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2008 - July 27th - Sunday

FAMILY PICNIC IN GREENWHICH PARK

JH set out to catch the 0932 train to Paddington from Maidenhead: this train departed from platform 2, because the refurbishments of the Station necessitated the closure of the central platforms, 3 and 4.  The journey to Paddington, and on the Bakerloo Line, and from Charing Cross to Greenwich, was uneventful.  It was like an oven in the Underground, and warning signs had been erected by the station entrances – advising passengers to take a bottle of water with them in view of the hot weather – but life did not become so unbearable as in the heat wave of 2006 and JH, as always, kept on drinking during her ‘pit stops’.  JH arrived at Greenwich at about 11.30am and walked down the ramp from the platform; in the underpass she discovered that a lift had been installed to go up to the platform on the same level as the Booking Office, and the toilet.  However . . . the toilet door had a notice thereon which gave apologies for the toilet being OOO! 


 

With reference to the information about the availability of public conveniences in Greenwich – especially those accessible with a RADAR key – JH decided not to search out the toilets near the Cutty Sark, but struggled down the stairs to the toilets in King William Walk.  Before walking up to the picnic venue – as always by the large chestnut tree, four trees down from the crossroads in the Park by the Royal Observatory – JH sat on her wheelie’s chair to finish reading about the SS Great Britain so that she could loan the book to Ralph.

JH arrived amongst her family at about 12.45pm.  After being greeted with ‘Oh good, you’ve made it!’ and ‘would you like a drink’, JH was given a mug of orange juice.  As soon as Ralph could extract himself from the Gang of Hipseys, and all sorts of in-law family members, he came and told JH that Kathy was not able to be a the picnic because she was an inpatient at the RLH (as we had both anticipated would be the case, when last speaking on the phone).  In between pleasant interruptions about offers of a cup of tea, hellos, and JH passing on the hug to grandma Pic as instructed to by Jenny, Ralph explained to JH that Kathy was, indeed, really ill.

On Wednesday 23rd July, after discussion with the RLH, Ralph had driven Kathy to the Hospital in half-an-hour – this was during the evening which was just as well: Kathy was admitted to Paulin Ward, and drips put up, examinations done – and all the rest.  Ralph had a conversation with Dr Gavin Dwyer, who JH understood to be a Registrar in Nephrology, and who was helpfulness itself – and the words ‘touch and go’ were used by Ralph to explain what he had been told by Dr Dwyer.  After Kathy had been assessed she was, at some point, transferred down to the Critical Care Bay in Devonshire Ward (where JH had been admitted after fainting following her angiogram) which is on the floor below Paulin Ward.  Ralph told JH that Kathy had 5 drips going: subsequently, JH understood these lines to be, two for saline (or some such), one for paracetamol, one for administering antibiotics – but this only makes 4, so JH wonders of one of the lines was to measure Central Venous Pressure (CVP) and other physiological parameters. 

Ralph went home somewhere about midnight, and prepared to go to bed.  However, as could be imagined, he just really felt that it was impossible for him to go to bed with any hope of sleeping, in spite of his exhaustion.  Ralph decided to ring up the Ward and spoke to Dr Dwyer who said that he was just about to ring Ralph: Kathy was still really ill but she was stable and all that could be done was being done; when Ralph asked if he could return to the Hospital and just ‘be by Kathy’s side’ Dr Dwyer said that he felt sure that Kathy would appreciate Ralph being there, even though she was really somewhat unaware of what was going on around her.  So Ralph got back in his car and drove back to the Hospital; on his way to the Ward, he actually met Dr Dwyer, who was just leaving (at about 2.00am), so Ralph received another clear and sympathetic explanation of what was ‘happening’ to Kathy: Ralph spent the rest of the night in a chair by Kathy’s bed. 
 
Ralph’s explanation for Kathy’s admission to RLH Continued  In the morning {of 24th July} a member of the Surgical Team, Roberto – whose surname Ralph could not quite remember (unsurprisingly as it is very Italian, apparently!) explained that Kathy would have all the necessary scans – and the rest – but the ultimate outcome of all these investigations would be a decision to take Kathy to the Operating Theatre.  Kathy was being given all sorts of medication i/v: before one i/v dose was given, the Nurse flushed the cannula with saline and then gave the bolus of drug; Kathy then said to Ralph that the ceiling was cracking and falling down on her so she must close her eyes; however, on closing her eyes she saw worms under her eyelids - in other words Kathy was experiencing terrifying hallucinations.  Ralph asked JH if she knew of any type of drug which could cause such distress to a patient: JH did not.  (JH did recollect that about 50 years ago she observed a patient becoming disorientated after being given paraldehyde {never given i/v} whereas this drug should have the opposite affect; no doubt paraldehyde has been relegated to the pharmaceutical museum!).  In any event, whatever was necessary to be done to allay Kathy’s horrors was done.  Although Kathy remained really ill, she was able to reassure Ralph by encouraging (being bossy as usual?) him to go home; Kathy realised how exhausted he must be – and so Ralph did manage to get some sleep in his own bed that night.

. . . coming back to a picnic In Greenwich Park – Ralph planned to visit Kathy, together with Bill and perhaps other members of the Hipsey Clan, during the afternoon (it would be a much briefer trip than coming into London again from Home).  JH really felt that she could not contemplate going up to the Hospital on this HOT and humid July day; Ralph said that JH could come (there would be room in his large car) if she wished but JH explained that she really felt exhausted at the thought (having had a 2½-hour journey to the picnic, and anticipating a longer journey back to Maidenhead in the evening); subsequently JH worried if Kathy noted JH’s absence, but no further mention was made at all.

JH had some delicious soup (yes, really, and hot!) and a chunk of granary bread and butter for lunch in the Café. During the course of the afternoon, JH was offered mini doughnuts and sweets by Henry, one of Kathy’s great nephews - and fresh bits of melon by Pat, Kathy’s ‘other’ sister in law - and delicious slices of Pat’s home made fruit loaf – and, in between, drinks of fruit juice and/or tea were handed round by the gentlemen caterers, and boxes of biscuits, and packets of hoolah hoops . . . and the rest . . ..  Henry’s mum, Debbie, gave JH her sister, Louise’s (Roberts), telephone numbers – the reason being that JH had thought of ‘convening’ a Reunion on Ray Mill Island together with Louise and her friend who had spotted the plaque with JH’s name thereon in the shelter.

JH took the opportunity to have conversations with Pic and Pat about past Hipsey ‘Life Events’: in particular, JH expressed her sadness at having heard about Kathy’s fraught relationship with Michelle, her younger daughter; apparently they had had a major disagreement at Christmas Time and so they were not on speaking terms.  Both Pic and Pat had of course been ‘party to’ all the most difficult times that Kathy had gone through when her first marriage broke up whilst she still had two young daughters to look after.  JH does not need to imaging the lack of harmony between mothers and daughters – she did have a mother, herself, after all!  JH does remember talking to Auntie May, mummy’s cousin, who – on hearing JH’s tale of some perceived ‘upset’ which had arisen between JH and her mother – observed that young people do not appreciate all mothers and fathers have ‘to offer’ until it’s too late, and then realise how mothers and fathers will be missed – when they are no longer there to be grumbled at, or with, or about: JH cannot imaging what life would have been like – as a young child - without both mummy and daddy (the latter returning from the War just when JH was old enough to get to know him and recognise him as her daddy).

Ralph returned later in the afternoon and reported that Kathy was much better, both physically, and in spirits.  Ralph had given JH his mobile phone, so that she could hear the recorded message which K had left only that morning, instructing R ‘not to forget to take some sheets of paper to put on the clip board’ so that an attendance list could be signed by everyone.  JH assumes that Debbie’s sister-in-law signed on behalf of new baby niece-in-law at about 6 weeks of age, but no doubt the eldest attendee, Margaret - at the age of 82 - was able to sign for herself. 
 
JH was apprised of the true circumstances of the loss of all Kathy’s Picnic Records in July 2006: apparently this bag (which JH had mentioned the loss of to the Park’s Warden via an email - the main subject of which was the failure of the public conveniences to stay open until the Park actually closed) had not been left leaning against the rendezvous tree, but had been missed before everyone had gone home, and a great search was made, including checking every single bag and/or car boot, and even emptying out the nearest of the Park’s refuse bins.  So, today in 2008, Pic and Pat were constantly on the lookout for any personal possessions of any value which strayed outside the picnic ‘arena’, as it was thought that Kathy’s bag had actually been snatched by a passing opportunistic thief: JH hopes the thief was bitterly disappointed when he found he had a load of photos and family memorabilia, rather than a laptop – in this stolen laptop bag (which it actually wasn’t, but looked like).

By late afternoon, groups of attendees were packing up and going home; the games of cricket, the throwing of Frisbees (why has my spell-check added a capital letter?), and the squirting of water pistols slowly stopped as the number of participants slowly diminished until the friendly opposing teams were reduced to none.  In 1998 Kathy was out there with all the youngsters!  JH had already said that she wished to attend the performance of ‘Shakespeare in the Park’ commencing at 6.30pm: Rainbow Theatre’s production this year is The Merchant of Venice.  JH had seen Anthony and Cleopatra in July 2006, so that was why she had brought her wheelie – with its chair attached – as sitting on the grass was rather uncomfortable on that last occasion.  JH was provided with two more slices of Pat’s delicious fruit loaf and a packet of crisps which she ate - together with her own supply of fruit -  amongst all the other picnickers in the ‘auditorium’ - who were also, of course, the audience.  Each performer came round to the members of the audience, and introduced themselves, and hoped that, in the hot and humid weather, a Venetian thunderstorm would not intervene in their exposé of the political machinations going on in Venice; however, slight pauses in the dialogue occurred, or extra-loud projection was practised, in order to counteract the noise of passing flying machines; furthermore, it was remarked upon that, should a drop of Antonio’s blood be shed, it would be quite pointless him seeking medical attention from the 60-year old Venetian NHS!



 
 
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