Weather again!!

I just thought I would mention this seeing as the weather has been so warm. Some people speak of it as an Indian summer (American Indians that is). Well it could be although we would expect more sunshine and an Indian summer can take place in October or November but technically not until we have had the first frost which we have had now. The warmth, although very mild and above the average, is not as uncommon as you might think. It has to go a long way to beat the record of above 29°C but that was at the begin of the month so is not really a true representation; none the less it was October. The record for the last week or so is around 23°C (73°F) somewhere along the south coast on or around the 26th. So a better guide to this time of month. It's worth noting that yesterday Benson was the warmest place in the UK at 19°C (66°F).

Colours / Red Kites

Well what a cracking day Sunday was weather wise and this looks to continue for most of the week. Out walking the dog and seeing some fantastic colours and light contrast. And to cap it all another wonderful aerial display by those majestic Red Kites darting and diving into each other and their colours matching all those Autumn colours of the trees.

On the topic of Red Kites you might be interested in: redkites.net.

Photosynth of Henley Town Hall

We've been playing with Microsoft's Photosynth recently. After a little trouble getting over 100 high resolution photos to upload into the system we can finally share our first "synth" of Henley Town Hall. Enjoy!

small print / LARGE "KEEP OUT"

Now I know this is not local issue but doesn't it just get up your nose that with anything we buy such as insurance and pensions (well almost everything) there's always one thing there to protect the company; the small print. How many of us read this in full, in part or not at all? I think it's fair to say that the print is like that so they know we are unlikely to read it. And to understand it is another matter! It's not there to protect us. It's there to protect them. Now we know this is nothing new but with a recent event it prompted me to blog to get it off my chest.

Now who like me hates signs that say, "PRIVATE KEEP OUT!" Surely "private" warrants enough. I always find that so aggressive. It's like, "As you know we are not in the least bit friendly but we'll draw your attention anyway." The point I'm trtying to make is that when we sign these things, instead of having the small print let's have the LARGE print at the top of the contract or paperwork with "WARNING READ AND UNDERSTAND CAREFULLY!" at least it would draw our attention to what we should really know at the beginning, not the end.

Anyway, got that off m'chest!!

So it might as well rain until September (as the song goes)

Now, with the equinox here (equal daylight and nighttime hours) we might expect a possible change in the weather but the good news is, at this present time looking ahead on the 16 day weather charts, that it will follow the same sort of pattern with high pressure holding fast.

On this basis we could be heading for one of the driest Septembers on record but not the driest as we have already just about beaten that. This was in 1959 with a meagre 8mm of rain. This month so far we've had just over 12mm.

You, me, us.

It is very hard to know where you resolve such a problem as I am about the describe.

Recently our mother had a fall at her residential flat which culminated in her having to go into hospital. Bearing in mind she had deteriorated in her physical ability long before it was already becoming increasingly difficult for her (like many I guess) anyway. After a short stay in the Royal Berks she recovered slightly. In fact she recovered enough to be transferred to her local hospital. I have to say I have nothing but admiration for what they (the staff) do. Yes, there are maybe one or two that look as though they are not really there for the job but for the most part they are great. It goes without saying that they do not get the recognition they deserve.

Anyway 12 weeks on Mum has made a good recovery and has been in a position to move on. Unfortunately she is unable to return to her home. Now as you can imagine after much paperwork and running around, with the support of the family, to try and sort things out my Mum decided that because she needs constant supervision a home is what she wanted. After living the best part of 60 years in Henley I thought at least I will be able to get her into a local home. Thought it would be a bit like kid's school catchment areas.

How naive of me. What a fool I was. Of course it does not work that way, unless you have a very very good bank account. Believe you me and to those of you that already know please forgive me but this it is purely about money. £700 to £800 a week!! It is of course difficult to know where to draw the line but with these sort of figures you punish both ends of the spectrum. If you have money and there's a space in your location then it's a case of, "Come on in!" Well, at least until the money has run out!

What happens then if you don't have the money. I suspect this will be the majority. Well sorry, no can do, unless the family or anyone else for that matter can come up with the shortfall. I do wonder and worry about the people that do not have their families to look out for them. Can this be right?

After all this however there is an acceptance of the situation. We're not happy but are being pragmatic, understanding the need to resolve the situation and course as little stress to Mum (bright as a button, it's the body that's failed) as possible. We had previously looked at other homes in the area. As I now realised she had very little or no hope going to the preferred venue where of course her family and friends could visit easily I looked at the other homes recommended anyway. Yes, they were all pleasant (as homes go) and could facilitate my/our Mum's needs.

Of course, nothing happens, bearing in mind I took this up around the fifth week of my Mum's hospital stay. Then at around 11 weeks I get a call that a home in Goring can take my mother on Monday 7th September. You guessed it! It was one that I had not visited because they did not give me as a choice before. I/we say yes. I go to visit. Bear in mind they had already assessed and told my Mum she would be going there! Visit done, good chat with the owner or lady in charge, very pleasant indeed. A nice little home with some like minded people who had severe physical disabilities but as bright as Mum. So I say to Mum that I think she could get on alright there. I did forget to say that this is supposedly a temporary position until something more convenient comes up but I'm afraid I just do not believe that. This is because I know rooms have become available in the preferred home and gone to people who came in after Mum's hospital stay. No doubt from financially sound people and good luck to them but that's the very reason I do not think this home would be temporary. Anyway it did not matter in the end. After getting mum into the condition of readiness and in her own way looking forward to getting out of hospital I phone the lady coordinating it to say all's okay and ready to go when she drops a bombshell. She tells me it's not happening as they cannot come to an agreement on the figures. I am angry and disappointed and as I said to the lady surely that's what you sort out first but they apparently did not. What a waste of everybody's time and money let alone the extra stress caused.

Now, none of us, I guess, have a divine right to anything but once these things are in place our expectations are raised and that's the only way we can judge it. In the old days we would not have such things in place and we as families would look after our own. Today that is made much more difficult by the way we live. Rightly or wrongly that's the way it is. I do not want my mother to go into a home as many others and will do everything I can to protect that interest even to point of trying to organise her to go back to her home but it's 24 hours supervision and the right care that's needed. I will not be bullied into making a decision for the sake of it though.

Remember as I said before this could be any one of us in this position and I can only see it getting more complicated as time goes on with costa soaring.

In my humble position we should not penalise the thrifty with their money and by the same token we should not punish those that through no fault of their own cannot pay.

80s Rewind Festival Back for 2010

Hi, we've just heard that the 80s Rewind Festival is coming back to Henley next year. It will again be held within Temple Island Meadows in Henley. Thought some of you might be interested.