10/09/2023 - 'A great week featuring radio, music, birthday and travels' by David

I was on annual leave this week and what a week to chose! The UK is enjoying a late Summer heatwave and so I was able to enjoy the sunshine while busying and enjoying myself. 

Zippy the 2cv is now ready for it's M.O.T. test and the plan is to polish it up, tax and insure it, have a few last drives, take some nice photos and then sell it on. Zippy is my third 2cv and I have loved the ride and the looks and smiles that a 2cv engenders. 

I made a lovely chilled Watercress soup which was ideal in these temperatures, and some savoury and sweet gluten free scones for Alice.

I headed to the Overdraft in Shirley, armed with a host of records for another open decks night. I was joined by friends who enjoyed tacos and beer. Despite her many pleas, I still wouldn't play 'Superman' by Black Lace for Alice but I did play Bowie's 'Be my wife' for her.

I also went on a cruise! Well, actually I didn't but it felt like I did! I spent a couple of days with my mum on the island. She has a lovely top floor flat in Cowes which overlooks the town, the river Medina and East Cowes. You can even see the Spinnaker tower in Portsmouth in the distance! I was out on her balcony one morning, just as the sun was rising and I could smell the salty sea air as I watched the Red Funnel ferry come and go and the cruise liners leave Southampton for their destinations and I really felt as though I was on one of them, holding on to the balcony, looking out to sea.

We lost our dear dad last year and mum is having to get used to waking up alone and she finds the days long after living with dad for nearly seventy years. So, she likes it when I go over and stay with her, going to bed knowing that there is someone in the flat when she wakes.

We had a nice time in Gurnard, the village where I grew up. We had a coffee in the cafe that used to be the newsagents where I cycled to every day for my paper round and we sat on the seafront and saw the paddle steamer, the Waverley as it took excited passengers on a trip around the beautiful Isle Of Wight. Mum had her 84th birthday while I was over and she had some of our big family over for pizza before mum and I toasted dad with a sherry before bed.

While I was over, I went into the studios of Vectis Radio, which is a community radio station and I was invited to share my MND experience by the owner Ian, who I have known for many years. I was a little nervous and had a list of things that I wanted to say written down but in the end, I was very relaxed and we both enjoyed ourselves talking about football, music as well as my recent diagnosis. 

You can listen back to the interview here:

https://1087-621e476a15d73.radiocms.com/podcasts/vectis-interviews/episode/macca-chats-to-david-baker/

Back on Southampton soil, Alice and I completed my voice banking, so that if and when I lose the ability to talk, I will be able to continue to communicate via computer but with my voice. I had to say 300 sentences from a chosen book and one of the options was a Sherlock Holmes story called The Red Headed League and I felt like I was recording a play for Radio 4! I really got into it, giving Holmes, Watson and Mr Jabez Wilson all the intonation and expression that Conan Doyle had intended for his creations. 

We ended our week as we normally do with a parkrun. This week it was in Southsea for a Hampshire Vegan Runners meet up for our lovely friend Andy, as it was his 250th parkrun! Alice and I ran holding hands. It wasn't planned but it felt nice and I know that one day I will unfortunately fall and I can't think of anyone I would rather fall into the arms of.

Cake and a dip in the sea followed and we got a perfect cover shot for the MND Can Get In The Sea blog. The blog has now had over 5000 views from more than 15 countries and we really do hope it is an informative and helpful read for anyone who has been touched by MND.

That evening, we caught the peasant wagon into town into town for a Wagamama vegatsu curry (my favourite) and a Zombie cocktail in the Heartbreakers bar. We watched Shaun play lead guitar in the band Dead Rabbits who supported the Californian surf punk band Crocodiles - it was wild stuff man!

Thank you to Deborah, Julia Szajdzicka, Amelia Parkinson, Simon & Taz, The Porters, Amy, Wayne & Nicola, Alan Valler and Oli, who have all donated to our just giving page. 

I will sign off this week with my favourite new pastime - saying nice things to people. 

After the radio interview, I stopped at a pub and had a lovely conversation with a man who had his weekly shopping on his mobility scooter and we talked about traction engine fairs in Dorset and the summer heat before he left me in charge of his vehicle and provisions as he went in search of a drink. While I was enjoying my pint in the sunshine, I saw three ladies at a table, laughing and enjoying each other's company. As I left, I approached them and said that I hoped they didn't mind me saying how lovely they all looked in their flowery dresses and they were all happy to receive my interruption. Now I don't know any of those ladies but I should imagine that one or all of them had looked in the mirror that morning and thought "Should I wear this dress?" Hopefully next time they dress to go out, they will wear whatever they choose with a little more confidence. 

As I then walked to the bus back to mum's, I saw an old gentleman leaning on a railing. I joined him and asked if he was okay? He was out on his daily constitutional which involved walking along the path from Newport up to the College and back. He was having a rest and we talked about his birthplace in  Wales, football, our daughters and the fact that we both now have our fathers' walking sticks. He was so pleased that I had stopped to chat and said I was the only person that had done so on his walks. As we parted, he said he would look out for me again. I will never see him again of course, but my short conversation had put a smile on a face that probably hides more loneliness than it should do. 

And the reason that I have started to stop strangers in the street is that since my diagnosis, I have had so many kind words from people I have never met so please say nice things to total strangers people, we all need to feel good about ourselves x