Sometimes when I wake up in the middle of the night, I am persuaded to go onto the web and to buy things that I need. So last night, I purchased six pairs of socks that actually arrived via Amazon ‘Prime‘ this afternoon. The socks have a toe and heel in distinct colours which is rather handy as it means that I can match pairs of socks up with each when they emerge from the washer and/or dryer. At the same time, I ordered myself a pair of new pyjamas which I felt I needed. I tried to ensure that these were not of the thin cotton variety but were advertised as ‘warm’ because in the middle of the night, one needs warm pyjamas whatever the season. Our friend who called round yesterday sent me a quick email to tell me of the time of the family concert which is due to be performed on the afternoon of my birthday and which Meg and I felt that we might attend. I did know about this concert but had temporarily forgotten about it but I was told about it by one of the lead violinists in a regional orchestra who had come along to the AgeUK club the session before last. Then I remembered that Meg and I had had our photos taken which ought to appear on the orchestra’s website. So, although it was late, I located the website and did actually find three photos in which Meg and I appear. So this was quite a delight to see so I proceeded to download them – at this point, I email myself with them with the photos appended as attachments. Then I open my email in my iPhone and I find that this is the easiest and quickest way of getting the photos that I want added to the main collection of photos on my iPhone. So after Meg had been brought downstairs, I showed the photos to Meg and the two carers who had called around on cue this morning. The carer who comes from Poland is called ‘Aliciya’ (in Polish) and she always seemed determinedly cheerful at whatever hour it is in the morning. So I made an imaginative leap and told her that if she had lived in Roman times, she might have been called ‘Felicia’ which may (or may not) be the Latin for a ‘happy or cheerful one’ As Thursday is my shopping day, one of the carers was due to return to sit with Meg whilst I went to do the shopping. Meg was feeling a little wobbly as I was on my way out so I was determined to be as fast as I possibly could. But this involves negotiating the roadworks, then getting some money out of the ATM, securing my copy of the newspaper and then whizzing round the (smaller) supermarket where I know where everything is. This week seemed to be a heavier week than usual as there were some bulky things of which I knew we had run out, principally ice-cream, but all in all I was absent from the house for about an hour. When I returned, I had eight bags of shopping to process and I felt absolutely shattered but I had a cup of coffee to revive myself and then afterwards, started on the process of a slow unpack whilst I was throwing together the kind of lunch in which I cook together various bits and pieces and serve it on pasta (for Meg) So lunch was a little delayed but after lunch, Meg had a doze and I started to watch some of the evidence from the Post Office ‘Horizon’ enquiry and promptly fell asleep myself. I had hoped for a period in which Meg was asleep and I was awake so that I could the back lawn cut but it was not to be so I will have to seize another opportunity when it presents itself.
After we had our fill of the Post Office enquiry, in which a senior executive who had worked at the Post Office for thirty years, is giving evidence, we are wondering what further revelations will occur tomorrow morning. Thinking about the organisational processes upon which the Enquiry is taking evidence, one is left to wonder how decisions about anything are made by anyone. This particular witness had previously testified to the High Court that the Horizon system was absolutely robust but today was presented with email evidence that she had been informed of some its shortcomings some years before. So this appears to be a clear case of a perjury having been committed. But under questioning from the King’s Counsel (KC), the executive seemed unable to recall or to realise the import of what she was being told in the emails. To my mind, it appeared that all of the various executives had been in a darkened room and were desperately trying to make contact with other with failing torches. Of course, memories are fallible but it does seem to be highly convenient for a plethora of excuses to be deployed such as ‘I was not present at all of the meeting’ or ‘I only attend some of the meetings’ or ‘I believe that someone else had responsibility for X’ and so on and so forth.
This afternoon, Meg started to watch a YouTube concert which was ‘Mozarts Great Mass in C’ held in a stunning modern concert hall I know not where. Sometimes the venue is flashed up at the start of the transmission but I am never sure of the nationality of the performers or indeed the actual venue itself. But I love watching the intensity of emotion and the concentration on the faces of the singers as they perform. The camera work takes in views of the orchestra and sometimes one gets a glimpse of an instrument such as what might appear to be a modern harpsichord as the performance progresses. Although I learned to play the violin which I had to give up at the age of about fourteen when I changed schools (to one with no musical tradition), I sometime speculate what kind of instrument I wish I had learned how to play. The way I feel at the moment, I suspect that I would settle on the oboe because there are stunning little pieces composed for this particularly by Mozart and, if I had mastered the oboe I think I would have liked to have gone on to play the bassoon.