Summer seems to have come at last. The roses are out at Dumbrells Court in all their lusciousness, the birds are singing fit to bust and the view from my sitting room window is heavenly. The only trouble is that I love just sitting on my sofa looking at it, and reading a book, when I know I should be out and taking more exercise. There is a sort of collective guilt when you are an Old Person like me. I mustn`t be a drain on resources and the NHS by becoming feeble and helpless so I must eat healthily, lose weight and keep moving. In the meantime, Mrs May and dear Jeremy are handing out inducements in their manifestos to do more for us oldies but there`s also a sting in the tail with the dementia tax and the pinching of our winter fuel payment. It is all very worrying.
Last week Daughter J and I went up to London to celebrate grand daughter M`s twenty-fifth birthday. We met for lunch in Hyde Park where later M and her sister G had a swim in the Serpentine in the rain but they said it was lovely. We wanted to see the horses as M has a new part time job at the Hyde Park Riding Stables. She leads rides with immensely rich celebs and others along Rotten Row and canters about in the Park. To counteract this she has another part time job with Camden Council teaching very deprived kids to ride bikes in Somertown near Kings Cross. She also has a day job with an environmental project so her life is full of interesting contrasts.
The Brighton Festival is in full swing. Last week I went with son in law D to hear Jeremy Hardy. D and I often go to stand up shows together. It was in the Theatre Royal, a huge theatre, absolutely packed,and he spoke for about two hours of brilliant mostly political satire. I don` know how he does it. We really enjoyed it. I also went to a film with J called Collisions where you had to wear goggles and head set and it was an` all round experience`. It was about the effect on an Aboriginal settlement of a nuclear test in the Australian bush, You felt you could touch the people, it was quite eerie. Today I am going to hear a jazz singer Julie Roberts plus Herbie Flowers She is performing at the Quaker Meeting House in Brighton, I have heard her before and she is amazing.
Later in the afternoon I am going to funeral at the crem of a Quaker Jewish woman who was part of the Kindertransport as a child.She was a member of our Ditchling Quaker Meeting and she was a remarkable woman.
I saw the film I Daniel Blake at our Film Club in the Village Hall last week. I was deeply affected by it. I do feel that all politicians should see it and also anyone who works for the Benefits system.