Sunday 26 November 2017
An idiots guide to an Idiot: Wales.
An idiots guide to an Idiot: Wales.: Away again recently and stayed in Wales. The Dragon Hotel in Montgomery to be exact and very good it was too. A few local beers were very n...
Wales.
Away again recently and stayed in Wales. The Dragon Hotel in Montgomery to be exact and very good it was too. A few local beers were very nice, including Snowdonia Ale which though quite light in colour had a good flavour.
Wasn't quite dark when I arrived so I went for a walk. I'd done alot of driving that day so a chance to stretch my legs seemed like a good idea. Much to my delight I found the signposts to Montgomery Castle. Though it was closed I only had to climb over the car park gate and I was in, it's quite ruinous but still enough left to give you an idea of how grand it would have once been. It's history is quite colourful as well. Originally built in 1223 it was on the front line of the later Welsh wars and was sacked by Owain Glyndwr in 1402. Much later in the English Civil War it was held by the Royalists until it was attached, sacked (again) and burnt down. It was later properly demolished by order of Parliament.
With the light fast fading it was quite atmospheric here, tried to take afew interesting photos, you can judge for yourself here:
Wandered back to the hotel and eventually went down for a very good dinner of mushrooms on bruschetta in a Shropshire blue cheese sauce and followed by an excellent rump steak, cooked rare of course with no sauce needed served with chips and veg. Full to the gunnels by then so declined a pud. Didn't fancy going straight up to my room so sat in the bar with my book and a couple more pints of beer. Here endeth my trip into Wales.
Wasn't quite dark when I arrived so I went for a walk. I'd done alot of driving that day so a chance to stretch my legs seemed like a good idea. Much to my delight I found the signposts to Montgomery Castle. Though it was closed I only had to climb over the car park gate and I was in, it's quite ruinous but still enough left to give you an idea of how grand it would have once been. It's history is quite colourful as well. Originally built in 1223 it was on the front line of the later Welsh wars and was sacked by Owain Glyndwr in 1402. Much later in the English Civil War it was held by the Royalists until it was attached, sacked (again) and burnt down. It was later properly demolished by order of Parliament.
With the light fast fading it was quite atmospheric here, tried to take afew interesting photos, you can judge for yourself here:
Wandered back to the hotel and eventually went down for a very good dinner of mushrooms on bruschetta in a Shropshire blue cheese sauce and followed by an excellent rump steak, cooked rare of course with no sauce needed served with chips and veg. Full to the gunnels by then so declined a pud. Didn't fancy going straight up to my room so sat in the bar with my book and a couple more pints of beer. Here endeth my trip into Wales.
An idiots guide to an Idiot: Tank! (Herts At War Project)
An idiots guide to an Idiot: Tank! (Herts At War Project): Another fascinating lecture over at the University of Hertfordshire organised by the Herts At War Project (HAWP). This months free lecture...
Tank! (Herts At War Project)
Another fascinating lecture over at the University of Hertfordshire organised by the Herts At War Project (HAWP).
This months free lecture was about the advent of the tank on the battlefields from its conception up to the Battle of Cambrai in 1917 were tanks were first used in significant numbers.
It was given by a former officer of the Royal Tank Regiment Gareth Davies. He is a great lecturer and delivered this particular lecture in a very interesting ,informative and light hearted (in parts) way. One of the first power point slides he showed wasn't anything to do with tanks per say but a list of the casualties from the combatants for that days date (15th November) and is pictured here:
The whole idea of some kind of tracked vehicle was not in it's self a new one. A few ideas had been tried without much success and didn't get as far as the battlefield. Infact the army weren't too interested initially. Winston Churchill was one of the drivers of the idea and as First Lord of the Admiralty at the time the Royal Navy looked at the concept calling them His Majesties Land Ships.
The army did become interested but the tank was kept under wraps and was top secret. The Heavy Section of the Machine Gun Corps were the first troops allotted to this new invention later becoming the Tank Corps, in 1923 the Royal Tank Corps and in 1939 the Royal Tank Regiment.
Very cramped conditions for the eight crew, this lecture was a fascinating insight to their world. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Please follow this link to the HAWP site to find out more about it and dats for future lectures :http://www.hertsatwar.co.uk/
This months free lecture was about the advent of the tank on the battlefields from its conception up to the Battle of Cambrai in 1917 were tanks were first used in significant numbers.
It was given by a former officer of the Royal Tank Regiment Gareth Davies. He is a great lecturer and delivered this particular lecture in a very interesting ,informative and light hearted (in parts) way. One of the first power point slides he showed wasn't anything to do with tanks per say but a list of the casualties from the combatants for that days date (15th November) and is pictured here:
The army did become interested but the tank was kept under wraps and was top secret. The Heavy Section of the Machine Gun Corps were the first troops allotted to this new invention later becoming the Tank Corps, in 1923 the Royal Tank Corps and in 1939 the Royal Tank Regiment.
Very cramped conditions for the eight crew, this lecture was a fascinating insight to their world. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Please follow this link to the HAWP site to find out more about it and dats for future lectures :http://www.hertsatwar.co.uk/
An idiots guide to an Idiot: Deep Purple. The Long Goodbye Tour.
An idiots guide to an Idiot: Deep Purple. The Long Goodbye Tour.: Well, we've hit the gig season again, can't go to see everyone one but we picked a good one here! Self, Memsahib & Kevin set o...
An idiots guide to an Idiot: Dog.
An idiots guide to an Idiot: Dog.: We have a addition to the Morgan household. A dog called Ida, she's black,about 4 and a half , there's alot of Labrador about here ...
Dog.
We have a addition to the Morgan household. A dog called Ida, she's black,about 4 and a half , there's alot of Labrador about here with maybe a little Collie though our Vet could only really identify the Lab in her.
We'd talked about getting another dog after Leo & Ralph died. To be honest so upset was I when they bit the dust I really didn't want to go through it again, I know there's 10, 12 even 15 years of good stuff but the end is horrible. However how could I say to Tara she could never have another dog? How unfair would that be? We decided to get our holiday out the way and then Tara would look, not with any urgency but when and if the right dog came along we'd go for it!
Well Ida was advertised on, of all things 'preloved' website. Personal circumstances had changed for the owner and she was being left for increasing long periods of time, so he, reluctantly I think decided he had to rehome her.
She's a dear old thing, very amiable, very friendly and to be honest a joy to have around and was from the minute we met her.
It's good to have a dog around again.
We'd talked about getting another dog after Leo & Ralph died. To be honest so upset was I when they bit the dust I really didn't want to go through it again, I know there's 10, 12 even 15 years of good stuff but the end is horrible. However how could I say to Tara she could never have another dog? How unfair would that be? We decided to get our holiday out the way and then Tara would look, not with any urgency but when and if the right dog came along we'd go for it!
Well Ida was advertised on, of all things 'preloved' website. Personal circumstances had changed for the owner and she was being left for increasing long periods of time, so he, reluctantly I think decided he had to rehome her.
She's a dear old thing, very amiable, very friendly and to be honest a joy to have around and was from the minute we met her.
It's good to have a dog around again.
Saturday 25 November 2017
Deep Purple. The Long Goodbye Tour.
Well, we've hit the gig season again, can't go to see everyone one but we picked a good one here! Self, Memsahib & Kevin set off on the to be honest quite tedious journey to the 02 in Greenwich. Drove to Stanmore & picked up the tube there, at least we didn't have to change but I did feel like I'd grown old on the Jubilee line! About two hours after leaving home we arrived at the 02. I guess not too bad time wise but it felt far longer than it was. A refreshing pint of London Pride ( yes Alec a refreshing golden ale!) at the Slug & Lettuce soon washed away the tedium and I have to say I started to feel excited about the forthcoming gig.
Made our way into the 02, security was pretty tight. No problem with that, just took longer to get in. The first support, 'Cats in Space' had already started, they were only due to play half an hour but I liked what I heard! We all did! Quite 'progy' nothing wrong with that, a very new band only formed in 2015 they've supported afew bands & played Cropredy this year. I'd really like to hear more of this band. Their set finished all too soon & I went off to investigate T shirts.
You know I like a band t shirt & the Deep Purple offerings were quite nice, though I notice bands have moved away from one shirt with all the tour bands names on which I think is bit of a shame. Having been parted with my £25 I took my InFinite t shirt back to my seat & waited for Europe.
Wow! They could easily have been the headliners having dominated and filled the space on stage with aplomb. Of course we got the old barnstormers we expected and bloody good they were too. They finished their set with, what else but 'The final countdown.' Brilliant!
Off to the karzi again and then waited for the might Deep Purple. They were good don't get me wrong but there were far too many guitar and then keyboard solos for my liking. Don Airey is an absolute master of the keys & when he did his solo proper, that is his own keyboard solo, not another fill in on a different track, he was a marvel! The strains of 'Jerusalem' bouncing off the walls of the 02 was a thing to behold. Ian Gillan looked tired and quite frankly in pain when he was trying for the high notes. Not surprisingly they don't play tracks like 'Child in Time' any more & he did take frequent breaks it must be said. They played quite alot off their latest album called 'InFinite.' A fine album that continues to grow on me the more I play it, not perhaps 'classic' Deep Purple but shows a maturity and mellowness I think you'd expect from a band of this vintage. Their last song was of course 'Smoke on the water.' I think there's have been a bloody riot if they hadn't have played this one, & they did not let us down. They played an masterful rendition of this absolutely classic Purple track. Bellowing that one out will remain a highlight of the gig along with bellowing out (again!) Europe's 'The Final Countdown.' This led to an interesting encore. An inspired bass solo from Roger Glover was a nice surprise. The bass, it seems is a much maligned instrument where solo's are concerned anyway but Glover did well. Then abit of real vintage Purple. The track 'Hush.' Think I am right in saying their first hit way back in the 1960's! So ended the evening, it was a good night but those bloody solos! Interesting to note that Kevin, who has seen Purple six times over the years didn't think this was their finest hour, but hey ho! I don't know how long the Long Goodbye Tour is lasting, it was the last date of this leg but I think they will play on next year.
Tubes of course rammed with trying to get something like 15000 or so people away from the 02 ( capacity in the 02 is 20000 but the top stalls were curtained off). I suggested another beer might help to let the crowds go, this worked and when we did alight it was an easy & not crushing experience. Home about 1am. Happy but knackered!
Made our way into the 02, security was pretty tight. No problem with that, just took longer to get in. The first support, 'Cats in Space' had already started, they were only due to play half an hour but I liked what I heard! We all did! Quite 'progy' nothing wrong with that, a very new band only formed in 2015 they've supported afew bands & played Cropredy this year. I'd really like to hear more of this band. Their set finished all too soon & I went off to investigate T shirts.
You know I like a band t shirt & the Deep Purple offerings were quite nice, though I notice bands have moved away from one shirt with all the tour bands names on which I think is bit of a shame. Having been parted with my £25 I took my InFinite t shirt back to my seat & waited for Europe.
Wow! They could easily have been the headliners having dominated and filled the space on stage with aplomb. Of course we got the old barnstormers we expected and bloody good they were too. They finished their set with, what else but 'The final countdown.' Brilliant!
Off to the karzi again and then waited for the might Deep Purple. They were good don't get me wrong but there were far too many guitar and then keyboard solos for my liking. Don Airey is an absolute master of the keys & when he did his solo proper, that is his own keyboard solo, not another fill in on a different track, he was a marvel! The strains of 'Jerusalem' bouncing off the walls of the 02 was a thing to behold. Ian Gillan looked tired and quite frankly in pain when he was trying for the high notes. Not surprisingly they don't play tracks like 'Child in Time' any more & he did take frequent breaks it must be said. They played quite alot off their latest album called 'InFinite.' A fine album that continues to grow on me the more I play it, not perhaps 'classic' Deep Purple but shows a maturity and mellowness I think you'd expect from a band of this vintage. Their last song was of course 'Smoke on the water.' I think there's have been a bloody riot if they hadn't have played this one, & they did not let us down. They played an masterful rendition of this absolutely classic Purple track. Bellowing that one out will remain a highlight of the gig along with bellowing out (again!) Europe's 'The Final Countdown.' This led to an interesting encore. An inspired bass solo from Roger Glover was a nice surprise. The bass, it seems is a much maligned instrument where solo's are concerned anyway but Glover did well. Then abit of real vintage Purple. The track 'Hush.' Think I am right in saying their first hit way back in the 1960's! So ended the evening, it was a good night but those bloody solos! Interesting to note that Kevin, who has seen Purple six times over the years didn't think this was their finest hour, but hey ho! I don't know how long the Long Goodbye Tour is lasting, it was the last date of this leg but I think they will play on next year.
Tubes of course rammed with trying to get something like 15000 or so people away from the 02 ( capacity in the 02 is 20000 but the top stalls were curtained off). I suggested another beer might help to let the crowds go, this worked and when we did alight it was an easy & not crushing experience. Home about 1am. Happy but knackered!
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| Self sporting Deep Purple T shirt. |
 |
| DP |
 |
| Europe |
 |
| Nearly a nice photo of the three of us! |
 |
| a shaky DP The set lists were as follows: Cats in Space. Too Many Gods. Mad Hatters Tea Party. Timebomb. Greatest Story Ever Told. Five Minute Celebrity. Europe. Walk the Earth The Siege Rock the Night Last Look at Eden Election Day Superstitious Carrie Scream in Anger War of Kings Hole in my Pocket Days of Rock n Roll The Final Countdown Deep Purple. Time for Bedlam Fireball Bloodsucker All I got is you Uncommon Man (dedicated to Jon Lord) The Surprising Lazy Birds of Prey Knocking at your Back Door Perfect Strangers Space Truckin' Smoke on the Water Encore. Peter Gunn Hush Black Night |
Monday 13 November 2017
An idiots guide to an Idiot: Curry.
An idiots guide to an Idiot: Curry.: We met up with Paul & Kate for a curry a while ago. They have an excellent curry house called The Nabab. It was there Sunday banquet s...
Curry.
We met up with Paul & Kate for a curry a while ago. They have an excellent curry house called The Nabab. It was there Sunday banquet so there was plenty to choose from but served buffet style. Excellent Onion bhaji's and samosa's and kebabs as starters then veg curry ,chicken curry, Bombay aloo and a couple of veg side dishes and of course nan bread. Almost forgot we also had poppadum's washed down with a nice pint of Cobra lager. the only drink for a curry, unless its Kingfisher......or red wine. Well fed and watered we returned to P&K's for tea . A very good day. We'll be down again in a couple of weeks for an auction which we're looking forward to.
Saturday 11 November 2017
An idiots guide to an Idiot: The joy of........moving stuff.
An idiots guide to an Idiot: The joy of........moving stuff.: Me, Gary & Julian went to his Mums today to help clear out the last of the furniture, afew bits we were having, a table for Gary & ...
The joy of........moving stuff.
Me, Gary & Julian went to his Mums today to help clear out the last of the furniture, afew bits we were having, a table for Gary & Ellie and sideboard to Pippa. It looked abit like this:
But of course it rapidly deteriorated to this:
With a touch of this:
We got there I the end!
Friday 10 November 2017
An idiots guide to an Idiot: Away again.
An idiots guide to an Idiot: Away again.: Couple of trips away for work again, both quite unremarkable but a good feed and a couple of beers always helps! Shropshire beckoned and I ...
Away again.
Couple of trips away for work again, both quite unremarkable but a good feed and a couple of beers always helps! Shropshire beckoned and I again stayed at the Lion Hotel in Shrewsbury town centre.
They had they very tasty Wye Valley HPA on which I enjoyed after a long days drive. Had soup as a starter, unusual for me though when I order soup I always enjoy it. This was red pepper and tomato, very nice & as you can see I enjoyed it so much I forgot the photo before I ate it! A different main tonight as well. Not a steak or pie or fish n chips but a veggie mushroom and pepper roll made with filo pastry on a blue cheese sauce with fresh veg. It was delicious. Desert was brie with apples in syrup with biscuits. I'd fully intended to wander over to the pub I'd found in Shrewsbury that has bands on a Tuesday night but to be honest after being fed and watered I couldn't be arsed. Bed by 9.45pm. Not very rock n roll I know but it had been a long day!
About a week later I was in Norfolk & stayed at a place that was new to me the Wayford Bridge Inn at Stalham about 12 miles from Norwich. On the strangely named River Ant it was quite pleasant. Bar are & restaurant are well set out and homely but the rooms need bit of an update. All clean and everything but just abit tired. However a pint of Old Speckled Hen for the weary traveller slipped down a treat. There was wifi in the bar/restaurant are so I was able to use my laptop during dinner. I had a prawn and avocado timbale for starters, it was a prawn cocktail more or less to be honest, but it tasted good, followed by an excellent chicken casserole and dumplings. Good hearty dumplings they were too (Oh Matron!) and very filling so no pud. A decent fry up next morning set me up for the day and off I went again, today being able to pop into see my Nephew which was good.
Thursday 9 November 2017
An idiots guide to an Idiot: Chris Leslie gig.
An idiots guide to an Idiot: Chris Leslie gig.: An impromptu gig at The Song Loft in Stony Stratford tonight. Trawling the interweb net thing I discovered Chris Leslie ( he of Fairport Co...
Chris Leslie gig.
An impromptu gig at The Song Loft in Stony Stratford tonight. Trawling the interweb net thing I discovered Chris Leslie ( he of Fairport Convention & St Agnes Fountain) was touring and doing a gig at The Cock Inn at Stony Stratford a mere 15 miles away.
Tickets ordered a few days beforehand, we travelled up and retired to the bar until the Song Loft ( the local folk club) opened the doors. A pint of Old Speckled Hen for me & shandy for Tara helped while away the time. Also got talking to a nice couple from Northampton.
Filed into the hall & was surprised to get seats right down the front, it wasn't a big place, probably held about 50 or so people.
Its the 40th anniversary of the Song Loft & we heard a little of the history, Chris Leslie was the big finish to their anniversary year, then the support act came on, a very good singer called Zoe Wren. She was very young ( or am I showing my age!?) and a brilliant guitarist and song writer. A very pleasant voice as well. She did about six songs, all of her own composition bar one that was a Fairport song which the name of escapes me! We liked her so much that we brought her CD as well!
Chris Leslie came on straight after Zoe & what a performance he put on! He is an absolutely brilliant musician and what's more he also seems like a very self effacing and nice man.
He played a four string guitar, a normal six string, also a violin and a Hardanger violin finishing his encore with a uke!
He just makes the instruments sing and has a very good voice as well, though I didn't realise how high he sings until we were invited to join in some of the chorus's!
He played a mixture of traditional folk songs, songs he has written ( a few off the Fairport album 'Myths and Heroes') and some tunes from the Breton region of France which appears to be an area he and his family like. We also got a few stories to introduce some of the songs including one about Morris Dancers. He lives in the village of Adderbury in Oxfordshire & dances for one of the three Morris sides in the village.
It was a great evening and ended all too soon. It was a very warm and friendly little gig, I'd go again!
Tickets ordered a few days beforehand, we travelled up and retired to the bar until the Song Loft ( the local folk club) opened the doors. A pint of Old Speckled Hen for me & shandy for Tara helped while away the time. Also got talking to a nice couple from Northampton.
Filed into the hall & was surprised to get seats right down the front, it wasn't a big place, probably held about 50 or so people.
Its the 40th anniversary of the Song Loft & we heard a little of the history, Chris Leslie was the big finish to their anniversary year, then the support act came on, a very good singer called Zoe Wren. She was very young ( or am I showing my age!?) and a brilliant guitarist and song writer. A very pleasant voice as well. She did about six songs, all of her own composition bar one that was a Fairport song which the name of escapes me! We liked her so much that we brought her CD as well!
Chris Leslie came on straight after Zoe & what a performance he put on! He is an absolutely brilliant musician and what's more he also seems like a very self effacing and nice man.
He played a four string guitar, a normal six string, also a violin and a Hardanger violin finishing his encore with a uke!
He just makes the instruments sing and has a very good voice as well, though I didn't realise how high he sings until we were invited to join in some of the chorus's!
He played a mixture of traditional folk songs, songs he has written ( a few off the Fairport album 'Myths and Heroes') and some tunes from the Breton region of France which appears to be an area he and his family like. We also got a few stories to introduce some of the songs including one about Morris Dancers. He lives in the village of Adderbury in Oxfordshire & dances for one of the three Morris sides in the village.
It was a great evening and ended all too soon. It was a very warm and friendly little gig, I'd go again!
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| The stage is set. |
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| Zoe Wren |
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| Bod from the Song Loft who's name escapes me. |
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| Chris Leslie tuning his violin |
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| and playing the guitar. |
Saturday 4 November 2017
An idiots guide to an Idiot: A Field in England.
An idiots guide to an Idiot: A Field in England.: A strange little film that I was attracted to for two reasons. Reece Shearsmith (he of The League of Gentlemen & Inside No.9) starred, ...
A Field in England.
A strange little film that I was attracted to for two reasons. Reece Shearsmith (he of The League of Gentlemen & Inside No.9) starred, and I like what he's done, and the era of the English Civil War (mid 17th century) in which the film is set is one that interests me greatly. Oh, it was shot in black & white as well so another reason to like it!
Shearsmith is an alchemist called Whitehead who's master is killed in battle. He joins up with a couple of deserters who all traipse across a field. It's a bloody great field as well, much bigger than they would have had in that era I think. A stew made with mushrooms send two of them off their rockers. There's a strange Irishman called O'Neill who uses Whiteheads 'powers' to locate buried treasure in this field, this character has also stolen items from Whiteheads masters library, & Whitehead, a coward and big wimp was charged with bringing him back to Norwich to face the music, oh yes, and occasionally the action stops completely and all the characters hold their poses as if in a tableau.
They all end up dead except Whitehead who dons the hat and cape of the O'Neill, picks up the papers that O'Neill stole and heads back to the sound of battle. There he see's the other characters who he has just buried which is supposed to suggest that he too is still under the effect of mushrooms he has eaten in the field. Fin.
It's ninety minutes of not alot happening really but there was always the possibility that something would, it whiled away the time I suppose but I wouldn't watch it again. When it was released in 2013 it simultaneously went into cinemas, home media and video on demand also being broadcast on Channel 4.
Shearsmith is an alchemist called Whitehead who's master is killed in battle. He joins up with a couple of deserters who all traipse across a field. It's a bloody great field as well, much bigger than they would have had in that era I think. A stew made with mushrooms send two of them off their rockers. There's a strange Irishman called O'Neill who uses Whiteheads 'powers' to locate buried treasure in this field, this character has also stolen items from Whiteheads masters library, & Whitehead, a coward and big wimp was charged with bringing him back to Norwich to face the music, oh yes, and occasionally the action stops completely and all the characters hold their poses as if in a tableau.
They all end up dead except Whitehead who dons the hat and cape of the O'Neill, picks up the papers that O'Neill stole and heads back to the sound of battle. There he see's the other characters who he has just buried which is supposed to suggest that he too is still under the effect of mushrooms he has eaten in the field. Fin.
It's ninety minutes of not alot happening really but there was always the possibility that something would, it whiled away the time I suppose but I wouldn't watch it again. When it was released in 2013 it simultaneously went into cinemas, home media and video on demand also being broadcast on Channel 4.
Wednesday 1 November 2017
An idiots guide to an Idiot: Prostate cancer and me.
An idiots guide to an Idiot: Prostate cancer and me.: With Movember beginning again I thought I'd give you an insight to what happened to me, with all the gory details! In fairness there...
Prostate cancer and me.
With Movember beginning again I thought I'd give you an insight to what happened to me, with all the gory details! In fairness there's not much in the way of gore so you'll be OK! This is bit of a diatribe but stick with it!
My brush with 'The big c' ( I always spell the big c with a small c to show my contempt for it) began with me feeling abit under the weather, abit flu-y, I even had time off work unusual for me as I'm normally pretty healthy. About a week into this virus thing I got a urine infection, oh joy! Trip to the Doc's led to a course of antibiotics however one course didn't work so back I went & saw the Doc again who gave me another course, but she also said it was probably a good idea to have my, to use her phase, 'pipework' checked out as I shouldn't really be getting urine infection at all. So within about a fortnight I was in front of a Consultant Urologist, who was an exceptionally nice chap who made me feel at ease and was very easy to talk to. This would have been late November 2013, after being poked and prodded in terrible places ( he did introduce himself first but there was no dinner or flowers!) he felt two 'dots' on my prostate that were worthy of further investigation. From the word go we talked about the possibility of it being cancer ( see- small c again!) but it was just one option at this stage. My PSA (Protein Specific Antigen) blood test was slightly higher than he'd like but the fact that I'd been unwell anyway would lead to that so I was down to have another test in a couple of weeks. The urine infection had no bearing on things at all, it was just my bad luck!
Well, an ultrasound scan, an MRI scan and a biopsy later it was confirmed as prostate cancer. Bugger!
However it was only just big enough to respectably call itself a cancer, there's a scale to which these cancers are measured against, its called the Gleason scale and is two numbers added together.
There may be more than one grade of cancer in the biopsy samples.The first is the most common grade in all the samples. The second is the highest grade of what’s left. When these two grades are added together, the total is called the Gleason score. Mine was 3 +3 so 6, pretty low & most importantly more likely to be slow growing.
So how did I feel when my consultant confirmed it was the big c? Not unduly worried to be honest. I know that sounds very blasé but it wasn't like being told we need to operate now or its three more clean shirts and that's your lot! Untreated this cancer would kill me there was no doubt, but it could take anything between 12, 15 or even 20 twenty years to do so. Also I believe my loved ones did all the worrying for me even though I made it all very clear to them and they knew as much as I did every step of the way. Basically I said only worry if I worry, not sure they listened though!
So, treatment. I had options to a degree anyway. My consultant suggested I see a colleague of his who is an oncologist who specialised in radio therapy etc. He flagged up that zapping the tumours with radio therapy could cause 'collateral' damage to the area around the prostate and you don't want any collateral damage around that area at all! Then there was brachytherapy. This entails inserting tiny beads of radioactivity into the prostate that work to eliminate the tumour over a period of time. Doesn't always work and again the radioactivity could effect other bits. His thoughts really were that surgery was probably the best way to go. For a while my Consultant thought about putting me on what's called 'watchful waiting.' You have regular tests to make sure its not getting any worse and when it does they whip you in and take out your prostate. That's not a bad idea but you are quite literally sitting on a time bomb! My Consultants conclusion, after talking with his colleagues was that as I was very young for prostate cancer anyway (far more cases over 65 years) the best bet would be to take it out. As with any operation, the younger you are the better and the quicker you get back to normal, it was highly likely it would have to come out sometime anyway.
Got to say having thought about it, discussed with Tara, looked on line etc I thought surgery was the only way to go, lets get rid of the problem and get on with life. The whole way along my consultant had told me this was a very fixable problem, I was going to be around for a good few years yet! Of course I hung on his every word!
So the date was set for me to go in for a RALP, a Robotically Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy. This is the fascinating bit! Put simply I would have 5 small incisions made across my stomach and five 'arms' would be put in. The surgeon would be sitting at a computer monitor with little hand held gismos. These gismos would be used to direct the arms inside me, they mimicked the movements made by the surgeons hands. I considered this keyhole surgery, which it is really, but the Staff Nurse who did my pre -op checks a week before I went in told me that it was still major surgery I was going to have & to take things easy post op. ( check out YouTube for videos of this op they are well worth a watch)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyu4lVr5koU
Six weeks before going under the knife I had to see a physio and we talked pelvic floors...........I didn't even know I had one and wasn't sure exactly where it was. I mean I've heard of the Sargasso Sea but I couldn't find it on a map! It was vitality important that my pelvic floor was tight as a drum once as I'd had the op I could potentially be leaking like a sieve! One of the two 'valves' from my bladder would be taken out with the prostate so the exercises were very important. She gave me exercises that I worked like buggery on and pleased to say that post op once the catheter was taken out (you have one in for a week post op) I was in the top 5% with little leakage! This improves all the time post op but its good to keep up the exercises!
48 hours before the off I had to go on a very bland diet. Plain as plain can be and & on the day I went in (the night before the op) I had no food at all, only this lemon tasting jollop that I was really looking forward to but unfortunately was pretty horrible!
Now I had the good fortune to be covered by private health via the company I work for but rather ironically my op would have to be carried out at an NHS hospital, the Lister in Stevenage. I was assured by my consultant I was not queue jumping anyone who was in greater need than me. Infact he maintained that if it wasn't for private health paying the NHS to use this wonderful machine it would have been mothballed long ago.
Tara took me in and our first greeting was from a nurse who said they don't get paid for taking private patients! Great! I get the old leftie nurse. I really didn't want to fall out with her as she was having to do terrible things to me later but I did tell her that BUPA pay the NHS for using all of their toys and facilities, she did perk up at this and was fine from then on.
Alittle later a bloke came in ( I presume a phlebotomist) to put a cannula into my left hand. First attempt the vein collapsed so he had another go, same thing happened, made my toes curl abit when he tried to stab the vein again! Another go this time in my arm, still no good. At this point I said he could have one more go, which luckily was a success. This was in my right hand, though strangely enough once I woke up from the op it was back in my left hand!
Said goodnight to Tara, she was staying in the Premier Inn next door as it was about 30 miles home & she wanted to be near me. I read for a while, had the first of my two prescribed showers read a bit longer and got some shut eye. Up at 6am I think, another shower then wait for the off. A porter and a nurse came in and I was wheeled in the bed for what seemed like about six miles. Up lifts, down lifts, along dark long corridors & eventually into a holding area for patients under the knife. I was asked my name and age etc for the umpteenth time & left there. A chap on my left got wheeled off & I was on my own. Next thing my consultant pops in dressed in his scrubs and looking very cheerful. I asked him whether he had good steady hands this morning and he held them out to show me! Interestingly enough he also told me that it wouldn't matter whether his hands were steady as this incredibly clever machine he uses would compensate for it anyway!
A little later I was wheeled into an anteroom and the anaesthetist said he'd give me something to relax me. I remember thinking so this is to relax me and then I'll be given something else to put me under......That's all I remember until I woke up! The op lasted about two and a half hours I think. My consultant had my prostate checked by a pathologist as soon as it was out (its actually put in a small bag and popped out through your belly button!) to ensure there was just a small amount of cancer in it, which there was. A technique not used everywhere.
I remember coming round and having a very dry throat, I coughed causing a great deal of pain in my right side. This was where the largest incision was made & was the only wound to be stitched, the others being clipped together. The arm that was used in this incision is moved about alot, I think it has a light on it and also pumps in the carbon dioxide used to inflate the abdomen to give the surgeon abit of room to work. Apparently when I came round I had a conversation with my consultant that I remember absolutely nothing about, he also kindly phoned Tara to say I was out of theatre & had done well. The boys of course all kept in touch with Tara, I'm deeply touched & very moved that they all there for their old Dad.
I recall being wheeled into a room in the Urology Department & Tara was there though I was still quite groggy. Tara had bought me some grapes, my consultant came in for (another!) chat told me that I could have the grapes if I chewed them thoroughly, which I did. They tasted like nectar.
I had a pain in my right shoulder, this is expected as from where they are operating the underside of the diaphragm is touched and bizarrely you get referred pain in your shoulder. I must say I felt like I'd been run over by a bus, albeit a small one.
I think I slept alot and next morning was wheeled into a small 4 bed ward. There was an old chap there who was chatting and he then held up a small tube of something telling us he'd meant to get denture fixative but got condom lubricant by mistake.......well the ward just erupted with laughter, I can honestly say I was in so much pain laughing I couldn't be sure whether the tears running down my face were of laughter or pain I thought I'd ruptured my stitches! Maybe it was because I still had anaesthetic in my system but I thought this was bloody hilarious. I stupidly told one of the nurses later on and started myself laughing all over again!
It's generally just one night in hospital but my temperature was up slightly, so as a precaution I was kept in an extra night. A fella arrived in the next bed who was to have a kidney out & like me was an old headbanger, so we were able to talk music for a while which was good.
Next morning a nurse suggested I go for a short walk, so with her help I did. On my walk I caught sight through a window of some poor old sod in a dressing gown on the arm of a nurse holding a bag of his own pee. Then it dawned on me, it wasn't a window, it was a glass door and was a reflection of me!!
All good today so I was discharged. I should state here that the care I received in the Urology Department at the Lister hospital was second to none. They are a brilliant team and I felt well looked after. I even got a kiss from one of the nurses, you don't get that with BUPA!
Home then, felt very tired and abit strange with this catheter in situ. You don't want to see tubes coming out of you anywhere but particularly there! I was required to inject myself every day for the first month, this is to ensure I didn't get a DVT. At the hospital they took me through how to do it & I had a go, they also said this if I really couldn't do myself they'd arrange a district nurse to call to do it. I didn't want to waste the resource of a district nurse calling on me when I'm sure there's others she'd be better employed seeing so I bit the bullet and did it myself. Laura popped over with her brothers ( just little fellas at the time) & they wanted to watch me inject my stomach. 'Ok then' I said, count to 3 and I'll do it, they got to 3, I nearly did it but said 'count to 3 again'...........I think we got up to about 38 before I did it! The rest of the month, with exception of the last couple of days strangely, was fine.
A week later I was back at the hospital to have the catheter taken out, I wasn't looking forward to this but is actually painless. The nurse say's breath in & before you've even taken that breath the catheter is out. I was then sent back to the waiting room and instructed to drink water, lots of it, until I couldn't hold on any longer. The results were weighted in a medicine bottle to see whether your bladder is emptying as it should. All Ok, so that was it really, back home to recuperate. A couple of weeks post op I went for a walk to the post box which was downhill. Walking back felt like the north face of the Eiger, I was knackered! Slowly got back to something like normal, think I was off work about nine weeks in total. Things take while to get back to normality but they do eventually. The following link is about the Lister Hospital reaching the milestone of 1000 RALP ops!
http://www.enherts-tr.nhs.uk/blog/17975/news/1000th-robotic-prostate-cancer-surgery-procedure-performed-at-the-lister-2/
I'm now three and a half year post op and completely cancer free. I'll have PSA blood tests twice a year for another two years then it drops to one test a year for a further five years then that's it, your bloody cured mate!
If this was my brush with cancer then I got off pretty lightly to be honest. There's many others that don't, hence Movember. Please follow this link to donate :https://mobro.co/markmorgan106
My brush with 'The big c' ( I always spell the big c with a small c to show my contempt for it) began with me feeling abit under the weather, abit flu-y, I even had time off work unusual for me as I'm normally pretty healthy. About a week into this virus thing I got a urine infection, oh joy! Trip to the Doc's led to a course of antibiotics however one course didn't work so back I went & saw the Doc again who gave me another course, but she also said it was probably a good idea to have my, to use her phase, 'pipework' checked out as I shouldn't really be getting urine infection at all. So within about a fortnight I was in front of a Consultant Urologist, who was an exceptionally nice chap who made me feel at ease and was very easy to talk to. This would have been late November 2013, after being poked and prodded in terrible places ( he did introduce himself first but there was no dinner or flowers!) he felt two 'dots' on my prostate that were worthy of further investigation. From the word go we talked about the possibility of it being cancer ( see- small c again!) but it was just one option at this stage. My PSA (Protein Specific Antigen) blood test was slightly higher than he'd like but the fact that I'd been unwell anyway would lead to that so I was down to have another test in a couple of weeks. The urine infection had no bearing on things at all, it was just my bad luck!
Well, an ultrasound scan, an MRI scan and a biopsy later it was confirmed as prostate cancer. Bugger!
However it was only just big enough to respectably call itself a cancer, there's a scale to which these cancers are measured against, its called the Gleason scale and is two numbers added together.
There may be more than one grade of cancer in the biopsy samples.The first is the most common grade in all the samples. The second is the highest grade of what’s left. When these two grades are added together, the total is called the Gleason score. Mine was 3 +3 so 6, pretty low & most importantly more likely to be slow growing.
So how did I feel when my consultant confirmed it was the big c? Not unduly worried to be honest. I know that sounds very blasé but it wasn't like being told we need to operate now or its three more clean shirts and that's your lot! Untreated this cancer would kill me there was no doubt, but it could take anything between 12, 15 or even 20 twenty years to do so. Also I believe my loved ones did all the worrying for me even though I made it all very clear to them and they knew as much as I did every step of the way. Basically I said only worry if I worry, not sure they listened though!
So, treatment. I had options to a degree anyway. My consultant suggested I see a colleague of his who is an oncologist who specialised in radio therapy etc. He flagged up that zapping the tumours with radio therapy could cause 'collateral' damage to the area around the prostate and you don't want any collateral damage around that area at all! Then there was brachytherapy. This entails inserting tiny beads of radioactivity into the prostate that work to eliminate the tumour over a period of time. Doesn't always work and again the radioactivity could effect other bits. His thoughts really were that surgery was probably the best way to go. For a while my Consultant thought about putting me on what's called 'watchful waiting.' You have regular tests to make sure its not getting any worse and when it does they whip you in and take out your prostate. That's not a bad idea but you are quite literally sitting on a time bomb! My Consultants conclusion, after talking with his colleagues was that as I was very young for prostate cancer anyway (far more cases over 65 years) the best bet would be to take it out. As with any operation, the younger you are the better and the quicker you get back to normal, it was highly likely it would have to come out sometime anyway.
Got to say having thought about it, discussed with Tara, looked on line etc I thought surgery was the only way to go, lets get rid of the problem and get on with life. The whole way along my consultant had told me this was a very fixable problem, I was going to be around for a good few years yet! Of course I hung on his every word!
So the date was set for me to go in for a RALP, a Robotically Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy. This is the fascinating bit! Put simply I would have 5 small incisions made across my stomach and five 'arms' would be put in. The surgeon would be sitting at a computer monitor with little hand held gismos. These gismos would be used to direct the arms inside me, they mimicked the movements made by the surgeons hands. I considered this keyhole surgery, which it is really, but the Staff Nurse who did my pre -op checks a week before I went in told me that it was still major surgery I was going to have & to take things easy post op. ( check out YouTube for videos of this op they are well worth a watch)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyu4lVr5koU
Six weeks before going under the knife I had to see a physio and we talked pelvic floors...........I didn't even know I had one and wasn't sure exactly where it was. I mean I've heard of the Sargasso Sea but I couldn't find it on a map! It was vitality important that my pelvic floor was tight as a drum once as I'd had the op I could potentially be leaking like a sieve! One of the two 'valves' from my bladder would be taken out with the prostate so the exercises were very important. She gave me exercises that I worked like buggery on and pleased to say that post op once the catheter was taken out (you have one in for a week post op) I was in the top 5% with little leakage! This improves all the time post op but its good to keep up the exercises!
48 hours before the off I had to go on a very bland diet. Plain as plain can be and & on the day I went in (the night before the op) I had no food at all, only this lemon tasting jollop that I was really looking forward to but unfortunately was pretty horrible!
Now I had the good fortune to be covered by private health via the company I work for but rather ironically my op would have to be carried out at an NHS hospital, the Lister in Stevenage. I was assured by my consultant I was not queue jumping anyone who was in greater need than me. Infact he maintained that if it wasn't for private health paying the NHS to use this wonderful machine it would have been mothballed long ago.
Tara took me in and our first greeting was from a nurse who said they don't get paid for taking private patients! Great! I get the old leftie nurse. I really didn't want to fall out with her as she was having to do terrible things to me later but I did tell her that BUPA pay the NHS for using all of their toys and facilities, she did perk up at this and was fine from then on.
Alittle later a bloke came in ( I presume a phlebotomist) to put a cannula into my left hand. First attempt the vein collapsed so he had another go, same thing happened, made my toes curl abit when he tried to stab the vein again! Another go this time in my arm, still no good. At this point I said he could have one more go, which luckily was a success. This was in my right hand, though strangely enough once I woke up from the op it was back in my left hand!
Said goodnight to Tara, she was staying in the Premier Inn next door as it was about 30 miles home & she wanted to be near me. I read for a while, had the first of my two prescribed showers read a bit longer and got some shut eye. Up at 6am I think, another shower then wait for the off. A porter and a nurse came in and I was wheeled in the bed for what seemed like about six miles. Up lifts, down lifts, along dark long corridors & eventually into a holding area for patients under the knife. I was asked my name and age etc for the umpteenth time & left there. A chap on my left got wheeled off & I was on my own. Next thing my consultant pops in dressed in his scrubs and looking very cheerful. I asked him whether he had good steady hands this morning and he held them out to show me! Interestingly enough he also told me that it wouldn't matter whether his hands were steady as this incredibly clever machine he uses would compensate for it anyway!
A little later I was wheeled into an anteroom and the anaesthetist said he'd give me something to relax me. I remember thinking so this is to relax me and then I'll be given something else to put me under......That's all I remember until I woke up! The op lasted about two and a half hours I think. My consultant had my prostate checked by a pathologist as soon as it was out (its actually put in a small bag and popped out through your belly button!) to ensure there was just a small amount of cancer in it, which there was. A technique not used everywhere.
I remember coming round and having a very dry throat, I coughed causing a great deal of pain in my right side. This was where the largest incision was made & was the only wound to be stitched, the others being clipped together. The arm that was used in this incision is moved about alot, I think it has a light on it and also pumps in the carbon dioxide used to inflate the abdomen to give the surgeon abit of room to work. Apparently when I came round I had a conversation with my consultant that I remember absolutely nothing about, he also kindly phoned Tara to say I was out of theatre & had done well. The boys of course all kept in touch with Tara, I'm deeply touched & very moved that they all there for their old Dad.
I recall being wheeled into a room in the Urology Department & Tara was there though I was still quite groggy. Tara had bought me some grapes, my consultant came in for (another!) chat told me that I could have the grapes if I chewed them thoroughly, which I did. They tasted like nectar.
I had a pain in my right shoulder, this is expected as from where they are operating the underside of the diaphragm is touched and bizarrely you get referred pain in your shoulder. I must say I felt like I'd been run over by a bus, albeit a small one.
I think I slept alot and next morning was wheeled into a small 4 bed ward. There was an old chap there who was chatting and he then held up a small tube of something telling us he'd meant to get denture fixative but got condom lubricant by mistake.......well the ward just erupted with laughter, I can honestly say I was in so much pain laughing I couldn't be sure whether the tears running down my face were of laughter or pain I thought I'd ruptured my stitches! Maybe it was because I still had anaesthetic in my system but I thought this was bloody hilarious. I stupidly told one of the nurses later on and started myself laughing all over again!
It's generally just one night in hospital but my temperature was up slightly, so as a precaution I was kept in an extra night. A fella arrived in the next bed who was to have a kidney out & like me was an old headbanger, so we were able to talk music for a while which was good.
Next morning a nurse suggested I go for a short walk, so with her help I did. On my walk I caught sight through a window of some poor old sod in a dressing gown on the arm of a nurse holding a bag of his own pee. Then it dawned on me, it wasn't a window, it was a glass door and was a reflection of me!!
All good today so I was discharged. I should state here that the care I received in the Urology Department at the Lister hospital was second to none. They are a brilliant team and I felt well looked after. I even got a kiss from one of the nurses, you don't get that with BUPA!
Home then, felt very tired and abit strange with this catheter in situ. You don't want to see tubes coming out of you anywhere but particularly there! I was required to inject myself every day for the first month, this is to ensure I didn't get a DVT. At the hospital they took me through how to do it & I had a go, they also said this if I really couldn't do myself they'd arrange a district nurse to call to do it. I didn't want to waste the resource of a district nurse calling on me when I'm sure there's others she'd be better employed seeing so I bit the bullet and did it myself. Laura popped over with her brothers ( just little fellas at the time) & they wanted to watch me inject my stomach. 'Ok then' I said, count to 3 and I'll do it, they got to 3, I nearly did it but said 'count to 3 again'...........I think we got up to about 38 before I did it! The rest of the month, with exception of the last couple of days strangely, was fine.
A week later I was back at the hospital to have the catheter taken out, I wasn't looking forward to this but is actually painless. The nurse say's breath in & before you've even taken that breath the catheter is out. I was then sent back to the waiting room and instructed to drink water, lots of it, until I couldn't hold on any longer. The results were weighted in a medicine bottle to see whether your bladder is emptying as it should. All Ok, so that was it really, back home to recuperate. A couple of weeks post op I went for a walk to the post box which was downhill. Walking back felt like the north face of the Eiger, I was knackered! Slowly got back to something like normal, think I was off work about nine weeks in total. Things take while to get back to normality but they do eventually. The following link is about the Lister Hospital reaching the milestone of 1000 RALP ops!
http://www.enherts-tr.nhs.uk/blog/17975/news/1000th-robotic-prostate-cancer-surgery-procedure-performed-at-the-lister-2/
I'm now three and a half year post op and completely cancer free. I'll have PSA blood tests twice a year for another two years then it drops to one test a year for a further five years then that's it, your bloody cured mate!
If this was my brush with cancer then I got off pretty lightly to be honest. There's many others that don't, hence Movember. Please follow this link to donate :https://mobro.co/markmorgan106
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