Colds, tummybugs, flu and a few other events

Starting where I left off last week: the concert in the evening was brilliant. Evgeni Korolyov started a series of 4 Bach performances over the next 12 months with Das Wohltemperierte Klavier, which was absolutely superb.

Evgeny Korolyov

On Friday morning we decided to spurn the train, after the histrionics last time, and go all the way by two buses.  It went without a hitch and we were at home by quarter to 9. The house was pretty cold, and talking of colds, mine was getting worse and worse. I started coughing and sneezing again and additionally I had horrendous backache and tummy troubles. I reckoned that this lurgy was originally got from the kids in Hassocks, but obviously with additional and further infections from public transport in the capital since.

There was no time to fire up the stove, as we were only spending 3 days in the village, so we made do with just the central heating, and we probably felt the cold more for having colds ourselves. One of our neighbours has delivered a registered letter which she accepted on our behalf, and Roy started panicking about speeding fines again. As it happens it was a letter telling us that we have overpaid 50p on our road tax.  I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but as I tried one or the other I was taken over by a coughing fit.

En route to my first cache I came across this!?

Further acrimonious dealings with the Chimney Authority ensued when I rang them, letting them know that I want an appointment for the yearly compulsory chimney check, due to the unfortunate fact that on both occasions when they came out to the village in numbers we were away. (First in Canada and then in Hassocks). I was unfortunate to get a guy first who told me that it will cost me about 70 quid, which is ludicrous.  Especially that the previous two occasions were free. Thankfully, when I rang again (having put the phone down on that idiot) I got a really nice, knowledgeable woman who told me that at the most the whole thing will cost about a pound per chimney.  We do have 6 of the buggers, but even with a tip that should not be more than a tenner.

On my way back to the car

Saturday and Sunday was spent in ever worsening physical condition for both of us as the colds and the tummy troubles took hold.  This time (unlike in September) Roy went down with it too, although not as badly as I did. We were trying to stay indoors and get better, as we had to go back into town, via the Dacia garage, as the car was due for its first service. Roy managed to pick up and burn about 20% of the fallen walnut leaves, but the weather and his afflictions stopped him doing more.

The cache was just behind this church in this village

On Monday we both felt a little bit better, so we got going nice and early to the garage to be first in the queue for service. Only to have to come back from about 5km out for Roy's reading glasses. We got to the garage only about 10 minutes after opening, but ended up last in the queue. Still, they have done it in about an hour and a half, which wasn't bad.  However, once the car was back Roy noticed that the rather expensive (about £40 for 4) little hubcaps that cover up the ugly middle of the wheels were missing. I thought nothing of it, just mentioned it that they should not forget to put those back on the winter wheels, which they were storing over the summer and now put on the car. After this ensued a most unpleasant fight against the attitude of practically everbody there who insisted that those things they never store, they always give them back and thus implying that WE lost them.  Roy insisted that they were not given back nor were they placed in the car somewhere (as one of them suggested) and the reason why he didn't query this at the time, was that he had no idea they wouldn't store them. They were part of the wheel after all, but one of them really got my dander up when suggesting that those bits are for decoration only and have nothing to do with the wheel. This was the moment when I lost my rag and created a scene. The permanent attack, the total lack of any sign of acknowledgeing that they might be at fault and the accompanying refusal to even consider this fact, really got me angry.  So much so that one mechanic said, OK, he would have a look.  He came back after about 30 seconds, saying that there is no sign of them anywhere. He couldn't possibly have looked properly in such a short time, but I must admit at that point I was considering giving up as even the salesman who sold us the car, and we have become good friends with, was just as obnoxious as the rest of them. So I told them what I thought of them and the fact that we will never again come anywhere near them, either for service or repairs and definitely never again for purchasing a vehicle.

Glorious view from the church

Now interestingly, at that point the mechanic went back out into the workshop without saying anything and after about 5 minutes came back telling us that he found them.  Not that he admitted to have been at fault at all, putting the blame on an apprentice who didn't look inside the box that was with the wheels. I was very relieved, but told him again that they have definitely blotted their copy book and we will consider our position after this affair with view to our relationship with their business.

I managed to snap this unsuspecting hind

To be honest, this is still one of the best places we have had both for sales and service over the last 10 years, so we will probaby forget the thing, but be much more suspicious about our bits in future. On the other hand, I was very pleased with myself that I didn't give up, although I was quote close to it at one point.  Being a hariden sometimes comes in useful.

Ralph Fiennes

On Monday evening I went to see the Almeida Theatre production of Shakespeare's Richard III with Ralph Fiennes, which was superb. I was feeling very faint, but managed to stay awake and enjoy it all the way through.

On Tuesday morning, after the first good night's sleep I had for ages, I felt good enough to consider going geocaching. The sun shone beautifully, there was no wind, so I went. I was really after a couple of moving caches: one that visits medieaval churches or church ruins and the other one that travels from spring to spring all round the country. I found both, plus another two, took lots of nice photos and had a good day out. Unfotunately, even as early as half way round I started realising that I should have stayed at home, preferably in bed and then I would have felt better at the end of the day. I had a relapse and am still pretty weak and my nose is totally blocked again with coughs and sneezes having returned.

The Geology Research Institute and Museum

Unfortunately Wednesday had two appointments in it which I could not postpone, so I had to go out, which put my recovery even further into the future, but I must admit I still don't regret having done so.  The first one was to the Geological Museum to joing a group of people to look around the building otherwise closed to visitors.  There was also a geocache there, so that was an added bonus. The visit was really lovely, the guide was an enthusiastic, knowleadgable chap and I found the cache too.

Part of the glorious Art Nouveau interior

The second appointment was to go out to lunch with Ian and then go back to his place and see if we can fix his boyler. The lunch was absolutely gorgeous in the Belgian Beer pub, near his flat. I had some lovely vegetarian stuff and the men had meat and other things, plus a lot of beer. It is a bit expensive compared with others, but the quality of the food, service and atmosphere warranted it.  I am also glad to report that Roy and I make a good couple of plumbers as we fixed Ian's boyler by ringing the service people and have them instruct me on the mobile what to do. Ian insists that he had never had the user guide and what he managed to look up on the net didn't tell him anything useful. Never mind, he can always call on us for all sorts of repair and maintenance problems. I also managed to fix up a date for the boyler to be serviced in January when they will be back again.

The globe on top of the roof

Today so far has been spent in bed. I am desperately trying to get better, but it is slow. Roy got me some medicine, but I am just too old to get better fast nowadays. I have to go out again this evening, as I have a concert in the Palace of the Arts. Let us hope the weather is not too cold!