Sudden Death of a Beloved Friend

" Hi Darling, all is beautiful in the land of Robert Graves.........it's perfect here, take care and see you soon xxx" This is the message on a post card received today. But D died 2 days ago in Majorca. He was in his mid fifties. He had eaten a good lunch, had drunk a glass of fine wine. Went to sleep in an armchair, and didn't wake up. His career had been in the music business, at one time he worked for Linda and Paul McCartney, and Warner Bros. He was Freddie Mercury's first male love. He was my best friend, he had masses of friends who loved him. We are all speaking to each other, all shocked all devastated. He loved us all. He was a wonderful cook and his greatest pleasure was feeding us. He made a special birthday lunch for me every year.. made Christmas cakes for his friends each year. I still have a bottle of sloe vodka he made last year. Rosie only allowed him to stroke and pet her. She's never let my son touch her. He'd had major heart surgery in his late thirties, so his stressful worklife was curtailed. He was about 50% of my life. That has has gone forever. My son loved him. I hated him going away. He was the first person I spoke to on my mobile 'phone after my sudden exit from The Sunday Times, he lived near Wapping and we went for celebratory lunch, I didn't quite know whether to laugh or cry. He died with a little smile on his face, and all of his friends male and female are weeping. I am utterly heartbroken, and don't know how this terrible emptiness and grief will ever leave me.

Mohammed My Lovely Taxi Driver, more deaths including MY CAR

Quite a lot has happened since I last had a moan here. First, the very talented art teacher MBE who lived next door has died after being run over....and being in intensive care for months. Very sad. A lady, Susan,who lived opposite was Denholm Eliots widow she was an alcoholic, very tall and slim would ofen be seen walking shakily up the road...began to share her house with two extremely strange people with spikes sticking out of their noses and cheeks and ears, and had daily hair colour changes. Well the poor woman had a stroke and went into a sort of care home, set herself alight and died. Meanwhile the two strange ones are still living in the house. If you read Gavin's board you'll know I had car crash...not my fault. My darling old car went to heaven to join my black banana phone and beautiful coffee soaked lap top, in heaven. So awaiting a replacement car, I had a lot of taxis, which proved extremely interesting. I had two Muslim drivers who were the kindest, most charming men I have ever had the pleasure to meet. I kept calling my favourite Mohammed,.. sweetheart. I asked my other Muslim driver who prefers an English sounding name whether he though Mohammed would have taken offence at my familiarity. The answer was affirmative. So next time I apologised to Mohammed and kept forgetting my manners and was soon calling him Darling. OH dear. Anyway the bad day arrived when a horrid small smelly smoky battered cab arrived driven by an English person who smelled of drink, was unshaven and perfectly vile. Fortunately it was a short journey. Unfortunately I always have to sit beside the driver as I get sick in the back. Anyway, 2 days ago my black shiny 2nd hand car arrived. I drove salesman back to his HQ a few miles away. I dropped him off,and caught my left thumb in the seat belt connection and tore my thumb nail right off. It looked bloody, and it was agony. Got home, could hardly take my clothes off...took overdose pain killers and went to bed. Oh bye the way I am 100% allergic to wasp stings and got stung on tip of finger, saving my cat who had her nose up it's bottom. Well, after a lot of anti hystemines, and Doc warning me I have to carry injectons around with me I recovered, just in time for a car crash. Just thought I'd write all this down.

GOD'S WAITING ROOM

This is Highgate Cemetary, a few minutes from where I live. This may be quite depressing, but it's a slice of life in a quite ordinary tree lined avenue in a very quiet place 3 minutes from Parliament Hill. The houses are terraced, Edwardian, and each house is different to any other in the street. Some are on three floors, some on two. There are small patio gardens, and front gardens, small but well cared for and always flowering, except for mid-winter. I have lived here for 30 years. I wanted a smaller place in Primrose Hill, but ny father hated it and said my desk wouldn't fit. He was right, and he found me my present home, telling me I'd be safe. The ceilings are high and I have many books. Returning to my subject. My neighbours have mostly lived here the same length of time as I have. We are a mixture of teachers, a lawyer, architect....two wonderful men, Wally a former taxi driver, and Bob a former builder....both fought in 2nd world war. Lovely wives. Slowly, slowly they have sold their cars, have the odd day out in Brighton. I see they have more difficulty walking year by year. Most use walking sticks now, and I remember them as vigourous men. Next door a well known art teacher.....slightly barmy wife, who had a nervous breakdown in my home. Her very handsome husband would be drinking and cavorting locally with admiring young ladies. One day wife found him on floor after suffering major stroke. So their roles were reversed, he was in hospital for months, and then helpless at home. However slowly he began to walk very slowly with a stick and was soon awarded an MBE. He was painting again, he was making progress. Last year, at night, slowly crossing the main Highgate Road....he was run over and has been on life support ever since. That was about a year ago. Meanwhle his wife has had several malignant tumours removed. Across the road lives a wondeful man called Del, he still works as an upholsterer. He had 2 small sons. The youngest Ian, washed my car, he grew up and went to Australia, married and had 5 childen. Del has another son who lives nearbye..he has 2 sons now and Del acts as Grandma and Grandpa, as his very sweet wife died a few years ago. In the past 2 years people who I saw and spoke to passing in the road have vanished. Wally, who knows everything told me 2 have died, and one is in a home. Jill was a successful teacher, she started to limp badly...she needed a hip replacement...she had to wait nearly 2 years for the op. which had been postponed time after time. Because of the long wait the op was a failure and had to be re-done. Because the extra weight on her good hip...well that that is now collapsing and she needs another op on that one. Another neighbour was stabbed to death by her mentally disturbed neice. Dogs have died, cats too. Everyone is getting visibly older. I find it extrememly upsetting, and I haven't told you half of it. Three other neighbours have died in the past 5 years. My next door neighbour on other side is an alcohlic, married to a lawyer, who lost most of his money with Equitable Life, so is still working. He spends hours polishing his shoes in his patio every morning. I could go on and on, but I'll stop now. I keep wondering who will be next.

THIS IS A TEST

HELLO. Haven't used my bloggy as I had to re-sign to GooGoo. So just testing to see if it works.

David Beckham......I Love You

I should be a football expert to write anything intelligent about this man who I have adored since he first began playing for Moan U. Although I disliked the club, and their red faced, gum chewing, boot throwing manager. David Beckham, for me, stood out on his own. I was a fan since the beginning. A close friend wrote a long article about him for The Sunday Times Magazine, she spent hours with him, travelling by car to Manchester. She told me he was just a wonderful person, polite, very natural, and very lovable. I rejoiced when he became Captain of my beloved England, sadly I was never overwhelmed with Sven. Oh well, that's another story. When Ferguson threw that boot at him, I wanted to kill that red faced monster. Then to Real Madrid, and I followed his career thru' the Real website. I checked it out every week. The most recent World Cup disaster knocked me for six. The England team were my passion, and the whole thing was just painfully horrible. I blame Sven, the FA, the team, but never David, who always worked his guts out. In any case he got injured before the bluddy end. I lost a few tears when he resigned as Captain, retaining his dignity to the last. Then that vile untalented Steve McLaren was mis-chosen as England's new coach, instead of the multi talented Martin O'Neill....he just sacked David from the team, cold bloodedly and cruelly. David is a wonderful father, is kind and charitable, and I love him and hope he has a happy and successful life. OK he's made a ton of money, but he loves playing his football. Good Luck to him.

Anne of Cleves, by Hans Holbein.

This is a wonderful portrait I saw at Tate Britain. Painted by Hans Holbein the Younger. Henry V111 was looking for a new bride and sent Holbein to paint Anne of Cleves, so that he knew what she looked like. However, Henry wrote to Cromwell on his wedding day, "My Lord, if it were not to satisfy the world and my Realm, I would not do that I must do this day for no earthly thing" Anne was Henry's fourth wife, it was a brief marriage, much to the relief of both spouses. Henry referred to his bride"Flanders Mare" He told his Ambassadors and courtiers he could not perform his marital duties because of Anne's appearance. They were both relieved when the marriage was dissolved, and Anne was given several homes, including Hever Castle and a generous allowance. She often visited Henry's court as an honoured guest. Holbein died about 5 years later in London from the plague. You will see she looks very good in this painting, but Holbein had flattered her, and posed her in such a way, sort of leaning slightly forward hands placed in rather a provocative way.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY

Hello All, just to wish you a very happy, healthy NEW YEAR. So, to all my cyber friends, much happiness to all of you for 2007, and I hope that all our pets keep well. love from Rupe and Rosie xx