Monday 17th April 2017

Persian: دوشنبه 2017 آوریل 17

0305hrs: Woke up, at least I thought I did, in a hospital ward from years ago, a cuddly but friendly Matron leaning over the bed. Along with a selection of different period dressed nurse looking down at me, a half-eaten slice of bread and lard on the bed cover, with the sound of Nelson Riddle’s (1956) ‘Lisbon Antigua’ playing in the background?

Link to hear the music: Nelson Riddle tune

A chap (Steve, an old mate from school who seemed to have aged well) joined us and apologised for hitting me over the head with a milk crate in 1952? Apparently, he’d mistook me for someone else.

I woke up for real at 0425hrs. Had a dizzy spell, then found an almost neatly written scribbled note about the dream on my notepad, can’t recall writing it though. I even wrote the time of the dream? No real memories, just the extremely clear and lucid (For me anyway) notes to copy. Weird.

To the kitchen to put the kettle on and check I’d not left the hot tap running or oven on. All okay! Anne Gyna and Duodenal Donald were playing up. Took the morning medications and found one tablet left in last night’s dosage pot. I’d missed taking the Ramipril tablet, no wonder Duodenal Donald was acting up with me. Tsk!

An abrupt demand from the innards persuaded me to attend the porcelain throne ASAP. Where, I sat, struggled and pondered on life’s problematical nature. Recalled I’ve to go to the camera lesson later, decided to walk into Sherwood and hope to catch a bus into town – then thinking it was a bank holiday Monday.

Maybe there will be no buses at all? Tormented with making decisions as I am nowadays, I eventually decided to leave early and walk into town. This I analysed, would be less risky than walking into Sherwood to catch a bus and finding none are running and be late for the lesson? Haemorrhoid Harold bled, and Little Inchy was red and sore with just the tiniest spot of dried blood to clean up.

Over the next ten minutes, as I sat there on my porcelain throne, in pain trying to encourage things to move, and doing my best to sort out the jargogle ridden brain, the lesson, the bank to visit, getting more and more bewildered with my answers – I gave up trying.

Doctored the area needing such actions, washed, shaved (Only two cuts today), the skin cancer spot changed colour and returned to the kitchen to make another mug of tea to replace the one that had gone cold.

Having struggled on the throne, I took an extra Senna tablet.

Started this post off, Then set about finishing yesterday’s diary.

Got ablutions sorted and spit and polished me up and set off out to walk into Sherwood. Met Frak and his better half in the foyer and had a little chinwag.

Hobbled along Chestnut Walk and right down Winchester Street and talk about lucky… a number 40 bus going to town arrived at the bus stop as I was passing it! So I got on it, and to town. A bit of luck there, it always worries me when I have good fortune yer know, I’m not used to it! Hehe!

Got off in town with plenty much time to spare, so I wandered into Victoria Centre (Mall) and had a plod around.

Naughty Nottingham Pavement cyclist on the way, weaving between the pedestrians again. Humph!

Hobbled into the building and met another tenant, Brian in there. Had a gossip.

The market was not open today, so no chance of any fresh pod garden peas. Many units had closed down, but at the same time, some new ones had opened.

I wasn’t sure if this new one. Sloane Brothers Frozen Yoghourt was to open later or not.

Out of the other end and I limped over to Trinity Square.

The new gigantic eaterie. Curious Manor still had no customers or even passing trade.

Shame.

I decided to take some photographicalisation locally of the empty retail units along the Upper Parliament Street area.

They did not take much finding at all this

murky morning.

The old John Collier shop which changed to Burton’s Tailors when they bought them out, looked particularly barren and sad. Even worse with the office units above having no tenants in them.

Not the Nottinghomians persisting with their mission to ignore the red ‘Don’t Cross’ lights?

Spotted some more Nottingham Street Art on the floor near the Wilko store.

I popped into it to get some soap. Came out with Bird Suet, scouring pads, two bars of Dettol brand soap, a travelling clock for a quid on special offer and some shaving foam.

At least I remembered the soap. Haha!

Out and resumed the empty retail units photographicalisational mission.

As I say, they were not hard to find.

King and Queen Street had their share of abandoned shops too.

Even the famous in Nottingham Hallam jewellery shop had closed and they moved to trading on the internet now, the sign said.

At the end of the street what used to be the Gas Board shop and offices, and was taken over by the private company Midlands Gas Fires years ago, was now bereft of any tenant.

They were now trading only from their other retail shop in Stapleford I think it was or is I should say.

A big building to get anyone interested in opening a retail store in it?  To take it over?

And at the wrong end of town for customers to park, apart from the Victoria Centre underground car park ran by JCP. With charges currently at:

Up to 2 hours £3.50, Up to 3 hours £4.50, Up to 4 hours £6.00, Up to 5 hours £9.00
Up to 6 hours £12.00, and 6 – 24 hours £15.00. Not cheap, and at weekends and holidays it is usually the first one to fill up despite it having 2,700 spaces.

The old bank building on Milton Street is now another KFC outlet with seating upstairs for 150 and down 90.

But I have never seen it full when passing. With McDonald’s and Burger King so close by, I wonder how any of them make any money?

The sign below was outside a deserted Hair Dressing unit.

All of these deserted shops were within a few hundred yards of each other.

People, cyber friends tell me it is the same in their city.

Doesn’t bode well for the future, does it?

I made my way to the Jessop camera shop for the lesson. A different young chap, this time. Young, good looking, fit, educated and affluent. I hated him! Not really, only joking.

He went through each question I asked him. When I asked what the two wheels were, one on the left one behind last time, that chap told me not to worry about them, I’ll not need them. This chap said the difference they make and how the left on needs setting to suit my eyesight and not changing again.

He told me how to do it, and concentrate on the letters and numbers clarity as opposed to the quality if the picture. This one corrected the viewfinder. Excellent view after I’d done this.

He then showed me how to do Scenic shots moving the camera and took one for me. (Left below) Then I tried one, catching his face in it (Right below).

We then took a close up of an individual item on the desk. So I could use it on the TFZ site as a ‘What is it’ competition come puzzle.

He then set the photograph output style size for me.

The time was up that I’d paid for, but he then pointed out some other options I could use.

He then took this one of the room. I can’t remember why, though.

Nice of him.

I noticed later when I’d got back and updated this diary, the blue streaks? Was it like this in the room?

I gave him an Easter egg and departed. Feeling a lot better than on my last visit, the stairs were coped with up and down a lot better today.

I did forget to ask him what the T-W option and little round button were for the left? Tsk!

Even more good luck then, I limped to the 40 bus stop, and one was due in four minutes. Met a lady for the private home on the same road as my flats and had a nice chinwag with her en route. She told of where she had been on holiday (Egypt, Morocco, France and Germany) and where she was going this year Italy and Greece. They were as part of a Sea Cruise holiday. I was a bit jealous I must admit, Shame – Hehe!

We got off together and I walked her to her flats compound.

To my apartment and first thing needed was a wee-wee. So I had one.

Washed the dandies and got the meal prepared for later. Ready made Beef in black bean sauce to go in the oven later. Made some caramelised gravy and added mushrooms garden peas and leeks to it. Put the oven on to warm up for the beef.

Then got this chronicle updated.

My concentration was ephemeral, like the memories, I found hard to recall and so much needed doing to get the graphicationalistical presentation something like right.

Went to make a cuppa and just had to take this scene of the sky when I saw it.

I’ll save this to do some doctoring with it perhaps later.Did some WordPressing.

Did some WordPressing.

Then caught up with a graphic.

Posting a graphic and Facebook went down Again! Grefficalblowit!

Got the fodder served up.

Tasty nosh, a bit too much tasty nosh actually, but I gobbled it all up.

Took the dish, tray and cutlery into the kitchen and sink to soak a while… a depressing wet and warm sensation came from the lower regions… Oh dear me.

Little Inchy’s lesion was bleeding again.

Had a cleanup and medicationalisation session, and wearily climbed into the £300 second-hand recliner. Having a strange thought as I did so. “Why do recliners like these always come in beige, browns, greys or greens? Why not, heliotrope and lemon tartan or bright purple and pink? Hehe!

Soon drifted off before the first commercial break on the TV. Waking up, what seemed minutes later but was actually an hour or so, having dreamt of being chased by cyclists and disabled scooter riders along a path high up on a cliff edge, while having an eristic inner argument with myself about the unfairness of the world? Occasionally turning and firing a water pistol at my pursuers. Very odd! They caught me, tied me into a fairground dodgem and threw me over off the path. I seemed fully content as I fell towards what looked like a tropical forest below and wondered if I’d left the tap running in the kitchen and so glad I didn’t have to worry about this anymore?

Up for a wee-wee, and head down again.