I spoke to Dallas today by phone, she arrived just twenty minutes after I had left Isobel yesterday and found her much as I had.

Keith and Liz went in to see Isobel this afternoon, but my brother is too polite to wake her robustly. After trying turning the television sound up and stroking her arms and face, they sat and watched her sleep for twenty minutes. (Keith has been instructed to be more robust next time!)

Iona and I went in to see Isobel at seven o'clock. She was awake and alert. Her speech was clear and she was more inclined to talk than yesterday, although towards the end of our visit she slipped into the habit of saying things very quietly. Dallas had also commented on this. If you visit and she does this, do not hesitate to ask her to repeat what she said more loudly. If you still cannot make out what Isobel said, it is probably best to drop the conversation - sometimes this is an indication of tiredness.

Iona helped Isobel drink half a large beaker of squash. After this she had a beaker of tea and a few grapes, she did not want anything else. Isobel was still having problems moving her head to face towards the right of her body. Trying to do this caused a lot of discomfort. Iona also thought swallowing was becoming more difficult. These matters will be observed closely this week. We came home at ten to eight.