I’m typing fast as have to sleep earlier than the norm. Up
early tomorrow. We are off again on our travels. But today? Well, we got to the
train station. Now it’s Ladies day at the races, only thing is, people have
forgot to tell the females who are attending the horse racing that to enter
“Ladies day” you have to be a lady?
Oh really some women in our country are shameful. Ladies? I
don’t think so. But tomorrow, oh that will be hell on earth. It’s the busiest
race day throughout the year and I quote so many people I spoke with today.
“The gypsies are coming” They have such a bad reputation they fight shout swear
steal and more. And guess who’s going back to the train station? Yep, Fifi
Blogget and Hub, but this time, LC is joined by little Waggatail. God help me.
She will freak out. Oh I’m dreading it. She is a country bumpkin like her Mummy
and doesn’t do town. But towns with the Gypsies?
Extra police are on duty and the staff at the station are
dreading it.
Well tomorrow is tomorrow and I’m excited to see our
friends. We are meeting up with our dear Trix and the Like man. They also are
blind and I sent them a Tex saying
“We will meet with you in Newcastle you will know it’s us as
we will have a daffodil in our lapel.
Oh. And a couple of guide dogs will be by our side.”
Trix replied saying she would be carrying the Guardian
newspaper under her arm. Haha. Thing is, if none of us talk, we could be
standing next to each other and not have a clue.
Anyway, tomorrow is tomorrow. Another day another blog. As
for today?
We got to our seats on the train, and though Hub and I didn’t sit next to each
other we both had the company of other passengers. I was sat next to a man who
entertained me I was telling him we were going to see our daughters singing in
the Cathedral choir and that was fine, until he asked me what kind of
performances they gave. Well, “Churchy stuff? Haha really, say what? Oh heck it
was all going so well. A boastful Mummy about her chicks and then the question?
I mean, I am clueless when it comes to Cathedrals. Choirs. I was in the choir
all of my school life we went abroad to perform and I was in singing groups.
But as for the girls? Well, they are in a cathedral choir so what kind of music
would they sing other than churchy stuff, right? But I’m sure that wasn’t the
correct answer. I’m sure I should have sounded more knowledgeable and a little
more cultured. And possibly have replied. A Choral recital of Bach’s St Matthew Passion, we will also be
privileged to Hymnus Paradisi, but to be honest, I would be in fear he would
have offered me some ointment or at the very least, a pain killer? I don’t know
what kind of music the girls would be singing. Just know they were, and we were
going to see them as Hub loves that kind of music and we wanted to see them
singing together.
Said bye bye to the nice man and on our way we went. Got to
the taxi rank and a very sweet elderly man drove us to the cathedral.
Well as we left the car and walked up the wide pathway with
grass and trees at each side of us, I almost cried.
The sweet air of the North East. My home my dear place of
birth. The air. I was like a junky walking towards the bells. Snorting the air
as we walked. I found it incredulous that to travel an hour away made the difference
of the fragrance. Where I live it is as polluted as is the South in fact even
when we went to France, near the beach, the air was not good in comparison to
the North East of the UK.
Well, what happened next? I will let you know when I get
some shut eye but it did make me pleased that I have left the North East.
Part two
Good Day Bloggets. Well at last I am sitting down to have a
chat with you all. A busy weekend. Firstly with our visit to Durham Cathedral
to see our girls singing in the choir. They were amazing. Cathedrals are so not
my thing, but Hub loves them and I wanted to see our girls as they are performing
in even song at the Cathedral. As I said earlier, as we stepped out from the taxi.
The fresh air was so heavenly. The greenery. I so miss that about where I used
to live. The air is so clean. As we got out of the taxi, we asked if he could
assist, but he did a typical thing and pointed. We asked him which way he was
pointing, well, then we had Left and Right Gate. Honestly. People who don’t need
to verbalise make us laugh how they don’t know their left from their right.
They just do it, you know what I mean? Anyway, he then clicked on and
physically tapped the shoulder of which way he meant. He was a nice old fella.
So we began walking. I didn’t care by that point. We had done part one of our
journey. That was awful as the amount of people at the station was
terrible. Also no assistance booked. But
we did find someone helpful who showed us our seats as obviously they were
booked. So we had to sit in a particular place.
We passed a lot of respectful whisperers. As this place is
of absolute respect. It’s apparently the most beautiful Cathedral and the walk
to it certainly was. The fragrance of fresh grass and blooms filled the unpolluted
air.
There were no steps. Thankfully, as steps is my nightmare. I
had my white cane Waggs was at home; it would be her turn the day after. At
least with a white cane, you know if there is a step and how big the gap is
getting onto the train. With a Guide dog, you have to trust their judgement.
Sadly I fail in that department.
As I followed Hub he was being guided by the amazing
Longchops. Oh she is a superb dog. She headed towards what we hoped was the
building. Again, trust. Me, I would be wondering if we were going in the right
direction, but Hub totally trusts LC. And as I felt the warmth and the air changing,
using all of my senses, I knew we were heading the right way. But it’s
enormous. So the door? Now this is where a white cane can’t assist. A Guide
dog, should, take you to the door. And good old Chopsy did. We went up the
steps, through a door. Well, we got in and the other doors were closed. All of
them in a line. I said to Hub perhaps it’s locked until time for the service.
Well, there were people looking at us and you would think that charitable
Christian people would come and help us out? Right?
I could feel myself getting more and more anxious. I hate
feeling as though I look a fool. As we tried to open door after locked door, no
one came until I asked a person behind us to help. She laughed and said, oh yes
there is no more awkward doors than these ones.
“So why didn’t you come and help? Well, I didn’t say that,
but I wanted to.
Any way we were in. Oh shivers down my spine. Seriously
these places scare me. I sense spirits and fear. I don’t know what it is, a
church I’m not bad but a Cathedral? The smell and the Absolut feeling. Well
there would be someone at the doorway like there is in our hometown Cathedral,
right?
Wrong. We stood to wait to see if anyone would come to our rescue,
as it’s not a case of just walking in and sitting down. There are ropes so
places you can’t go, nothing is in a straight line. There are steps inside and
ramps. Its vast space makes you disoriented. Well I have written about before
how Hub is amazing outside but in buildings goes a little like me outside. Not
a lot like me, as that would be ridiculous. Anyhow, I soon realised that no one
was coming to help, so I took over the guiding I used my echo to find our way,
slowly we walked down the aisle. To the left then down to the right. We then
stood as we heard voices and of course someone would ask if we needed help. Em…
Nope.
A little further we walked. Stood. We could then hear the
choir rehearsing. They sounded really good. Then Hub got tearful. That was his
girls singing. He was one proud Daddy and I loved that.
Oh but where would we sit? We were still miles away from
them. So on we went to find a seat by following the singing. Well, as we got
closer, it was rather funny as a little man came to us, obviously scared we
were going to cause some damage to some fine relic. Or dare to interrupt the choir.
Well, at first the horrid little individual didn’t know how to show us where to
go. He made a bit of a thing about it. I say horrid little man because he was little,
and we were sure that he was the man many years before who wouldn’t allow us to
clime the tower with our kids. Health and safety. But in the end, allowed our
children who were nine, ten and eleven to go on their own. We had to wait like
naughty school kids I was so cross. But we didn’t’ want the kids to not experience
the tower.
How to make us feel so different. You know would he dare do
that to sighted parents? No, he wouldn’t.
And as for health and safety, well what about those who have heart problems? I
mean, that is something you can’t see but because our eyesight is obvious, we
were condemned.
Well, LC kept stopping. Then the little man with the most
perverted voice. Stopped in front of Hub and said as a ghost would.
“She. Keeps. Stopping. Because, I keep. Stopping.”
I just wanted to say in the same slow voice.
“Well. What. In Gods. Name are you. Stopping for?
But I didn’t. I was good. Then thank Goodness, our eldest
daughter came to us or I’m not sure we would have got far.
She placed us in a seat then after rehearsal, came back to
us and sat us right next to where the two of them were going to be standing
singing.
They all went off and then back to sing after a break. The
person leading the service was fine, told of depressing bible stories. All
about killing, I thought there is enough killing on the news; I don’t want to
hear it in here. But I did listen to the singing the service was lovely the girls
sang so well. Not one note was wrong.
All of the kids were brilliant. I say kids there were adults too. And of
course our big girl now is eighteen, so in a way she is an adult. Hmm. Don’t know
if I can ever see my kids as adults though, to me they will always be our
babies.
At the end of the forty five minute service, we walked out
with our youngest daughter. That was after we got half way again up the
Cathedral towards where we thought we would find the door out. Our daughter asked
where we would get our taxi from. We said at the front. Well that was funny, as
she then told us there was loads of doors which entrance? Well, I just told her
it was double doors. So she looked around and found the correct door. That
would have been funny if we were stood waiting for our taxi and at the wrong entrance?
We stood with the girls for some moments and then we got in
our taxi.
Sad to say goodbye to the kids. But they are so brave and
amazing in their school holidays, to dedicate their week for a course of
singing. That is what they were on that is why they were at that choir, rather
than the one where they live as and additional group if you like. They sing all
year at school and now our eldest has a scholarship with the choir. But this
was extra. Most kids are in their bedroom on the computer. But they give a week
to this. Shows dedication.
We got to the train station. The driver said up that path.
So LC did her stuff I followed reluctantly. Shaking. Through noises of traffic,
suitcase wheels passengers and trains as well as announcements. Now, to find
the desk to ask for help getting on the train? And would they help?
We walked; bare in
mind we both are totally blind. And then we felt the air. No walls at our side,
but a roof so at first was difficult to know we were outside, but when we
learned we were, we turned around went in a different direction and were then
in the middle of everything I heard an official voice so we followed that with
the noise couldn’t hear what he was saying, but the tone? It was someone who
could hopefully help.
On the train, to the taxi rank and home. Locked the sighted
world out put on the kettle and time to reflect our day. , but we did what
parents do. We did it for our kids.
