The Prisoner of Park Drive

The Prisoner of Park Drive

Vera did not like going out much.  She called herself “the prisoner of Park Drive”, Park Drive being the road in which she and Vladimir lived.  She made out that she was too busy running CLPD to leave the house, but I always suspected that being the prisoner was something of a choice.  She and Vladimir used to go out to Labour Party meetings of course, and Labour Left gatherings.  Vladimir would schlap her in the car.

Furthermore Vladimir did all the shopping.  They liked nature - so long as they did not have to trek out too much: in earlier years they regularly fed a hedgehog who would come to the back door, and when they were both elderly they were delighted by a squirrel who they used to tempt inside with nuts.   Despite living practically next door to Golders Hill Park she favoured doing exercises under the tutelage of Mister Motivator and Mad Lizzy rather than going for walks in the park.

They say that house cats live longer than cats that spend a lot of time outside.  Certainly in Vera’s case her indoor existence did not seem to do her much harm since she lived to 97.