First point for this week is the obvious lack of update last week. That was deliberate and due to the fact that it was a very uneventful and normal week, in all respects. Whilst this has been evolving bit by bit and there were lots of positive comments on the last ‘normal’ update, I do not want to issue uninteresting updates; hence the absence of one last week.

Health perspectives begin this update and they have continued in the same vein. The back pain is variable and has been exacerbated by an increase in the heavier work tasks of late. A necessity of the final stage of shutting down the location I am currently responsible for. From this phase (which will increase in intensity), it is becoming very clear that my abilities to lift heavier items, frequently, has greatly diminished. I am suffering physically from it and the back pain is the main notable impact. The finger stiffness is there too, but more variable. I have requested additional resource as we move deeper into this shut down task list, so hopefully that will be forthcoming. What is also clear from this shift in task focus, is that my decision to retire in around 2-months, is the correct one. From that, I will be able to pick and choose what I do more and minimise the burden of more physical tasks. Sandra is looking forward to that phase ever more, as she can see the impact upon me, when I come home from the ‘physical days’.

In this coming week (the one you are reading this in), is our anniversary; our 36th. As we move through 2024, we are encountering more and more ‘cancer anniversaries’. If you recall, we visited Brugge for our last anniversary and that was the last normal, pre-cancer treatment, thing we done, as the treatment began soon after. The uncertainty of the remaining timeframe is constantly in and out of my head, so we try to do different events to mark key dates, make the most of the remaining time and mobile abilities; this anniversary weekend was one of those.

Our choice of location was Hampton Court Palace, combined with an overnight stay close to the palace. The journey is just under 2-hours from where we live, so an easy drive and something that can halted and reversed, if the physical situation becomes too much. I have visited there before, with my daughter, when we enjoyed a Tears for Fears concert inside the walls of the palace, and the palace itself, but this was Sandra’s first visit. After booking everything and whilst conducting pre-stay research, we discovered a nice ‘bonus’, which was the fact that Kingston (directly across the river from our hotel) was the site of the coronation of at least 7 Saxon-era Kings, one of which was Athelstan. So, we could look forward to a taste of Tudor history, alongside another part of our ‘Viking-quest’. The coronation stone that was apparently used more than 1,000 years ago, now resides near the Guildhall and a nice artefact to see up close.

The visit to the palace started the weekend and it was as stunning and impactful as the first time I went. Steeped in history and an era that changed England forever, Sandra soaked it up and immersed herself in the impressive array of buildings and items there. It is great that the Tudor-era buildings are pretty much as they were, but the cobble stones under our feet, caused both of us a lot of physical discomfort. By the time the visit has ended, my walking gait was notably different. A move to the hotel (a nice choice that was in a very handy location) was quickly followed by a walk across the Thames bridge into Kingston to find the stone and view some of the other sites there - plus the obligatory tea and cake stop! By that stage, Sandra was suffering the impact of our busy morning walking around the palace, as was I. We had a short rest at the hotel before going back across the bridge, where our evening was spent in a restaurant on the banks of the river.

One other aspect that I managed to add to this trip to that area, was a meet up with a fellow history enthusiast. I acquired from him, two ‘new’ WWII-era photo albums, both of which are very significant and I cannot wait to begin the research into both. I am confident at this early ‘pre-thorough research’ phase that both of them have aspects (images) that will directly feed into at least one of my planned remaining books. That activity followed on from some key milestones reached on my current book title (for those of who follow my FB history profile, you will be aware of this already and thanks to all of you who have commented positively). The maps were completed and the cover designed and completed too. The last remaining stage of the proof reading corrections gets underway next.

Aspects such as those covered above are key psychological weapons in the fight against the disease and its impact. They help keep me focused and allow me a sense of achievement with my remaining time, alongside distracting my mind from the day to day cancer challenges.

We made our way home around midday, but had a nice pitstop at one of our regular haunts, for some lunch. That brought to an end a nice weekend, where we both had to adapt around the pain levels, whilst still enjoying the sites and sounds of the locations we went to. That weekend seen us move rapidly through 1,000 years of history, from Saxon Kings, to Tudor England, finishing off at pre-WWII timeframes. It was nice to be able to do something like this, mark a key date for us and create some new memories.

Thanks for the ongoing interest in reading this and the feedback you regularly provide, appreciated now as much as it was when I started this. I have attached a couple of choice images of our weekend, to this update.

Regards

Peter