Another visit to my bench… this time to meet up with my lovely friend, Tish.
Sadly we couldn’t stay long as it was so cold and Tish finds the cold during treatment too much.. quite rightly really! We toasted our lovely friend Kerry with pink bubbles… only sorry that Kerry is no longer here to join us ;-(
We did then wander away and find a superb Italian cafe to purchase some delicious hot coffees!
I shall be eternally grateful to my Godmother for making my dream come true… to have a bench in Berkeley Square.
What a joy then today to be able to meet my Godmother there and celebrate with a glass (or two) of bubbles.
Followed by a delicious lunch at Benares.
A friend I’d met on my trip to La Manga for Joanna Hall retreat came to visit. We then met up with another friend, Maria, for a wonderful Italian meal at a Balham restaurant.
This morning, Elizabeth suggested that we celebrate my birthday with a breakfast picnic and bubbles at my bench in Berkeley Square.
Loved it… so loving having my bench that I can share with so many friends.
It’s difficult sometimes to get together with people who have busy careers and a family… so it’s not often that Helena and I manage to catch up properly… ie without small people or husbands around.
So we decided many months ago that we’d celebrate eachother’s birthday in style. Firstly we met up in Berkeley Square to see my bench.
Look they’ve even added a Christmas tree to the view from my bench.
Then we headed off for an uber treat… lunch at The Square.
Followed by a cocktail or two with MC at Soho House
That’s just how a day should be!
Whilst I was in Berlin at the SPAEN conference I received a call from Tish to let me know that Kerry had passed away. I was devastated. Kerry had ovarian cancer but was fighting it with all she had. Only a few weeks ago she was OK, she was starting a new regimen of chemo in a clinical trial that was hopeful would work. It didn’t. She got ill very quickly.
Today was Kerry’s funeral. I couldn’t go. I’m sorry I couldn’t go and show my respects to her family, husband and friends. But today I couldn’t do it. Instead I’m spending the day reflecting on the laughs and giggles we’ve had.
RIP Kerry xx
I’ve visited Berkeley Square many times since the call from my Godmother to say the Council have advised it’ll be there v v soon. It never is. I must look like a loon wandering around the Square looking and reading all the plaques.
Today though I could be heard making quite a loud squeal as I noticed a new bench, in the location that had been requested, with a brand new shiny plaque… On closer inspection it was mine! Yes it was mine… I never thought this would happen.
My wish to have a bench in Berkeley Square has happened. And during my lifetime. My wish to spend time with my friends and family or on my own enjoying my favourite place is happening. Why did I ever want a bench as a memorial bench for you to visit after I’ve gone…. now you’ll just have to meet me there for a coffee or bubbles.
(Yes I’ve obscured the words on the plaque – you’ll have to visit to read it!)
When I’d finally stopped squealing, I called a friend, MC, who I was shortly due to be meeting up with for tea at Sketch. Barely able to get the words out, I managed to persuade her to divert her taxi to Berkeley Square as I wanted to show her something.
Here she is… on my bench….
Isn’t it wonderful when you meet new people and they become great friends. You’ll remember that I posted about going to Rewind Festival in August (my first music festival at the age of 40ish!). You may also remember that because we got in late to the campsite we searched for a place to put up our tent and finding a suitable area, pitched it as quickly as we could. Only to discover later that we had ‘allegedly’ pitched it on the planned ‘terrace’ of our neighbouring monster tent. Anyway, inevitably we became friends with the tent owners and their lodger – to be honest we were so up close and personal for the weekend, it was inevitable!
Since then they’ve not really let us forget our need to be quite so close to them and we’ve kept in touch.
Tonight the tent owner couple (H&D) hosted a dinner party for the Rewind group. J is over from Asia where he currently now lives and collectively we’ve managed to get a Saturday date in our diaries – a minor miracle.
I volunteered to create the desserts and relished the opportunity to get in the kitchen and cook for others. It’s one thing that I’m always wishing I did more of but also doing so with lots of time to think about what to do, shop for the ingredients and of course cook it all up.
I arrived nice and early (lunchtime as requested!) and we headed down to the pub in the village for a couple of cheeky ones. H & I tucked into a few bubbles – always a favourite but perhaps I shouldn’t have started so early!
My chosen desserts were tarte au citron and iced raspberry soufflés. I also managed to sneak in some mini Florentines with our coffee too.
Fabulous evening and lots of chatter. I really did try to keep it together but couldn’t help myself keep thinking about Jolene and kicking the thought to the back of my mind again – “tits and teeth girl” ie stand up and smile! Kindly J asked how my friend Jolene was. He’d not read of her passing. That knocked me somewhat.
I think I faded a little early or at least I’d faded by the time the dancing started! You know it’s a good dinner party when everyone is up dancing or singing!
I was shattered though. I’ve not been sleeping particularly well. I’ve not been sleeping well since Jolene passed away. Tomorrow I’m also up early to drive to Liverpool for the start of the 2011 NCRI (National Cancer Research Institute) Conference. In all honesty I think I’m going to find this one heavygoing. Not because of the content but just where my head is at. I can’t help but be a little resentful sometimes when I attend cancer conferences and the main tumour type topics are the main 4 and very rarely a rare cancer and certainly never phyllodes. I know it’s irrational but..
The evening for me though ended early when the lack of sleep, alcohol and emotion got a little too much.
Since attending the Walkactive Introduction in July, I’ve been keenly keeping up the walking. Once a week I head into Hyde Park for a training session with Joanna. It’s great fun with lots of fabulous people. I’ve also discovered new parts of Hyde Park that I didn’t know existed as well as feeling like I’m getting there.
On my own I’ve been attempting to do at least 7,000 steps a day to keep up the fitness. I’ve got such a long way to go to get my fitness levels back and to lose some weight at the same time but it’s a start. My ankles and calves play up on occasion but if I don’t do anything stupid it’s manageable and I need to do it to get fitter so a little pain can’t be a bad thing?
What I needed was a short burst of uber fitness and so I signed up for Joanna Hall‘s training camp in La Manga. I’ll confess that the lure of sunshine also played a factor. How much easier is it to get out there and exercise when the sun is shining?
I opted to keep costs down and share a room with a ‘stranger’. Turned out to be a very lovely lady by the name of Elizabeth. Ooh we’ve had a jolly good giggle all week – a perfect roomie for this trip.
I received the itinerary shortly before we left and can’t help but note that I was a little aghast at the early mornings ahead. Eeek.
What a totally fabulous training camp (errr bootcamp!). The early mornings were a struggle to get out of bed for. It was still pitch black! However when we were out there doing our stuff around the golf course pathways and watching the sun rise over the hills, it was stunning. The only sound was our footsteps and the odd brrr of a lawnmower as the grounds team got the golf course ready.
Evidence that I can get up early and do exercise! Honestly though it felt amazing. We’d then head back to do some stretches in the icy cold pool. Followed by more stretching on the rooftop whilst watching the sun finally rise. What an amazing view (the sunrise not us!).
A short break for a beautiful breakfast on the terrace. We all fell a little in love with the Eggman… boy he can cook eggs, anyway you want them!
Just enough time to digest our breakfast and we’d be off again. Either a technical session on the impeccably groomed football pitches, a walk to the ocean with hill climb intervals…
Or the dreaded 7km mountain climb. The path went on and on and the sun got hotter as we climbed… but boy when I finally made it to the top it was a very special view.
La Manga resort is as beautifully groomed as any great golf course should be. We timed our walks to avoid the golfers (they’re not up early for the sunrise walk) or we’d be ‘off resort’. The only exception was for our return from the mountain climb with special permission granted for us to return along an agreed route with only a couple of golf holes and were asked to pause, if necessary. On our return however one ‘lady’ golfer decided to take a pot shot directly at us! What a pity to be so pathetic. We’d deliberately waited well behind the tee for the group to take their shots and then to gather their buggies and start walking up the fairway. We had then walked around the corner, along the path and were heading for home. So for her to go back and take aim was utterly ridiculous. Fortunately she missed but it did make me seethe!
A fun dinner on the final evening with great food and wine (although perhaps we should have abstained… ahem!)
Where I received this award!
An invigorating holiday/bootcamp/training camp and I returned feeling so much fitter, more supple and healthier. Great fun group of people and hugely encouraging trainers in Joanna and Ange.
So very excited about today. I’m heading to Brighton for a day of chillaxing with the champagne and shoe girls.
I’ve met some fabulous people because I was diagnosed with cancer. Not all of them with the same cancer but so very many with a fabulously positive attitude. What is it about being faced with something life-changing, such as a cancer diagnosis, that makes us change our lives in so many other ways? I know that one thing I’ve been particularly conscious of, the need to surround myself with positive people. It’s not that I’m less tolerant or that I don’t have ‘negative’ friends but simply speaking, I need to draw from others the positivity and enthusiasm for life that is on offer.
It’s so much easier to feel better and do so much more when you’re around positive people. To encourage and enthuse one another to get to the next milestone and visual a future beyond. To plan to do things. To plot to do other things. To really take life and shake it up.
Today is one of those days and my friends are the perfect people to plot and plan with!
My three friends have all been diagnosed at young ages with ovarian cancer. Also known as the ‘silent killer’ as it’s rarely detected early enough to treat successfully.
Our day though doesn’t dwell on the end but merely a semi-colon in life. Yes we discuss treatments, chemo, surgery, health and concerns. We discuss things openly and we talk about it in the same way that many would talk about their children at school or organising a tea party – it’s just part of life and living. However we also talk about ‘normal’ things. We laugh at life. We choose to live.
During our day in Brighton, we had a picnic on the beach. It’s sunny, but not warm enough to remove our cardigans. We then head off to the Lanes and hop in and out of shops (mostly shoe shops). Kerry, Tish and I try on endless crazy shoes and boots. Della pops in and out of shops laughing AT us not WITH us and our choices of shoes. I leave clutching a big bag containing some new shoes and matching handbag…
Kerry leaves with two bags… shoes and boots!
But it’s not really about the shopping… it’s about doing something we love doing without feeling bad about it. Kerry is going into hospital again shortly. The cancer is back. She’s agreed to be part of a late phase clinical trial. We laugh that she may have to wear the shoes into hospital… hell why can’t we look absolutely fabulous in there?
We then head off to find a bar serving champagne for more plotting. Tish is thinking about going to Australia for a holiday and to see her sister. She’s concerned that she can’t get insurance to go and also a little nervous about being that far away. However she’s also stoic about doing what she wants to do. About living. We encourage her. Watch this space. Oooh and I know someone who because of her own experiences, has set up an insurance company specialising in travel insurance for people with long time conditions… www.insurancewith.com. I’m sure we can organise cover – not that she’ll need it!
We then talk about Kerry’s 40th birthday. It coming up in April. Kerry would love to have a big do. We plot.
By the time we leave the bar and head for trains home, we KNOW that there will be bubbles on Kerry’s 40th birthday. We also know that Tish will have to be back from Oz in order to celebrate!!
And I know I have some truly magnificent friends in my life.
I didn’t know the story of Fela Kuti before tonight. Fela was a Nigerian musician that shaped and changed future generations. His music is crazy, buzzing, fun, lively, energising and engaging. I can totally understand how he was able to influence people and become a political activist.
The show Fela! is representative of his life and journey through his music and dance. You can’t help but tap feet and, if you feel so inclined, get up and dance! A hugely high energy show but with a strong storyline and truths behind it that you can’t help feel drawn in by the messages.
We were fortunate enough to be there when Femi Kuti, the son of Fela, was in the audience. Amazing evening. Such a shame it had to end. YouTube of this special encore
I’m quite sure this show will run and run. Go see it!
Sadlers Wells info and video
Evening Standard Review
AnnaGoAnna Wallace 