Last week I spoke to you about Deborah James, the wonderful campaigner for bowel cancer who sadly is now having “hospice at home” care.
Since we spoke, Deborah and her family have been visited by Prince William, and Deborah has been made a Dame.
What a wonderful thing to happen. She is obviously very ill and looked so weak and fragile in the photographs, but that photo of Deborah with Prince William receiving her honour will be a treasured memento for her children to keep forever.
Her @Bowelbabe fund has now reached over £6 million in a couple of weeks. This must make her and her family so proud.
What an inspiring woman.
My week has, as usual, not been straight forward.
Having been so happy to have my shoulder procedure and been well enough to fly to Los Angeles, I got all the way there and my artist tested positive for Covid, so she had to stay in her room for the rest of the week and I had a little holiday in LA.
I was due to fly to New York with her this week but I’ve come home while she gets better.
Covid is still around causing chaos, it seems.
For me it was lovely to hang around in all my favourite LA places and the first thing I did was go for a hike up Runyon Canyon, the place where I get the best views of the sun rising on LA.
I love LA but it, like so many places, has changed a lot post-Covid. There is now an even more marked difference between rich and poor.
Restaurant prices are so extreme that only the very wealthy can afford to eat in many of them, meanwhile more and more homeless people are appearing on the streets.
I suppose this is the same story as in many other major cities, but in a place like LA where there is a huge display of wealth in places like Beverley Hills, the contrast in lifestyles is so distinct.
Back in the UK, with inflation at a 40-year high, the gap between rich and poor is set to get bigger.
Somehow, while the sun is shining, we can kick the can down the road and enjoy the summer, but it’s when the winter nights draw in that things are going to get really tough for people.
You can see why the bright lights of LA and the perfect weather attracts more homeless people than other state in America.
I obviously missed watching the Windsor horse show attended by the Queen, but I saw how happy she looked to be there in the photos and I loved her reaction to Omid Djalili when he made a joke thanking her for choosing that event over the State Opening of Parliament.
She raised her arm and smiled as if to say “no problem”, showing she doesn’t take herself too seriously.
There was much furore over the fact he addressed her as Your Royal Highness instead of Your Majesty, but the Queen didn’t seem offended at all.
It was also wonderful that the Queen was able to attend the opening of the new Elizabeth Line at Paddington Station. It was funny to see her with her Oyster card being told how to present it to the machine.
I don’t think she is going to get much use out of it.
I can’t really imagine her squeezing on to a carriage in rush hour anytime soon.
Of course the Queen has been criticised for sending Prince Charles to the State Opening of Parliament in her place while she seemed well enough to attend other events she preferred, but at 96 years of age why not be a bit selective in what you want to go to?
With the mobility issues she seems to have at the moment, sitting for a long time in one position complete with formal gown and a crown, it’s not surprising she delegated.
I thought it was lovely to see lots of pictures of her looking well and smiling this week, which we haven’t seen for a while.
It seems like if the Queen is around horses she is always happy. It’s still her passion at 96 and I think she deserves to do what makes her happy.
It’s about time she sent Charles off to do all the things she doesn’t fancy.
Have a good week,
Yvie x
