As the New Year broke, we all wished our loved-ones health and happiness.
Without our health we have no happiness. That’s why the state of the NHS is so distressing.
We are hearing about 84-year-olds lying in pain in hospital corridors, and others moved to wards so that they can die in a bed.
A young man called Steve Parsons drove, then carried, his 83-year-old grandad to hospital while he was having his heart attack because there were no ambulances available.
His grandad was saved by a passing nurse but Steve is traumatised.
It shouldn’t be happening.
It’s terrifying.
Telling people to stay away from A&E because it’s full of flu and Covid patients leads to deaths.
If the government thinks this will force us to go private, they need to think again.
Why should someone with £18,000 be given their operation over someone who hasn’t?
We can’t go on like this.
Every news report on the appalling mess of our once-prized health service makes me well up.
We can’t complain about a return of masks if it keeps us off ventilators and out of over-crowded, under-staffed hospital wards.
For once, I’m almost glad I’m housebound because at least I’m not catching infections and adding to the pressure on our health service.
Healing the NHS is my top wish for 2023.
Choc’s away.. for now
Over the Christmas holidays I received such beautiful cards, letters, emails and gifts from you – thank you so much. They are all in my memory box so I can keep them forever.
The boxes of chocolate, well, they weren’t meant to last forever, now, were they?
I’ve had so much sweet and stodgy food lately that I have decided to start eating healthier.
So I upped my fruit intake by pouring a big tin of fruit cocktail on top of a meringue nest and smothering it in cream.
That’s the start – and the end – of my health regime.
Bringing joy to my world
Highlights of Christmas were a surprise visit from Robbie, his wife Sarah and grandsons Charlie and Freddie. We had a brilliant time together, even though when I asked (forced) them to join me singing Stand By Me I ended up belting it out it all on my own because they didn’t know any of the words.
I loved the house being alive with happy voices, big smiles, torn gift paper and hugs.
When they were gone I thought back to the Christmases when my boys were little, my parents were here and the house was electrified with the magic of Santa. Watching Pollyanna did a great job at stopping my tears. And over the next few days I watched Ben Hur and The Ten Commandments.
They are each a tonic because they are films I watched decades ago when Christmas was about goodwill and relaxing, not rushing around, over-spending, pubs and parties.
Now the house is back to its usual quiet, I’m grateful I have a lifetime of those much simpler Christmases to remember.
Well, it’s a fanny old game
Watching re-runs of The Real Housewives of Cheshire made me shout at the telly: “What the bloody hell?”
The ladies were all talking about going for a vaginal rejuvenation appointment. I was gobsmacked.
I haven’t seen mine for years. I’ve got my hip to worry about first.
Anyway, I wish you all a Happy New Year and vaginal rejuvenation.
Fame at last! I’m a questionon The Chase
I nearly dropped my cuppa on my new dressing gown when watching ITV’s The Chase the other night.
Host Bradley Walsh asked: “Newspaper columnist Val Savage is the mother of which football pundit?”
The lady who answered correctly won £1,000 – and I laughed so hard for so long I thought I might have to join the long queues at A&E.
It’s so funny because I barely believe anyone outside my village in Wrexham knows me.
I started having a little chat with you at the start of Covid for a few weeks, and here we are nearly three years later.
My sons, as always, reacted like chalk and cheese. My eldest Jonathan said: “You’ve finally made it, Mum!”
Our Robert said: “Did they get the question right?”
Queen's light shines on
Drones lighting up London’s New Year’s Eve skies in the shape of the Queen’s profile show just how much she was loved.
And the monarch’s great grandkids are making us smile again. Seeing little Louis realise he’d fallen behind the rest of his family on walkabout at Sandringham then run ahead to give his sister Charlotte a posy made me love him even more. He’s such an adorable little rascal.
I’ve set the telly to record Harry’s interview tomorrow because I’m intrigued to hear what he says next. But I’m hurt by Harry turning on his family and think that he’s being disrespectful.
Though he says he wants to make up with King Charles and his brother William, maybe one day they will forgive his finger-pointings in public. But will they ever truly forget?
Postie, card you reassure me?
I always appreciate my postie, especially since he went out of his way to smile and wave at me every day during lockdown.
I understand why they’re on strike but, at my age, it has affected me in a deeper way. I have exchanged cards with friends each year since I was 11 and we’re all getting on a bit now.
When I didn’t receive their cards, I desperately hoped it was because of the strike – and not anything more worrying.
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The football community is sad at the passing of Pele. And I cried just as much for his poor mother who’s in a home with dementia and doesn’t know her incredible son has died.
If you’d like to contact Val, email features@mirror.co.uk or write to Val Savage, PO Box 7290, E14 5DD. The Mirror makes a donation to the Alzheimer’s Society in lieu of payment.
