The character of many seem to change dramatically when the working day is through. We went into Norwich on Thursday evening to do a bit of shopping, have some tea and then go to an art exhibition where our friend Jocelyn Jacobson was exhibiting.
As people wended their way home, the character of the city seemed to change. Are we the only people who feel slightly intimidated by the character that takes over around 6 pm each evening? Perhaps it's just us but the vibes don't feel good.
We wandered down London Street - the first pedestrianised street in the country - and noted a number of closed shops that certainly make the street look shabby.
After a spot of shopping, we ate at our favourite little restaurant Saporita and then went to the art display which was in the under croft in Norwich marketplace. It's a strange long room almost underneath but also alongside the historic market place.
A few months ago I bemoaned the fact that Reggies Mushy Pea stall had shut. Yesterday there appeared some bright new signs heralding Lucy's chip and mushy pea stall. It was shut by the time we got there but let's hope that mushy peas will once again be available. Now I know that this isn't something to concern or worry 99.9999% of the population but I do like my mushies.
I found the exhibition interesting. Do give it a look if you are in the area and you can make up your own mind. Our friend's work is stark and challenging. Jo comes from Zimbabwe and much of her work focusses on the political situation in that country. Her work is harsh and challenging and at times brutal but ultimately brilliant. Give it a look and see what you think. There's a picture of Jo and one of her works with this blog.
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My piece about the new Hustle Gym in Wymondham which I mentioned yesterday has appeared in the Eastern Daily Press newspaper and also online. Pleased to be able to give it a pre-opening boost.
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I stand or sit before you Mr Confused. Actually that should read Mr Password confused. All this technology. Yes I embrace most of it, but it can be hugely confusing at times. Either myself or my other threequarters have been involved in trying to set-up a bank account for a couple of groups. It has taken literally months and involved the filling in of so many forms and phone calls that we were both close to chucking in the towel.
Everything seems to be so complex nowadays. Jobs that should be simple and take a few minutes end up taking hours and days (and even weeks). We have passwords for this and passwords for that. We have passwords for passwords and questions to be answered to access passwords and we are told not to write passwords down in case they get stolen but also to use different passwords. So how many times have you come to something and completely forgotten your password? At this point you are urged to reset the password, which you do and then a week later forget the new password and have to reset it again. Confused I am.
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Sadly I have had evidence over the last week or so about the appalling state of care in our country. I don't want to go into individual situations or mention names but I know of a number of people who are physically and mentally exhausted trying to look after loved ones and really struggling without the support they need.
There is no doubt in my mind that hospitals are releasing patients and sending them home when they aren't fit to go. I know many people feel that they have just been cast adrift without any real support and that is appalling. Something needs to be done and I don't mean Government ministers staring into a television camera and telling us how much money has been ploughed into the NHS and Social Care etc. It's all very depressing.
As I write this the chief executive of the Alzheimer's Society is being interviewed and explaining that the support service is at breaking point. I remember the situation with my own father when he was physically struggling but still living at home with carers going in. The carers came in for half an hour, which gave them virtually no time to do anything of use and much of their time was spent filling in forms.
The Chief Exec, Kate Lee, is explaining that so many support workers are suffering total burnout. They are giving of their own time unpaid and earning less than they would working in a supermarket. "Our hospitals are full of people with dementia who cannot go home because the level of home care just isn't there," she has just said.
I don't feel that I want to comment on this any further as it makes me angry that the gap between what we are told by politicians and what actually happens is vast. Lecture over.
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Our new community pavilion on the Memorial Playing Field is really taking shape and looks to be ahead of schedule. The foundations are in and it really is heartening to see the speed at which the build is going up. There's a photo of the latest position with this blog.