Thursday 27 April 2023

Blog Posted,

and I was off to visit Duncan,


a bit of a grey day,

I was glad I had put my winter clothes on and a bobble hat, sans bobble,

walking past the tennis courts, I noticed these,

bluebells looking nice,

the cherry trees, looking nice as well,

on to the bus, which was on time as it happens, looking towards Foxgrove Lodge from the top deck,

past Peter Pans Pool,

and the growing plants on top of the Catford Police Station stop,

changing colour as the weeks go past,

the bus stopped for a change of driver at the bus garage, but as the replacement driver was ready and waiting, it took no time at all,

the building that is constantly under repair, still had scaffolding to one side,

Lewisham market open for business,

I arrived at Blackheath station early, the florists not yet open, and in a stroke of luck the ticket office was!, so I bought the 5 tickets I need for May to visit Duncan, so all set, downstairs to the platform,

for the usual 09.31 to Gravesend, which was delayed, just my luck!, arriving late means I will miss the 489 bus at Gravesend to visit Duncan, 

then my luck got worse, the 09.31 cancelled, so a wait at Dartford as I have to change trains,

on the other platform the commuters had all left for London,

off at Dartford and over the platform for the next train to Gravesend,

I had just missed the 10.50 bus, the next at 12.50, two hours time!, luckily I could also catch the 483 in 15 minutes, as it happens if the 09.31 had not been cancelled I would already be at Duncan's bedside by now, I know this as every visit visitors have to sign in with name and time, fire regulations I guess to know if the building has been evacuated

the sky over Gravesend cloudy and grey,

I re-checked for the 489 still a nearly 2 hour wait, this is what annoys me so much about the tree hugging, go by public transport greenies, they fail totally and miserably to provide public transport for you to use, imagine if anyone could only use a 489 bus and missed it by a few minutes both ways, nearly a 4 hour wait in one day!

off of the 483 and up the hill to the nursing home where Duncan is staying,

the silver birch tree at the entrance now sprouting its first green leaves, Duncan was his usual self, we chatted away, about of all thing how the female greats of the black & white film era were somehow more rememberable than todays lady stars, we started, Olivia de Havilland, Vivien Leigh, Bette Davis, Ava Gardner, Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, Ingrid Bergman, Rita Hayworth, Lauren Bacall, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Joan Crawford, Marlene Dietrich, Barbara Stanwyck, Judy Garland, Katharine Hepburn, Sophia Loren, to name just a few, as it happen Duncan reeled off more than I could!, we then came to what I would call modern actresses, we started with Ursula Andress, Bridget Bardot, Raquel Welch and then we came to a stop, it must be that we do not watch modern films! Duncan’s lunch arrived so we said our goodbyes as I made a move for the bus stop,

I made my way past the clock tower and rose bushes, in a few months these will be a riot of colour, on to the bus stop, just a 20 minute wait,

and here I was at platform 0,

and there was my rain, thankfully this time no stopping and changing at Dartford,

arriving at Blackheath,

the florists now open,

with a nice show,

a first for this year, sunflowers,

I was soon on the number 54 bus, past Taco Bell,

and the building that is constantly being repaired, at the front of it a new area to be looked at,

difficult to see but plants growing from the front of it,

at the side the scaffolding still there,

on this bus shelter,

the plants for the bee hotel overgrowing the top, nice to see them doing so well,

into the park and past the cherry trees, I was so late Diana had beaten me home and soon had our evening meal ready,


first a sherry and a read, another from Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo, titled The Immortal, (I have the English version), 

for tonight, spaghetti and a side of chicken for Diana,

for myself a huge bowl of chilli-con-carne,

'Cheers!',

for our dessert, bread and butter pudding, with cream and ice cream,

eyes down and tuck in, delicious!, after which a Deadliest Catch followed by a Lewis, as Diana has another early start tomorrow we were off to bed.


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