Wednesday, 18 June 2008

P'Talbot

Are the people of Wales nicer than everybody else, or is it just an aural illusion because they have such beautiful, kind-sounding accents? In any case, the folk at P'Talbot were lovely. No religious nutjobs either, I did get one question about religion, but it was an interesting, relevant one, not a ten minute lecture on the Truth of the Resurrection. And they laid out a great spread too. In fact, if it hadn't been for the evil trains delaying me each way so that I spent over seven hours travelling yesterday, it would have been perfect.

One thing I did notice though was that almost everyone who came was over sixty. (Kymz, I would have spotted you immediately.) Not that there's anything wrong with being over sixty, I hope to be over sixty myself someday, but it did make me feel quite sad. Do the under sixties not read? Do they not go to book events? Or do they just not use libraries? in which case what will happen to libraries in a few decades once the current batch of over sixties no longer have any need for them? (That was a tactful way of putting it, wasn't it?) Maybe it doesn't matter - maybe there will just be a new bunch of over-sixties to read, go to events and use libraries. And I will be one of them.

In other news, I had my ears microsuctioned. I can't believe how loud the clacking of my computer keys sounds now. Microsuctioning is exactly as it sounds, they put a mini-hoover in your ear and suck out all the wax. It is incredibly loud and you can feel all the wax unsticking and zooming out. If you are a fan of faintly disgusting things, like squeezing your spots and cleaning mud off wellington boots - and I am - you will love it.

12 comments:

Rebecca said...

Oooh, the micro-suction sound great. Where can I sign up?

Persephone said...

Maybe it's different in London, but there are seas of white heads at classical concerts, the theatre, the ballet, and (of course) church. Oh yes, and movies that don't involve car crashes, gun, knives, and/or snot. I guess everyone else is clubbing, shopping, or hunched over their computers...

I'm also way way too interested in the micro-suctioning. Does your doctor set it up?

Marie said...

They don't offer microsuction on the NHS - in fact, they don't offer any treatment for ear wax removal on the NHS, only drops, which according to the microsuction technitioner aren't much help unless you subsequently remove the wax: the wax does thin but then is stays in your ear and settles in a film across your eardrum. But you can get it done in London at the Clear Ear Clinic for £50 - see http://www.clearearclinic.com/ . If you helth insurance is comprehensive it might cover the cost. They are very nice there, and will have a look in your ears first to make sure you need it doing, and if not, they won't charge you.

Marie said...

Nice lot of typos in that comment... sorry...

Rob Buckley said...

No, Welsh people are nicer, I have discovered from my bi-monthly trips there.

But chances of getting anyone young from P'Talbot/Portalbot (they sound the same if you glottal stop and drop letters as much as I do) into a library? Small, unfortunately.

Anonymous said...

My God that sounds painful! (The microsuction, not the trip to Wales)

I have horrible tinnitus. Wonder if that would help or just make it louder? If it becomes louder I'm afraid I'd have to be put in an asylum to stop my shrieking from frightening others.

Billy said...

I went to a reading at the library once and not only I was the youngest one, if my parents had been there they would have been the youngest too.

Yikes!

Kymz said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kymz said...

Im sorry i couldnt make it. Work was awful, Trains were late and by the time id got home i thought it would have been too late.

Theres a bigger central library about 10 mins away from Taibach one so i think most people go there.

Anonymous said...

I have a library 2 doors over from my house in Toronto. Maybe it's a Canadian thing, but it's full of people of all ages. Marie, be a dear and do some readings here at the Annette Street library. I guarantee an audience of all ages.

Anonymous said...

I've had good luck using a tiny amount of peroxide (about half a capful, and that peroxide bottle cap is small) in each ear, letting it sit for ten minutes (you'll hear a fizzing sound which will grow fainter as the wax gets dissolved), then using an ear syringe (basically a plastic squeeze bulb) to flush out the ear with warm water.

Anonymous said...

Who says microsuctioning is not available on the NHS . I have just set up a service and microsuctioning is available to all our 17,000 patients that require it in primary care Any complicated patients are referred to our local Jame Paget Hospital for microsuctioning so live in Norfolk