Drug death lady Beth"let down by the NHS",says the family.

I cannot imagine anything more painful than a parent burying own child.Beth had so much,born to wealth and riches,yet ended her  short life selling her body for money to buy heroin that killed her.Where was her family when she was struggling with anorexia,self-harm,drug abuse?Why are they now blaming everybody but themselves?

A little girl was born in  my street two years ago.She was such a good baby,I never heard  her cry.Lately she cries constantly.It is heart wrenching listening to her.She cries for her mother, who has time for parties,week-ends away,everything and every-one, but her child.The little mite does not respond to smiles,to baby talk.Cared for by nannies,by the housekeeper,showered with toys and clothes,she has everything and she has nothing.Lady Beth in the making.

After a little retail therapy back to the restaurant for some jerk chicken.It is hot,hot,hot.

This is what I see from the table where I am sitting,St Maarten,the Dutch half

The cappuccino was adequate,the fresh orange excellent,once the ice had been removed.They fill up the glass with ice,the usual trick,the second glass of this freshly made deliciousness was super.

St.Maarten,29 November 2019

If there is one thing I am sure of,it is that on my return am putting away this Huawei tablet and am getting me  the Samsung tablet I have been eyeing but at the very last minute got tempted with this cheap alternative reduced by £30 to £99 or so,knowing that if I didn't like it  I had  several people to gift it to (we are a large family with lots of children.)Oh,it is fun to use,but not the kind of fun I like - the reliable kind.

Where has the time gone?!

Today is the fifth day at  sea,tomorrow this magnificent vessel is docking in Philipsburgh,St Maarten.Where has the tíme gone?Huawei tablet is a joy and a nightmare,blink an eye and it shuts down and I cannot  for the life of me figure out how to extend the time.Samsung phone my sister has given me is easy to negotiate and once my thinking cap  is on I work out what and how, except  how to transfer photos to my blog!
Also Huawei anticipates too much and replaces my words
often with gobbledygook,no sooner have I corrected them,new strange lot appears on the screen.
If only my good old faithful Toshiba chromebook was not so heavy it would go with me everywhere.

The Queens Room,2pm

And The Imprezza String Trio is playing in this most impressive of rooms.It is quite a lovely way to spend forty-five minutes.The girls are young,eager to please,extremely well trained and Ukrainian.The Queen Victoria is very lucky to have them.On The Columbus (Cruise and Maritime) a year ago the Ukrainian musicians were absolutely  fa-bu-lous.Never before and never since have I heard such accomplished players on a ship.
The day is turning out to be quite lovely.
Up at 7 (the clocks were set back by one hour last night),I walked 4 km,then some orange juice and a cup of coffee,a quick change and an hour  spent stretching in the gym,on the way back to my stateroom some porridge with almond flakes then sun-bathing on the balcony.

Yes,it is almost hot enough to sun-bathe in the alltogether.Lunch  early at 12.30 in the Britannia club,wanted to be finished  by  2, so that I could sit and listen to this  lovely trio.Yes,life on board can be utterly addictive.

I made it.Almost the last to board the ship.

• But I made it.I had the privilege of being escorted by a  charming security  officer all the way to the steps leading to the ship where I was collected by a head purser.And told by her  I would be spending the night in a cabin 4054,because the booked stateroom had been flooded the previous day.I did not mind at all,I was on board! Then came  the night and the never ending noise from the ventilation.Every ship keeps a cabin for emergencies.I needed an emergency cabin from an emergency cabin! The next morning when I took the first bundle to the now"dried out"cabin I wad horrified.There was a thick sediment of dust everywhere,EVERYWHERE.Whatever had happened there that made it unlivable it was not a flood.So I had a conversation with the appropriate members  of staff and by the end of the day the stateroom was deep cleaned,I was given $200 to spend on  board,a bunch of flowers,a bottle of champagne and two members of staff to help me move.That night I slept like the proverbial log.

Sunday was like any other day before travelling.

Up at 7,a dash to get a newspaper and coffe,then  going through the "do
list" and putting the finishing touches to the little jobs that can and must be done  before travelling only.The packing was left for the afternoon.And then I discovered a little puddle on the kitchen surface.Have I spilled something?I would have wiped it immesiately,I was reasoning with myself.It did not take me longer than 5 seconds to know that the water could only have come from above.And it did, from the utility room.The washing machine hose sprang a leak just where it joined the water pipe.It was a Sunday and the next day I was going on a 24 night cruise.Luckily I was able to turn off the supply.

Monday morning I  hailed a taxi to take me to Waterloo.The driver said the Westminster bridge was off bounds,we had to take the Lambeth bridge.This,I later found out,was not true,and needlessly added at least half an hour to the ride and at least £10.I missed the 11.35 train,the next train was  at 12.35.For just over an hour we were told several times we were about to depart. Then were asked  to leave the train,it was cancelled.I ran towards the taxi rank and asked at least 3 drivers to please take me to Southampton.All 3 wise men got out of their cabs and consulted between themselves.Then they gave me the news-if one  WAS to take me, it would cost £250.Only neither of them was going to.I have found from experience  that I work best with my back to the wall.Please take me home to Notting Hill I reluctantly asked the first Ever Ready  in line. Because that is the way it is done.The biggest idiot of them all was taking me.Finishing his sandwich,taking his phone calls while driving.Please do not do that,I said,it is illegal and dangerous.We are not going anywhere,answered he,look at the traffic.I made a call to the taxi firm I use and was sent a cab to come and pick me up at home at 14.30.As always,as all drivers from this excellent firm,he was on the dot.Just after 4 we were at the Mayflower terminal.It cost me £140.The phone number of the taxi firm is 0207  221 3888.