Author: RogerMerriman

8 years ago, I was kindly taken to the Olympic XC race by David Marsden, it was a fun if very hot day out from what I remember! Being meaning to revisit and see what they have done to it since!

It’s also a year or so before I ( or Aliens?) did this

So has clearly being its being in my head for a few years to revisit Hadleigh Park no I have no real idea why but it felt important to do so!

Took the Gravel bike, which was in places out of its depth, they don’t like rocks! But equally a lot of the track is gravel which isn’t really a Trail MTB’s specialty either, clearly a race XC MTB would be best funnily enough!

Did manage this though which was a hoot! Nobody to cheer though!

In short a fun day, not really sure why I needed to go but apparently I did!

Hadleigh it’s self I think potentially could be quite dangerous as vast majority is tame gravel stuff, with a few featured added, could easily lure the unwary! A lot of steep climbing which I like! Yes I know strange! Is it fun in of itself?

No not really but it’s a race circuit rather than bike park at heart!

Sara has been making scrubs, which has been organised by a local group, these where a duvet cover!

So today as there is a push to test Social Care Workers, I went to get tested.

It is rather otherworldly as folks are in PPE and Hi Vis you drive in, show them your printout so they can scan though the car window, and you are shown a phone number so you can ring and be instructed, how to use the kit that they pass to you.

At this point I had to ask for assistance since my ability to remember instructions due to my brain injury is gone, so I was sent to a different bay and someone come and talk me though step by step.

I was impressed how accessible it was, they didn’t appear thrown by the fact I couldn’t remember, and did feel very organised.

As is normal for me, it has totally wiped me out, as anything medical does, I’d expect to take a few days to recover from this.

6 years after doing that, and 2 years after having the battery of various assessments and rehabilitation, which was started by Headway south west London who got me back into the system as I wasn’t happy or coping well with the changes and loss of who I had been, ie version 1 and 2.

There is a Grieving Cycle idea essentially is grieving for who where and the loss there in of that. Today I was back at the Wolfson though not the same one, I still having two Wolfson units is confusing! To see a Neuropsychologist which originally had been the point of the assessments and then rehabilitation, but at this point both had given me closure, and in I am much happier in my skin now, and have reached acceptance, don’t get me wrong I do still find the fact that I run out of spoons and crash so end up with forced duvet days, or that I randomly don’t recognise or possibly remember people and so on.

So today was a good day, and it’s always ego boosting to be reminded how far and well I’ve done!

Rather a shock to the system, much more so for Sa, as Peeps (larger right cat) died late autumn, and Army (smaller left cat) has died today, had booked a vet but she died overnight she did like to do things her way!

She was born as a farm cat, and had a touch of the wild about her I always felt, where as Peeps her son was born here and was a big softy really!

One of my aims this year is to be more social able, it’s easy to let things slide quite apart from adult stuff of work and what not, due to my injury I have to be careful with fatigue so that I don’t crash cognitive or thinking of traveling to see folks literally.

And talking of that, last weekend I traveled down to stay with Chloë stopping to have a explore around Stonehenge and other henges which was cool, had a lovely social time with the Mann’s and next day en mass went to Ham Wall to see Starling murmurations, which was fantastic.

But at the car park, a unknown woman came up, who apparently knew me! I didn’t recognise her which isn’t uncommon, but it was Sabby and Woody who are friends I’ve lost contact with, I still didn’t recognise them though I do remember them. And lovely to chat even if briefly!

As the clock changes and the light draws in, the dark exasperates my fatigue levels since I have to work that much harder due to knocked vestibular both not falling or navigating though crowds. Which hasn’t made me love Christmas any more!

Though just to be well odd I do like night rides, though I do have big lights so seeing isn’t a problem! And oddly the bike seems not to stress my balance systems as much as walking, which while I know the reasons is still amuses me!

Went to the National Archives to see if I could flesh it out a bit, love to find the claimed link to Ireland but presumably if it’s there (which is likely) is pre most of the census.

At the 1911 census we have John (Claude’s dad) known as Jack living in london with his parents Richard and Annie. Richard was a retired Bass Dresser. 67/54 years old

His two brothers Richard and William who where Science demonstrator/Laboratory assistant 27 and 19 years old for these brothers.

John at 20 was an Architect Clerk where Claude got his inspiration?

And his Aunt Harriet 54 who was a Fancy paper stainer!

Jumping back to the 1861 census the photo above, family are still in London, limehouse, and Richard 18 is a Bass Dresser, his brother Henry 16 is some sort of labourer, his sisters Mary Ann 13, Martha 10, Elizabeth 10, Emma 8, Harriet 6 (future with fancy paper!) and James at 6

Head of the family! John 46 is a police constable, married to Mary, like a lot of families reuse names! Which does get confusing!

Week off so I’ve managed to chase up some loose end, firstly I was supposed to see a Neuropsychologist after the Wolfson rehab few years back I think just a assessment.

And managed to get a Flu jab since I don’t cope with colds etc as well as I used to.

I’ve always loved history and today to take our minds of a fairly unpleasant medical stuff tomorrow for Sa.

Hampton Court has The Alter cloth that was made out of Queen Elizabeth’s dress.

It’s amazing both in terms of history and the quality even in its fairly ragged state.

On a somewhat less beautiful though fascinating bit of history is on my commute, the Parkway dual carriageway build after the war, had been intended as one of the many motorway ring ways that had been planned only one was built that being the M25, but the unbuilt and frankly improbable stuff I find fascinating.

It’s also is a handy cycle route!