I’m spending my single time doing such things as getting my feet ( not easy ) onto a vibrating plate machine that I bought, as I think it’s gotta be good for my circulation and spasms. I’ve no evidence as yet that it does me any good at all, but it looks like it ought to… somehow?

Power plates in health clubs used to cost thousands but I see that prices have come down a lot – this one was 70 notes.

Wish I could actually use it for exercise, but I cannot..

I went to see Rhod Gilbert last night with Roy and Caroline, and my helper. He is very funny for sure, his Welshness adding to his comedy in a big way.

He’s not from the same part as me, but the humour is similar to that which I grew up with. Lots of piss take is at the core of it ( though without cruelty or any malice ).

I think that’s what the English don’t get about the Welsh sense of humour – we say some really really terrible things but don’t mean them in the slightest. It’s all just for a laugh. We can do it to each other all day long and no one is in the slightest bit offended, but it doesn’t travel beyond Wales that well, and you get yourself in trouble, particularly now the world has gone politically correctly mad. Welsh people won’t be able to say anything at all that is funny to them before too long, I can see it coming.

Rhod 10/10.

Drinks prices at the Hammersmith Apollo- scandalously 1/10.

I got another ‘smile’ on the dating site. It was from someone called Dawn.

I wrote ‘ you must get up early to have a name like that …!’

She didn’t get it, she said…

Seriously? Is my humour really that ‘oblique ‘ ??

Endeavouring to ‘ get straight back on the horse’ as it were… I signed up to a different dating site, one for ‘ 30+ singles with ambition ‘ whatever that means.

Anyway I got a ‘ smile’ after a bit from a lady called Nora.

I stuck my proverbial toe in her water by messaging ‘ Hi, was ‘Ig’ your nickname at school ? 🙂 ‘ Then I said ‘ sorry, that joke was silly’ … by way of being honest about my childishness.

Now that’s admittedly not hilariously funny.. but it is humour and it’s fairly straightforward to get ( isn’t it?)

Anyway she replied with a ‘?’

I said again ‘ that was a silly joke’.

She replied with ‘ what is Ig? ‘

Mmmm. I think maybe Nora isn’t for me. Or perhaps I shouldn’t be quite so razor witted going forward, unless she starts it first?

All advice welcome!

As Toby said today – your blog wouldn’t be worth reading if everything started going well for you – mmmmm well yes, I suppose that’s true!

Next up is divorce court stuff on Monday. It’s all fun, fun and more fun for me then. Wendy and I were booked to go away for 5 days on Tuesday, but now that’s cancelled… blimey I’ll have to eat Easter eggs that are dairy free all weekend. Do they even make those ones?

I’m not sinking though. The cracks had started a while ago, so im not exactly shocked it’s ended. But I do wish her all the very best of luck.

Thank you to the peeps that have asked after my head state. It’s fine… but I appreciate the concern. X

Tomorrow I go to see that comedian- Welsh Rhod Gilbert. I wonder if I’ll find he over eggs the welsh and stupid jokes? We shall see.

Being Welsh is cool now ( don’t you know ? ) I’ll wear something red and have a leak whilst there, so he knows he’s amongst friends.

And I thought my own divorce was a bit toxic?! Good grief, James Cracknell and Bev ( my ex neighbours ) are splitting and she is throwing mud at him from every quarter. Bev… please. To piss on his parade as he has just become the hero of the middle aged nation is ever so questionable as good timing. It won’t help him, which won’t help his earning capacity, which then won’t help you either. James’s sport has financed your lifestyle for 20 years. That’s his JOB… You are criticising him for working, and it’s that that keeps your kids provided for too.

Oh dear. The Cracknell’s are making my ex and I look like best friends!? And Bev is accusing HIM of being irrational….?? He’s maintaining a by and large dignified silence while she throws tantrums. One of them definitely isn’t thinking straight, that’s for sure, but I don’t think it’s the one who had the brain injury.

Divorce is unpleasant. Best avoided all round. I don’t think either party is better off afterwards, all too often. And the kids are used as pawns nearly always.

And just as things became better….. they stopped! The Wendy chapter is closed…

I want to thank her for all she did for me. She’s a lovely lady for sure. I won’t ever think otherwise.

Well the buses have improved…. but the other day, for the second time I was humiliated by the same driver. who told me again to move my wheelchair further into the tiny space on this particular bus that is for a wheelchair. He shouted out that he’d told me before about this…. ‘ this’ actually being the fact that I cannot physically get a square peg into a round hole, that being the situation.

He refused to start the bus until I’d done the impossible, and then told me to get off. The other passengers were all incredulous and supportive of me. When another bus appeared, for the sake of my journey time we got off, and onto the other bus, all 4 of us.

I guess the driver doesn’t realise that everything is being filmed by his own onboard camera and this provides all evidence of his own wrongdoing.

That’s the stuff that will lead to his own disciplinary… see email below from TfL in response to the one from Wendy.

10 April 2019

Dear Ms *******

Thank you for your feedback form of 6 April detailing an incident with a driver on a route 237 bus.

I was very concerned to learn of the events you describe. I’m sorry this incident occurred and you’ve experienced similar problems with the driver on another occasion. 

As part of their qualification drivers are required to attend a Disability Equality training seminar. The focus of this training is to raise awareness of the issues faced by disabled customers when using buses. It aims to provide staff with the skills to meet their needs more effectively. It’s extremely disappointing to hear of a driver behaving in the manner described.

The dedicated wheelchair space on all our buses is designed to allow a single rearward facing wheelchair user to travel safely. Drivers should always offer assistance when a wheelchair user is looking to board. We want wheelchair users to feel confident about travelling on the bus network. 

Details of your experience have been passed to Metroline, who operate route 237 for us, for investigation. The operator confirms CCTV footage from the bus has been requested and will be used as part of its investigation. An interview will take place and this will be followed up with appropriate steps in line with the operator’s company procedures.

Thank you again for contacting us and please pass on my apology to your partner. If there’s anything else we can help you with, please reply to this email. Alternatively, you can call us on 0343 222 1234 and we’ll be happy to help you.

Kind regards

Andrew Ackford
Customer Service Adviser
Transport for London Customer Services

Marky P and I went to the RGS last night and listened to the chap that has made all the David Attenborough Planet stuff over the years. Wow, what a contribution to television that guy has made. This new series – Our Planet – is just out. He talked about the making of it and showed clips etc.

He started by saying that it was all filmed in 4K definition and said everyone needs to now go out and get a new TV! Handy then that I just happened to get one of those last week… my word it makes this type of program mind blowing’ly impressive!