As I write this I am again in another hospital waiting room, a different local hospital. In the last 6 months I have been to 7 different hospitals in the region supporting members of my family. I’m a little disappointed not to have found a Costa cafe in this one, my loyalty card is full of beans earnt in hospital Costas. We came here as we thought it was going to be quick and had prebooked an appointment for an X-ray yesterday evening after going to our local hospital with an injury. There was no reference for that appointment when we arrived here so are sat in a very busy A&E waiting room, having had to start all the process all over again. I’m trying to be calm but do feel a little annoyed with my husband. It would have been much quicker to pick my son up from his school and take him to a big hospital yesterday rather than the two smaller hospitals he’s been to over the past two days. One undoubted fact about my tour of hospitals is that our beloved nhs is so underfunded and I hope that the upcoming General Election will see a change in funding and policy to support our health service.

The General Election campaigning continues this week with some televised debates which were quite shouty and full of sound bites rather than proper discussion. The conservative campaign does seem to go from disaster to disaster, mostly self made. from the pouring rain announcement, to planted councillors in factories posing as workers, bizarre new policies (national service for 18 year olds, really!) to the biggest error in the PM leaving the Dday commemoration early, missing an event with world leaders, to record an interview. I do think it’s the disrespect shown at Dday which has disappointed many and will haunt the rest of the campaign and his legacy. Roll on July 4th.

I am trying to do a daily beach walk this summer and on Thursday D-day, I walked up to the war memorial to read the plaque to the American servicemen who had left our town for the battle. It was such a beautiful evening and by chance, as I arrived a lone piper was playing a lament. I did feel emotional looking out to the sea and imagining what happened 80 years ago. Later in the evening, I saw the beacon burning and again reflected on the sacrifices of my grandparents’ generation.

On Sunday’s walk I popped into an art gallery as part of an arts fortnight in our local area. I know one of the artists and was keen to see her new work. She is an amazingly talented textile artist and stitches maps of local areas. I would love to have an original but I think my budget is more of that of a print. I do want to buy one it’s just finding the best map for the spot I’ve chosen.

My final picture made me laugh on my walk, one of the ice cream stalls has new owners, Moody Cow ice creams and this is the sign on the hut. Definitely an image to have ready when I’m feeling tetchy.