Returned from long absence - holidays in Prague and Dorset

Well, I'm blogging again. I was discouraged as I didn't think anyone was reading what I wrote. It's been a mixed 7-8 months. I stopped blogging because my son T. had 3 linked relapses with his alcoholism from February to May, and it all seemed too depressing - like life going round in circles. On one occasion while drunk he commited an offence again and was back in court - he received a renewed community order. He had to interrupt the college course he had started in counselling, and is still not yet back on it [he may resume in January '09]. Also we have been getting my partner D. diagnosed for probably earlyish onset dementia by age 67 [it's not Alzheimer's but another kind - probably vascular]. He's had the symptoms for 2-3 years.

All the above puts me squarely in the role of carer to both my men - whether I like it or not. I am still pursuing my own life path and its goals. I've begun to do voluntary work with my church, the Jesus Fellowship. They have started another 'Jesus Centre' - or social drop-in cerntre - in central London. I go up there 1 day a week, and do a mixture of administration [morning] and teaching English to foreigners [English conversation] for one afternoon p/week. I began this last April, and have kept it up apart from holiday or illness breaks all through the year. I recently missed a session because my son had another breakdown - only last week - and he is again in hospital recovering [detoxing and getting respite]. Returning to the London Jesus Centre, I will also be doing some art work - there will be an art room, but the building work is not yet finished in the whole Centre, and that room is not yet ready. I have bought in £200 worth of art supplies to donate for when the room is ready - and i will be one of the people helping to run the art. In the meantime I go to an art therapy group for carers, which has given me lots of creative ideas. [At senior school I studied art at O and A Level, and did well.]

I am still lecturing a little part time in criminology for Birkbeck College, London. I was going to retire this year, as i am now 65 [I started dawing my deferred pension], but my college boss persuaded me to do another year - with about the same amount of work, which is very light by now. I cut it down after 2005, sue to my son's continuing troubles. Now my husband is ill too, it is quite a burden, but I enjoy the intellectual stimulus. I will be running 2 Saturday schools on youth crime and homicide issues, plus 2-3 evening classes, and supervising 4 students with dissertations. I also now am on a committee [as a carer rep.] for local mental health service users and carers - this involves some regular meeting during the year, and reading emails and reports.

Despite my caring role, I managed to have 2 trips away this summer. In June I realised a long ambition, and went for 4 days to Prague, capital of Czech Republic. I know some young Czech women at my church - always wanted to see this historic, beautful city. I went with a party but was alone withing the group. I enjoyed the first evening when I explored on my own - walking along beside the River Vltava and across the famous medieval Charles Bridge [it's entirely pedestrianised], enjoying the atmosphere and the gorgeous sunny evening. People were mellow and civilised - a far cry from the way London has become [noisy, incivil and sometimes threatening violence]. In a riverside venue a band was striking up - numbers from The Beatles! The next day we intensively explored the Castle and Prague Cathedral [St. Vitus] - both wonderful. I went round one of the royal palaces, the Liebkowitz, then walked back to my hotel via the Mala Strana [Lesser Town] and Charles Bridge, via a lovely old green park with peacocks calling. Other sights included the old Jewish quarter with 5 synagogues [all museums now] and the Jewish cemetery; St Wenceslas Square - with its recent political significance; the Orthodox church of Ss Cyril & Methodius, where assassins of Heydrich [Nazi city governor] were hunted down and killed themselves in 1942; and the Museum of Communism - an amusing, ironic place. There is interesting modern architecture too - eg. the Fred and Ginger or Dancing Building by R. Vltava. I didn't get the chance to see the Kafka Museum, or visit the Petrin tower [it is like a small Eiffel Tower, visible on a large green hill outside Prague]. The tour ended with a relaxing boat trip with a good meal on board a Prague riverboat, with an accordionist.

I had a short holiday more recently with my son, T. We went by train to Christchurch in South Dorset, England - near Bournemouth. We have an old friend of D's who lives there - on one day he drove us to Salisbury where we saw the cathedral. I went to hear my friend M. give a talk to a fan society on the music of Frank Sinatra - he's an expert on that era of popular music. The other 2 full days T and I walked to the local beaches via a charming ferry and scenic estuary path, across a nature reserve and along Hengistbury Head, where there are Bronze Age and Saxon remains. From the beaches you can see clearly out to the Isle of Wight. In Christchurch the Priory [bult C12th] is the longest C of E church in Britain, plus there are wonderful old Norman remains - part of a castle and an old manor house, plus a workign mill and mill stream. Two rivers converge there. We stayed in a comfortable, old fashioned B & B guest house, and got our evening meals out [fish & chips, Chinese take-away and on the last night an Italian meal at a recommended retaurant, Pinocchio's]. T. was fine on this holiday, showing no 'flakiness'.

On our holidays my husband D prefers to stay at home - he takes care of our cat Charlie - and also the house. He is no longer adventurous. Even driving to visit our daughter Alice's grave at Oxford is a trial for him. he drives locally though. Last month I went to Oxford, alone by train - my church was doing some outreach, with a festival tent, there - I also went by local bus to visit Alice's grave - it was strange sitting there by myself, but I could to contemplate her loss more.

I still support tigers [now less than 3,500 in the wild] and am soon going to 2 lecture evenings with films and an art exhibition at 2 major venues in London, both supported by Global Tiger Patrol / 21st Century Tiger. I still hope to return to India for a 3rd time - may be difficult....

Thanks if you have read this. I pray that the world somehow recover from its troubles - global warming, financial metldown, war and global poverty... Best wishes to all my readers [it any!]

Love and peace, as before - Tigey