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Hello and welcome to this the 16th hear'say
column. Yes the column that dares to repeat some of your thoughts and utterances about
what is really on your minds. So without further ado I shall start by saying Well, well,
well. Nil poi, Nichts, Zilch, Nowt, Absolutely nothing! |
No I'm not talking about an attempted 8.30 am telephone
response at the Sheringham surgery on a Monday morning. (Coming to that later) No I'm in
fact talking about our (the UK's entry) score, or at least lack of one in this year's
European song for Europe contest, that was televised on Saturday 24th May 2003. Dearie me,
and a big oops to the selection committee who put that one through to the finals, more
fool the listening public for voting it OUR song for the competition. Well, I hear some of
you groan was it perhaps the result of our friends overseas in Euroland who may have used
the occasion as a political statement, specially from the Anti Iraqi war brigade and
Muslim sympathising countries. On the other hand, the other train of thought, and possibly
the most likely answer is, that this chord-less continuous drone surpassed itself as being
one of the worst songs ever to have ingratiated the public viewing television audiences
around the world.
That said, perhaps that was one of the reasons that on the same said evening, almost a
full compliment of paying punters squeezed into our very own Sheringham Little Theatre for
one of this years funniest and most entertaining evenings yet to boot. Yes I can safely
say it was as crowded as The Crown on a band night, or a late night kebab fight on the
Co-operative corner in the High Street. This version by a company called Stage Direct, of
Alan Ayckbourn's Round and Round the Garden was a hoot. This group seemed to have little
trouble filling the place on the Saturday that some others of late may have experienced.
Maybe they should give this lot a crack at the summer season run for a year? Oh now I know
they weren't pros, but they knew a thing or two about theatre and how to make me laugh.
Laugh? I laughed till I nearly split my sides. Which would have been a problem for me, and
quite an unpleasant experience for any other folk sitting in the vicinity.
But even more alarming perhaps, should I have had the need to call the surgery to seek the
advice of a medical physician early the following day by telephone. Yes it seems it's
easier to drive a lorry into the side of the Houses of Parliament, or actually be able to
pass between the gaps left between the jubilee flower pots positioned outside the old post
office site, than it is to reach a friendly listening ear at the doctors surgery these
days. That is if you're actually lucky enough to be able to bypass the well-trained
telephonist at 8.30 on a Monday morning. (Assuming you actually do get through before
close of day the following day that is.)
Now then, let me get this straight, as I understand it, we now need to arrange an
appointment on the day you actually want to see the doctor. Great me thinks! At last no
more having to wait three months to see someone during which time we all either end up
recovering from what ever it was we actually had in the first place or we died. In both
incidences we had no further need for the appointment. Of course missed appointments was
one of the leading reasons why the powers at be, actually changed to the new system.
So we don't feel too well, we dial as they tell us, as soon as we can, and, after two
hours we're still trying, but are not able to get through by conventional modern
technological methods. (Can't even dial ring back) So in desperation I raid my piggy bank
for the extra needed for the taxi fare, and off I troop. On arriving, one is met with
various responses and response times varying from seconds to several minutes, nonchalant
silence is the bane of many a frustrated patient. |
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Oh not because there's no one there, no, because the young
gymslip creations are far too engrossed in their exploits from over the weekend to be
interested in anything as trivial as sick people and work. They have the knack of turning
a deaf ear to light desk finger tapping, bell ringing and loud major coughing, none of
which seem to get an effectual response. Eventually one leaves wishing they'd never
bothered in the first place and perhaps should have taken a trip to the fair instead. At
least visiting the fair (well the old ones) we stood a good chance to espy and probably
gain an audience with the organ grinder rather than the monkey.
As you probably know by now, if you do manage to get through to the health centre a
supposedly trained person is then about to embark on a list of questioning concerning your
personal personage. Yes we are supposed to know in our hour of need whether or not we have
a chronic or acute condition. The serious nature of our complaint is then discussed over
the phone with the medical advisor advising us as to our possible options of redress i.e.
which nurse we should see etc. I can only assume this is to try and reduce the doctors'
workload. To my mind, how can anyone, medical or otherwise give a full, true and/or
accurate diagnosis over the phone without at least seeing the patient and/or ailment in
person? I guess there is a decent a job for Mystic Meg and Uri Geller out there after all.
Perhaps in an ideal world, we in Sheringham would all have modern video links, wide band
computers and Channel 5, but hey this is Sheringham after all so for the time being we'll
all have to settle with what we've got for now. Great part time amateurs in the theatre,
and as it seems elsewhere too!
So until next time we meet, take care Vic.
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WHO SMASHED UP OUR TOILETS
ON FRIDAY 16TH MAY?
The idiots have been at work again in Sheringham, so much damage was caused that the
toilets behind YESU were closed most of Saturday 17th. This does not only have a huge
budgetary cost, but also a human cost for people who need to use these facilities, and a
cost to Tourist trade.
SOMEONE KNOWS WHO THESE PEOPLE ARE.
It cost all but £50,000 for vandalism to toilets last year, that figure does not include
staff time actually dealing with the incident. This is totally unacceptable, already the
closing of a toilet in Sheringham has been suggested, incidents of this nature leaves your
elected members with little to defend.
Please share any information you might have on this or other destructive behaviour that is
happening in Sheringham. Brian Hannah
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