In this febrile world we now live with its daily pollution from Trump and our own government it is difficult to remember that people are basically decent.

Four years ago today I started Chemotherapy for the cancer that was found in me earlier that year in July. It was a daunting day, I was full of nerves and trepidation as this was an unknown, it was outside my experience and despite all the reassurances of doctors and nurses I was very alone.

Enter one chirpy, kind individual who said that she would like to accompany me on this adventure. So early in the morning she left her home in Bath to come and collect me, drive me to the centre and stay with me while i underwent my first session. Those with experience will know that this is slow and drawn out, but throughout the day she was there in the chair next to me, reading to me, making me laugh, being a rock. Then when it was over she drove me home, made me tea and stayed until she was convinced I was okay to be by myself. It was along day in dark October.

As treatments went, this one turned out to be easy, I was tired, but it was later ones that laid me low and I didn’t experience the side effects of steroids for a few more days.

She wasn’t asked, but volunteered and it was an act of kindness that will never be forgotten. Thank you Sarana, I owe you.

Tomorrow will see the opening of the new Aerospace Bristol Museum and its star exhibit, one of the Concorde built at the Filton site. I was lucky enough to get a preview this weekend when I was invited to attend a travel show that was taking place in the Concorde Hall.

Sadly I never got to experience supersonic flight, although I do know someone who did on a regular basis. How lucky to fly in such a beautiful aircraft and how lucky we are to have two in the South West of England, one in Bristol and a Prototype at the Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton.

I have attached a few photographs taken on my mobile telephone, which although not doing the aircraft any justice do show her magnificent lines.

So thank you C the World Travel for the invitation, thank you Aerospace Bristol for creating such a good museum.

Do go and see it, just to marvel at how Great we once were.

Forgive my playing with words, it is fun and of course the SAW is the Somerset Art Weeks that concluded this weekend. Jun and I had fun, although her involvement was curtailed by her planned trip back to China for October, so some of the visits ended up solo.

I have been impressed by what I have seen, ranging from grotesque, dystopian exhibits at Rockaway Quarry to the the intricate, delicate filigree work of the enamelled jewellery that we saw in Piltown. Whatever we saw had beauty and it was enjoyable talking to artists, jewelers, potters and painters, composers and performers. For me personally my high point was a visit to the centuries old paper mill, St Cuthbert’s, near Wells. Limited number tours were available and were taken up on release, so I was particularly grateful to Cathy Frood for her telephone call inviting me to take up a short notice cancellation. Our young guide, Kate Taylor, took us all over and gave us time to talk with the workforce, who create high quality artists paper with love and dedication. What was rather pleasing, was that two of my fellow tourists were artists from Bristol and one used St Cuthbert’s papers for her screen-printing. It was satisfying seeing her pleasure in handling the paper and being shown how it was cut, the end user with the manufacturer, a rare sight. If the tours ever come up again, be you an artist, industrial archaeologist or interested local resident jump at the chance, you will not be disappointed.

Our Art Weeks tour started at Bruton Art Factory for Miso Soup with Japanese duo Dai Nichi, then Pylle, Piltown, Pilton, Wells, Rockaway at Temple Cloud, North Wootton, Watchet, Withypool and finally the Red Brick Building at Beckery, twixt Glastonbury and Street.

We were impressed by all we saw, delicate 3D art cutting into old paperbacks, books with miniature forests growing from their hollowed insides, Japanese pottery and English enamels, small paintings, large paintings, grotesque creations from cars, planes and scrap metal they were all marvellous and show what a great county we live in that has such talent.

Attached are some pictures taken on our travels:

The great thing is this happens every year and is free. Thank you SAW and all your talented artists and exhibiters.

I have not written for a while, I have been occupied by other things, but the summer season for the open air pool has ended and I now have more time on my hands.

Since I last wrote it seems so many bad things have happened from terrorist strikes to hurricanes and ethnic cleansing in Myanmar, little helped by the buffoonery of our own Foreign Secretary. Yet what is happening in Spain causes me great sadness. A great European country suppressing democracy and turning the apparatus of the state on its citizens.

The world probably does not need more countries at the moment, and I am sure that Catalonia is forcing the issue, but the state has reduced their autonomy and started to suppress the region in a manner similar to General Franco. This adds to the tragedy as we are seeing a rerun of the events of 80 years ago. Police leaving other parts of Spain being feted by the population. Our Nationalist friends in Scotland are supporting and drawing parallels to their own grievances, but they had a democratic referendum and we have not sent police north of the border with batons and rubber bullets. They may not like where they are, but they are there at the hands of their own countrymen through a democratic process. I may not hold their ideals, but I support their concerns for Catalonia, although I suspect for different reasons.

So my blog is back, but not how I wished to start it for the autumn.