Day - Whatever New Years Eve

 Howdy doody!  So here we are, watching on again as another new year hurtles towards us.  Efforts to slow things down, in my mind at least, have , as ever proven fruitless/pointless.  My thinking was that if I paid ultra attention to everything  going on around me time would appear to slow down. Think I read it somewhere.  Anyway it hasn’t worked for me but I’m not that bothered.  

 

I have a strong memory of watching the news New Years Eve 2019 about the outbreak in Wuhan and musing to Shamila that this could turn out really bad.  Not pretending I had any particular insight but it sounded serious.  Still didn’t think it would come to this. 

 

In fairness I have no right to complain.  My life has been fairly solitary but that’s no difference to many other people.  But on the positive side I’ve managed to take care of some serious personal business.  My tenant in Acklam gave me notice to quit my let property and with a heavy heart decided to sell the Spence family in Kirkstone Road and move back to Acklam.  

 

Getting ready to go again.

Day 3 Lockdown awaits

Worked from home today - the new normal.  I'm not keen to be honest.  My set-up's reasonable enough.  A room set aside, a big desk and a nice chair so it's comfortable enough but home's home and good and work's work and tolerable.

I try to work hard at home but it would be silly to deny that I'm a bit pre-occupied at the moment.  Anyway, as it's the new normal I decided that listening to music is going to be part of the new normal and that this week I'd concentrate on listening to The Kinks.  Why the hell not? 

I know little about The Kinks.  Obviously Ray Davies and his brother Dave was in them and in the sixties they had loads of great singles, they played a memorable (in my opinion anyway) concert on Christmas Eve 1977 that was televised live on the BBC and they brough out a great Christmas single that bombed.  They had a long list of great songs that were covered by other artis.  David Watts (The Jam), Stop Your Sobbing (Pretenders), Days (Kirsty McCall) and Victoria (The Fall) immediately spring to mind and I'll argue all day long that in the sixties, songs wise (everything in my world) they were only bettered by The Beatles.

So I listened to the The Kinks Pye Album Collection which I'd ripped to my iTunes comprising of the 10 albums they recorded for the Pye label and although a little patchy there were enough great songs to get me through the day.  Especially enjoyed The Kink Controversy, We Are The Village Green Preservation Society (originally panned but latterly revered) and Arthur or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire.  Think I'll listen to them again tomorrow.

I went to Shamila's after work to set up her new TV (I wonder how much longer I'm going to be able to travel between our houses?) and watch the nightly government address. And Ian was right we're going to be in (our version of) lockdown from tomorrow. Pretty much the same restrictions as in Italy and Spain (can go out to work if you have to or go to the shops or for medical treatment or to visit a sick relative) but we're also going to be allowed to go out to exercise once a day.  It doesn't sound like it's all been ironed out yet (nothing does) and I can't imagine how they're going to police it.

I guess that's it for now then.  What the hell.  I can't work from Shamila's so I guess I'll be locked down in TS3.  Jeez, how did it come to this?  It's mad, it even seems a good option.

Day 2 - Last day in the countryside?

Hardly the countryside but the Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park was beautiful today.  It's just on the edge of Billingham, semi industrial and a quite smelly in parts but we like it. From what Johnson said tonight it might have been our last trip out for some time.  Not as many people out as yesterday.  Lots of talk on the news about people being irresponsible.  In fairness not us, we managed to get out twice this weekend and our social distancing was text book if I say so myself.

Had a chat with my brother in Spain.  He said we're going to be locked down tomorrow.  I didn't think so at the time but when I saw Johnson on the news I can see what he's saying.

Spoke to my ex-wife about Michael in Lowestoft. She assured me he'll be ok so I'll stop fretting for now.

That's enough  for tonight.  Working from tomorrow in solitary confinement.  Here's a few snaps from today.  As I used to say more filler than thriller.

 This lake might have it's own name a name but I'm buggered if I know but it's in Cowpen Bewley Woodland Park

Village Hall in Greatham oldy worldy stylee. 

Distancing with Shamila in Greatham

Some random pylons in a farmer's field near  Greatham.  Looks a bit blurry?  Hey ho, looked ok on the phone.

Day 1 part 2

Definitely felt a bit weird today.  There were about 10 people stood outside the pharmacy as I parked up to pick up my 4 weeks supply of tablets.  When I got closer I read the sign in the window "3 customers only at any one time".  Fortunately only 2 of the 10 were waiting in the queue.

As I entered the shop I got a view of the pharmacist with a mask over his mouth.  For some reason his assistant didn’t.  I really hope it wasn’t because of a shortage of masks.  I received my tablets and exited and sighed with relief. 

Quite rightly lots of talk about heroic staff in NHS but lots of heroes also elsewhere.  I’ll start with shout for chemist staff, shop workers generally, post workers, carers, bus drivers, logistic staff, (all) cleaners.  Lots there and sure will be more.

After that we drove over to Coulby Newham Farm (of course closed) for an 8 mile walk through Fairy Dell, along Marton West Beck through Marton to Nunthorpe Village and back over the fields via Brass Castle Lane.

We loved it, it’s a great walk we’ve done many times but it felt very different today.  There were lots of people out, unusually so but it felt like everybody knew the score keeping a fair distance apart when we crossed. Lots of smiles and a few hello’s but no stopping to chat.

I wonder how much longer we’ll be able to do this for?

247

My Corona - Setting the Scene

So I haven’t posted for a while (again) but all good things must come to an end. 

I’d never even heard of social distancing a week ago but the government has advised anybody over the age of 70 or under 70 with an underlying health condition (defined as anyone instructed to get a flu jab as an adult each year on medical grounds) has to be “particularly stringent in following socially distancing measures”.  Count me in (under 70 and a flu jab).

I treated today as the official day one of my social-distancing but it turns out it doesn’t start until Monday (I must have missed something).  In any case I’ve actually been socially-distancing since last Tuesday when my employer offered me the chance to work from home.  I’ve done home working before and I’m not keen but I’ve been told by BJ that it’s my duty to try not to catch the virus so I felt it was the right thing to do.   

I don’t feel particularly vulnerable but I had a mild heart attack nearly 6 years ago.  They patched me up and put me on tablets for life with an annual flu jab thrown in for free.    I was devastated and it took me a long time to come to terms with it psychologically but I no longer feel any stigma.  I’m pretty fit and healthy, I go to the gym, I’m not particularly overweight, I eat pretty well, blah blah blah and in the interests of full disclosure my heart wasn’t even damaged by the heart attack.  But if the government considers me vulnerable that’s fine by me.  I’m determined to not to catch the virus easily.    

My social distancing is not going to be without complications but then again is anybody’s?   I manage my life between me and Shamila’s homes.  I’m planning on working from my home and Shamila will work from hers.  She is well aware of the issues and is also taking the SD seriously so for now I’m going to continue to travel between our houses.  Shamila also has her elderly parents (who live locally) to consider and staying fit and keeping my weight down may become an issue if any restrictions are made on leaving our homes (like in Spain and Italy).  I also have to shop and get my drugs from the chemist. 

I also have my 2 adult sons to think about.  I don’t see them much but they are never far from my thoughts.  My youngest son, Chris lives locally with his girlfriend and is supposed to be getting married on 10 April followed by a honeymoon to the USA.  I think he’s resigned to the honeymoon being cancelled off but the wedding?  Mmmm. I’m not so sure what he thinks but If I was a betting man (which I am) I’d wager it’s just going to happen either.  Thankfully he’s a level-headed and philosophical, I’m sure he’ll be ok.

My other son, Michael lives in Lowestoft in the East of England.  It’s fairly close to Norwich but it like the back of beyond. It’s a pain in the arse for me to get to either by road or public transport.  He’s lived there coming up 3 years and to my shame I’ve only been to see him once (actually it’s not true – I took him down to try and find him accommodation before he moved there.  In my defence I managed to find him a house though).  I’ll put it on my post retirement to-do list but in the mean time I’d rest a lot easier in my bed if he came home but he’s having not of it.

So that’s the scene and off we go.

619

First work day of the year

2020's going well so far. 1 day at work and now 3 days off.  Yay!

Met up with my mate Andy for a pint (3 pints of Worthington Ale to be precise) at the Wellington in Wolviston, a very nice pub just outside Billingham. I hope you're enjoying the single spaces after the full stops by the way. I think they look good but it's taking quite a lot of discipline. Hopefully it'll get easier.

Not missing Facebook or Twitter and I haven't bought anything off Amazon.  Creativity wise, not so good although I'm writing this and listening to my top 50 from 1979.  It actually sounds much better than it looks.  Well I would say that wouldn't I?

2020

Fuck me, the twenties. Bring on the Charleston.

So here's how I intend to go.

1.  Try to show at least one defined show of kindness (however small) per day.
2.  Fuck off Amazon, we're done. You can do all you want but I'm not.
3.  I'm also done Facebook until further notice. It could be challenging, amongst all the unadulterated       shit it is has become a hub for my social life. That said, it does feel good.
4.  Ditto Twitter as well, an utter waste of my time.
5.  No more double space after full stops. Long overdue.
6.  More blogging, I'll have more time and I need to practice my writing. A nod and a wink.
7.  More creative stuff.

Hey ho, let's go!