Alastair Stewart: My long-term memory remains intact but symptoms of dementia show up in a more subtle way ()

<iframe frameborder="0" height="100%" scrolling="no" src="https://www.gbnews.com/res/scraper/embed/?video_url=https%3A%2F%2Fmm-v2.simplestream.com%2Fiframe%2Fplayer.php%3Fkey%3D3Li3Nt2Qs8Ct3Xq9Fi5Uy0Mb2Bj0Qs%26player%3DGB003%26uvid%3D52639486%26type%3Dvod%26viously_id%3DttHjuh6JCsW" width="100%"></iframe><br/><p>A high point of the week, which started, as they often do, with a phone call out of the blue. Friends who know of my dementia diagnosis are often cautious in testing if I remember them. </p><p>I normally do, as my long-term memory remains pretty well intact. Finding where I left the telephone or a pen and notepad to take notes is often a greater challenge!.</p><h3></h3><br/><p>Some voices are more distinctive and memorable than others. So, when I answered the phone on Easter Monday, although the caller said it was Fiona Armstrong from the old ITN days, I knew within a couple of syllables I’d last seen her and her husband at a Spectator magazine debate on Scottish Independence in Edinburgh, which I had chaired.</p><p>Fiona Armstrong became Lady MacGregor of MacGregor when she married Sir Malcolm Gregor Charles MacGregor, 7th Baronet in 2005. Fiona is a British television journalist and Lord Lieutenant of Dumfries. She is also the author of several books and has written for newspapers and made television programmes on Scottish topics, including fishing and Scottish clans.</p><h3></h3><br/><img alt="Alastair Stewart in Living With Dementia photo" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="14aeb54001798848f60d3df590cc6013" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="fb881" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gbnews.com/media-library/alastair-stewart-in-living-with-dementia-photo.png?id=54415001&width=980"/><h3></h3><br/><div class="embed-latest"></div><p>She and Malcolm were visiting some mutual friends in Hampshire: the husbands had served together in the Gurkhas. Both families are keen gardeners, and the Hampshire hosts had suggested a visit to the magnificent Exbury Gardens and all it has to offer. <br/><br/>In the UK, the Rothschilds are mainly associated with Buckinghamshire - but this is their glorious bit of Hampshire. The house and gardens were started by Lionel de Rothschild, who had been very interested in horticulture from an early age. In 1919, he started to build Exbury Gardens: the result was to be one of the most ambitious enterprises of its kind to take place in the last century – the creation of a private woodland garden covering 250 acres. <br/><br/>In the years before his death in 1942, he assembled a celebrated collection of rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, magnolias and other shrubs and trees.I was thrilled when Fiona explained her plans and asked if she and Malcolm might drop in on us just to say hello. We were thrilled at the prospect and although we are not in the Exbury league, the farm and garden are looking okay. We sat outside and chatted.<br/><br/>Fiona still does some TV and works out of Border TV where one of the bosses is an old friend of mine, Catherine Houlihan. Catherine is the managing editor and is a good egg. Fiona said the programmes she did for and with Catherine were more gentle than the stuff we’d done together at ITN.<br/><br/>One recent show had been on the last commercial tomato grower in Scotland. They are both keen on fishing and had recently fished the Spey which we know well from our friendship with the former MP and Minister George Hollingberry. <br/><br/>His family owns a stretch of the Spey and a house thereon. All-in-all it was a joy, and Fiona was keen to tell us her daughter, Natasha, from her first marriage had also gone into TV. They repeated their kind invitation to us to visit them in Scotland which we will try to do. It isn’t that tough a journey and it pays wonderful dividends in people places, food and views. It was just a joy to see them both again and to welcome them to our home, as it was to welcome a team from the wonderful Brooke charity. Brooke is a United Kingdom-based international equine charity, which focuses on the welfare and care of donkeys, horses and mules.<br/><br/>With more than 900 people helping to deliver services, it is the largest equine charity in the world. To be fair it is our donkeys, Hobnob and Iggle-piggle that draws them. The ‘boys’ as we call them are beautiful and very good on camera!<br/><br/>Brooke wanted to do some stuff with me as Patron and our brilliant new ambassador the vet, often seen on TV, Dr Scott Miller, who obviously knows his stuff but has a passion for animal welfare generally. We are both big fans and the organiser from Brooke, Marie-Anne Olivier known as “Maz” has become a personal friend. She is caring, competent and delightful.</p><p><br/>The team brought flowers and chocolates for us and carrots for the boys, and the shoot was a triumph and great fun. May 9th is International Donkey Day so it was work as well as fun: go to Brooke’s website for more detail. We had two medical events in recent days, firstly a follow-up to the ultrasound, checking on my kidneys and blood system. Then we had a return trip to see my NHS audiologist because one of my hearing aids was playing up and she fixed it. Her trainee lived in Brockenhurst where Sal went to school, so they enjoyed reminiscing about the delightful New Forest. Both women were terrific.<br/><br/>The consultant doing the follow-up asked if I knew what was going on and when I replied accurately in detail he joked he wasn’t sure I had dementia. It was a welcome moment of light relief. My medical team is great at explaining everything, which is important if you have dementia it makes sure you don’t feel inadequate. </p><p>On the way back we listened to my friend, Andea Catherwood, present points of view on Radio 4 about the BBC’s questionnaire about charter renewal. We both wondered how seriously the BBC ‘suits’ would take it all, and when Andrea explained they’d asked for a senior person from the Corporation to join the discussion, but none was available, we got our answer. <br/><br/>Catherwood, the academics, experts and callers were great - and it matters.Politically the high point of the week were the elections, in which Chris Mason said Labour were defending a thumping majority. How I laughed when I remembered why the former MP had had to resign - for punching a constituent!In the event Reform UK delivered the knock-out blow and after recounts took the seat. It is a turning point for all concerned and reminded me of what the SDP did to old Labour. I think Reform are doing the same to the Tories while also raining on Labour’s parade.<br/><br/>We didn’t have elections locally due to Rayner’s reorganisation in Wessex which annoyed all of us. I don’t need or want a metropolitan Mayor, but the local government does matter to me.<br/><br/>I was annoyed at being denied my say. And I have enough to worry about. Hampshire NHS faces big staff cuts which worries us, as they have served us so well and I haven’t seen any over-staffing. </p>