Hospital Gates

Strolled over to the City Hospital this morning for a blood test. The nurse at my G.P.'s used to do them but apparently now they've centralised the service or something and you have to turn up, get your number from the dispenser and wait until they call you like at the supermarket deli counter. Actually it all seemed very efficient and I was only in there five minutes (despite having prepared myself for waiting with a good book and some change for a cup of WRVS tea...) In fact, everything was problem free apart from the fact that they'd built a new radiography department over 'my' entrance at the eastern end of the main building. I was resident at 'the City' for a while some years ago when my heart had a virus-aided spell of 'failing' to act as it should (troublesome muscle that it is...) so I spent enough time aimlessly wandering the corridors to feel like I know my way about but, like all the best NHS establishments, whilst this place has kept it's fairly grim Victorian core intact, it's also metastasized various brick-and-pine-clad carbuncles as it's sprawled outwards in all directions. A right hodge-podge and not very photogenic. Plus it was a horrible cold and overcast morning. Which is by way of an excuse (or excuses) for the fact that, even with my impromptu perambulations, I struggled to take a decent picture to commemorate the visit...

A right random bit of listening over the weekend: United Bible Studies, 'The Unforgettable Fire', Townes Van Zandt, Josh Rouse's '1972', a bit of Joni, Big Star...At least I finally settled on something fabulous to take me petulantly into the new week...