Rambling along 13 (sort of) - Say Ah!

Imagine stepping into a room, vast like the concourse of a major, yet mythical, railway terminal, which is full of papers swirling and falling, flying and drifting – as if bewitched by an invisible wind. Imagine the sunlight streaming in through windows so high that they seem like dreams. What would you do? Shut the door I guess, just in case it was oneself that had caused the draught and set a thousand carefully stacked papers randomly cascading. Either that, or grab a handful and with the blessing of the Head Archivist  -whose job it is to tame the Turbulent Chambers as they are now known – set off on a long ramble homewards as the autumn infiltrates. And as I ramble along I’ll read a few of these tumbling missives that come from An Archive Past. Oh, and stick some photos of a recent walk in London Town. This is what is happening at the moment here on Bitsnbobs, and which has been previously explained here.

I had an appointment with the work’s doctor this morning at 8am, so I rose early – with the sun – and arrived with five minutes to spare.

I sat there waiting for the door to be unlocked when suddenly I thought I was having a heart attack!

Well – probably the best place for it to happen as long as they turn up at the time they said, I thought.

Then I realised that it was my mobile phone which I have accidently switched to vibrate mode and dropped into my chest pocket.

It was the doctor asking where I was.

Outside I replied.

I can’t see you she replied.

I’m the one lying on the floor writhing around in what I thought was pain, I explained.

Ah, Mr Adams, she said.

I got up and shook her hand. It turned out that I had been in the wrong place.

I was parked outside the door that said “Cabinet Medical” – silly me.

She lead me into the back of a lorry that was parked on the other side of the building and she asked me how much I weighed.

I said I had no idea – I don’t.

She weighed me.

You are exactly the same as you were three years ago, she said, maybe less, she continued, because we should allow for your clothes.

I was surprised – it was a nice summer’s day and I was wearing as little as I could get away with on a semi-professional occasion.

I was also surprised that I was the same weight- I have been eating a LOT of comfort food these last six or seven weeks.

Do you have any headaches?

No.

Back aches?

I laughed – I’m 57 I explained, every morning… but I do yoga.

She looked impressed.

Sometimes, well I haven’t been for a few weeks but I’m thinking of going tomorrow. Or swimming – I’m thinking about that to.

Thinking isn’t classified as an Olympic sport she said, betraying a surprising sense of humour and knowledge -  that the Olympic Games start soon in the country of my birth.

Not yet! I said, a little too enthusiastically, trying to demonstrate my own.

Has anything changed in the last three years?

The list was long…….