Had such a good night out last night, laughed so much it hurt. We met up with our friends Cherry and Kim, they are just the funniest people you could ever meet; and I mean that in a respectful way :-)

Carlisle Infirmary? My experience of treatment that I have had at the hospital has been very good in the past, but the 'patient experience' this time around has been pretty poor. Having been told that I had cancer, I was taken into a little room where a specialist nurse gave me lots of information, answered my questions and generally reassured me. She also gave me a telephone number which I could call at anytime and somebody would either be there or get back to me if they were busy. That telephone number seemed so precious at the time because I was sure that I would need it. After all there had been so much to take in and my head was spinning, partly with the shock and also the information overload. I threw that number away last week after having tried it 3 times and it was always a voice mail. I left a message every time but nobody called me back. I E Mailed the help line of the cancer unit and also the urology nurse; no reply. I then E Mailed PALS; the 'Patient Advice & Liaison Service' who say they will reply within 12 hours. No reply still after a week. I phoned my specialist's secretary last Monday and was told that an appointment was being generated for me. Nothing in the post all week. Don't get me wrong, there are no doubt many people who are far worse off than me and need treatment before I do. But someone, anyone, could just reply to one of my phone calls or E Mails and say, 'don't worry, we haven't forgotten about you'!

An article in this mornings local paper has said that the 'planter' that the tree sits in outside the old tax office needs to be removed because it is causing a damp problem to the building. I can't help feeling that this article has been written as a response to my objection. The 'planter' is a raised area surrounded by brick that the tree sits in. So it's no longer the tree that is under threat, it's the planter. But if they take away the 'planter', as a consequence the tree will fall down! A bit like saying to a pilot, 'OK, you can take off, but we will have to remove the wings!' I think that I am going to lose this one and put it down to an experience of how local democracy is just make believe!

So the guy who lost control of his BMW in Penrith, whilst accelerating around a bend in a 30mph zone last year, has been sentenced this week. The car mounted the pavement and killed a pregnant mother and her unborn child. 2 years! With good behaviour out in 1 year! Justice or Joke?