Ian Renwick

Angina and Me

I’m used to angina. It’s managed well. Well, normally.

It just wasn’t yesterday.

The drugs didn’t work. Effectively.

I struggled to get to my appointment and had to use my GTN spray to get me there.

And the angina was just as bad when I was making the journey back to the tube station.

I became concerned. For the first time in ages, I thought I might have to get to a hospital. I found somewhere to sit and used the spray once more. That helped me to get to Old Street tube.

An hour later and I was home.

I had got quite hot and hadn’t drunk any water, or had a coffee or tea, for several hours. Could my unusually bad angina attacks been triggered by my own stupidity? Lack of hydration.

After refuelling, I was able to take part in my usual exercise class. No angina. Usual blood pressure, heart rate.

The panic was over and a lesson learned. Make sure I drink water on hot days or in hot places.


Oh no! My Walkers Crisp Disappointment -

You would think that they would be, wouldn't you? Won't buy them until the bags are recyclable.


From the Walkers website:-


▼ Question: Are your crisp bags recyclable?
Answer: Currently our Walkers Crisps packets are comprised of an inner foil layer, and an outer plastic layer (plus some sealant between).  As you will appreciate, technically, virtually anything can be recycled, however, because separation of these materials is both costly and energy intensive it would make little sense to do so, environmentally or economically. And there is not the infrastructure for the ordinary consumer to actually recycle the material in question. So our current Walkers Crisps packets are not, in a meaningful sense, recyclable
 


My Free School Lunches

No-one else at the school was entitled to school lunches, FOC. At that time.

Not that I can recall.

No-one realised that making me verbally claim my lunch, every day for years, made me feel well - like a pauper.

It was like I was begging. Why?

No-one else I knew was being raised by a single parent.

They had two parents. I had one, you see.

My father died of cancer when I was 10.

My FOC lunches weren't free.

They were paid for by the community.



My Thames Carp

Where we used to live, we fished. In the summer.  Tides were too strong after November.

Because carp had remained elusive, one day I ground baited with pellets especially formulated to attract this iconic freshwater fish.

The tide rolled in - no carp. Then the tide went out and I gave up trying.

A little later, as I was leaving the barge, I looked down and saw two carp munching their way through the bed of pellets. A wonderful sight.

At that very moment, a kingfisher flew past.

Nature was celebrating. It had won.


My Blue 100E Pick Up - this wasn't it

Image result for ford 100e customised pick up


Eddy Dodwell had done the work. A van made into a pickup. Blue metallic and big wheels. It rattled. On driving out of a car park in Chigwell Row the rear doors flew open and Del nearly disappeared...It was the power of that old side valve. Wish I'd kept it. It was beautiful.

My short-lived time with my Nash Metropolitan

Mine was black and convertible.

It made several journeys between London and Dundee, before meeting a sad end at Wester Ballindean Farm, near Inchture.

It was difficult to stop totally when going downhill.

But it could accelerate well.

I had to stop frequently on long journeys to buy petrol because the hole in the petrol tank meant that it could only take about half a tankful.

Bench seat, column change. It was wonderful. Wish I'd kept it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nash_Metropolitan


Series III Hardtopjpg

Election Day 1970, the road from Dundee

Labour lost the 1970 election. Despite being comfortably ahead in the opinion polls.

 I played a part.

A student friend and I had set off from Dundee, in good time, and headed south in the Ford Anglia.

The fastest I ever accomplished was just over 9 hours in my four years there.

But on this June day, my clutch failed at Scotch Corner. Fortunately, the hydraulic pipe was fixed quickly but we were delayed and failed to get to our polling booths in time.

I'd failed to deliver two votes and was devastated.


ttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom_general_election,_1970

Caerphilly, Election Day 1992

My late wife Allie and our family car were pressed in to service to help get every vote out.

We were to collect Labour voters and take them to the polling station.

One woman told us that she wanted to vote but had to wait for her husband who expected to have his tea on the table on arrival from work. He would be displeased if he got home to find she wasn't there.

Allie assured her that we'd get her back before he arrived. It would only take a minute.

The voter beamed. She and her kids piled in and off we shot.

After the deed had been done the delighted voter and kids were then taken back home. It had been fun for them.

A hungry and disgruntled husband was waiting on the doorstep. We hadn't been quick enough.