The day started off to the peals of rolling thunder but this was not outside but an option available under the Alexa suite of programs to help to induce sleep. I selected this on a whim and it must have worked in the middle of the night because I did not stay awake for very long. I was up quite bright and early, ready to greet our two carers one of whom was both new to us and fairly new in the job as well. I suspect she was a little nervous but anxious to please but had she arrived slightly in advance of the other carer, I took the opportunity to introduce her to our little systems with which she will no doubt familiarise herself were she to become a regular carer. I had been expecting our son to come over fairly early in the morning and he would have done were it not for the fact that the battery in his car had gone flat and even the first aid supplied from the garage who supplied him with the car did not do much to resolve the problem so a new battery needed to be installed. But the new battery was of a higher capacity to the one that it replaced so one wonders whether the battery supplied when the car was new was somewhat under-specified. When our son did call around, I was eager to get all of his news after his recent hospital stay and he now seems to be on the mend but he realises (and I keep nagging him) to the effect that he really does have to take it easily and ease himself back into work which will no doubt be horrendous once he is back in harness. I am relieved, though, that he is to have a meeting with his line manager early on next week and no doubt a somewhat lighter scheduLe of work might be heLpful until his long function is more fully restored.
As it was quite a beautiful fine and clear day with just a hint of winter warmth, I pushed Meg down the hill to take a coffee in Waitrose. We dod not expect to see any of our regulars on a Friday but we did get into conversation with a couple who lived in an avenue round the corner from us in which there is a field (soon to be built on) separating our respective roads. They recognised me by sight and said that they had often observed me pushing Meg up and down the hill. Later we had a few words with a gentleman who we know quite well by sight and have, on occasion, shared a joke with him. I just got the feeling that he might be a retired schoolteacher from Bromsgrove School as he had that kind of bearing. So I pluck up my courage and approached him asking if he was a retired academic. He explained that he had been a GP and then moved into a role where he was engaged in some medical research and even advised the courts on occasion. We ascertained that we had both acquired our PhD's late in life (i.e. in our 50's and not our 20's) and then swapped some observations about the distinctions between and appropriateness of parametric vs. non-parametric tests of significance in statistical research. But we could not prolong the conversation because Meg was getting a little cold and impatient to be off so we made our way home. We were expecting a visit from the Occupational Therapist some time after 1.00pm and he turned up, together with a student on attachment and the sole carer all at the same time. We thought that we might have to hoist Meg into her new chair so that the OT could check that all was well but we explained that we were very satisfied (in fact, delighted) with it all and I acquired an email address so that I could write a note to his superiors commending him for a superb service, given that the chair arrived n about three weeks. in the early afternoon, we got the vote for the Assisted Dying Bill in the House of Commons and the Bill was approve in the second reading by a majority of 55. The debate proved to be the House of Commons at its best with each side respecting the firmly held convictions of the other side and allowing interventions when necessary to clarify or to reinforce particular points. Of course it was a free vote as the bill was a Private Member's bill and was an issue of conscience like the Abortion Law Reform bill sponsored by David Steele in the 1960's. The Bill now goes into committee where it will be argued over line by line and it is possible that amendments might be made which would then have to be approved in further votes in the House of Commons before the eventual Third Reading. A majority of 55 was perhaps a little more that might have been expected but it appears that a majority of Tories voted against the bill, a majority of Labour MPs for it with significant exceptions on both sides. I would be amazed, though if the House of Lords were not to amend it or throw it out completely. Although a Private Members Bill, the government will now be involved in severely practical details such as can the NHS cope with the increased demand on its resources and a parallel argument applies to the judiciary as well.
On the news, there were some clips of video of Notre Dame in Paris after its restoration. The French President, Emmanuel Macron was being given a preview but I think the formal reopening ceremony is due in about a week's time. I understand that the French ecclesiastical authorities were keen for the Pope to perform a reopening ceremony but the Vatican was not playing ball on this one, using the excuse that France was too secular a society nowadays. But the restoration work seemed stunning. When Meg and I went round it approximately ten years ago its was a bit grimy but the whole cathedral has been restored to its former glory. I think a lot of oak trees had to be felled in France to replace the originals destroyed in the fire but the French have managed a restoration in about 5 years which is remarkable. But being one of the national symbols of French art and culture, I think that the restoration went ahead whatever the cost.
© Mike Hart [2024]