Saturday morning was a first since I started chemo — I got up early!! We had booked the car in for a service at 10am down in Cliftonville at our yacht club friend Bob’s garage, St George’s.
I’d thought about going down on Friday but realised that would gain us only an hour on Saturday morning and we decided to set off by 8.30 on Saturday. This may not sound early, but I’m never a morning person at the best of times and I’ve definitely been slow to get going after chemo. Still, this was 8 days after treatment and I was feeling pretty normal. The beauty of having no hair is that it makes showering and getting ready so much quicker!!
We got to the garage just before 10. We’d planned to take a wander into Margate while the car was being serviced and to see our grandchildren Josh and Fay once we’d got the car back. But we hadn’t realised that the car was due for a big service and would take at least three hours. It was cool and windy outside and we had a long day ahead of us with a 60th birthday party in the evening. It was going to be a long day for anyone, but I have had to learn quickly to be a bit kinder to myself and not overdo it. So I did something I’m not good at. I asked a favour.
I suggested to Martin that we phone his son Matthew, my stepson, who lives nearby, to see if he could pick us up and take us back to his place. It was quite an imposition, landing on him and Claire without any warning, but I really needed somewhere warm and comfortable to spend the next three hours. Mat was washing his car (his pride and joy, at least until daughter Olivia came along). But he didn’t hesitate. Just let him wash the suds off and he’d be round.
Claire and three year old Olivia we’re out when we got there at Olivia’s ballet class so granddad had the TV to himself to watch Saturday Kitchen. We both enjoy the show but I have an ulterior motive in encouraging Martin to watch it. It gives him lots of tips ands ideas which he then uses when cooking my meals!!
An hour or so later and Olivia was back from dancing in her little pink ballet dress and wrap around cardi, hair up in a bun. Her cousin Ethan, celebrating his fifth birthday that day, was with her to keep him from under dad’s feet while his birthday party was arranged. Claire, our lovely daughter-in-law, was unphased at coming home and finding us sitting in her living room watching TV. She made us tea and a sandwich for lunch while Martin whipped the children up into a giggling frenzy.
Given that last week, Olivia was so keen for me to remove my headscarf and not put it back on, I took it off before she arrived. She took a few seconds to adjust when she first walked in but was fine with my bald head. At some point though, she did look at me intently and ask: “When is your hair going to grow up again?” Does she know something I don’t?
At around 1.30 we decided to walk back to the garage. I was really glad to have had this relaxing and lovely family time round at Mat and Claire’s. We had an invigorating walk along the cliff top to the garage. On the way we bumped into Eve, our eldest granddaughter who turned 13 on Thursday. She was walking home from dancing and was going to get ready to have seven friends round for a sleepover, all of whom would somehow be sleeping, or rather chatting, in her small bedroom that night! She looked so grown up. You just cant help wondering where those 13 years went?
We collected the car and went round to get Eve’s brotherJosh and sister Fay. The plan was for Martin to take Josh to the local rugby club, Thanet Wanderers, to watch some of the afternoon’s match and to have a kick around. Martin played rugby most of his life. He played in the army and for various teams including Exeter and Thanet Wanderers. Josh, whose dad Russell had him in Chelsea kit from the day he was born and who has played football since he could walk, did not get chosen for his new secondary school’s football team. To dad, Russell’s disgust, he got chosen for the rugby team!
I dropped them off at the rugby club and headed into Broadstairs with Fay. She wanted to buy a CD with the money she’d saved. Naturally, at six years old she knows all about pop music — what she likes and what she doesn’t — and apart from the fact that she got a CD player for Christmas, her reason for wanting to buy this, or these, CDs, was she was fed up having to ask her big sister Eve to borrow hers and invariably being refused!
I was hoping to get away with going only to Broadstairs. There aren’t many shops there but I ws praying one would have CDs. The alternative was struggling through the traffic to Westwood Cross. As we drove through Broadstairs to the car park, I realised my only hope would be Tesco. We parked the car and Fay, who eats like a sparrow, was hungry. We set off to find some food. I headed for Morelli’s, a wonderfully retro 1950s Italian coffee bar and ice-cream cafe. We were late for lunch and they had only a few sandwiches left, but Fay’s eyes had already lighted on the chocolate cake. I know, hardly nutritional, but what are grandparents for?
It was absolute delight though, sitting looking out to sea sipping coffee with my lovely little companion next to me. The CD mission had to be put on hold. Fay had spotted the beach. “Can we go to the beach?” she asked. Why not? I thought. Luckily it was a mild afternoon and the wind had dropped. She was impatient now for me to finish my coffee. We walked onto the beach and Fay promptly sat herself down on the sand. I sat next to her. Why not?
We had no bucket and no spade, but that didn’t stop both of us building sand castles. Two other little girls, not much older than Fay, wandered over to right by us and also starting digging a hole. They were keen to chat to me. “Do you know them?” Fay asked, incredulously. I said I did not. She did not talk to them herself. She was too busy building a “city” of castles. I could not have been happier. I’ve always loved the beach and I had the perfect companion.
We must have been there an hour. I managed to pry her away only when it started to get cooler and by reminding her we still had CDs to find. We walked, or rather she ran, round to Tesco, where we’d arranged to meet up with Martin and Josh. As we arrived, I realised it was only a small Tesco Metro. Surely I’d be in trouble, there would be no CDs?
Luck was truly on my side. They must have had ten CDs. The top ten, I guess, but what would I know? They had One Direction, top on madam’s list. How many could she afford with her £20? She wanted to know. With a small contribution from granddad, she would manage three CDs. She was made up. She chose Olly Murs and a third whose name meant nothing to me and therefore escapes me. What a result! And what a lovely afternoon. We took them into a nearby seafront pub for a drink and some crisps and bumped into old friends Jude and Roger, who we’ve known since we lived on our boat in St Katherine’s in the mid eighties and who now live down there. We had a catch up with them, shared crisps with the children and headed back to the car.
By the time we’d dropped them off and driven back to Ramsgate, we had about an hour until it was time to get ready to go out. I had a little lie down on the settee in the saloon, just to recharge my batteries. Then we were off again. Up to the yacht club for Frank Martin’s 60th.
Once again, I had an unbelievably warm welcome from everyone. They were all so kind and seemed genuinely pleased to see me looking well and out and about.
And out and about I certainly was. The great duo 2Bro was playing at the party. We’d had them for Martin’s 60th last year and when they play, you just have to get up and dance. And dance we did. I felt great. As fit as I would have done before starting treatment. And very invigorated by the dancing. It was a great evening and we finally left at about 12.30. Perfect end to a perfect day.
For once, we had no plans or commitments for Sunday morning. We got up at 9.30, went up for a shower, went for a pleasant walk, and then I went up to the Galley cafe for breakfast, which I enjoyed outside in the sunshine, while Martin went to Waitrose to shop for dinner.
We left Ramsgate at midday and headed home. I like driving back in the daylight on Sunday. It gives me a chance to read at least the main section of the Sunday Times. Sadly, most of the rest of it goes unread the rest of the week! As it was early, I decided to go round to see my parents. I could see Martin was tired so offered to drop him home first.
Mum and dad were, not surprisingly, really pleased to see me and I spent a pleasant couple of hours with them. Once home, my perfect weekend was topped off with a lovely dinner and watching Call the Midwife followed by Birdsong on TV. Two excellent programmes to round off my excellent weekend!
