It is August 16th and my journey back to the 1983/84 football season is due to begin with the Charity Shield match between reigning champions Liverpool and FA Cup winners Manchester United on 20th August.
In preparation for my time travels, I will be whetting your appetite for this nine-month theme by sharing samples of popular culture from this era. The link I am sharing today, is to the BBC News website and features a couple of videos that show how life has changed since 1983 – the videos were actually produced in 2013, but life has changed even more in the pursuing years. A second video focuses on BBC Breakfast Time, that was first aired on January 17th 1983.
I actually still have plenty to do if I am to follow the 1983/84 season in the way I hope to. I have a vast collection of programmes that I have built up over the last few months, but due to my poor dexterity, it is not possible for me to manipulate the pages as others do. I need someone with an industrial-size scanner, who is happy to transform these ancient issues into digital files. This would allow me to increase the print size and scroll through the pages with the help of a PA.
I am also looking for a framer, to create framed artwork using Panini stickers from 83/84, and Bassett candy cigarette cards. If something is worth doing, it is worth doing properly.
I am trying to sort all this out, while also struggling to pin down ICS to confirm a time and date for my independent living reassessment. I have been campaigning for this since November 2016, and I can’t believe that I am still unable to live my life to the full. My physical and mental health has been affected by all the stress that these delays have caused. I appreciate that not much can be done in the middle of a pandemic, but the reassessments should have all been completed within 2019.
Of course, my reassessment did take place last year, but ICS have since agreed with me that the assessment was not fit for purpose, and will be producing a new one – if I can ever synchronise times with ICS, my advocate and supporters.
Added to all this, I have got a poem stuck in my head that needs dictating on to my blog. if I ever get the time. This is a sure sign of the frustration that surrounds me, as I always find myself at my most creative when I am deeply stressed, unhappy and lonely.
How on earth can I be lonely, when I receive 24/7 support? I realise that I am terribly lucky to have a number of staff that I can also call friends. However, at the end of the day, these PAs have their own lives, and I can’t shake this nagging feeling that there is something missing from my life. It is easy to assume that this is another person, but I am not really convinced. I am definitely not looking for a partner to ruin the independent life I have built for myself since 2009. Maybe it is a ‘special’ friend that I am looking for?
Whatever it is, I hope it shows itself soon…
I should also mention that I wrote to my neurologist last week, about curvature of the spine. This is something that affects people with Friedreich’s Ataxia, and in recent months I have been significantly leaning to the left. I am just thankful that I am not leaning towards the right . I think everyone can rest assured that this will never happen. Seriously though, it is a cause for concern as I have no control over my backbone. I really appreciate having a good neurologist who has already written to both the x-ray team and posture specialists at the Artificial Limb and Appliance Centre. Fingers crossed for an appointment in the near future, even though that brings with it concerns over Covid-19.
There is no pleasing some people.
From Wikipedia:
The Ting Tings are an English indie pop duo from Salford, Greater Manchester formed in 2007. The band consists of Katie White (vocals, guitar, bass drums, bass guitar, cowbells) and Jules De Martino (drums, lead guitar, bass guitar, vocals, piano).
The duo’s debut studio album, We Started Nothing, was released in 2008 by Columbia Records to positive reviews and commercial success, peaking at number one on the UK Albums Chart[6] and number 78 on the US Billboard 200. It spawned four singles, including “That’s Not My Name“, which topped the UK Singles Chart in May 2008 and reached number 39 on the US Billboard Hot 100; “Shut Up and Let Me Go”, which earned them a MTV Video Music Award.[7] They received two Brit Award nominations, including for British Album of the Year and a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2010.
Their second studio album, Sounds from Nowheresville, was released in February 2012,[8] with the lead single “Hang It Up” released on 16 January 2012. Their third studio album, Super Critical, was released in October 2014.
