First, the great Sir Nicholas Soames celebrated his birthday on Wednesday 12th. It is in my diary from a couple of years ago when he kindly gave me an interview for GB News from his home. He is so much more than the grandson of Sir Winston Churchill, though I fear that is what he is perhaps most famous for.
Like his grandpa, he is a fine and committed equestrian, and thanks to our mutual friendship with the Bunn family, who own and run Hickstead, the home of British show jumping, we have often been invited there for lunch, and fortunately, the days have often coincided.
It is not just a place enjoyed by politicians and journalists; Christopher Biggins and Anthony Andrews are also regulars. It is a joy in every respect, and it is something of a shrine to British showjumping and the setting for many great performances from the best and brightest riders, not least because of the fearsome and famous ‘Derby ‘Bank.
Exchanging pleasantries with Sir Nick reminded me of what a loss he is to the House of Commons. His final speech on 4 September on Brexit was exemplary and worth revisiting on YouTube. Few, if any, of the current crop of MPs can match his wit, commitment and delivery.
I enjoyed watching an episode of Antiques Road Trip this week because it was across Scotland, as was the time I did Celebrity Antiques Road Trip with Kirsty Wark- joyous memories. It featured my old chum Philip Serrel and the charming and elegant Natasha Raskin Sharp. It was a great show, only marred by the inane and intrusive voiceover. Phil did not hesitate when I asked him a few years back to do a charity auction for the Riding for the Disabled gala dinner. He and the auction were triumphs for the charity and attendees, as I recall well.
This week, I have a complaint about the NHS, not medical, but about its APP and website for those of us with dementia. It is virtually impossible to navigate, and there is no means I can find to communicate with them directly. It is important for appointments and prescriptions, so making it fit for purpose should be a priority.
They send an email to tell you there is something important on the App, but if, like me, you forget your password, it is a nightmare trying to change it.
Also, unless you put your date of birth in precisely the format they request, you are blocked. Make it user-friendly or send a text like my GP does with appointment reminders.
Alastair Stewart is reassured on the memory front in this week's Living With Dementia
GB NEWSMaking, updating and changing passwords easier is a general plea to all App operators especially in this era of ubiquitous scams. For us with dementia, it is so worrying.
On GB News this week, I hugely enjoyed a discussion Andrew Pierce and Bev Turner had about Government plans to build new towns and model villages. Their expert reminded the audience that Ministers don’t actually build houses but enable their building, for example, by tipping the planning process in favour of the developers
This week, we also got our annual invitations to Cheltenham from the Jockey Club.
It is sensational, and, like Hickstead, the hosts put together a fantastically diverse range of guests. We look forward to it and are so grateful.
Back on the politics front, Rachel Reeves got into hot water over her LinkedIn ‘CV’ and the accuracy of it. There was also some discussion about expenses when the Chancellor was at HBOS. Although “nothing was proved”, the BBC stressed.
My main problem with expenses is the complexity of the claiming system - it needs to be made simpler.
