He works for a big UK contact lens company, called Sauflon. 

They make an awful lot of contact lenses, and Specsavers sell an awful lot of those. 

( and for the record, they make great, comfortable, high quality lenses ) 

Anyway, you could say that Andrew is principally a business contact. 

So what’s he doing driving from God Knows Where, to take me and my college Ina, too, out… and then drive the 3-4 hours back to Swansea?

Well he says it’s because I’m worth it, that he reads this blog, that he’s been touched again and again by its’ content. 

He recalled that our last conversation was where I talked out going on a cycling trip to France, followed soon after by 4 days in a tent at the Glastonbury Festival. 

Along with a lot else, I cannot remember our conversation back in June, and of course I never made it to Glastonbury either. 

My new tent remains in the attic to this day, as yet never put up. Maybe one day?

We had a fun night out, spending a lot of time talking about how different our childhoods in South Wales in the 70’s are to those of our own kids. 

I reckon we had more fun back then, having to make it ourselves, rather than it coming from the iCloud.. 

Ina had never heard of a slow worm, let alone seen one, or carried one about in her pocket for days. 

I don’t suppose sheep were a major feature in her upbringing either. 

Yesterday my lovely friend, Cressida, accompanied me on my wheelchair shopping trip to Asda. 

I wasn’t exactly big on the food shopping thing before, as I can barely heat up water, let alone make dinner. 

True to form, after some carrots, nuts and 2 DVD’s I ran out of ideas. 

I did though try self checkout, though that went wrong with the DVD’s 

My lack of competence was no surprise to me at all, and Cress had to go back after for the apples and oranges ( the onlyl two things that were actually on my ‘list’ ).

I can’t see myself doing a whole load of shopping for the family groceries going forward. It’s not really my area of expertise… 

We had a good night, and a great dinner. 

They talked about the trip, after I’d been helicoptered away. 

There was a ‘debate’ about whether they should carry on or not, my crash on Day 1 leaving 2 days to go. 

Should they drink, laugh and have a good time, knowing that my life was in the balance just a few miles away?

They went with the view that I would have wanted them to continue on the ride as planned, and to have a good time doing it. 

That was the right call. I’d not have wanted them to go home, to miss the reason they’d come. 

If it had been one of them, I’d have ‘voted’ to finish the ride, do all the steep climbs, sweat my way through it. 

I’d have gone very slowly on the descents though, as I’m sure they did, one calamity being enough. 

Great to see you boys, as it was seeing Roy – another great mate and rider – who brought me back here on Sunday – FOR THE LAST TIME on a wet, dark Sunday night. 

Thanks for your ongoing love and support, fellas. It means a lot to me. 

Russ

What seemed like half an hour ran to an hour and ten minutes’ worth of weight training – Adam’s inventive nature dreamt up pulleys, belts and lateral thinking at its’ best. 

Afterwards I needed sleep badly, yet sat thro the double whammy of Wales losing badly and England winning impressively. 

I may need to dredge up my English heritage this year, at this rate…. 

I’m looking forward to being ‘beasted’ by Adam on a regular basis in the coming months, all in aid of regaining some small semblance of my former upper body at least. 

Watch this space 😉

Cherie planned to spend Friday with me, observing my routines and physio etc. 

Instead, 3 and a half hours to drive 45 miles, through the local floods and closed  roads, and the poor girl practically missed the whole lot. 

Hopefully a decent lunch somehow compensated in a small way, but I’m not sure, given she then had the dubious pleasure of taking me back to London. 

Anyway, Cherie delivered me back safely and soundly ( is that a word ) into the arms of my family. 

Thanks so much. 🙂

( Next time allow yourself 5 hours to get there! )

X

I talked to all of them, mostly for the first time, and what a great bunch of girls and guys they are. 

They’ve signed up to be punched and punished physically for 10 weeks, essentially for me. 

What they will get in addition is possibly fitter than they’ve ever been, leaner, meaner, more confident in themselves and, well, quite famous around West London. 

I was also there to help with the eyesight part of their medical forms ( aided by my colleague, Irinder ), as this event is officially sanctioned by the Boxing powers that be. 

No one failed the eyesight/ health part, I’m happy to say. 

Once I’m discharged, I do hope to be a regular at training sessions – obviously not fighting. 

Extraordinarily , Dan told me that he’d seriously been asked if this boxing night was principally featuring a fight between him ………..

….and me?

I’m not at liberty to say who asked him or whether she was a female 

😉

It was also bloody great to see my school buddy, Dominic ( last seen 30 yrs ago ) who’d driven down from South Wales to spend the evening with me. 

Aren’t people incredible?

Russ,

 

I would never underestimate the changes you are having to adapt to, but some are permanent others are not. Take your old self. Take him off the river and put him in a hospital out of the sun and full of infections. I imagine the old you would like the new you be struggling to fight off the infections. Take the new you and get him out of the hospital and home with his family. Get him eating properly again, let him get some sunshine on his face and some fresh air in his lungs and I suspect in six months you will be no more sickly than the old you.

 

As for saving anyone a lot of problems by staying on the mountainside in France. Who would be there for your girls when they come home upset because the boy they like has been unkind? Or the boss has been a bully? Who is going to give the speech at their wedding? Or rock their babies to sleep on his lap? That’s going to be you my friend and they would have given everything they had to make sure you left that mountainside alive and came home to them.

 

I hope you are feeling much better soon. I know you have a lot of visitors, but are you less busy any nights this week or next? (can’t do this Thursday)

 

Kind regards,

 

 

Paul

 

Never had so much Doctor attention. 

Not sure when I’ll be encouraged to get out of bed. 

Possibly not til Wednesday.

But I feel a lot better today than yesterday.