YesBut that was the third week of July

One of the joys of being in London during the summer months is the number of free shows that can be seen.

Did I say weather permitting? The weather wasn’t on its best behaviour last Sunday afternoon for the Turkish Fest at Bernie Spain Gardens. For 20 minutes the heavens opened: torrential rain accompanied by thunder and lightening.

For the month of July at the Scoop, More London, near the Tower Bridge, you can relax or swing to music at lunchtimes and in the evenings.

But by far my favourite event is the National Theatre’s free summer festival, "Watch This Space" held in the square adjacent to the Thames. The week before last, there was a very cheeky performance by Te Matarae I Orehu, a troop of the finest Maori dancers from New Zealand.

Last Sunday I was listening to “’Death to America’. Anti-Americanism Examined”, on BBC Radio 4. A member of the Muslim Brotherhood was interviewed in Egypt. He said, and I paraphrase him,

"the trouble with Americans is they want to be loved, and will continue to kill you until you love them”.

That’s a trap bloggers can fall into, no not killing people, but wanting to be loved. The content of their blog is influenced by the desire to please and for their blog to be Bookmarked. The result is, it ceases to be their blog, it becomes an artificial construct, based on what the blogger thinks will please people. The difference between a good blog compared to an average blog is honesty. Blog for yourself, if people like what you write, OK, if they don‘t, so what?

And finally back to the weather. The photo on the left was taken not in the middle of a winter snow storm, but at noon yesterday, i.e. the middle of summer. You might be able to make out the outline of St Paul’s Cathedral. Torrential rain and flash floods are the order of the day.

Have medical prescription will travel

On 1st April NHS Prescription charges in England increased to £6.85 per item. On the same date medical prescription charges in Wales were scraped.

If you live in London and have more than three items on a prescription, it will be cheaper to buy an Advanced Return train ticket and travel to Cardiff to obtain your prescribed medication, than go to your local pharmacy..

Sunday there was a program on BBC Radio 4 “Battle for Birth”, looking at the history of maternity practice in the NHS. Even within the last thirty years expectant mothers, as a matter of routine had to suffer the indignity of being shaved and given an enema. It was NHS policy for all women to give birth in Maternity Hospitals; and they were not allowed out of bed for two weeks after giving birth. How things have changed; today because of financial constraints 9 out of 10 NHS Health Trusts in England and Wales cannot afford to run antenatal classes. A recent survey by the Royal College of Midwives revealed two-thirds of maternity units are understaffed and an additional 3000 midwives need to be recruited.

NHS National Health Service is a misnomer, it should be PCHS Postal Code Health Service.