A busy couple of days with some very mixed feelings. I often visit a website set up for people in the UK dealing with cervical cancer or pre-cancer, in its various stages. One of the women on the site started out with the same type and grade cancer that I did, and is about the same age. Unfortunately her cancer recurred and she has had to deal with an escalating catalogue of complications some caused by the damage inflicted by radiotherapy. I don't want for a minute to imply any opposition to radiotherapy - it can and does save lives. Anyway, Kayla's husband has posted that the treatment she has received at the Marsden (world class)has run out of options and she is being moved into the hospice ward. I'm gutted for her, her husband and her young children, and it stirs up a lot of mixed feelings in me about my own illness. This is gloomy but I try to be cheerful and enjoy life as I think that is what is precious.

Anyway - yesterday was the flytipping forum in Pontypool. The town looked very clean and well cared for and the meeting went well. We discussed adapting and adopting the key guidelines in the DEFRA flytipping research done last year by the Jill Dando Institute - well worth a read as it examines the causes, nature and prevention of fly-tipping. My colleague D (he of the amazing nail cufflinks) has agreed to stand as chair of the forum for a year. I look forward to seeing him do this as he is very good at making connections between people.

Today we went to London to the Houses of Parliament. Whoopee! I am not ashamed to say I was very excited, gawped unashamedly and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Only saw Ian Duncan Smith but you could feel the excitement and the history in the building. Cardiff Bay has a long way to go before it has a fraction of the atmosphere. Sadly, the security was depressing. I still don't like seeing armed police in London. We ate and drank out on the terrace. This has the most wonderful views of the river, the Tower, the Eye, old County Hall etc and the weather was gorgeous - scorchio! Somehow looking across at St Thomas Hospital, I thought of Kayla and being there and enjoying it seemed the right thing to do. On the way out bought a few souvenir trinkets from the shop and gawped at the stunning hammer beams of the medieval Hall - utterly astonishing and such a key location in British history, the site of many trials etc... Train back was very full, glad we had reserved seats. Now thinking of all the possible casual opportunities I can manufacture for inserting into conversations my recent visit to the mother of Parliaments.

Returned home to an ecstatic welcome from Andy. Later, I went out to sort out the rubbish for tomorrow's collection and water the front hanging basket and when I came back in, he again greeted me like his long lost best friend even though I had only been out for five minutes. He is currently snoozing near my feet, with a very relaxed greyhound posture involving his legs covering as much acreage of carpet as is physically possible! Now counting the days and hours before his big op - fortunately he is blissfully unaware. Although it should be straightforward, I can't help feeling a little trepidation for him.