Category: Local (To Me !!!)

Poor Standard Of Care


I moved into my current home in 1986, and one of the primary selling points for me was the green space at the front.

This green space, owned by the local council, had two large, over 80ft,  mature Beech Trees, a mature Yew, and a number of other trees.

Under the trees, there was a grassy area maintained by Havant Borough Council (HBC).

The council employees would turn to several times a year to cut the grass and generally keep the area tidy.

So pleasant was this area that children used to gather in the shade of the trees, to play and on occasion picnic. Our own children and grandchildren used to play there too.

https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/full_page_image/page-19-1949/content.html

Over the years, the nature of this green space has changed. One of the great Beeches got sick and had to be taken down. Some branches on the remaining Beech had become so long and heavy that they had to be cut off lest they break under their own weight and cause catastrophic damage to the main trunk. All the tree surgery managed by HBC.

Unfortunately, while the standard of tree care has been exemplary, the same can not be said of general care of the area.

The open area has become a bit of a wilderness, with brambles taking over to such an extent that they are encroaching on the driveway shared by me and my neighbours.

In fact, the overspill of the brambles is such that some of our ubiquitous couriers have refused to drive down to make their deliveries.

My neighbours and I have contacted the council in the past, and someone has come along and cut back the undergrowth. But they, the HBC, are reactive, not proactive.

In fact, after I had complained, one of the workers, clearly disgruntled at having to come back after a less than satisfactory grass cutting session, took it upon himself to inform me that he had been in the job for twenty plus years and that they had never maintained this area.

I pointed out that the council workers used to ride their sit on mowers in circles around the trees. The same trees that are hidden behind the wild scrub and brambles, which now prevents access by the mowers.

The untamed undergrowth has brought with it another undesirable activity. People have used the bushes directly in front of my neighbours living room as an impromptu toilet. Standing, urinating while staring directly into her lounge.

And, then there is the footpath that subdivides the open area, which is nearly always covered in detritus from the trees. Leaves, twigs, and beech mast all combine to make the path albut unusable. At night time it can be quite dangerous. More so since the new street lights have been installed. They may well be less light polluting, but the nearest light has little or no effect on illuminating this pathway.

So there in a nutshell, is my personal view on the deteriorating standard of upkeep by HBC.

It’s a shame that HBC doesn’t seem to want to reduce my council tax in line with the reduced services.

Got Taken Short ?


The driver was obviously desperate to make use of the public loo, close to the Asda store in Waterlooville.

https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/lifestyle/travel/car-mounts-pavement-near-public-toilets-in-waterlooville-near-asda-4507578?fbclid=IwAR3l5ut2VDIxRRWkS750p34V5YOgtaf81-24FVwN044LedEwwNmZtw65hWU

Witness appeal after reports of a man indecently exposing himself in Havant


https://members.hampshirealert.co.uk/AlertMessage/ReadMessage/781D8C988ADCEF1D1242B42E0EF2853D

The following has been copied from this alert ….

The man the police are looking for is described as being white and aged 35-45. He was wearing black clothing, including a black hooded top, and a pink facemask.

The man was said to be stood inside an alleyway that connects Riders Lane and Ditcham Crescent, before walking away in the direction of Purbrook Way. The woman was not approached by the man and was not hurt.

If you were in the area and saw a man of this description acting suspiciously, or if you have any information that could help us with our investigation, please contact us on 101 quoting 44240042194, or go online to report via How to tell us about an existing case or report | Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary.

Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111, or visit their website, below.

Independent UK charity taking crime information anonymously | Crimestoppers (crimestoppers-uk.org)

Sky Park Farm


Today, we spent a glorious few hours with our granddaughter and great grandson at Sky Park Farm

Sikka Deer

While it is a working deer farm, it is also a great place to visit to keep the kids entertained.

Grubs Up

Providing easy walks and opportunities to feed the various species of deer.

Red Deer

Also on site is a farm shop and restaurant along with a huge play area for kids.

Flying Goggles ???

We did the obligatory walk and fed the deer before heading inside for a spot of lunch.

A Fine Set Of Antlers

Finally, once our tummys had been satisfied, we headed to the play area so that my great grandson could run off what energy he had left.

Fallow Deer

Such was the effects of all that walking, playing, and fresh air on arrival at home, Junior took himself off to his bed.

Who’s A Proud Fella !!!

Sky Park Farm is a lovely place to visit, and we will return.

Togetherness

Little Shits


https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/full_page_image/page-4-2012/content.html

What pleasure do these little shits get from terrorising an old lady ? Did she have the temerity to speak to them about their behaviour, making herself a target.

Do they feel brave ? Obviously not, since they are launching their missiles from the cover of a wall.

Where are their parents ? Do they know what their little darlings are up to?

And let’s stop claiming that the police aren’t doing anything. The few police that we have cannot be everywhere at once, and at the first sign of a police uniform, the perpetrators will scarper. Someone out there knows who they are, turn them over to the police.

Shame on those that have no respect for the elderly.

Prison For Paedophile / Rapist


https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/full_page_image/page-3-1975/content.html

Getting no less than he deserves, I don’t believe the sentence is harsh enough.

The damage people such as Kopcil cause will stay with their victims for life.

Huge purchase of 800 new council houses by Portsmouth City Council takes step closer to reality


https://app.portsmouth.co.uk/2023/12/14/huge-purchase-of-800-new-council-houses-by-portsmouth-city-council-takes-step-closer-to-reality/content.html

How many of these properties are vacant ?

Certainly, the council is increasing their housing stock, but I wonder what the true impact will be to the council housing waiting lists.

Very little, I suspect.

Seems to me what the council is actually doing is purchasing the increased responsibility for housing maintenance.

Glow @ Marwell Zoological Park


Had a lovely evening out with family yesterday at Marwell Zoological Park.

Here are just a few snaps ….

The beginning ……

I See Wild Animals


Do you ever see wild animals?

Do I ever see wild animals ? Yes, I do !

Living in a semi rural location means that on occasions, we are visited by various types of wildlife.

Focussing on our garden, we are regularly visited by foxes, hedgehogs, and squirrels.

Grey Squirrel

Just today, maybe an hour ago, we were visited by this albino squirrel.

Albino Squirrel

You would think that albino squirrels are rare, but we have had several visit us over the 30-plus years that we have lived here.

Hedgehog
Hedgehogs – Courting Couple

Other visitors to our garden, over and above the usual garden birds, we have had the occasional sparrow hawk and even a couple of pheasants.

Outside of our garden, I have seen badgers, foxes, and regularly see deer.

And last, but not least, here is a slow worm that came out from under our new deck last year.

Back Pain – At Last A Diagnosis


Spinal stenosis happens when the space inside the backbone is too small. This can put pressure on the spinal cord and nerves that travel through the spine. Spinal stenosis occurs most often in the lower back and the neck. Some people with spinal stenosis have no symptoms.

For years, Gerry, my wife, has suffered back problems. Problems which were caused initially when Gerry was a trainee nurse. She was trying to help move a patient who wouldn’t comply with instructions. Bingo ! There then followed years of painful episodes.

Gerry tried various treatments ranging from putting a board under the bed mattress thru acupuncture and microwave treatments and on to the more physical chiropractor, osteopath, and physiotherapist sessions.

Some of these treatments seemed to work, and others seemed to do nothing much at all. Regardless, Gerry has suffered.

More recently and for some time, Gerrys ability to stand for longish periods has been diminishing. As has her ability to walk any great distances. This prompted me to obtain a wheelchair which did help some, and then after hiring one at a garden show, we bought Gerry a mobility scooter.

Last year, June 2022, Gerry started a particularly painful episode. The pain was unrelenting, mainly in her lower back, but also shooting down her legs.

We were due to go on holiday with family to Menorca and things were so bad I thought we would cancel. But Gerry was adamant, another word for stubborn. The holiday went ahead but only due to the use of airport services who transported Gerry through Gatwick and Mahon airports and loaded her onto the planes. I have to say the folks working in airport services were brilliant.

As for the holiday, it wasn’t the best. Although we went out for meals, we were pretty much confined to barracks with Gerry spending a lot of time laid on a bed. I suppose it was some compensation that it was warm and sunny.

Following the holiday, Gerrys back pain continued, easing a bit then increasing, then easing again but never really going away.

And so Christmas came and went, and to add to her woes, Gerry got a chest infection. I’m pretty sure she got one around the same time last year. We managed to get Gerry a telephone consult, and she was prescribed antibiotics without anyone seeing her or laying hands or a stethoscope on her. The chest infection seemed to clear up but came back again, so more antibiotics were prescribed. Still no face to face with a doctor.

Chest infection, finally, dealt with, and the back pain was still there. Gerry then got an ear infection. This triggered a face to face with a real doctor. The net result was more antibiotics but, big but, we were also able to discuss Gerrys back issues.

Following the doctors consult, Gerry got an appointment to see a physiotherapist who was a spinal specialist.

What a refreshing experience that was. He gave Gerry a thorough workup. Examining her mobility and discussing all aspects of her pain and additional symptoms such as continence issues.

Following his assessment, he told us that he suspected Gerry was suffering from severe spinal stenosis that, if untreated, could mean paralysis of her legs and further serious continence issues. He further stated that at no time should Gerry allow any physical manipulation, i.e., by a physiotherapist, osteopath, or chiropractor.

The physiotherapist referred Gerry for an MRI. Within a month, Gerry had the scan, and a few days later, the results were available. He called early one morning to confirm that, as he suspected, Gerry did, in fact, have severe spinal stenosis of the L3/L4 vertebrae.

Wow ! A diagnosis. You cannot know what that meant to Gerry. Up till now, she had always had the feeling that people didn’t believe that there was an issue. After all, it’s invisible. Now, with an official diagnosis, it seems more real.

So where to from there ? He told us that he was going to submit Gerrys case to the surgical team to see if they could operate.

Things moved quite quickly after that. We heard that the surgical team were prepared to operate, that we would be contacted by the surgeon.

Gerry then had an appointment to see the surgeon, Dr Davies, at New Hall Hospital, near Salisbury. He discussed the procedure and showed us the MRI images. The images showed very clearly what the issues were. In particular, they showed how the inside of Gerrys vertebrae had spurs, which were impinging on her spinal cord, the source of her continuing pain.

Dr Davies was very confident that he could operate and, at the very least, resolve Gerrys pain. This, in turn, would improve Gerrys posture, her ability to stand straight and to walk reasonable distances. Time would only tell if any spinal damage would be healed and alleviate the continence issues. So we left New Hall to await a date for Gerrys procedure.

We didn’t have to wait very long. Wednesday, the 1st of November, was the date set for the operation with a pre-admission clinic on Monday, the 30th of October.

And so Gerry had her procedure as scheduled. She was in theatre for around an hour and in a private room soon after. At around 17:15 she was visited by a physiotherapist who cajoled her into getting out of bed and had her walking down the hospital corridor. Shortly after that, I headed home with the intention of going back the following morning as early as I was allowed. Hospitals are not the most stimulating of places.

The following morning, I had already spoken to Gerry about her night, and if she managed to get any sleep. I had just cooked myself some breakfast when my phone rang. It was Gerry informing me that she could come home.

Wow !!! I was expecting Gerry to be kept in at least one more night. Obviously, she had impressed the medical staff so much that they felt she should complete her recovery at home.

Ninety minutes later I was loading a fairly tender Gerry into my car. One hours fairly careful driving and she was home.

And so, here we are, ten days after the operation. Gerry is fairly pain free. What pain she does have is from the surgery, not from the stenosis. All the signs are positive that the surgery has removed the pain. Gerry is able to get herself in and out of bed fairly well and she is definitely standing straighter. She is managing to navigate around the house with the aid of a Zimmer Frame. Time will only tell if her spinal cord will recover sufficiently to restore full continence. Such recovery could take up to eighteen months.

Gerry had an appointment on Tuesday at our local surgery to have the surgery site examined and the dressing removed. The wound is healing nicely, and it was not necessary to apply a new dressing. No stitches to be removed, just the glue which slowly disappear over time. And the best news, Gerry was told that she could have a shower, not having had one since November 1st.

On the 23rd of November, Gerry starts physiotherapy, which will speed her recovery and on to full independence. No doubt we will still be making use of the wheelchair and “Madge” the mobility scooter for some time. However the goal is for Gerry to, eventually, become separated from them too. Fingers crossed.

Gerry has already stopped using the Zimmer around the house.

Although Gerry was diagnosed with severe spinal stenosis this year and has been treated this year, I believe that she was exhibiting the symptoms over twelve months before. Two things delayed this diagnosis …

  • Gerrys on going back problems over so many years brought about a kind of “oh it’s just her back” kind of attitude. Just prescribe some painkillers but no real diagnostic investigation. Although Gerrys long-term back problems and the stenosis do not have the same origins, I am convinced that the former masked the onset of the latter.
  • The difficulty, post Covid, to get an appointment with a doctor, thereby blocking a proper diagnostic conversation and, of course, removing the visual aspect of a doctor actually observing their patient.

On the 14th December Gerry has a telephone consult with Mr Davies. Just over a month will have elapsed. What progress has been made remains to be seen.

So, that’s the story so far……