Friday night - curry night with four friends
Saturday morning - up early to take The Boy to rugby; stay and watch the team lose 26-24
Saturday afternoon - off to Bluewater Shopping Centre returning at 11.00pm having exhausted wallets and energy.
Sunday morning - replaced light switch in bathroom, changed light bulb on landing by swinging out ofver the bannisters, fed the birds, went to Homebase
Sunday afternoon - off to Westfield...more Christmas shopping.
Sunday evening - massage followed by film
One day I hope that may read Friday night dozed in front of TV, Saturday got up at lunchtime watched a DVD, dozed, had dinner, went to bed. Repeat Sunday.
Saturday I was up early because The Boy was playing rugby. There are only three games left this term, and as he won't be on the field next weekend, this was his penultimate game. I hope he takes it up at University, but if he doesn't then the next game will be his last. There are a lot of 'last times' at the moment, and it makes me quite sad. We're in quite a routine now for home games. I drop him off early so they can have a practice and warm up, disappearing for breakfast at the local cafe before returning for kick-off. Here was my breakfast, it may yet kill me
As you can see from the picture I was reading The Guardian, specifically the obituary of Fred Ridgeway. You may not have heard of him, and I only came across him once - he played a father in One Man Two Guvnors. It was one of the funniest and best produced plays I have seen for many years. It may have helped that it was partially set in Brighton with frequent references to Debden, which is just around the corner from where we live. It was brilliantly clever, and a perfect way to enjoy an evening at the theatre. What I hadn't realised was that Fred Ridgeway was suffering from Motor Neurone Disease, a terrible debilitating illness that has only one ending. As his obituary says, he was so determined to play on that he employed an extra dresser to help him. His obituary makes fascinating reading, because before he turned to the stage he was a successful banker who gave it all up to follow his passion. Successful in two careers is something to be much admired.
Another great man I met this year was David O'Neale. I've mentioned him before. He was one of my fellow performers at The Olympics. He, like thousands of others, auditioned and was surprised to get through. It was only after he had been accepted that he was also diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease. That didn't stop him, and he was always one the Group favourites. David also helped organise the Jubilee celebrations in his local village earlier this year and has written books about his locality. At the moment he is on a world trip...getting to see the highlights, and it's good to see his regular updates. He is a man living life to the full....and is a lesson to us all.
