This is the post I should have written yesterday, but I had to write one to catch up on the previous day and then I drifted off to do other things.
In the afternoon I rang a dentist to sign up for treatment on the National Health Service. It’s getting harder to find dentists who do NHS work. I could do a couple of paragraphs on the evils of dentists here, as it’s a subject I feel strongly about. It probably stems from the days of my youth when i had a dentist who had the bedside manner of an undertaker, the tool wielding dexterity of a stonemason and a waiting room that reminded me of a crypt. I’d better be careful what I say about him as it is quite likely that he lacks the capacity to die like a normal man and if I upset him he may reappear in my dreams. It’s a whole new Horror Franchise – The Dentist. The film posters will feature an open mouth of carious fangs with various unspeakable scenes within and the films will be blamed for putting children off dentists for generations. Doesn’t bother me – if I make enough money out of the idea I’ll be able to go private.
So, dentists. Highly paid health professionals who, over the years, have benefitted from the NHS but want to opt out and coin it when they see an opening. I know we have a laugh about never seeing a farmer on a bike, but I’ve never met a dentist who didn’t send his kids to private school.
I know someone who has a private dentist and he is just paying a touch over £500 to have three fillings. As I recall, the NHS charge is just over £60.
I could go on, but I’ve hit my target and I don’t want to give anyone nightmares . . .
Meanwhile, have a look at these.
The header picture is bottle kilns (called that because of the shape, not because they made bottles. The bottom picture is a cup of tea at Middleport Pottery six years ago – not sure now what the caption refers to.
Under threat – my cup of tea