Not the Greatest Week I've ever had.

Culminating in the news on Friday that my oldest and dearest friend has passed away.

Jack Hobson was my boss when I joined my present company in 1970. He retired in 1979 but we've kept in touch and every month or so, I would pick Jack up and bring him to ours for tea and buns and a chat.

Yesterday, as we were preparing to go to the Belper Town FC Supporters Evening, I got a call from Jack's daughter to tell me she had just flown in from her home in Canada to the news that Jack had been found dead in his house on Thursday. She was naturally upset and told me he'd been there "a while."

They had planned to fly to Crete for a holiday together next week but of course,  that's been cancelled. Janet is an only child but has cousins and other relatives who are helping with the necessary arrangements.

Jack was 92 years old and will be very sorely missed.   RIP mate.

This follows on a week where I was getting increasingly sick of politics. - not just the election but in other areas of my life. I also learned on Thursday that I am to report to the Hallamshire hospital at 7:00 a.m. on Thursday 13th May (next week!) to have the kidney stone removed. I hate hospitals and operations so not looking forward to that.

That's also the day my son and daughter-in-law arrive in Sheffield for a few days so the timing isn't great (although I understand the op doesn't normally include an overnight stay but I'll still be an "invalid" for a short while.)

Last night was good tho. The Supporters Evening was very well organised and a good laugh - although again, I managed to spill three-quarters of a pint of shandy all over the table and then the lens fell from my glasses.....

As I said - not been a great week at all really and I'm glad to more or less close the curtain on it.

(And by the way - thought I'd mentioned but it looks like I haven't - the Duchess has been diagnosed with Degenerative Hip Disorder so she needs a hip replacement operation.....)