Our Phili-Pam

Hi all, One of our regular grocery items is porridge. Pam was ace at doing porridge, I always took for granted, all I did was add syrup to my bowl, then just a topping of full cream milk. Eating that took me back to winter breakfasts at Sewell Highway during my school days. I've tried various cooking methods since I've been Roland Mount new trainee cook of the year. Microwave or pot cooking, but one gem that is on balance an expensive way to have porridge is Quaker Oats So Simple. Pam & I share a pot, which is fine for us & does balance the high comparative cost of instant porridge. It's for me the nearest to my memory taste of long ago. Beautiful. It's now a confirmed favourite, a pack of five on this week's order as usual. Have a good day all.

Hi Philip, so sorry to hear your wife Pam is poorly, keep strong. I have only met you once, that was at a Belgrade breakfast meeting a couple of years ago and found you to be a real gentleman. You are a steam railway fan like myself and noticed a couple of years ago you were looking for photos of Wycliffe Hall. I posted one at the time and have now found another. Hope you like it and the description. Regards, Brian (Binkey11)

Hi & thank you for the picture & your message of love. What a treat. Our church Sunday school hall is named Wycliffe Hall, in memory of the Wycliffe translators. The nameplate from the loco hangs securely at the entrance. Again, thank you so much.

A huge, possibly crunch day for Pam & I. She sees her oncologist today. Pam has not been receiving chemotherapy since November, the effects last a long time, but her system may show what is in front, we being so aware that there's no more in the armoury. Understandably, folk are often reticent of sharing this kind of issue, but Pam & I always try to face the music & dance. Also, it is a real statement of the value of our forum & friends. No matter what, her faith is so strong. My son is driving her to her appointment, but is excluded from the consultancy, just as I am. Pam isn't one for lip service, she tells it as it is. Last evening, she said to me "I'm not going alone". God bless you all.

Sending you all a very tight hug and wishes and prayers and love.

Hi Helen, Sometimes, a so called faith can mask reality. Neither Pam or I are under any illusion regards the gravity of the sittuation, in fact it's a stark sober reality. Scripture doesn't promise anyone anything more than today on Earth. It's almost a mind custom that as we get old and expire, that's normal in society. That is fact. I was devastated when my grandson lost a school chum his age, she wasn't aged. Our forum team member MR might remember a school chum in our early years when his sad loss was announced in assembly. It was so hard for a very close friend, to visit Pam in hospital before lockdown, as Ward 35 was the ward that he last visited his lovely Judith, who we loved so much. At this point in time, you Helen, Pam & I are here, Pam so weak but sharp as a button. She calls out (not too loud) my random bank codes for my routine online check. God bless you Helen, your support is real.

You mentioned recently how you lose yourself in the stories you read/hear and I'm very much the same. I'm afraid I use it as a way of avoiding bad news. I arrived here at Historic Coventry because my adored parents were very poorly. This community is a special place because in many ways you saved me. Your kindness in particular has been a beacon. I'm sure my family thought I'd go nuts... well ok, more than normal. Sometimes the help you need isn't what you ever expected or even thought of. Wishing you the same.

Well, Helen, life goes on for Pam, sadly not for HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. Pam has a few more miles to add to her clock yet, she's been told. She faces treatment next week as an overnight patient at Walsgrave, her cancer isn't racing away. Some of her poorly state is recovering from her chemo. So, we pick up the pieces and carry on. Fish pie tonight.

Hi all & Hi Helen, Continuing conversation from weather & blether If Pam was to come home just now, it would be on a stretcher. She is so poorly. The transfusion that she had might eventually give her a bit of zip. What a fabulous technology that we have. The skills & dedication, not JUST our forum. A nurse has just sorted her phone charging point out, Pam has just phoned me to say. Her first question was had I had my dinner. Her 36 years in the NHS, always thinking about others. Helen, my roast chicken dinner was lovely. I really enjoyed it as though it was a feast. Love to you all.

She'll feel a bit better knowing that you're taking care of yourself. I'm glad the roast didn't disappoint. I'm sorry that she can't be at home at the moment but from experience I know that phone calls are very comforting. More hugs.

I do so love our forum. Upon my retirement from paid work, it gave me a new outlook & purpose, or to be honest an excuse for travelling out & about. My vision issues restrict my driving, so public transport was the name of the game. That then got coupled with an escort volunteer duty where I was escorting patients to various hospitals & clinics all over the Midlands, my bus pass included the local trains. Pam's illness brought that to an end, so now I'm a desk or armchair recipient to our forum delights. For all of the warts of the pandemic, our forum has filled so many holes. I can't wait for a forum breaky, Pam's condition permitting, to shake folks hands, to hold & hug the special folk who have kept our forum going. I don't just mean the control team. Some of you control out of office as it were, I'm so grateful to you all. It's sometimes easy to make lip comments behind the obscurity of the internet, but my comments are body language, that can't be so easily hoodwinked. Love to you all.

Warning, there will be a story coming up soon, there will, there will. You will like it, not a lot, you will you will. Actually, a drama group performed this story as a sketch from my notes, to much enjoyment. Be warned.

Are you sitting comfortably, I will begin. Once upon a time, I went on a train journey to Peterborough. A very lovely & best friend John asked if I would like to accompany him on part of his journey to Cromer. It was a lovely journey, from the Ricoh, via Nuneaton, travelling through Rutland. He asked me if I would like to accompany him on his homeward journey later in the week. I was delighted. A week on, I was on my way again to Peterborough. I sat next to a couple bound for their holiday in Sheringham. The gent, David his name, made a comment that fired this off. He said I was dressed so smart for a holiday journey. THE ACT. "Oh know" I replied, "I'm on route to collect an old boy who is sectioned" I continued "No-one knows how many scalps he has skinned, he was feared by the Krays". Anyway, we parted company at Peterborough. John's train from Cromer wasn't due for an hour, so I had a few minutes trainspotting. The train that John was on was the train to Nuneaton & Birmingham, which I joined. I didn't realise that the guard was the same guard that was on the up train, now returning to Birmingham. He had overheard my act conversation with the holiday couple & thought that I was joking. He inspected my ticket but didn't bother with John's. At Nuneaton, as John & I were getting off, he said to me how brave that I was. He does look a brute. I couldn't keep this secret from John, who couldn't understand why his ticket wasn't inspected. Sat next to the fugitive! He's totally harmless next to me in our garden. I've always enjoyed amateur drama, musical accompanying being my game, but always willing to do a part when asked. PS. It takes a bit of effort to carry that kind of make believe off. It also has risks. Someone play acting a medic is going to look very foolish if caught up in an emergency. We learn that over years doing amateur drama. Please be careful. Another point is now useful drama is for life skills. No matter if it's a panto or what. Interaction with other folk, precise timing & so on I'm sure helped me in my role at work. So my appeal is, if you're close to a drama group, young or old, it just might be fun as well as educational. Getting under the skin of someone that you are portraying helps with understanding literature, or an issue effecting a family member. I make much of my sustaining faith in my trials with my Pam's illness, but being her principal carer, I'm just that. I only need a uniform. When I'm slaving all day at the cooker, preparing a 30 minute lunch, I'm Fanny Craddock. Yes & Pam has bought me a teacupcake apron. Getting lost inside a character is as good as getting lost in a novel. That has been such a help to me.

Hi all, If there's one lesson in life that I'm learning about all of the time, it's don't give up on anything that matters to you or me. When Pam disappeared inside a blue light ambulance late on mothering Sunday afternoon, I wondered if I would see her again on Earth. I warned our close family to be ready for any eventually. Oh she really went through the mill. After coming home, she entered hospital again, for a scheduled set of treatments. Once again she came home. Weak but bright. She knows that her only treatment is palliative care, "but so what" she says.