The circle game

Everything seems to be coming round again - astrologers would say it's my second Saturn return, when life is reassessed, in preparation for the next 28 years! On the 8th Day, where I used to work in Manchester, is celebrating its 40 th birthday this year. My time there was an enormous influence on my attitude to life, work and friendships, and I'm really looking forward to being involved in the preparations for the celebrations. Last weekend I visited a friend I have known since those days at her new home in Bath. It was wonderful to see her and her husband ( and cats) in their lovely new home in such a beautiful city. Old bonds.Lots of past but plenty of present too in our relationship. This week I went to Radio Derby to record some more stories - anecdotes about things that have happened to me, and again I was reliving some special times in the telling. The interviewer's response made me appreciate that I have had an interesting and eventful life, and that while I sometimes get frustrated with the limitations of my days here in the Peak District, it still presents opportunities. Great bus journey home from Derby - the frustration of the bus not turning up, the classic scenario of two Transpeak buses turning up at once, but the most surreal explanation for lateness from the driver - the air filter on the bus was full of volcanic ash and had to be changed. There wasn't the hint of a smile....

Feats don't fail me now

I had intended to write something every day, but on my way home from Writers in the Peak - the writers' group I joined last September and hope to write about someday soon - I became aware of a tearing pain in my right foot and had to hop home hanging on to the wall!. I hoped the pain might disappear overnight but it didn't, so I made an appointment at the doctors and called my mother for help. I'd arranged for a presenter from Radio Derby to come over and meet some of the writers' group to record some real life stories for a feature they do twice a week - "did I ever tell you about the time'... it was great fun, in the bar of the Rutland Hotel in Bakewell where we meet anyway on a Tuesday evening. The hotel is full of ticking, chiming clocks, sirens sounded outside as the snow fell and presumably accidents happened. Quite surreal, especially as there was a memorial service that afternoon for a notable Bakewell resident 'Granny' Pulford. He had died at the end of October, but last Wednesday would have been his 70th birthday . There must have been hundreds at the wake held in the hotel as we finished our recording. I'd always wondered where his nickname came from - middle name 'Granville' - I should have guessed. If the walls of the Rutland could talk there would be plenty of tales about him I'm sure. If they could really talk we might get to the truth of whether Jane Austen really did stay there when she saw Chatsworth, the inspiration for Pemberley. I just remembered that it's where I first saw - and ate- chicken in a basket on the way back to boarding school in Matlock, around 1970/1971. Whatever happened to chicken in a basket? Is it time for a revival?
Back to feet - walking is such a part of my life - guided walks, walking for pleasure - I can't bear the thought that this might affect any of that - it's plantar fasciitis - more commonly known as 'policeman's heel'!It is common, and there is treatment and advice out there on how to get over it. One of my friends from the writers' group recommended latin mistress shoes - I had a vision of lovely tango shoes, but she meant Latin schoolmistress - not quite the same!
I bought some Clarks black lace ups that look like Charlie's school shoes from when he was about 8, but are part of this season's ladies shoes from Clarks. Fingers and toes crossed they work.
And Little Feat are one of my forever favourite bands, and I was lucky enough to see them with Lowell George in Manchester back in the 70s.