Get your own diary at DiaryLand.com! contact me older entries newest entry

Notes

Previous Next

About Me

More travels with my mother
03 June 2014 21:53


It's slightly embarrassing going shopping with Mum. When she pays she has to work out which coin is which. I feel as if I need to explain to the shop assistant, "no, she's not senile; she hasn't lived in the UK for over 20 years and isn't use to our coins."

She also brought currency in the form of £50 bank notes. When she tried to use those, they would have to go and check with a supervisor that they could accept them. But then I also think of £50 as a lot of money to have in a single bank note, even though £50 today is probably worth less than half what it was when the notes were first issued.

Anyway, I can't really talk about senility. When we went to the zoo I was asked for my post code, for the gift aid donation. My mind went completely blank. After a few moments I remembered something that sounded about right. I then changed it - and I'm pretty certain the code I changed it to was wrong too.

Big Sis asked mum to buy some cot blankets to take back. Apparently you can't get them in NZ, which seems a little hard to believe. No problem. I knew where the Mothercare superstore in Basingstoke was, so off we trekked. Except ... er ... it wasn't there. But I was very resourceful and used pre-internet technology to find out where it really was. Yes, I asked someone*. It was the other side of town.

* The full story is that I went to see if I could use tintertnet in the library, but was told that I had to join the library first. This seemed a little bit of overkill, but when I explained to the librarian that I only wanted to look up where Mothercare was, she told me. Who needs smart phones?

Bank Holiday Monday we went to the beach - in proper British tradition. Who cares if it was grey and windy and threatening rain? The rain held off long enough for us to eat our picnic. We went to Hengestbury Head, where I've not been before. I thought it was an album by Mike Oldfield, but that that was Hergest Ridge.

It's a good place (Hengestbury Head, that is. I've not been to Hergest Ridge so can't really comment on it). There's sea and sand and pebbles and rocks and cliffs and stuff. And a cafe where you can warm up with hot chocolate when you have experienced enough bank holiday weather.

Other places we visited in the week included the brilliant museum in Basingstoke (which is pretty much the only worthwhile reason for going to Basingstoke - even if you work in the town); Mottisfont Abbey (which was never an abbey but is in Mottisfont); and the site of the Victorian military hospital just outside Southampton (though actually in Eastleigh borough).

Mum's gone back home now; we took her to the airport on Saturday morning. My next overseas visitor is my dopey sister. I use the term advisedly, as when she first told me her arrival date, the day and date didn't match. And despite the fact that I suggested she get a flight that arrives early morning so I can go to work after collecting her from the airport, she booked a flight that arrives at 1130.

previous - next

Recent Entries

What's changed - 21 May 2020
Locked down life - 17 May 2020
Travel Bookings - 15 February 2020
Does anyone know what's going on - 06 September 2019
Family stories - 17 August 2019

about me - read my profile! read other Diar
yLand diaries! recommend my diary to a friend! Get
 your own fun + free diary at DiaryLand.com!