OK, Big Mick, here's the update.

Progress has been incredibly good so far - much better than forecast. I have gained about 7 kilograms in the past two weeks and I an managing to do enough exercise to ensure that none of it (so far) is fat! The walking stick was discarded after a few days and I can now walk a couple of miles with no problem. The one thing I can't do is go upstairs two at a time. I still launch my foot on to the second step out of habit - but that's as far as it goes.... By the end of October I aim to be going upstairs two at a time and chewing gum at the same time.

Spaw's commoents about relatives/visits were spot on. The more I recovered in hospital, the more the visitor rate dwindled, and the time dragged ever more slowly.

Each day was like a year,
A year whose days are long.

To the dismay of one or two friends and relatives, I've decided to press on with a booked trip to Croatia and Bosnia next week, on the bsis that it would be better to wear out than rust out.