Grandma P's Ramblings Through Life

I feel that I learned a lot yesterday.
And more today.
I learned (shouldn't I already have known?) that Bill still has a lot to say. But he is handicapped in expressing things, particularly now he does not remember what I might assume to be familiar.
Like today, we came home from Littlehampton along a very familiar route - but Bill didn't know it or wasn't sure.
It is as if each day he starts a new life with little knowledge of what went on in yesterday's life.
He told me was happy about the assessment - enjoyed it really.
He still doesn't remember his mother's death.......thought it might have been in Redhill hospital.
On that point I want to put a picture of Bill's mother on this page.

I assume this was taken on Bill's parents wedding day - November 25th 1939.It was taken with Mum's mother.
The reason I have posted this photo is to ask you to look at another photo which appeared on memories of Crawley - a group photo. Of course I scanned the faces to see if I recognised anybody.
I knew one woman for sure - and next to her, could that be Bill's Mum? And if so is it Bill she is carrying in her arms. The photo is not dated unfortunately.



The tall woman at the back I do know. She is Mrs Sweet and I knew her children Bernice and Peter. She does look like Bernice.
The shorter woman next to her, without a hat, just could be Bill's mother. Compare with the picture above.

Well, that was a waste of time.......hope you haven't studied the pictures too hard.
I have now been told that the picture of mothers and babies dates from 1937.
So Bill cannot be there; nor his mother who would have been just 15. And we do know that Bill was her first born in 1940.


I learned or understood more about Bill's condition too from a facebook friend in Canada. She plays wordsplay on the computer (ygo - Roger), She is a teacher.
She wrote to me about autism and obsessive compulsive disorder. She feels that the the frequent clapping and other rhythmical noises could be a subconscious way of trying to establish his independence and individuality.
Whether or not that is so, it helps me to be more patient.

And then in Wetherspoons this morning, in Littlehampton I was taught once again that whatever one's problems there is always somebody far worse off.
As you may have realised, The George in Littlehampton is more than a pub, it is a sort of social club.
We have got to know quite a few people there.
There is a couple (a couple of men, though really isn't relevant to my story) who I didn't expect to see. They have a flat in Malta and were going out there a couple of days ago.
So I didn't look for them at Ford, where they also go.
But they did come in to The George. One is very frail with multiple sclerosis and is in a wheel chair - his name is Bill.
The pair of them are always ready for a laugh - though Bill's conversation is more limited.
I commented that they clearly were not in Malta.
Things have happened very rapidly for Bill - he has had a diagnosis of cancer. Just how much does his partner have to deal with? It must be awful.
Bill had been called yesterday for a CT scan at Worthing Hospital this morning.
Bill doesn't know of the diagnosis.
So his partner, whose name I forget, continued with his normal banter and conversation with friends.
Everybody acted totally as normal.

I bought very little this morning at Ford - almost all books, including 17 smart paperback Biggles books.
But it was good to get out.
We had a walk by the river, once again.
Littlehampton was crowded today. There was to be a procession featuring a unit of The Royal marines.
This particular unit has a connection with James Bond.
Ian Fleming was part of the team which set up this particular Marine Commando Unit during WW2.

Today The marines paraded and were given freedom of Littlehampton.
But we decided to leave before the time of the parade.....just didn't want to stand around for an hour.

This afternoon I abandoned a jigsaw - which clearly wasn't complete.
Soon we will eat and enjoy a relaxed evening with the TV.