Streets of London & Oxford

It's very odd how life experiences converge. I've just posted 2 U Tube clips.

1) I met Derek Harris yesterday on Hampstead Heath overlooking a wonderful view of London, when I was taking an Ashmolean Friends trip to Kenwood. We chatted for quite a while because I liked his songs. His mum, who he had cared for, died 4 years ago & he can't get over her loss. He seemed very sad & depressed, but had taught himself to play the guitar & writes his own songs. I hope he will be able to see a more positive side to his life sometime soon.

I was feeling a bit down because, having done my bit with the group, I was wandering round the house & grounds on my own & realised how much I missed doing that with my husband. It suddenly hit me that it was the first time I had done something like this since 2009. It is quite hard not to be able to share experiences with someone else who is on the same wavelength.

2) All of this reminded me of the Ralph Mc Tell song which has always been a huge favourite of mine since it was recorded in 1969. I realise I've loved it for 45 years. It doesn't seem possible.

Which leads me to the next serendipitous event. Coming back from Oxford this morning I met one of the Big Issue sellers who are always on the corner of my road. He needs a stick because he has a lot of problems with leg ulcers which are painful. He told me his friend Paul had recently been knocked down by a bike when they were going into Oxford to collect their copies of the magazine from the Big Issue office. We do chat a bit, because I pass them most days on my way to swim. They are  really friendly & easy to chat to. I don't always buy the magazine because I don't tend to take any cash with me. When I saw Paul later he was on crutches. You have to admire them both. They are out there every day, all day, till they have sold their quota, in all weathers. I have never heard them be anything other than polite to passers by, most of whom don't really take any notice of them. Paul in particular always seems cheerful. I think they are a bit of an institution in Summertown, so some people do say hello & chat.

It's so easy to make superficial judgements about people based on what we can see. Everyone has their story. A lot of people have to deal with "stuff" which is quite hard.