet - LS2 Wave

I have been looking of a light open face helmet for a while and missed out on some bargains over the summer. As the autumn sets in though, when you maybe don't want face and weather to meet, there are more bargains.

So I bought a LS2 OF561 Wave .  

It fits well and should do the trick for short rides out locally in the summer.   So it's in the wardrobe.

I chose the Titanium colour as another matt black helmet might not work!

Poppy Zip Tags

Guessed at what they will call them. Look like a good idea.

Bike stuff especially could do with some of these.

The British Legion are apparently trialling them in South and West Yorkshire!

So have to wait and see if they are produced in time for the start of the Poppy Appeal next month.

I could do with a few for bike gear and hoodies.

The Shard - Been. Done.

We were on the 1002 HS1 train from Folkestone West.  A coffee to sustain us on the 58 minute journey and it seemed that we were arriving.

A few minutes on the Northern Line and we were at London Bridge Station. The Shard View is signposted from in the station and we were there quickly.

Once checked in and through airline style  security we were in the first lift and whisked to the 33rd floor. Then across the hall and upto the 69 floor for the first viewing level.  Another coffee and a base at a table and chairs. Then we could take in the views. And take some pictures.

The difficulty is getting photos without too much glare from the windows.

The views are stunning over London but the weather wasn't good enough to see some of the landmarks they said you could.

From the Upper View there's not much difference except you can look up and see the top of the tower itself.

From here we decided it was lunch time. So down we went again. Two swift lifts and into the street.

We decided to head for Borough Market. Passing some pubs full of Leeds United fans. All carefully watched by police and a fair sprinkling of dogs.

The market is now gentrified. Where it would have been filled full of produce for the locals,  stuff brought in locally,   it is now more international. 

Cheese from France,  Italy and even Spain.  Olives from Greece. Plus restaurants.

We chose Maria's Market Cafe. A steak bap for Claire and a lamb one for me. Lovely. Can recommend.

We had a walk around. Only buying some goats cheese from French Comte.

And then with Reggie at home we decided to walk over London Bridge to get the Tube back to St Pancras.

We got a great view of the Shard and some other buildings. 

Once across the bridge we crossed the road. The view of the Monument is spectacular.

Then off to Bank Station to get the Tube. Our London day trip almost over.

Tower Bridge

St Paul's Cathedral

Thames Sailing Barges and HMS Belfast

Some further information:

Thames Sailing barges - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thames_sailing_barge

St Paul's Cathedral - https://www.stpauls.co.uk

Tower Bridge - http://www.towerbridge.org.uk/

HMS Belfast - http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/hms-belfast 

The Monument - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monument_to_the_Great_Fire_of_London

The Shard

A while back I was sent a free train ticket by Southeastern Trains. Maybe as a reward for their poor service over many years. It covers two people on their services.

Anyway it has to be used by the end of the month and so I thought a day trip to London would be good.

Since we have had Reggie we've not been able to have a day trip anywhere without taking him. We have tailored trips to include him. London isn't one of those places. 

So we have arranged for a local dog walker to come and collect him. Gulp.

He has been for a visit for Reggie to meet him. But hopefully with us not there Reggie won't attack him. One of Reggie's problems is that he can't be allowed to be at the front door when it is answered to visitors.  If he is out back and the visitors are in the lounge he runs in and wants then to play with him. Fingers crossed.

Looking for things to do and Claire saw the Shard was open. A search for tickets revealed many ticket agencies selling discounted tickets. I chose this one: http://www.attractiontix.co.uk/tickets/the-view-from-the-shard

I booked for tomorrow.  We can see about lunch at nearby Borough Market. 

It only recently opened fully after the terrible events of June 3rd when it was one of the scenes of an Islamic terror attack.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_London_attack

The Shard is nearby. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shard

Photos etc to follow.