Sunday 25 January 2015

The Clock

It was shortly before my 50th birthday, while undergoing the rigours of a routine prostate check, performed by a much too happy and joking doctor, that I made the remark to him about the fact that I should supposedly get used to more invasive 'health procedures', now that I was getting a little older. Still with his rubber gloves on, he laughingly told me that once men hit fifty years of age, things usually start to rapidly fall off or block up. He was right. On my fiftieth birthday, having had a painful leg for some weeks, and finally attempting to climb a hill to a restaurant for a celebratory meal, the pain was too severe, and I headed straight to the doctors, whereupon within two hours I was in the emergency ward being diagnosed with a DVT in the leg. 

I recently suffered the seizure as we know, and in between the two incidents there have been numerous new things going wrong, but thankfully none of them too bad, and of course the obligatory bloated belly that seems to be impossible to get rid of at the moment, but wasn't there at 49 years of age.

The clock is quite obviously ticking, just like the clock that is pretty much the only thing left from a life long ago. I have mentioned a few bits before, so please forgive me if I repeat anything.

I was born here, in the family hotel in Boscombe. 


The dining room was in the ballroom during the busy periods.


But moved to the front room during quieter spells.

The Clock can be seen on the mantelpiece. Something brought from her family farm when mum married dad. 


I was sent to private school at five years old, and then at seven became very familiar with The Clock indeed. 

When not used as the small dining room, which was most of the year, the room was my parents living room/bedroom, as they were on call all of the time for guests or staff. It was when I was seven that I became friends with a severe staphylococcus infection, and as a result contracted rheumatic fever, before finally getting scarlet fever to round the whole thing off. I was very ill indeed, and was off school for several months, with some of the terms works being delivered for me to try and keep up.

I would sleep in my own room upstairs during the night, but be brought down to my parents room for the day, where they could keep an eye on me as they worked hard to keep a busy hotel running. I was entertained by a few of the family pets, would draw a lot, read, but mostly just lay in bed staring around me, and at The Clock on the mantelpiece opposite.

It was familiar, and soothing, with it's gentle tick tocking, and every hour would give off a wonderfully soft Westminster chime. There was no television to watch in those days, apart from my allowance of 'Watch with Mother'. Mostly I watched The Clock.



At the age of ten, life changed dramatically. Mum and dad split, and went their separate ways. The hotel and all of it's contents were no more, except for a few trinkets, and The Clock, which my mum took with her.

Both parents eventually passed away some years ago now, and various step family members and relatives closed in for the kill on the remainders of two lives and their new partners possessions.

The Clock remained though, but had sadly been so badly tampered with that it no longer worked, and had then spent the next twenty years or so lifeless on another family members mantelpiece, and then another several years in a damp loft.

The loft was cleared, and The Clock offered to me, as it was taking up unwanted space, and had become too expensive to fix. We were re-united, The Clock and me.

It spent it's own several months of illness and recovery at a clock restorers, and cost a small fortune to put right, but it now has it's own safe, warm and quiet place in my home, where we can grow older together. It's funny though. It was there when I came into this world, and now it will probably be there when I head to pastures new.



I'm glad I grew out of those blue nylon pyjamas though.





20 comments:

  1. Oh my, I'm sorry to hear about the DVT in your leg, on top of other things. What did they do for this?

    What a great story about the Clock. I'm sorry your parents split up when you were 10. That's the age I was when my dad left, then when I was 12 the divorce happened.

    Glad you and the clock were reunited and that it is now ticking away.

    That is a great now version of yourself, and I enjoyed seeing the younger you.

    May you and Amanda have a lovely day and upcoming week.

    Be well, keep positive ~ FlowerLady

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    1. Hello Lorraine,
      The dvt involved, like so many others, stomach injected Clexane initially, and then six months of warfarin, and so work related injuries had to be avoided at all costs. The clock is quite an important thing in my life, and it's good to hear it tocking as I walk through the hall. I hope all is well with you.

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  2. Hello Gary,

    What an intriguing insight this gives into your family life. And, how incredible to be reunited with the clock after all these years. One can easily see how this leads to bringing back memories of your childhood when the clock played such a central role in your life.

    We too find the gentle ticks of old clicks soothing and 1930s wooden case clock punctuates the half hours here in our Budapest apartment. It is strange how one often does not even hear the chiming as it is so much part of the familiar sounds with which one lives.

    This is such a poignant post on ageing. In one's youth, one did not wake up and say how well one felt. It did not seem worthy of mention. It does these days, however!

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    1. Dear Jane and Lance,
      What you say is so true about the chimes becoming unheard after a while. They drove me mad for the first day or two of illness, but from then on actually became soothing. It's also a good point you make about youth,and how well being, and indeed time is of no real relevence. Youth is indeed wasted on the young.

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  3. Welcome to my 52 year old world....
    When I bend over I fart like the Queen Mary in fog

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    1. Oh, what I would give to be as young as 52 again. What is it with the farting fifties eh John? It's so unforgiving isn't it.

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  4. You had some major health challenges. No wonder you are keenly aware of your health today. A family split for most kids is devastating. It's interesting that through all this time the clock was something that held memories for you. I hope that your ageing progress goes rather slowly after this.

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    1. Life seems to fly by faster and faster Red, but it is a good life now when all is said and done.

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  5. What an interesting history (yours and the clock's)! For sure, life comes with unexpected and often painful twists. You've certainly had your share....

    2014 was "one of those years" for me, too. I may have given up on it if I hadn't returned time and again to the words of "my" Jesus: "I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid." (John 14:27, Bible)

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    1. Hello Rebecca,
      I like Johns gospel, it was the first part of the bible that I ever read, and made a lot of sense to me at a time when I was just finding my faith.

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  6. How amazingly awesome to be reunited with that clock that held so many memories, Gary. I hope the health issues subside soon sir!

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    1. The health issues are ok now I feel thanks. The clock has had a more chequered life than me anyway.

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  7. John,
    So sorry to hear about this latest health crisis, sometimes it does seem to happen all at once and especially now that we bounce out of our 50’s and into the next decade. I hate to think what my 70’s will bring. I love your memories of your clock and am so happy that you had it fixed as so many people a frightened off when they discover the cost of antique clock repair. My wife’s late uncle was a very popular antique clock repairman who traveled the world repairing in his younger years. Perhaps I will write a post about the tick tocking that goes on in our life.
    Your good health sir,
    Doc

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    1. Hi Doc,
      I must admit that even though I knew it wouldn't be cheap, the actual repair cost came as a big surprise, but they made a beautiful job of it, with many replacement parts having to be hand made.

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  8. Hope all gets well for you soon!!!
    Love the clock. Glad you got it fixed. As with all things and people, take care of things as they come up and all will run better!

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    1. Good evening Sherlock,
      Just as with the clock, I sometimes feel as though some of my cogs need replacing.

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  9. We are a couple of decades ahead of you, Gary and I do think that a healthy lifestyle and a positive mental attitude is crucial. We have also made diet changes that have improved various health problems for us.
    I think that you are a positive person with love in your heart and a loving partner beside you so I expect you to sail into old age as well as I intend to do!

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  10. Hello Rosemary,
    I do intend to live to over a hundred, and have also made some diet changes and even joined a gym. Six months of not using a hedge trimmer have left me with arms like pipe cleaners.

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  11. What a rich year you've had--even as difficult as it has been in some ways. You have such a beautiful outlook, Gary. I'm glad you have your clock again. Some things are worth the expense.

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  12. Thanks Val,
    I must admit that although 2014 brought some challenges, it was generally a good year.

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