Song association

This evening as I was driving to the Scout Hut to collect Tom from his 2nd taster / transition to Cubs (from Beavers) the Elbow song, 'One Day Like This', was playing on the radio.  I parked the car and listened to the song in its entirity, and was taken back in time 3 years or so, to the Nuffield Orthopaedic Hospital in Oxford.  I was recovering from surgery and the hospital radio fellows approached my bed and asked if I'd like a song played later.  This was the song I chose.

So, tonight, instead of blogging further on the saga of the drains, the rains, the floods and the omnious doom-laden feeling of being David versus Goliath in my quest for what is right, I'll tell you instead the story of the time when I broke my leg, 10 years ago, snowboarding in Switzerland.  And thank goodness for holiday travel insurance.

It was a stupid break.  By which I mean there was no 'death or glory' (as our Israeli snow-buddies were want to shout), no half-pipe wipe outs, no board-cross kicker or net-tangle, no double black run, moguls or off-piste powder hidden rocks, and no sneaky skiers taking you out from behind...  it was a lift accident, I only had myself to blame, and I did it good and proper.

The knack to getting off a T-bar lift if you're a snowboarder is .... not something I attained.  The one time I got off the T-bar it got me.  In as much as with 1 foot out of my binding I put it down to steady myself as I dismounted, and the foot with the snowboard attached whipped round so quickly I heard the bones snap.

Sorry if this is a little graphic. Everything became slow motion.  Somehow I was on the floor, and there was an un-nerving howling sound, a primal scream, a stop-the-world-now-I-want-to-get-off sound, which I gradually realised was coming from me, so I stopped it.  The way my foot was angled away from my knee was unnatural and although the adrenalin had prevented any actual pain from grabbing hold I instinctively knew not to move.

My instructor and the rest of my group quickly circled me and prevented any of the other disembarking skiers from coming my way.  Then thankfully they stopped the lift altogether and after some time the blood-wagon arrived to stretcher me off the slopes.  Headfirst and backward. Eek!!.  I had very good care, the stretcher had a vacuum suction affair which carefully clamped onto the boot to secure the leg for the trip, and the stretcher bearer/puller was slow and gentle down the hill.

Simon came with me, and arranged for our friends to look after Phoebe for the rest of the day.  We had a train carriage to ourselves to the bottom of the village, and then an ambulance to the clinic.  At the clinic they had to take the boot off to take x-rays.  This was the most unpleasant part of the experience.  They refused to cut it off, I don't think they realised how bad the break was, or thought it was ligaments or something.  Anyway, I confess I'm not proud, but I hyper-ventilated for the duration, which I hope never to repeat, the cramps in my fingers and hands were arthritic to look at.

The x-rays showed a spiral fracture of my left leg, both bones, tibia and fibula, so I was sent to the big hospital in the town for surgery.  They said they'd pin it.  As luck would have it I could go into theatre straight away without any anaesthetic worries as since breakfast all I'd had was 2 mouthfuls of water at 12noon when the accident happened, and it was by now 4.30pm.

After the proceedure I came to at 11.45pm, and once they were satisfied that I wasn't going to puke after the sips of water I was given I was moved into a room with 1 other bed in it.

It's a good test of your language ability to spend 6 days in a foreign hospital.  The first, and most degrading hurdle, was needing a pee and using a bedpan - or as they say in french, le vase.  It was one of the most difficult things I've every done, and went against every natural urge, to allow/will yourself to 'go' and let the stream flow, while you're still in bed.  And peeing was unavoidable as they insisted you drink 2 litre bottles of the cloudy mineral water each day - I'm certain it was a high calcium content to assist the bone knitting.

The next morning I introduced myself to my room-mate, a nun, Soeur Marie-Robert.  I couldn't have wished for a kinder, gentler, lovelier room mate than she.  She was 86, spoke no English, French was her second language, and had had knee surgery.  She improved my French vocabulary, and was equally content in the quietness of the room, a more patient patient you couldn't wish to meet, and I was glad to have met her.

After a few days Soeur Marie-Robert was recovered enough to return to her convent, and we said our goodbyes.  My next room mate was a complete contrast and unforgettable.  Babette was loud, 60 something, glamorous, and a chatterbox.  She had a mobile phone, a television wheeled in, and visitors most of the day.  She insisted I asked the nurse for some drugs, something to help me sleep, or ear-plugs because, she apologised, in the night she would 'ronfleurer, ronfleurer tres mal'. I didn't need the dictionary to find out that she snored.  Sadly I wasn't given any drugs to help me sleep as they would interfere with the other medication I was prescribed, but she would have done any army platoon proud.  And sleep was impossible.

By day 6 after the break, I was finally managing crutches without passing out in a faint - whether this was a side effect of the altitude, the anaesthetic, or having low blood pressure from being in bed so long I don't know, but it's a little like being drunk, and you don't want to be in that position with a newly pinned broken leg.

Discharged from the hospital with the expectation that the pin would probably be taken out after 18mths to 2 years.....  ho hum.

So another ambulance ride - this time to the airport, and I was given a whole row of seats right at the back of the plane, so I could sit sideways and have my leg elevated.  Met at the other airport and ambulanced home.  Eventually got a prescription from my GP for pain killers and arranged to see a consultant at the West Middlesex General Hospital... who said they'd leave the pin in, indefinitely, unless it bothers you.

And I'll say more about that the next time!  For the completists among you, here follow the lyrics to that song, the one which started this posting.

Nighty night.  Kat.

                                                    "One Day Like This" by Elbow

Drinking in the morning sun
Blinking in the morning sun
Shaking off a heavy one
Yeah, heavy like a loaded gun

What made me behave that way?
Using words I never say
I can only think it must be love
Oh anyway, it's looking like a beautiful day

Someone tell me how I feel
It's silly wrong, but vivid right
Oh, kiss me like a final meal
Yeah, kiss me like we die tonight

'Cause holy cow, I love your eyes
And only now I see the light
Yeah, lying with you half awake
Stumbling over what to say
Oh, anyway, it's looking like a beautiful day

When my face is chamois creased
If you think I wink, I did
Laugh politely at repeats
Yeah, kiss me when my lips are thin

'Cause holy cow, I love your eyes
And only now I see the light
Yeah, lying with you half awake
Stumbling over what to say
Well, anyway, it's looking like a beautiful day

So throw those curtains wide
One day like this a year would see me right
Throw those curtains wide
One day like this a year would see me right

Throw those curtains wide
One day like this a year would see me right
Throw those curtains wide
One day like this a year would see me right for life

Throw those curtains wide
'Cause holy cow, I love your eyes
One day like this a year would see me right
And only now I see the light
Throw those curtains wide
'Cause holy cow, I love your eyes
One day like this a year would see me right
And only now I see the light

Throw those curtains wide
One day like this a year would see me right
Throw those curtains wide
One day like this a year would see me right

Throw those curtains wide
One day like this a year would see me right
Throw those curtains wide
One day like this a year would see me right

In the words of....

... Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart of the Eurythymics, circa 1984:

Here comes the rain again
Falling on my head like a memory
Falling on my head like a new emotion

It's stopped raining, for the timebeing, and I'm pleased to report that my drains are now running freely.  Which is sad.  That I am reporting this as news, because because because.  

Because this time we had our drains overflowing with rainwater from the sewers from Thursday 6th February until Tuesday 11th February, and then remaining backlogged with standing water until they finally receded on Sunday 16th February.  Add it up. Do the maths. No drainage from my property for 11 days.  Back in January it was flooding, and, obviously, no drainage (see previous blogs) for 7 days.

It's all a huge complicated pass-the-buck-and-take-no-responsibility-mess, although they take our money because we pay our water bill, and we pay our council taxes, and our income taxes, and what do we get?  Sewage in our front garden.  Sewage on our rear patio.  Sewage from the neighbours drains on my hen patch and vegetable patch.

And you know what?  Something here stinks.  Yes.  My garden.  But more than that.  The system stinks.  

Thames Water say on their website that  We have no control over what is put into sewers or the amounts of rain that falls in our region, and the law recognises we should not be responsible for any flooding damage caused as a result.  (http://www.thameswater.co.uk/help-and-advice/9782.htm).

Well, isn't that just the best 'get out of jail free card' ever invented?  Thames Water have been made aware of the 'flooding when it rains heavily' problems in this area, by us for the past 5 years, and by neighbours for at least 8 years.  

And I've passed my concerns to the Environment Agency who said 'we'll put pressure on Thames Water', and to my local and county Councillors who said 'we'll put pressure on Thames Water'.  And every time I get onto Thames Water directly they say it's 'hydraulic overload' (too much water) and they can't do anything about it until the water goes down.  

Rainwater from sewers flooding my front garden after heavy rain on Saturday 15th February.

But here's where it gets really stinky.  When we moved to this area, there were already plans approved to build 200+ houses on the site of the girls school 500m down the road, and these are now built, connected to the sewers, sold and occupied.  There is currently building development between us and the 200+ houses for another 20 or so properties, yet to connect to the sewers.  

There are plans on hold for 14 houses on the field directly behind our property - plans which were passed on appeal by the inspector from Bristol - which are on hold because Thames Water has put a 'Grampian Condition' on the plans, which essentially states that until the sewers are improved they can't proceed.

My point is this:  surely the central/main sewers, to which we are all connected, should have been improved before all the development went ahead.

And I'm not niave.  It's all to do with money.

Passing the buck.  The buck stops where?  I take the point that Thames Water aren't responsible for the ground water, or higher than normal water table, or drainage ditches overflowing, road gulleys getting blocked or this year's seriously above average rainfall!!!  I imagine the Environment Agency has to take on some of this (river dredging springs to mind).  But I can't accept it when Thames Water say they're not responsible for rainwater getting into the sewers - because they should be able to do something about that, and they should already have done it.

And here's where the money thing stinks.  Because the Water Utilities Companies were privatised some 25 years ago, they've all been beholden to shareholders and the promised infrastructure investment has been somewhat reduced and has instead been paid out in dividends. Okay, that's probably over-simplisitic, and no doubt Thames Water has invested millions, and is probably in the broad sweep of things doing an OK job in a shitty world (pun intended). 

My neighbour's drain cover - weighed with a rock - rainwater from the sewers overflowing after heavy rainfall 15.2.14 

But it's got a monopoly, which means that I can't change my water services provider, there is no alternative, so I'm stuck with what I've got.  Like it or lump it.  I've got no choice, and that's what stinks.

I've gone on enough.  Thanks to my local Councillor, tonight I've a voice mail from the reporter from the local paper, wondering if I'd like to speak to him about the problems in this part of town..... and you know what?  I think I might.

Watch this space y'all!

Kat

May you live in interesting times.....

..... indeed.

2014 seems to be one thing after another.  In January, the first week back to school brought the news that Tom’s prep school was likely to close at the end of the academic year.   After careful consideration we decided to take Tom out of that school, and luckily we managed to get him a place very quickly at the local state school down the road.  He’s been there 2 weeks now and the transition has been relatively painless for him.  I say luckily because the state sector schools in this area are all ‘full’ and places are not guaranteed in your first choice.

From the 7th to the 13th January we were affected by flooding from the overloaded mains sewer drain (‘hydraulic overload’) backing up and spilling out from our inspection chambers.  Our neighbours' drains also flooded into our rear garden for the same period of time.  (See previous blogs).  I telephoned Thames Water daily to report the incident, and, as previous incidents of this nature had normally receded within 12-24 hours, I decided to take my obvious complaint and concerns further.

I contacted both my District Councillors, who happen to live further down the road, my County Councillor, and also lodged my concerns with the Environment Agency.  As a result of my discussions with them I have had a visit from a man from the Environmental Health Department of the local Council, and also had a meeting arranged  for later today with my County Councillor, her contact from Thames Water, and a Thames Water Asset Manager.  Unfortunately this meeting has been postponed due to the developing flooding emergency and the direct problems in the Oxfordshire area of the Thames basin.

We are presently enduring further flooding which began on Thursday 6th February, and which I have again reported to Thames Water on a daily basis.  Because the water table has been unable to drain away since January floods, and the rain has been unprecedented 'since records began', the current situation with our flooding is worse than before.

8.2.14  The deepest water at the furthest point from our back door (outside the 'playhouse') - but it went on for 4 days again and the land naturally dips down towards the end of the garden.

8.2.14  Roly going where my wellies just went!

8.2.14  deja-vu?  We've been here before....

9.2.14.  This is the sunken ornamental pond in the dis-used garden of the derelict property (awaiting demolition) next door to us.  Some of this is rainwater.  Some of this is ground water.  Most of this is run-off from the flooding in my garden these past 4 days....

I have spoken again today with my County Councillor about the ongoing problem, and she is confident the planned meeting with Thames Water will be re-arranged for later this week.  I have been in contact with the Environment Agency again, and yesterday e-mailed photos of the ‘hydraulic overload’ flooding to them, which is affecting 4 properties including ours.

On top of all this, we have now got electricians in the house who are checking our circuits because we  have had something tripping the fuse box since Friday.  There is a possibility that the flood/groundwater has risen under the house and is tripping the circuit from there.

So, we try to remain cheerful in the face of all this adversity.  There’s no point in getting stressed, and we’re taking positive action rather than pointing the finger of blame and stewing about it.  That way madness lies.

On a brighter note, the snowdrops are everywhere, I've started my new job at Witney Library and am loving it, and I had lovely day out at the WI’s Denman College making marmalade last week.

I’d fill you in on all the details myself, but it turned out that a fellow marmalade lady also writes a blog and she has covered it much better than I would have done - so for marmalade enthusiasts read on:

http://missreevesrecipes.wordpress.com/2014/02/08/hate-marmalade-learn-how-to-make-it-its-liquid-sunshine-too/  

You may see photos of yours truly if you look closely, and there are of course, photos of marmalade!

Keeping it real!  Kat  :)