Langdale

Some good news....finally

Nina's dates for pre op consultation and actual operation day come through, namely 16 Dec and 14 Jan and we are mightily relieved

This ties in nicely with a trip to Langdale followed immediately by a week of rehab up in Penrith

Friends Simon & Mandy had invited us to stay with them up in the beautiful lodge resort of Langdale many months ago and we never knew if it was on the cards or not likewise with our application for a stay at the Firefighters Charity Rehab facility in Penrith. Both were subject to cancellation should the dates not match up

Perfect timing was such that we could spend a few nights with our friends then drive through the stunning landscape directly to Penrith on the sunday

Arriving at Langdale we are impressed with the park layout and whats on offer

Individual lodges built 40 years ago, refurbished and beautifully laid out next to a river. There's a hotel, restaurant and spa on site and the management guys even own the pub just outside the grounds

We arrive to sub zero temperatures

Simon has it all sorted with a welcome dinner and mandatory Leffe Brun in the fridge..

Chef busy prepping steaks

Happy days

Next morning we are treated to breakfast in the Spa followed by several indulgent hours spent between being al fresco in the spa pools and the numerous steam and therapy rooms

A lovely relaxing experience laid on for Nina (and her carer)

This was a real winner. Mobility scooter turned off road adventure vehicle...

She loved this and radiated smiles....

With the speed button cranked around to maximum we had to run after her a lot but she loved the independance it gave her

Mandy joins us on the Saturday after handing over caring duties of her Mum to the rest of her family

The buggy is pressed in to action again and more countryside is burned up under those smokin' wheels....

Reversing down the ramp to a local pub was a bit hit and miss but nerves were calmed inside after a warm up and a few beers....

Strictly on the TV and another fine meal courtesy of Chef rounded off a very memorable day spent in the stunning Cumbrian landscape

Mandy & Simon came up trumps for us with this break and gave Nina a much needed morale boost. She loved the Spa experience, dining in the restaurant and had huge grins bombing around on that golf cart....

We said our farewells and drove off on the sunday morning in the direction of nearby Penrith in a relaxed state to begin a week of one to one rehab for Nina

On the farm for Winter

Seems ages ago when we were up in the field in the height of a pleasant warm summer and now staring at a long damp winter ahead of us....

How lucky we were to have spent the last few years wintering in the Iberian sun with endless days of blue skies...(You will no doubt guess that its raining whilst I write this post, three days of it!)

My random photos of some of the past few months are here....

Simon & Mandy stay over and join us bringing good cheer, goodies and loads of travelling tales from their very hectic life

We are hoping to visit these guys later in the year up in Cumbria where they have invited us to stay in a lodge with access to a pool for Nina's continued physio

Hopefully we can work it in around her hospital commitments, the break would do Nina a world of good for sure

We have a week away split between a stay with family up in Beadnell and down in Stowmarket with Emilja & Richard

We are blessed with great weather whilst Up North and bizarrely meet up with Baz and Mandy in Bamburgh for a few beers, the same day Ben Stokes performed a miracle for English Cricket

Saturday morning breakfast Stowmarket style at the cafe run by Keith, Richard's brother

More mayhem with the Cathcarts down in Bingham as we try to drink their local dry and eat the superb Chinese restaurant out of food one sunday afternoon

On return to the RV we find we've got neighbours...

Can you believe they got this double decker down the lane for a wedding at the church!

Another visit from Bobby & Malc on a beautiful sunny day sees us taking in the rays and discussing all things Bike and Benidorm, their winter destination

The sun is lower in the sky and autumn is upon us

My evening walks alone without my companion are made more pleasant with some beautiful sunsets

Hank and Kev invite me to watch rugby, stuff food away and drink real ales

I don't need asking twice!

Nina almost always optimistic and radiating positivity

Well in this shot anyway...

The days pass quickly but the waits in between consultations, scans, physio and the like get her down a bit as you can imagine

She just wants her Op and to be able to walk again...

Malc and me hit the road on a sunny dry day and cover loads of Derbyshire in the name of road safety and bike skills practice you understand...

The fish and chips at the holy grail of Matlock Bath were lovely sat in the sun 

What was amusing was to see all the other bikers there were of a 'certain age' and the machines they rode were definitely in the 'sensible class'

Different again to the weekend display of machinery that lines the kerbs of the busy tourist village

Its time to relocate down to the Farm and Mick and I run the sheep barriers up the lane to the storage barn for the winter

Loaded up and ready to make the trip south to get the servicing and MOT done in Somerset

Lea Hall which is on my 'round the block' walk

Essential refreshment and a reward for walking past the pub without going in each time

After picking a huge bag of wild mushrooms there is much debate with Mick & Mary as to whether they will kill us come eating time...

Thats us then for the Winter

Water, electric, radiators and a de-humidifier

Our lounge view

Christmas dinner in the UK, who would have thought it!

An update on Nina

After being referred by her GP Nina finally gets to see an Orthopaedic Consultant at King's Mill Hospital

Xrays are done and blood tests performed

The team in the fracture clinic are superb and the Consultant spends a fair bit of time with us getting to know the medical history and evaluating the next course of action

The bad news is that there appears to be no discernable bone growth in Nina's femur from when she last had Xrays a few months back in Spain

She is advised to go back to non weight bearing movement on her crutches and we are told her knee is intact and doesn't need replacing despite limited flexion of the joint

Inter-Consultant letters are sidelined and after a few calls to his colleagues Nina is fast tracked to go see a Professor Moran at Queens Medical Centre

This guy is a specialist in treating 'Non Unions' as in Nina's case and complicated non healed fractures. After such bad news at least we know we will be in the right hands now...

A couple of weeks pass and we visit QMC

More blood tests and a preliminary examination by the 'Prof', as the staff call him, reveal a way forward for Nina

He says she now needs surgery as soon as he can book her in to perform a bone graft and do work relating to the supporting metalwork

He also points out that a follow up operation involving stripping muscle back from her thigh bone would help with knee articulation but its a complex op and a painful rehab afterwards

This can't be done first as its the muscles that provide the blood flow to the bone for healing. He promises he can do good work and perhaps incorporate both techniques to some extent in one operation

A CT scan and lengthy consultation is now expected and at this stage he will suggest the best course of action based on his tests, scans and Nina's wishes

We were OK right up to the point he pointed out her leg had been "smashed to pieces" and "you've had a life changing injury"

Nina broke down bless her as the reality of her injury and future capabilities was finally spelled out by a Specialist in his field

He also said that her supporting metalwork could fail at any stage but in any case would not last two years being the sole means of support for her leg

Bizarrely he advises now to go back to weight bearing movement on her crutches with pro active physio. We guess this is to get her legs in best shape ready for the next lay up

Can you believe we threw away the bedpan and dumped the wheelchair!

Now we wait and hopefully a date for her surgery will soon be known.

Back home in Dethick

Next day we relocate to our 'Home'

Dethick, our English base beckons and we arrive to a newly mown area of grass with our customary stunning view over Riber & Lea Bridge

We settle in and visit family by means of a newly acquired addition to the 'fleet'

Nina's folks just happen to be buying a new car at the moment and we are offered their outgoing wheels instead of the old 'part chop' arrangement with their dealer

We come away smiling having bought a cracking little C3 diesel for stupid money that will get us about nicely in the next few months

Not long afterwards the 'Nobbies' decend and the catching up begins in earnest

'Nobby' AKA Russ (for tax purposes possibly)

German sausage eating becomes one of the highlights of a trip to nearby Bakewell awash with tourists on a sunny day

Beer is downed (naturally) and we stroll the streets getting in those vital steps for Nina on her 'sticks'

Me and the Nob had some quality Tech time fitting three new AGM batteries to the Tour Bus

When they die they sure die quickly and my suspect cheap leisure batteries that were fitted prior to viewing a couple of years ago just gave up

I've big hopes for the new ones as they are better suited to being 'Inverted' regularly

(Thats 12v DC to 240v AC in case you thought I liked tipping them upside down😀)

Baz comes bounding up the field one day to our surprize bringing a bottle of Taylors Port and some good cheer for us all

Nob and Baz hit it off immediately and whilst I cooked and the girls chatted I lost count of the Internet buzzwords these IT dudes banged out at each other

Cameron came to stay one very wet weekend that saw us playing endless hangman games and evenings playing Spotify roulette 

Bless him, he spent a long time trying to educate us as to what was 'proper music'

This ranged from Ariana Grande (the only artist we recognised) to strange Rap Crap (my words)

I made him listen to Killer by Adamski at full volume as punishment and forced education

(one day he may understand but for now he just kinda smiled and I swear he had a look on him that simply said Sad T**t)

With some awful weather at the moment my riding rehab gets a little stunted but Nina is a star and encourages me to get out when it shines but makes me promise to take her out in the car when I return, a deal I'm more than happy with

All the gear and.....well some idea

I'm feeling more confident with every ride and getting to grips with the size of the bike and the huge difference from the days of Max

Martyn is a regular visitor and we go to the camping shop with him one day and help advise on where best to part with cash 

It took us just a few minutes to erect his newly purchased holiday abode and even less to take it down

Gone it seems are the days of head scratching sticking up those leaky frame tents...

Baz returns in his van for a few days accompanied by his new girlfriend Gina and we meet up at The Tavern for a few bevvies

Gina comes up with a brilliant suggestion for Nina...

Why not contact The Firefighter's Charity and see if we can visit one of their Rehab centres for Physio and some quality R & R?

Why on earth didn't we think of this earlier?

The calls are made and the application submitted so we are now awaiting a date to go up to Penrith

Well done Gina!

Mick our farmer host decides it would be a good idea to gatecrash the local Steam Rally one saturday night and after looking around briefly we find the beer tent and over indulge on Theakstons Old Peculiar

Nina and Mick's wife mary are back at the farm having a chinwag when we stroll in later

Several very large whiskies later Nina and me stagger back up the field to Tasca, me wandering sideways being supported by wife on crutches...what a pair!

Hank and Kev come for the day and we guys go out on a 13 miler around the locality taking in Holloway, Cromford Canal, Matlock Bath & Wetherspoons of course in Matlock

About halfway round...

1st refreshment stop at 'Twenty Ten' in Matlock

The steam loco at Matlock station

Our current 'Fleet' in our usual spot

This I guess represents the space 'Go' on a Monopoly board for us each year as we always come back here and its the starting point of a new round trip

We have no real idea of what the next year will bring as its largely unknown at present

Nina has begun Physio locally and the all important hospital consultation is next week

The result will dictate what we do and where we go but we have a few short trips planned in the next couple of months regardless of the outcome