Many shades of bad.

I got an unexpected holiday – Monday was like last day at work/school. Not a serious day at all.

This time last week I was on a madcap, gulp-it-all-down-while-you’ve-got-time sort of mood. It still gives me a warm glow to think about it – doesn’t the phrase ‘run like F@#K’ send a thrill up your spine?

Sunday night was special too – I stayed up till 3-00am watching a series of BBC4 docuementaries about Punk, what led up to it, what it was about. A lot of clips and interviews, some I’d seen before, some were new to me. Great bands; Dr Feelgood, Eddie and the Hot Rods, Ian Dury, Elvis Costelloe, Clash, Jam – do I need to go on? It was all about attitude.

As the long night went on, it was obvious to me as it was last December, that this Blog draws nothing from technology/software/nowstuff and everything from the DIY FU attitude of Punk and especially the Fanzines that it produced. That’s why people often don’t like the site – it’s a take it or leave it kind of thing and I’m stuck with that, like you’re stuck with me.

So I went to bed far too late and then woke up far too early – early enough to watch wisps of September clouds wandering slowly over August’s bright blue sky. I got three hours sleep.

At the clinic I was expecting bad (bad bad) news and while it was bad news it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. There are many shades of bad.

We’re (they’re) having a bit of a gamble – if it works out I win another three months and that sounds pretty good to me.

Monday night and I was just about tired out, ill and aching. Was I going to miss out? Well, not this time. I went off to my Jazz Club at;

 www.red-lion.info

I ended up in the back row – the naughty seats, where I deserved to be. The whole evening was like being a prop in a Dali painting. I wasn’t really able to settle. I wanted to be dancing on a table, this was more thoughtful stuff.

Here are the youngsters at the front, letting go;

 

 Mind you, Sam Mayne, when he’s wound himself up properly, plays a very expressive saxophone – lots of screams and shouts, but John Horler’s piano is always reflective and they played a couple of his quiet compositions; ‘One for Clifford’ and ‘Around in three’. My attention was wandering like those September clouds, then I noticed that the person next to me was playing ‘air piano’ on the table.

I really enjoyed the start of the second set – a one off trio of Trevor Tomkins on Drums, Dave Green really giving his Bass an outing and John Horler. I really enjoy quartet’s and even trio’s, but I have to admit that the number ‘five’ really packed them in this week while ‘four’ didn’t do it for anyone but me last week.

I’m pleased with what I have been able to do over the last 18 months. I can’t travel, can’t climb the mountains I’d love to clamber up, walk across the wild, wild cliff edges of the world. But I’ve made a difference. Did some good, had a few adventures and sometimes the keyboard is mightier than the sword.

Another three months, hey?

Tomorrow, off to the dentist.

Neil Harris.

(a don’t stop till you drop production)

Home:     helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com

Contact:  neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com

Here we go again.

Here we go again, another week, another solution for Wexham Park Hospital in Slough.

This time, we have been warned ‘this must take place quickly if it is going to happen’.

Oh no, we shouldn’t.

Remember the saying; act in haste, repent at leisure.

The new ‘big plan’, is that Frimley Park Hospital in Camberley should gobble up Heatherwood and Wexham Park NHS Trust. I imagine Frimley Park got worried that all the prime land at Ascot would be sold off if they didn’t get in quickly.

Problems;

Wexham Park at Slough has a mountain of debt and a poor reputation.

Heatherwood at Ascot has beautiful land in a really wealthy area. Good to sell off and then just do private operations in what’s left. That would appeal to the Sheiks and the New Russians when they are in town for the races.

St. Mark’s in Maidenhead – convenient but also looks like a very desirable property to speculators.

In contrast Frimley Park has a good reputation and has been a lot more careful with its money.

What would the people of Slough want? Do they actually want to go to Camberley or Bracknell?

This is what they need;

1) Government help in managing the financial mess.

2) A change of management.

3) A Clinical plan to sort out the important problems.

What will happen?

The management will get saved and/or get big fat redundancy cheques.

Hospitals will close, the land will be sold off. Patients will have to travel further and further – that is elderly, sick, vulnerable people whose relatives and friends are often in a similar state.

How did this happen?

The Government is at the root of all the problems at Slough – Government/NHS England should sort it out.

NHS financial allocations depend on population and this is measured by the census. Slough has had massive population growth, much of which has been missed by the last two censuses. The result is underfunded hospitals and G.P’s.

The closures of nearby A and E’s at High Wycombe and Heatherwood have sent huge numbers of extra patients to Wexham Park.

All this has been reflected in poorer outcomes and big  financial deficits.

When hospitals shut, they don’t open new ones. This merger hasn’t been planned, isn’t logical or convenient. It only helps the management out of the fix they are responsible for.

Time to fight back. Or do you want to go to Bracknell/Camberley?

Neil Harris

(a don’t stop till you drop production)

Home:      helpmesortoutstpeters.blogspot.com

Contact:   neilwithpromisestokeep@gmail.com