edcayton

I bought a pill cutter from the pharmacist, and now have half a pill (Canderel) in my large mug at home. When I'm out I now have nowt, as I now find tea too sweet with sugar or sweeteners. Ed

Twins? Ed

Good evening all. Jock, your news really upset me as it reminded me of my Mum's fight with this bloody awful disease, Please keep fighting for your family's sake-they need you around for as long as possible. I drove my friend's Mum to Addenbrooks Hospital in Cambridge yesterday, as she was too ill to do it. It is Mahoosive, like a city out of Star Wars. They have built a new road to get straight from the M11 to the hospital, and this runs past acres of new "housing". Have we not learnt the lessons of the slums we built in the 60's? This stuff is ugly and cramped and people deserve better. Our party consisted of Jess, who is 88 and wobbly, Brian who is totally blind but in reasonable shape and his daughter Janet who is young, fit and strong. She is also registered blind, but has some sight. I don't understand how much she can see and she is fiercely independent. Me, I'm just fat and lazy. Each of us has a "blue badge" so I think we had a right to park in a disabled bay! The others made a fine sight as they set off to find the appointment. Jess was in a rented wheelchair with Janet pushing and Brian holding on to find the way. I just minded the car. So, how many does it take to go to an appointment? Ken and Hayley are up for a couple of days before they return to work next week. They have a beautiful memories box of little Pip that the hospital gave them which included some photo's. He had perfect little hands and feet, but not much of a head. They made prints of his feet, and these will be incorporated into the tattoos. The gave them a "birth certificate" which gave an age of 14 weeks and a birth weight of 24 grams. That's less than an ounce. Ken's first words to me were "please don't say you're sorry". There were hugs and tears but I did my best to keep strong. Best wishes to all Ed

Moving forward..... Ed

May not aid the construction though! Morning all. Ed

I hope you have been round to tell the householder Mike. It's perfectly possible that they are in ignorance of their builder's inadequacies. (OTH if it's a DIY job you may get a punch on the nose!). Ed

"I think he/she wants us to follow him/her", could be a dog, horse, kangaroo or dolphin. Good morning all. Surely missile subs with no missiles is as sensible as aircraft carriers with no aircraft? Ed

.....Bob Newhart, Tom Lehrer...... Morning all. Ed

Thanks all. Good night. Ed

Evening all. What should have been my first grandchild, Pip was "born" at 21.30 yesterday evening. They did get to hold him to say hello and goodbye, Ken couldn't tell me more than that yet. They have taken the little chap away for a PM in the hope that some reason can be found. They gave Ken and Hayley a memory box and some photo's. Hayley wants to get home and get on with her life. Ken has the difficult job of supporting her and being strong himself after the family leave. I guess that's all folks. Ed

Try a Doro Phone-easy. My blind friend gets on well with his. Available at most Tesco's where you can try it, I think you can get it on most networks and fairly cheap. Ed

I'm pleased to say that both my kids keep in shape by eating well and doing things like half marathons and these muddy assault courses. They don't want to end up like me or, to a lesser extent their mum, as crippled obese diabetics with cardiac problems. Ed

The problem, Gordon, is that there really are more "disabled" people/drivers. With the obesity epidemic (and I not only include myself in this, I was ahead of the game) and rampant diabetes there is a huge cohort of waddling fatties that really can't walk far. Many of these people use electric buggies; you tell me if they are in the buggy because they are fat, or they are fat because they use a buggy rather than walk. I so much hope that my foot gets better so I can go back to walking more. They are talking on t'wireless at the moment about policing school lunch boxes. Part of me is appalled by this, but the fact is the kids are eating sh1te and spending all their time in front of screens. Despite the shape I've turned out when I was a kid I was out in the street playing football or cricket every day, and went miles on my bike exploring the area. My kids don't really know their way around Stevenage. There, that's my rant over. Mods please note that any non-PC content of this post applies to me, so I am entitled to use it Bro'. Ed I am delighted to say that there is a green opposite my house, and kids play on it most of the time. My previous neighbour kept telling them not to. You have an annual check twice a year?

I used to enjoy marking. I found it impossible to do at work in an "open plan" staff room, so on Sunday mornings I shut myself away in the study with the radio on quietly and just got on with it. I was especially fond of engineering design assignments which (hopefully) produced as many different solutions as there were students. Ed

Hello all. Many thanks for all the ticks and messages. It has been very much appreciated and has confirmed my decision to post it on here as the correct one.Ken and Hayley saw the consultant yesterday and after a more comprehensive scan he confirmed the sonographer's diagnosis. If you want bad dreams then google holoprosencephaly and look at the images. They did get a copy of one of the scan photo's and sent it to me. I have to say that I can make nothing out. They had already named the baby Pip before knowing the sex. The advice was that Pip would almost certainly abort spontaneously, and that even if carried to term would likely be stillborn or live for an hour or two at most. They made the difficult decision to have a termination, and of course I'll support them in that. Hayley hoped to get a surgical termination under general anaesthetic, but was told that only private clinics can do that. So she was given a pill to start the process and they go back Wednesday or Thursday when further medication will be given. There is a special suite for these cases, with a separate entrance from the "normal" maternity wards. They are getting bereavement counselling, Hayley's Mum and big Sis are there and Ken's Mum is going down tomorrow. I feel useless and helpless. My health won't allow me to go, but in any case I'd just get in the way. I'm going to stop typing now and immerse myself in the world of toy trains and other frippery. Thank you all again for your support. Ed

My son and his wife had the 12 week scan on my first grandchild yesterday. We were all excited because they were convinced it was twins. Far from it, they were told that the baby is "not viable" because the brain has not developed.I was sworn to secrecy before the scan "just in case", I don't think that matters now. They are seeing the consultant on Monday and we'll know more then. Poor Hayley has to spend the weekend knowing that the poor mite inside her has no chance,but I might have changed my views on abortion.Writing this has made me cry again, but I know it has helped others to share stuff. Please don't tell them I told you. Ed

Well worth going to the MCC Land's End Trial. I'd recommend Bluehills near Perranporth. An eclectic mix of vehicles with approachable owners. For roundy I'd agree with the others, look at MG, Triumph and Jaguar amongst others. Ed

ISTR cycling to my local Esso and persuading them to give me stick-on bullet holes. They appeared on my tracker bike and bedroom window, Dad wouldn't have them on the car nor I on my best bike (Raleigh Riviera, bottle green bought from Currys in Dumfries in 1965 for passing the 11+). Ed

If future generations want steam they can build it. This generation has done way beyond what could have been expected in preserving and operating railways. Re Scotsman in particular. If we knew then what we know now then perhaps it might have been an idea to build a replica and plinth the original. I'm glad they (we?) didn't. I don't care how many new bits she's got there is still the spirit of the original (like my 1971 MG). Congratulations and thanks to all involved, and I look forward to seeing her again whatever livery, but will admit to a sneaking preference to what I believe will be the first when on BR. Ed

T9ny? You're right, that is a strange predictive text. Ed

Robert-London Ashford International Airport. Malcolm-ISTR you saying that you were not in line to inherit the house, so why should you know where the deeds are? Ed (13th in the queue to speak to the hospital appointment line)

Martin, that must have been a very worrying Christmas for you all. Really glad she's back home, and hope things get back to normal for you soon. Best wishes to you all Ed

Surely the basic loco is the English Electric 350 hp shunter, built in batches for various customers over several years. I think that most railwaymen refer to them as "350's" rather than 08's. I don't know who designed/specified the things in the first place, but I think that all the big four had versions.* Ed *well,ish after looking a bit more carefully!

Morning all. Happy new year to you. I fell asleep before Jools's party and woke up after it had finished, so the bottle of Asti is still in the fridge, possibly for another year. No 2 son took me out yesterday to help me get a new telephone. I am now the proud possessor of a Samsung Galaxy J5 (I think). It is very pretty and, whilst complicated, I am finding it much easier to use than the old one because the screen seems to respond to touch and swipe better than the old one. Ed

I can only think that they make their money on the test strips. Both my meters have been given to me by Diabetes Nurses who have cupboards bulging with the things, #Ed the hash thingy was by mistake, rather than an attempt to be cool.