Monday 9 to Wed 11 December 2024
As
Lady P said, ‘a bit of a repair and maintenance day today’ (Monday). Firstly, a
visit to the local hospital A & E department as a slight infection needed
testing. No amount of calling GP’s or even the Pharmacy First chemists would
allow us a visit. If you are not on the NHS, ‘go to A & E.’ OK, we figured
this would be the case.
So,
pack the passport, Medicare card, driver’s licence and a good book and rush off
in the cold rain in our little Mercedes Smart Car. The battery is only just
working and Flashy plans for a push start. We do make it to the hospital though
and fill in the forms. Good so far. A nice nurse takes particulars, labels the
sample and makes an appointment in their GP clinic for 4 pm. It’s now 11 am.
A
& E is not full of accident and emergency cases. It looks more like a GP
waiting room. Flashy is disappointed that there is no blood and gore but he
does spy a couple of coppers escorting a young bloke to a room at the back.
Once
again, out into the cold rain to the carpark, where quite remarkably, the
seamless parking payment system works. Some of the worst and most complicated
parking systems can be found in the UK. Probably designed by Indian
bureaucrats!
The
car just starts on one half turn over. Flashy screams ‘don’t turn the bloody
thing off and don’t stall it!’
So,
the second repair and maintenance for the day is off to the garage on the way
home, where a very helpful mechanic recommends a new battery. This will take
about 20 minutes and he kindly suggests we will get a nice hot coffee at the
pub across the road, as it is cold and wet.
The
pub was one of those wonderful British ones with a wood burner and lounge
chairs and quite a few customers getting ready for lunch. Flashy sheepishly
askes for a cappuccino (no problem at all) and feeling strange ordering one in
a pub, decides to have a pint of the local IPA.
Warm
and refreshed, we head back to find a new battery in the little car and £141
later we head home for hot soup and kedgeree lunch, before once again heading back to
the hospital, now in the gathering darkness and wet and congested roads.
A
one hour wait in A & E and Lady P sees a lovely UK doctor, who is married
to an Australian veterinarian. Car and body now repaired and maintained, we
remark on the rather efficient and very friendly (and free) service provided
without too much delay, of the NHS at Royal Tunbridge Wells Hospital.
But
it seems a strange use of an accident and emergency service. Home to a tuna
salad. Yes, you can eat salad in the winter.
Wednesday
was our pub day and we packed Truffle in the back and headed off to Bodiam
Castle to walk around the moat while Truffle pissed 10 times and chased a
number of squirrels. She caught none but had a good time.
Our
pub of choice was the Bell in Ticehurst, as small village of about 4,000 people
in East Sussex. Think of a 500 year old building, open fire, leather arm chairs
and a dog friendly, happy and efficient staff. A good wine list and a typical
pub menu, with a good chef in the kitchen. Venison burger, chips and a teriyaki
salmon and greens with mulled wine and a good Argentinian Malbec was the meal.
Doggy treats and lots of pats for Truffle who sat under the table.
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