Pumpkin Patch Farm in London - Plus Ice Cream and cut and cook your own pumpkin pie

 

Photo from Sharot family.

Great fun for adults and children at the Pumpkin Patch farm and ice cream shop in Barnet, North London.

Mock graves.

They have pumpkins in wheelbarrows, mock graves with legs sticking out, mock skeletons playing guitars.

And funny little orange hats for children and adults.

Their website lists their regular ice cream flavours which include bubblegum, lemon meringue, rum and raisin, What - no pumpkin flavour?

Lewis of London, Fold Farm, Galley Lane, London. EN5 4RA.

It is in Barnet, North West London.

If you cannot get there, or it is too heavy to carry home, Tesco supermarket delivers pumpkins

Pumpkin Products and food

What can you do with a pumpkin? Cut it out for a lantern.

Use the flesh to make drinks and foods. Pumpkin smoothie. Pumpkin soup. Pumpkin pancakes - alliterative! Pumpkin donut. Pumpkin pie - alliterative! Rice or soup can be served inside a pumpkin which is cut to form a bowl with a lift off lid.

Vegetarian options from the BBC include pumpkin risotto, pumpkin and potato, pumpkin with lentils, pumpkin biriani.

Pumpkin pie with ice cream from Wikipedia. 

The Halloween effects at the farm in Barnet are available the last two weeks of October until Hallowe'en (with the original apostrophe for evening) at the end of the month. However, you can enjoy the ice creams all year. See their website for updates.

Toastmasters clubs worldwide will be celebrating Halloween as their theme for this weekend, in 2022, Oct 21 (Friday) to Oct 23 Sunday, as well as Diwali (also called Deepawali); and Friday Oct 28th, Sat 29th, Sunday 30th and Monday 31st.. Whether or not you are a member of a toastmasters club, you are welcome at most of the public clubs.

Finally, to make a pumpkin hat, use a round orange bathing cap. If you do not want to spoil it by drawing on it or cutting it or sewing on byes and so on, stick or pin on a pumpkin face.

Useful Websites

https://www.lewisoflondon.co.uk/events/pumpkin-patch/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumpkin_pie

https://www.wikihow.com/Carve-a-Pumpkin

https://www.tesco.com/groceries/en-GB/products/302470977

See my next post about the ghouls.

Travel online: visit hospitals, record stories, show travel pix; do telemedicine

Who Is Complaining About Video Calls Instead Of Hospital Visits?
I have heard people complaining that they could not be at the bedside of their dying parents and grandparents in the UK, USA and Singapore, but could only speak on the video phone. I think how lucky they are.

First, I shall tell you my family experiences - when we did not have the advantage of iPads in hospitals. Then I shall tell you how much you can do nowadays:
a) Visit your family online, at home and hospital
b) Interview them on family history and
c) Send them uplifting photos of home and holidays,
d) Organize online doctors chats and prescriptions.


My mother, Netta, on her wedding day to my father, Albert, in WWII.

The Year 2000
I wish I had had iPads in hospital in the year 2000. My mother died alone in hospital in 2000. At that time we were not allowed to use mobile phones in Watford General Hospital, London, England.

Paul

The 1900s
I had often heard from my mother, Netta, how Netta's father, my maternal grandfather, Paul, died alone in the 1900s in London. He, too, was without the benefit of phone and video contact to his family, who were elsewhere in the hospital.

People on the internet, and in news stories, have complained that they could not visit or touch granny.

My mother recalled the death of her father, Paul, in a London hospital, just after they had visited him. She said that he told them, 'I called all night - but nobody came.'

Nursing homes try to ban family setting up secret surveillance. They should welcome it. Instead of needing nurses on call, family could be entertaining bored grandads with music and conversation and only alerting hospital in a case of emergency such as grandad falling over.

My mother said, "A nurse said we should all go off for tea. So we did. When we came back, he was dead"

After my mother died, for days I worried about whether somebody had given her an injection to bump her off. When my father died, I was there, so I knew nothing like that had happened. With videos, you can be checking what is going on. You can watch at the time. And/or play back, later.

The Years 2002-2005
After my mother died, her younger brother, my uncle Ronnie, went into Barnet hospital. I was able to visit Ronnie with my father (who drove me there in his car).

Angela's Uncle Ronnie in Barnet Hospital, visited by Angela and Angela's father Albert.

I spent a long couple of afternoons or with Ronnie.  Then he had the operation.

Physical Touch?
After my uncle got MRSA and declined, he was too sensitive to be touched.




In Barnet hospital. I could only observe my uncle through a side ward window in the London hospital, Barnet Hospital, without donning clothes and gloves. My uncle had MRSA after an operation which was supposed to give im another three years of life. MRSA is an, infections you pick up in hospital or take in with you.

He died in Barnet hospital.

Similarly, my mother-in-law, Pearl, for days before dying, was too sensitive to be touched. If you tried to touch her hand, or arm, she recoiled and moaned.

When my father was in hospital, he was too frail to get up and go to the phone. When I called the hospital and asked them to tell them I had phoned, I could not be sure they would remember to tell him. So I devised questions which needed an answer. It could be as simple as, "Tell him my son is visiting tonight and ask him if there's anything Tony should bring."

When the nurse called me back and said, "He was asleep earlier. When he woke up I told him your son was visiting. I asked if he wanted anything, and he said, 'Nothing, thank you, just the visit.' "

That way I was sure my message was delivered. How much better nowadays to have a proper video call!

The Blessings Of Internet In The Year 2020
In this era, 2020, we are lucky to have internet contact. If the complainers' granny could not speak, at least the family could observe the room and know that nobody had deliberately snuffed out granny or grandfather.

If the family wanted a record, the family could video the hospital or nursing home scene, for use in family history or for a court case for neglect against the hospital. Or to identify and thank and maybe reward a kind nurse who had comforted their beloved relative.

Bedside Vigil Rotas
Recently I read that Freddie Mercury's ex-wife and friends when they knew he was dying held a vigil rota by his bed. They made sure that he was never left alone. On Facebook I read the same about other families.

Even if you cannot travel, because of lack of flights, you can hold an internet rota. Twenty four hours. Or staying awake at night, taking an afternoon nap while the nurses are awake and watching. 

You could even have the video on like a baby-sitting device, so you can hear any change of breathing. While you are sleeping, the patient can call you and wake you if they have something to say, or request.

You can set up the video so that the patient has the illusion of travelling home and being at home. Either just as a fond memory, or, if they have dementia, they might really think it is true.

You can bring out happy pictures or your travels, your family when you were younger and everybody was alive and healthy and happy.

You can show old photos to trigger memories and conversation. Or to bring comfort to them and yourself.

Using video conferencing with your family members when they are well enough at home still be a help if they need telemedicine or to speak to you from hospital.

Online pharmacy organizing prescriptions

Useful Websites
THE BAD NEWS
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/29/health/coronavirus-hospital-visit-ban.html

THE GOOD NEWS
UK - hospitals providing iPads
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/30/uk-hospitals-tightening-restrictions-on-visits-even-to-dying-patients-coronavirus
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/commentary/senior-elder-dementia-memory-reminiscence-therapy-holiday-family-12199668
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-8226375/Dancing-gran-lockdown-good-health-deepens-family-ties.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Grandparents_Day

Useful Medical Websites
India
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medlife
Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong
https://platomedical.com/
USA
https://platomedical.com/

About the Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
See other posts on Freddie Mercury, telemedicine, Singapore, UK and more. Please share links to your favourite posts.

Medical Care Overseas: hospitals and ICE

If you travel a lot it is handy to have worldwide travel insurance cover which saves you having to stop to buy cover every trip, you can remember your insurance company more easily and it saves the risk of leaving in a hurry and forgetting to insure.

If you are taking a business trip, or hiring a freelance, it's a good idea to be sure the company covers everybody in the group. Then the group leader can phone back to the office for all the details and the full time all day office workers and HR department can deal with paperwork, leaving the families free to do hospital visits and get on with their own lives and work.

When I was sent to Corsica on a travel press trip for Brides magazine, the editor told me that the company was providing insurance. I replied, "No need. I have annual insurance." She told me that her company insisted everybody was covered by their insurance.

In the event, I was knocked down by a car, as a large number of us crossed the road after our coach broke down on the way back to the airport. It was a classic pedestrian accident.

A vehicle breaks down. The people trying to fix the problem or gather their possessions have their mind on the major problem, the broken down vehicle, rather than on the everyday problem or crossing a road safety. Large numbers of people are in the road where one would not moral cross the road, on a busy motorway or the brow of a hill or just over a hilltop.

The company's insurance proved very comprehensive. I was given private hospital treatment. I had a TV in my room.  The curtains were so pretty (Sanderson's) that I contacted their housekeeping department and asked to buy the curtains when they were sold off. Many months later I was phoned and bought the crutains and they are still in my home today as a reminder of that time.

Travel Trips
If a group of you are taking a tour of Europe or Malaysia in a car convoy or  on motorbikes or any kinds of journey its prudent to know everybody's cover in case of an accident. If you are the organiser or leader of a group, you should know the local hospitals and the medical insurance of everybody and the home phone numbers in case you need to inform families at home of any delay.

Even a simple thing such as a cancelled ferry crossing can cause anxiety. I was on a conference in Indonesia one weekend and a group of about four of the men went off across an island expecting to be back by nightfall. They weren't. I remember one of the other wives phoning my hotel room at about midnight and saying that if I was worried and couldn't sleep she would come to my room or I could come to hers.

Next day the men phoned to say that they had had a series of adventures, ending with driving across the island with a local driver.

Only days later did they reveal assorted en route stresses. The car broke down. It ran out of petrol.

Their driver diverted to his so-called relative's house for a snack and the group were offered food and drink. One of the group cautiously refused the food and drink, just in case it was drugged and they were being set up for a robbery. The rest of the group followed his example.

Meanwhile, back in the safety of a civilised city, what about minor mishaps?

CPF
In Singapore the Permanent Residents are in the national CPF system. They are likely to go to a government hospital such as the Singapore General Hospital. The majority of the cost will come out of the savings scheme they have paid into out of their salary, but they may need to pay for a top-up.

NRIC

To fill in the paperwork they or staff or you need to produce the credit card size NRIC, national card with photo ID. In theory everybody should carry their identity card at all times to produce it when challenged, gain admission to many office blocks, and use it for claiming everything from medical care to lottery prizes and even store card redemptions. 

If you are looking for a private hospital your choices include Mount Elizabeth in the centre of the city which is easy to reach for quick admission and follow-ups and visits. from family and friends. Out of town, and perhaps more peaceful, is Gleneagles. 

When I go to a new city or new country I like to check out the doctors and dentists and public and private hospitals and keep a note in my diary, well before I need them. 

ICE number

You could also add a sticker on the back of your mobile phone the ICE number. If your phone is locked nobody can get into it to phone your family, so you need it written on the outside. ICE is in case of emergency, so your family and colleagues waiting for you to arrive at home or work can be informed of the reason for the delay and come to visit you with clothes and money and messages of goodwill and anything else you might need. ICE was devised by an emergency services worker frustrated by not being able to call relatives to let them know when he had transported somebody to hospital.

The old cliches come to mind. Fore warned is fore armed. Better safe than sorry.

UK Hospitals
If you phone a UK hospital for information, it will only be given out if you are listed as next of kin. You will be asked to provide the name and details of the person you are enquiring about. You end up in a chicken and egg situation. You phone the hospital to ask to speak to somebody. The switchboard ask which ward they are in. Until you speak to them you don't know.

I have had four different relatives in UK hospitals in three or four hospitals over the years. As soon as you get to speak to your relative, or somebody who phones to tell you that your relative is going in for surgery and won't be able to speak to you for so many hours or days, ask which ward they will be in.

I had an uncle in Barnet hospital and he was in three or more different wards. For observation he was in a geriatric ward. After surgery he was moved to intensive care. Then to another ward. He got an infection and was moved to another room for isolation.

The first time he moved I got a shock and thought he had died. You arrive and find an empty bed, or somebody else in the bed. It's surreal.

Serious cases may be sent to a specialist hospital.  Infectious cases may be sent to an isolation hospital. Within large hospitals, whether public or private hospitals, other wings or buildings may house private bedrooms, physio departments, outpatients, doctors, dentists, consultants in consulting rooms.

In the UK, Mount Vernon has a separate private hospital in the grounds. By Northwick Park hospital there's another specialist block, St Marks, plus diagnostic centres in what looks like prefabs in car parks.

In the USA I had a problem with a tooth and went to a dentist. I was scared that I would get a huge bill. In the UK a dentist usually insists on checking your whole mouth and identifying which teeth have problems.

In the USA if the dentist I visited had checked my whole mouth I would have had a huge bill, they said. But the billing was for the number of teeth checked. So one tooth checked and sorted was quite a reasonable price. Best to check prices before going for a checkup or filling or cracked tooth. the bill could be a shock or a pleasant surprise.

Glossary
CPF Central Provident Fund (Singapore)
HR Human resources (USA and worldwide; in the UK often called Personnel department)
ICE In case of emergency
NRIC (National Registration Identity Card, Singapore)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Registration_Identity_Card

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.