Enforced absence

WE ARE delighted to be back after an en enforced absence of several months, including the week His Serenity John Robert-Blunn recently spent in Stepping Hill Hospital after admission as an emergency’ He had visited the antcoagulant clinic clinic, having literally been carried in by André (one of the volunteer drivers who take HS to the many essential medical and hopital appointments). Bioscientists tool blood samples and within minutesHS was being wheeled to A&E and then to the very medical assessment unit. He was admitted to ward A1 (as you’d expect) at 2.21am.when a bed became free. For the first two days, because he was too weak to walk, HS had to use a commode, but on the third day, with the help of a frame, he was able to get to the lavatory on his own — to his great relief. The past two years have been the most difficult HS can remember as his health worsened dramatically, sometimes being ‘seriously at risk’. On Christmas day he was unable to reach St Mark’s — a mere 100 metres away —for the morning communion, That day all he consumed two cuppasoups...We mention this not to gain sympathy, but to explain to subscribers why the Charivari has been missing so long. We thank them for their patience and goodwill messages.We also thank all those friends who have helped. It would be invidious to name them, but John Featherstone really does deserve a special mention for all that he has done for HS.This catch-up edition, finally prepared while the tradesmen who ripped out the bathroom of Molys Hyse to prepare for the installation of a wetroom, will surely have many avoidable errors, including literals (known to the ignorant as typos). We can’t find the spell-checker. Please forgive them: at least we’ve got the show back on the road: and HS managed to buy hundreds of stamps on the last day before Royal Mail increased postal rates by 20 per cent for its unspeakably unreliable, dismal service. (On Wedy April 9, the mail, including the previous Saty’s Spectator) was delivered at 6.15pm.
FURTHER delay to getting out this issue was caused by having to wait in for the weekly blister pack of seven drugs (recently reduced from ten) the daily visit of an agency carer to make sure HS has swallowed them and to check that he’s alive, dressed and has had a hearty breakfast of brought-in wrapped, sweating white nylon bread (as Arvid Yansons used to call the stuff the British prefer).