Bradwan's Blog

Glyn Watkins dressed as Bishop Blaise, Bradford’s forgotten saint, reputedly martyred by having his skin scrapped off with woolcombs (a model of which Glyn is holding). He’s stood outside the Sparrow Bier cafe, half way stopping point of The Bring Back St. Blaise’s Festival walk on Sunday 3rd Feb. 2013

Glyn Watkins dressed as Bishop Blaise, Bradford’s forgotten saint, reputedly martyred by having his skin scrapped off with woolcombs (a model of which Glyn is holding). He’s stood outside the Sparrow Bier cafe, half way stopping point of The Bring Back St. Blaise’s Festival walk on Sunday 3rd Feb. 2013

The nicest thing in this up and down day was probably meeting Emily and Davie in The Sir Titus Salt, starting point of Sunday’s Bring Back St. Blaise’s Festival Walk at 13.00.

I had had the special offer rib-eye steak. I’d had this on a different offer on Saturday and loved it, best steak I’ve had in a Wetherspoon. Today the steak was fine, but it was bloody while Saturday it was not; both were ‘medium’. They do good steak but if you do not want blood then you have to ask for well done.

After I had finished Emily came up and asked if I had finished with the steak menu, at which point I advised her about Wetherspoon steak cooking, then as they were sat on the next table I went and talked to them, and sold them a Wayne Jacobs Little Red Head Book

Next nicest thing was marco of the Sparrow Bier Cafe saying they would actively support a St. Blaise festival next year.

Things is I still have no idea where I will be next month, let alone next year. My mother is OK but still in hospital, and with a growing list of non-life threatening conditions.

The most astonishing thing I have done recently is leave a full pint of beer at the Corn Dolly just so I could catch the last bus home! My mate Dave Pendleton promised to find it a good home though, so it was not as bad as it could have been.

I spent a while yesterday in the ill built centre of Bradford using my boots to create channels through the slush so the meltwater could get down the drainage gullies. Yes, it was like a small boy testing his wellies, but there were massive, bog like puddles at the bottom of Sunbridge Road because all of the gullies on the south side were blocked by a tiny amount of slush, and the only one at the bottom is 3 metres around the corner! Every time snow melts there will be at least 3 slushy ponds in central Bradford because the design of the roads, pavements and drainage is utterly abysmal.

Got my, at least, 25 year old Macintosh Plus working today. I needed to check details from a book I was commissioned to write about the history of Bradford Playhouse (I stopped work on it the last time the place burnt down).

The computer started and I was looking for what I wanted when there was a small explosion and smoke came out of the top. The odd thing was the thing was still working!

I also knocked over a lit table lamp with a fluorescent bulb. I picked it up and put it back. Only when it went out did I notice the bulb was broken! I reckon it was lit for at least 30 second after a quartre of it was broken clean off.

Long commute today. Sorted ma’s house and budgie; walked to the station; told a lovely pair from Toronto about the history of Scotch Whisky; got ‘home’ to a nearly freezing house; went out; got Wetherspoons’ coffee vouchers for the Bring Back St. Blaise’s Festival Walk, so all those buying a ticket will get a walk and at least a coffee); sorted other stuff out. Am knackered.

The 1.5 litres of blood have turn my mother around. When I saw her today she was full of life, she even had a go at writing with a different grip (her middle finger is of less and less use, and I used to be a teacher); I went and bought her a drawing pad and a set of felt pens and she spent a happy few minutes colouring in the design on the front of the pad.

I was on one of the many, many buses of the last week, when a cute Community police type woman sat in front of me. I noticed she had a black biro stuck in the back of her hair. I asked and she told me she put it there otherwise she would lose it; I complimented her on her resourcefulness and suggested she put two in like they were hair pins, so they would look planned, and she could still lose one and write things down.

My suggestion she got her significant other to buy her some nice pens prompted her to tell me that “unfortunatel” there was no significant other. What’s wrong with Crawley? Slim, young, short dark haired, good looking woman in a uniform with a giggle and a original look at life and on her own! She was on the No 2 bus to K2.

By her account my mother had a massive hemorrhage last evening, only then did a doctor try and stop the bleeding. He criticised the fact the head or the wound had not been cleaned, and put in stitches without anaesthetic. She lost a lot of blood but hopefully that is the end of the massive losses. The staff were full of praise.

Forgot to mention that Basil drove us to the 3 Horseshoes, Ironsbottom, for lunch. Good food, the Shere Drop bitter from the Surrey Hills Brewery was some of the best I’ve had fr a long time, but the main reason for blogging is to celebrate the place name of Ironsbottom! It almost certainly started as something like Ian’s Bottom, but a bottom of iron is not impossible, though the bottom line is probably peasants with a rustic sense of humour.

Our mother’s latest hemorrhage

She is not critical, but she did have a bad hemorrhage from her wound this morning. When she called to tell me she was quite cheerful and and talking about dying. Me and Basil got to the hospital as soon as we could. She was pale from blood loss but on on blood and saline drips and in no more danger than usual for a women of her age and conditions.

They will take her to try and stitch or glue the wound. There are reason for not trying to do this earlier, but I cannot help but think cost is the main one.

Still, it gave me and Basil a chance to chat; we cannot remember the last time we actually met.

I had it in my head that my Pie & Priestley Night was next Saturday. My old friend Linda pointed out this morning that it was the weekend after, then regretted telling me on account of the fact I would now slack off!

If you follow the above link it says the show finishes at 02.00, which is crap. I will have been in bed for hours by then. The show will be over by 22.30 at the latest.

I have recruited Linda and Bev as shepherdesses for the Bring Back St. Blaise’s Festival Walks. Linda will be at the back making encouraging laggards, and Bev will be stood near enough to be to prod me if I am going on too much. Sorted!

I painted a bit of mum’s kitchen as well.