Category Archives: Events

The incident.

So yes, I was in Costa coffee.
This chap came in and was speaking very loudly.
He was telling the lady behind the counter that he’d just ‘ moved in upstairs ‘.
Could he please have a drink? He was polite but loud.
Then he asked the lady where she came from ( Latvia ) , how long she’d lived here, did she like it, what time did she knock off, that she was invited to come to his apartment for a drink after work, would she like to go to Kew Gardens with him etc etc etc.
He clearly didn’t ‘ see ‘ that she was politely and professionally declining everything he had proposed.

Having given up on pulling the Latvian, he then came and sat very closely to me.
Hello, be said.
Hi.

Are you up for a chat?
Not at the moment, I said, I’m a little busy ( on my phone ).

There followed sighing/ muttering.

After a couple of minutes…
‘ You should be really grateful, you know?’

For what, I said …

That someone like me even offers to speak to someone in a fucking wheelchair, like you.
I could just have ignored you, but I didn’t, so you should be grateful’

I said ‘ I don’t need you to talk to me, I’m not a bloody charity case, mate ‘

No, he said, you’re a fucking C***. That’s what you are.

( Ffs, I’m just having a coffee, before I go to The Old Vic to see a play … )

It’s raining, and I’m going to get wet, as it is.

The Latvian lady asks him to leave me alone.
No one else ( of the 10 or so other people in thé place ) does anything.

He’s now swearing constantly, and is evidently about to take a swing at me.

I can’t rotate my body ( metalwork ) and I’m side on to him.
I’m not able to defend myself. I only have a multi tool, with a penknife. I reach for it.

He says ‘ have you pulled a knife on me?’

I said ‘ just go away ?’

He says ‘ I’ve got a much bigger knife, and I’m going to cut you up so bad, your mother won’t recognise you ‘.

( As I said… I’ve just gone for a coffee, and it’s 4 in the afternoon… )

I said loudly ‘ can someone please call the police?’

Then he throws his drink over me..

Jeez.

After he runs off, the staff member passes me her phone. The lady on the phone is a police operator. She asks if I’m a ‘ vulnerable person ‘

I say I’m paralysed and in a wheelchair.
She says thé police will arrive soon!

I say I can’t wait, but would appreciate an officer to interview me.. but not today.

They’ll probably catch this guy.. there were witnesses, and apparently it’s on the Costa CCTV.
Plus he said he ‘lived upstairs’
It shouldn’t take much to get him then.

The police come to mine, later.
I’ll press charges and the guy will get a conviction. Then he’ll probably lose his job.
Well, that’ll be fair.

What a total twat.

Back in the room.

I know!

No posts for a while.
I’ve been kinda busy with stuff.
Additionally I’ve noticed that since my long depression ( 8 years ) finally lifted, I’ve not written so much. Perhaps this diary has always been a way to ‘ release ‘. I don’t know, truthfully.

So, in a recession now, on the brink of nuclear warfare, and with a post pandemic global cost of living crisis… and it’s now I come good!? Just as everyone else seems to be down. There’s timing for you.

Lucky I get Concessionary tickets for everything then… my own cost of living hasn’t really altered significantly. I don’t have a mortgage, nor a car, I don’t eat much and can’t use much hot water. I also have a jumper for when it’s a bit cold in my flat. Gone are the days of being able to wander around in just my grits.

I’ve just booked a trip to Portugal, for October. That’ll be good!

I’ve seen quite a few plays, and seen a lot of friends. Possibly the highlight was spending the day with 3 of my schoolmates. We haven’t all been together for decades. Extraordinary how you just click immediately back to the old dynamic – which in Wales means just taking the piss out of each other non stop.
Mikey Jenks, still in Wales, Stuey Metcalfe, now in the New Forest, Jeff Thomas now in Australia – all together in a bar in Paddington. Such a laugh.
No one knew Jeff as Jeff. He was always called Clog. Why? Because as a kid he briefly lived in Holland ( of course! ). So for 45 years he’s been called Clog. Makes perfect sense! 😂

Today, as my brother in Florida could have his home washed away, or maybe end up with an alligator being washed through his window on the 4th floor… I shouldn’t be telling my tales of flippancy.

So, signing off

X

Queen 👸

I have found myself, like most, surprised by how sad I feel about Queen Elizabeth, but also how happy I am to have King Charles..

And I think the Coronation shouldn’t be a scaled down version of the usual one … as proposed, but a proper pageant of old.

Britain only has this scale of royal celebration.
Let’s not do away with it.

Just do away with Prince Andrew and that Meghan..

I went to Green Park. Not that Wheelchair friendly, but hey I’m glad I saw the floral tributes and felt the love. It was very tangible.
Go if you can.

Suddenly the picture I have of me chatting to Prince Charles is quite a lot more special – now he’s the King!

Top day

Had the best day I’ve had for a while recently… seeing my buddy Leigh and his beautiful wife, Bev.

A day in Kew Gardens! In my standy uppy iBot!

I have to say that Bev really is a lovely girl.
Not sure Leigh knows how lucky he is…

Just looking Mister!

Faced with not a lot to do, the other day .. I thought I’d investigate something that I’d heard – that a branch of the GWR ( railway ) was being reopened to passengers, and a new station being opened not far from Brentford.
I looked up the likely location of this and set off for Transport Avenue.. the nearest road to it.

I wasn’t sure what lived up Trans Ave, but soon realised that it was all industrial stuff… including a massive recycling place, fed by huge lorries.

I wheeled up there in my ( relatively weeny ) wheelchair.. often being stared down at by lorry drivers… until I got to the end of it. I couldn’t see a railway line at all… but knew it must be there ( because it is actually currently used for freight services ).

After a while .. this fella in a hard hat and safety jacket came up to me.
He said ‘ excuse me, can I help you ?’

I said I’m looking for a railway line. Is it close to here?

He said… mmm it’s up that way.. but sir, you can’t get on a train there.

I said … I know, but I just wanted to find out where it was, because apparently it may soon be opened as a passenger line.

Right .. he said.. well I don’t know anything about that.. but can you tell me exactly how you got in here?!

I said .. well through the gate.

He said… well you really can’t be in here Sir… please follow me and I’ll escort you out .. a safe way ( aka a route that won’t end up with you being crushed by a 20 ton juggernaut )

Ok, cheers I said … but how do I see the track?

Err.. you can’t Sir.. ( aka Have you escaped from somewhere/ been taking your medication?)

😂🤷

Ireeeeeeeeee!

Having lived in London for 30 years plus…. I’d never been to the Notting Hill Carnival.

Well I’m not Afro Caribbean, nor smoke ganga.

But I went this year – just for a look!

Blimey it’s crowded.
Not a place to be in a wheelchair!
You’d be swallowed up .. and crushed by any one of a million ‘ ample’ black ladies.

The atmosphere was brilliant though… and I avoided certain death by joining the procession!
I was next to a lady in a power wheelchair who had a whole wigwam built around her chair?!

I didn’t think that was a black thing – a wigwam – but hey… 🤷

Once in the procession, I couldn’t get out, of course.

Then a lady said she’d take me back to hers for some Jamaïcain lovin.

I’m following her now.

Happy birthday to me!

It’s my birthday.

Well… who’d have thought there’d have been a knock and a Hello hello hello this morning..

… with Gina dressed a police woman.. and with a ‘ naughty boy truncheon, shaped like a di**

Well not me, that’s for sure!

Thanks Gina, for the full strip. .. very unexpected!

Good start to my day! 😳👍♿️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Having been taken out by Lizzy, and then seeing Alex… and later by my brother, Alwyn, and Lily…
well it could be worse!

Amber did well in her A’s too, I heard.

Good girl! X