Hi everyone!
Yesterday we went up to London for an overdue Mole Clinic appointment. It was my first trip to London for one whole year. How I’ve missed the buzz of that great city.
As you all know, I have pale Scottish skin and now have much sun damage from the early years of sunbathing when we knew nothing about skin cancers. Now of course I never deliberately sunbathe, and I slap on the 50+ sunscreen. But the damage has been done, and it is up to me to be vigilant and get an annual screening.
Anyone who is new following this blog, who is pale skinned, go get a screening at either a Mole Clinic, which has clinics around the country, or in something similar. The reason I am directing you to a private consultation (my choice is the Mole Clinic) is you get the time, 45 minutes, for a trained health professional to look at every inch of your skin with a monocular. In my case, I have now have skin things all over my body and the appointment is well worth every penny I spend on it. Not only that, but, bless the NHS they just cannot spare that time, and if you go to the GP, it is usually, I am worried about this, and they will look at it. But the Mole clinic looks at every part of your body in detail, and of course, they saved my life when they found a melanoma – on the back of my arm. Now would I have gone to my GP with it? No. Because? I couldn’t see it. So I am a very lucky woman as that melanoma was taken out swiftly (on the NHS) and was at Stage 0, so absolutely nothing came of it. Not so if it hadn’t been spotted at the Mole Clinic.
Although I even dress up when I do my grocery shopping, I wore some of my London clothes! Here I am getting ready.
And with the hat.
This is the charity shop hat I bought a couple of years ago. I wore it in honour of Diane Keaton, who was not only a lovely woman and a great actor – she really knew how to wear a hat! I have 3 of those fedoras in my wardrobe, and really must wear these right now as in the depths of winter I need to cover my ears – so this is the time for these hats. And btw, you will soon see how glad I was to wear this hat, as after the Mole Clinic I met a friend and we both were wearing fedoras!
Btw, I was also wearing a new designer skirt bought from Idaretobe.
It is a German label, Privatsachen, and is the most I have ever spent on a skirt – ever. But you know what I am going to wear it a lot! Furthermore, I love it. So, that’s one good reason, I tell myself, to have bought it. And perhaps should be the only reason. Dear readers, we need to wear clothes that make us feel good. And this skirt did exactly that!
Here I am waiting for the train in the lovely Runaway cafe. Now see those hands? If you’ve got hands like mine, don’t ever hide away those old hands. Actually I think I need to wear more rings. Say to yourself and the world, I am old, but hey, look at me!!! I am not fading away!
And on the platform.
Btw, I am wearing absolutely no makeup, apart of course from moisturiser, as I want the Mole Clinic to look at all the sun damage on my face including my nose, where there is definitely something.
Once up in London, a quick coffee and a bite to eat, and I was at the Mole Clinic. Here’s the two of us waiting for the lift.
Note Bill’s new tweed charity shop jacket, bought in Emmaus at the same time as I bought my lovely orange and brown check jacket. His jacket is also vintage and an American brand.
At the Mole Clinic they did their usual thorough check. And, lo and behold, a small unusual ‘thing’ was found – on the back of my leg. Which, naturally, I couldn’t see, and therefore did not notice. The nurse wasn’t sure what it was, although she thought it was probably benign, still, she said, let’s make sure. A photograph was taken and it will be sent on for a report. And that is exactly why I go to the Mole Clinic.
So, off we went to the nearby Photography Gallery, first to the cafe and, then, I thought, on to look at their exhibitions which are always worth seeing. But. Actually I was also meeting my friend Mary, who I’d first met on Twitter, (not X, I hasten to add, but the early days of Twitter when it was really nice place to find interesting topics and indeed people. Not so now, of course).
We hadn’t met for some time, before Covid I think, when we were in our Kemp Town abode. But here we are again.
And, we just talked and chatted, delved into British politics and acknowledge the world’s problems – we were totally on the same wavelength. Three hours later we realised the hours had just flashed by and for us, it was time to get that train and go home. So no visits to any exhibition, but such a worthwhile and life enhancing meet-up.
And that was the end of a really great day out. We shall have to do more of this!
That’s all for now, with love Penny
It’s so lovely to meet up with friends, isn’t it? Sometimes we need that more than we need Culture!
On Monday I went down to Stonehaven to have lunch with one of my friends, and we had such a great catch up. She is much younger than me and has a completely different life, but we always find lots to talk about and I come home buzzing. She also took me to a new cafe, which was so good that I’ll be dragging my husband there in due course.
You both look so glamourous too – I doubt if either of us did, but we did out best.
I am glad I have found your new blog – I knew I was missing something!
Oh it’s great that you have found me. Very glad. I know I lost some followers and readers of the blog when I changed it completely. But I thought it was time and didn’t want to be known as a ‘shopper’, not that I have finished with style, far from it. Indeed I am now buying fewer yet better quality clothes and that is, I think, how i) we should treat the planet and ii) treat ourselves!
A good catch-up is just the greatest and best thing ever. That’s why I wrote a whole blog on connection is everything – it really is.
Yes, I am so glad you are once again reading the blog, that’s great to know. Thanks Rosemary 😊
What a fun surprise visit!! Love your outfit for your London outing! I git my skin checked last year and will go again at the beginning of the year. My dad goes very regularly as he grew up in Santa Monica as as a child spent so much time in the sun!
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A skin check is very important these days, certainly for me, as skin damage becomes more and more apparent as one ages – good for your father.
And the London visit was really fab – thanks Mireille 😊
Wow- those photos just emphasized the importance cut/design of your skirt to completely modernize the look. Glad you had a skin check and a great day out.
I have never spent so much on a skirt – but I will get lots of wear out of it, so I am Ok about the price. It will be worth it, because what a great cut and consequent look it has.
Skin checks are a must if you are pale-skinned like me and as a teenager sunbathed until I blistered. I look back and think OMG! But we all did it!
Thanks Janet 😊
You both look very glamorous for your Mole Clinic appointment. I should look into Mole Clinics – I will follow your link and see where it leads me.
I like to dress up, it just makes you feel good. And for London, I just go for it!!!
Do look at the link in the blog and see what the Mole Clinic can do. I always go for the full body check. It might seem pricey, but both me and my husband had our lives saved by the Mole Clinic when they found melanomas we didn’t know about – and would have done nothing about until it was too late. To just think about that is quite something.
Thanks for those kind words about being glamorous – I’ll take that 😆
Thanks Sylvia 😊
Hi Penny , you look radiant , am so glad you have had your first trip back to the city , the first of more xx
Absolutely, I can’t wait to go up to London again. And meet another friend! Connection is everything.
Thanks Yok, especially about those kind words 😊
Hi Penny,
You all look so good. Glad you had a nice adventure. It always helps one’s outlook to be out and about!
Here in the states I don’t think we have mole clinics, but I see a dermatologist for a yearly checkup. I am fair-skinned with northern European heritage and was a sun worshipper with much sunburned skin. I think I realized that this was not going to work out well in the long run and stopped sunbathing in my 50s. Yikes!
Love your leopard top and that fabulous skirt. AND, YOUR Diane Keaton hat is spot on glamorous. You wear it well. I had a friend who always said, she did not have “a good hat head.”
I so enjoy your blog . Thanks so much,
Claire
It really does help to be out and about and, especially in London, which btw, I hear Trump thinks is a dangerous city. Err, what? It is a fabulous city. Of course, one needs to be street savvy and like all cities there are areas you wouldn’t go into at night maybe. Anyway, it has so much to see and do. Can’t wait to go up again!
I’ve heard from several of you over the pond that you get annual skin checks – that’s great to hear. We don’t and are meant to just keep a close eye on one’s skin. If they know something is really wrong (like a melanoma) they move really fast. But one can’t always see the back of one’s body. So because of my skin colour I am vigilant.
Thanks for the kind words about the outfit, especially the hat! I do love a good hat! Thank you Claire 😊
Love your skirt Penny, such an interesting shape.
I really should take a leaf out of your book and dress up more to go out and about.
London is such a vibrant and loud city – a great place to meet an old friend.
Thanks for the info re the Mole clinic as like you I am pale skinned.
Yes, I do like balloon skirts and they all seem to have an elasticated waist – yay! And dressing up can be such fun but don’t do it if it’s a chore. It makes me feel good which is why I do it.
London is such a vibrant and vast metropolis – there’s so much one can do. I’d forgotten the buzz you get when going up there – it was great!
And if you are a pale skinned do think about going to the Mole Clinic or something equivalent if you haven’t got a clinic near you. You might only need to go once if you haven’t got many moles or much skin damage. I have both so must be vigilant.
Thanks Linda 😊
Hi Penny
Glad you enjoyed your trip to London, and (of course) I hope the results come back negative.
It was a lovely afternoon catching up with you and Bill – time flies when having fun. You both looked very dapper. Your skirt and outfit are great, and I was pleased to see you looking so well after all you’ve faced in recent months.
I’m halfway through an email to you… will complete it over the weekend.
In friendship, Mary x
Hi Mary and what a great catch-up that was! Really enjoyed our trip up to London and yes, hopefully all is well with what was found, but that’s why I go to the Mole Clinic – it was at the back of my leg and I had no idea it was there!
And I thought you looked so very stylish. We both have the same idea around style – we like to dress up and we like our hats!
Will keep in touch, thanks Mary X
Great to see you back in London. There are some good art exhibitions next year (Hepworth, Seurat, more Hockney) so hopefully we can meet up again. Thanks for linking and have a good weekend.
Yay and going up again soon! Will contact you this weekend 😊
I hope all goes well . Even if you have never sunbathed those nasty moles can pop up . My husband had one on the back of his neck just by working in the garden . I nagged , he saw the GP & was quickly slotted in for removal before it developed . All very efficient .
Sometimes a new ‘shape’ in your wardrobe makes all the difference. Just one item can lift everything else & pay for itself over & over again . I expect you are having fun experimenting now .
Indeed, re: moles and the back of the neck is the most common area for ‘things’ to be found on men. That’s exactly where Bill’s melanoma was and neither of us had noticed it. It was so good we had our skin looked at and his melanoma found.
That skirt will be worn again and again! Thanks Wendy 😊
Penny, I think you have been heavily influenced by Jill! And, that’s a good thing! That skirt is glorious. I can see you wearing it so many different ways. It’s just amazing. I can’t tell, though, what color it is. On my laptop, some photos seem black while others are brown…or, did you buy two? Your husband is such a handsome man, and he stands up straight! I find I notice that quite a lot these days (the standing straight…I’ve always noticed a handsome man). I have decided to wait to go to the UK until after the first of the year. I was going to go later this month, but I talked myself out of it. I figured it would be dark so much earlier in the day, and I don’t know that I’d venture out after dark alone in London. I know my way around, but a single woman…I don’t think so.
BTW…have you seen the protests of the ICE facilities in Portland? I have decided I would wear a unicorn suit if I lived there. I can’t get Mike to move to the other side of Indianapolis so I know he’d never move to the other side of the country. But, did you know Portland’s motto is “Keep Portland Weird?” I love that! I can do weird! Anyway, I thought you’d chuckle at what really isn’t a funny situation at all. But, if we didn’t laugh right now, we’d be shrieking like a banshee, right?
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The skirt is a chocolate brown colour and very dark, it also rustles as you walk as the material is quite stiff. I absolutely adore it and it came from the platform, Idaretobe, that Jill looks at. We both talked about it when we met. Her clothes are by many of the brands on there, I haunt it for the sales!
Awww, what a nice thing to say about Bill, and he does walk straight, think that’s his height, but he does have a very slight rounding at the shoulders because of all he does on his Mac. We both have to watch out for that.
I have seen stuff that Trump has been saying about London – all absolute nonsense, especially i) about the mayor Sadiq Khan. I’d say to Trump – funny how he’s been in office since 2016 and most people like him. He’s a good mayor and well respected. Oh and ii) London is a dangerous city. Er – what! No it is NOT! Like all big cities you need to be a bit street and area savvy, that’s normal, but all the tourist areas would be totally fine at night. My favourite place for staying in London is Pimlico – you’d be safe there. Such a nice area. It’ll still be dark in the evening inJanuary. Anyway when you come I am so up for coming to London and meeting you – that would be brilliant!
We are all watching Portland and are absolutely delighted to see the frogs, unicorns, ducks and all the other lovely funny characters thronging the streets! Just seen a clip of people roller-blading with psychedelic lights attached to their blades and clothes – fabUlous. Long may Portland be weird. The world is watching and adores you!
Just watched Jon Stewart’s latest Daily Show. He’s shouty (to my ears) but so on the button. First of all, amongst all the other shouty stuff he pointed out – Trump was voted in by the population so he’s got the mandate, then we had a couple of examples of Chuck Schumer reading out his speech – rather badly, and finally, who is to blame, Jon Stewart asked? Look at the Constitution, he said. Almost everything Trump is doing is within the bounds of the Constitution. Now that is rather like our British unwritten Constitution. Good and proper constitutional behaviour in both countries is dependent on a ‘good chap’ being in charge. And when there isn’t a ‘good chap’ – it’s rather oh, and oh dear. I do have in the back of my mind a blog I want to write about, for My Other Blog, on…. ‘you think this couldn’t happen in the UK – well, watch this space, as it really, really could’.
Thanks so much Marsha 😊
Glad you have had a trip to London even though it was for your Mole Clinic visit. Hope all is well. So glad you caught up with your friend again , I can imaging you both had so much to discuss.
May I say you both look very stylish.
The skirt looks so good on you and I know you will get so much wear from it.
I did like your fedora and your reference to Diane Keaton , such a style icon and so much more.
In a way I was glad something was found by the Mole Clinic – that is exactly why I have an annual check. A health professional can find stuff that we can’t!
Yes, I thought Mary looked so very stylish and I just love my new skirt – dressing up is such fun. And as you can see we both love our hats!
Thanks Jill 😊
You both look so smart! And yes, I too see Jill’s style influence;). I had a basal cell carcinoma removed from my forehead earlier this year, my second in 5 years. I never miss my annual dermatologist checkup! And yay for dressing for joy.
Absolutely, yes, Jill is definitely role model for me and that skirt was part of looking slightly more edgy and stylish in a certain way.
Oh interesting you too have had basal cell removed. I’ve had 2 of those, some Bowen’s and one melanoma – all found by the Mole Clinic – and very grateful I am that they were found.
Thanks Mary 😊