Thursday 5 November:

So, the first day of ‘Lockdown2’ – which, mirroring the amazing weather we had at the start of the first Lockdown, turned out to be a beautiful, bright, sunny day. But, somehow, it felt rather different… as I set out for my daily dawn walk, the traffic along Coronation Road was just as busy as usual.
People are obviously far more prepared than last time… shops are far more organised; people are aware of the social distancing rules; face-masks are everyone’s ‘fashion accessory’. But, for some individuals, there’s also a strong sense of “we’ve had enough of this… we don’t care anymore… and, anyway, the ‘rules’ keep being changed and we can’t keep up”.
We always KNEW that, at some stage, the government would end up blaming the population at large for its inability to deal with the pandemic. So it came as absolutely no surprise when today Justice Minister Mr Buckland announced that it was all OUR fault! He remarkably managed to forget all those mixed messages the government had been pumping out for the past several months (‘stay home’/’go back to work’/’back to business’/’act fearlessly’/’world-beating test+trace’/’following the science’/‘turning a blind eye to the science’… and, of course, it was perfectly ok for certain ‘key’ individuals (like Mr Cummings) to ignore the rules. What a huge surprise… the second wave was nothing to do with the government.    
Mr Buckland calmly (but firmly!) acknowledged that it would be a “huge challenge to get the public to follow the strict rules this time”. Damn right it will be! After all the government’s mismanagement of the crisis over the past eight months this felt something of an understatement!
Will the four-week national lockdown in England be ‘successful’? We seem to be living in a strange world of mass national immaturity… in which people seem ready to support the notion that they don’t wish to harm anyone (particularly us oldies!) and yet acting socially as if all the graphs were not going in the wrong direction.
Professor Devi Sidhar seemed to sum up the thoughts of several health experts when she declared: “The UK government’s decision to delay a national lockdown in the hope that this would be easier on the economy defies reality: delaying action has led only to a longer, harsher lockdown. It can feel as though, confronted with this paradox and exhausted by the months of work that lie ahead, the governments is close to giving up without a clear plan or strategy for how to survive in a Covid-19 world”.
I can’t really understand why, after eight months, our so-called Test+Trace system (despite all the government’s initial claims that it was ‘world-beating’!) has been so appallingly inadequate. In my naive head, surely until there’s a REALLY effective, efficient Test+Trace system (which more or less gives instant results) and unless quarantine procedures are PROPERLY followed, then we’ll be back here again quite soon?
Image: pigeons getting into line (lockdown?) on the steam crane.

Wednesday 28 October:

Further reflections on Covid-19… One thing I’ve become increasingly aware of over recent days/weeks is a strange sense that we’re having to ‘tread water’ until the pandemic is either over or the vaccine becomes available… which effectively means (at least for us, having taken ‘decisions’ on a number of matters) no public transport; no cinema; no theatre; no bars; no restaurants; no cafés (unless the weather is kind and we can sit outside); no concerts; no rugby; trying to void all but the basic shopping; no church (for me); no gathering with friends (indoors); and no hugging. While we’re still meeting up with family (in small numbers and with social distancing), it’s not the quite same… and not meeting up with Iris and Rosa (for example) for bi-weekly after-school meals and the chance to chat and catch up effectively feels like we’re missing out on seeing them grow up. Missing out on a year of their lives (they’re only teenagers for a short time!) and, at the same time, us getting older (and time running out!?) feels like a double-whammy.
Meanwhile, it seems that all our local friends are going about their normal lives – going to restaurants, cafés, cinemas etc – and, with their cars, they have increased flexibility and scope for doing other things too. Meanwhile, I’m currently feeling less and less confident about driving ‘longish’ distances…
With the number of UK cases (and deaths) on a sharp increase, it feels as if a second national lockdown might become inevitable…but when? An immediate 2-3 week ‘firebreak’?  A full national lockdown immediately after Christmas/New Year?
Everything continues to be uncertain… planning ahead feels almost impossible. Jobs and the economy are struggling. Will schools remain open? Will ‘vulnerable oldies’ be instructed to self-isolate? People are already raising concerns about mental health issues…
There’s a strong sense that many people will disregard some of the ‘rules’ (why should I both sticking to the guidelines, when I have lots of friends who are ignoring them?)… and, anyway, the ‘rules’ represent government advice rather than a legally-binding ban. The police won’t be able to cope and the worse it gets, the more difficult it becomes to enforce.
It’s going to be a very long, hard Winter for an awful lot of people.
 
From the Independent 24 October:
Can I travel from tiers 1 and 2 to tier 3?
The government is advising against people travelling to a “Very High Alert”, or tier 3, area.  
“You should avoid travelling to any part of the country subject to very high local Covid alert levels,” it says on the website, plus you should “avoid staying overnight in a very high alert level area if you are resident elsewhere.”
It adds: “You must not stay with anyone you do not live with from a very high alert level area or visit their home.”
However, this is advice rather than a legally binding ban.
Can I travel from tier 3 to tiers 1 and 2?
The government is advising against nearly all travel for those in tier 3 areas.
“You should try to avoid travelling outside the very high alert level area you are in,” and “should avoid staying overnight in another part of the UK if you are resident in a very high alert level area,” reads the advice.  
But it does NOT say anything about what you should do if you DO travel from Tier3 to Tier1… should you go into quarantine/self-isolate for xx days? Well, no, it apparently says nothing at all - because you shouldn't have done it in the first place - but, hey, who cares about such minor details?!

Tuesday 27 October:

I’m aware that my thoughts and experiences relating to Covid are likely to change over the coming months (in my head, I’m just trying to focus on ‘getting through to March’ – on the basis that this represents a year of living in this ‘lockdown world’). So, here are some very brief, random thoughts as we approach the long dark winter days:
1. When M+I first self-isolated (18 March), the number of recorded cases that day was 676 (43 deaths). 20 April saw the highest number of daily deaths: 1,172 (compared with 23 October: 224). 21 October saw the highest number of new daily cases 26,678 (compared with 6 May: 6,111).
2. The number of weekly deaths has been steadily rising since the beginning of September (between 30-86% per week); the number of weekly deaths is currently the highest since the end of the first week in June (1,066 23 October).
3. The government were focussed on minimising the adverse effect on the economy. There’s a general perception/criticism that the government has been giving out ‘mixed messages’…“It’ll be over by Christmas” (17 July)(and if it wasn’t, it’ll all be ‘our’ fault); “Back to Business” (28 August); etc.  
4. Local lockdowns were introduced (eg. Leicester, Luton, Aberdeen at the end of July).
5. Despite government assertions to the contrary, Test+Trace measures condemned as ‘shambolic’ by health experts (9 September).
6. By the end of September, at least 45 UK universities had had confirmed cases of COVID-19 (and more than 865 cases have been identified among students and staff since universities reopened). The total number of people self-isolating has risen above 3,540.
7. By the end of September, more than 2,000 UK schools affected (with pupils/staff being sent home to self-isolate.
8. 12 October: government introduced 3-tier system of dealing with Covid; Labour had called for 2-3 week ‘firebreak’ as more effective option (transpired that government’s health experts ‘Sage’ had advised ‘firebreak’ 3 weeks earlier).
9. 23 October: Wales introduces 17-day ‘lockdown’.
10. This from the Guardian (27 October) seemed to sum up the thoughts of many: “Managing a second wave of Covid-19 in winter was always going to be a tougher proposition than imposing a blanket lockdown in March. There is mounting evidence of fatigue, confusion and resentment over localised restrictions. Frustration has been compounded by the sense that the government pays only lip service to the notion that ‘we are all in this together’”.

Saturday 17 October:

The number of coronavirus cases and deaths have sharply increased over the past month - in fact, the current daily number of cases (some 20,000) is getting on for THREE times higher than the HIGHEST daily figures from March-September (just let that sink in).
I really don’t envy ANY government in these challenging times but, thinking back to those early days back in March, when a virtual ‘lockdown’ was imposed on the entire country, people generally backed the restrictions and there was a strong sense of ‘unity in a time of crisis’. Since then, of course, the government has come under an enormous amount of criticism on a long list of matters: its slowness to react; the ill-judged/illegal actions of Dominique Cummings on his trip (or trips?) to Durham; the lack of appropriate equipment; the lack of an adequate regime for testing, tracing and isolating; issuing contracts to ‘friendly’ companies without competition; making up the rules on local lockdowns without consulting regional leaders and health authorities; universities and colleges (students/halls of residences/number of positive cases); all the mixed messages; and now ignoring the advice of its scientific advisors etc etc.
You might recall that the prime minister unveiled a plan in July to return England to “normality” by Christmas… and he also indicated that it might “be possible to move away from the social distancing measures” by November. Well, it doesn’t seem to have quite worked out like that… and, of course, Mr Johnson will claim that the reason it hasn’t is all down to US… nothing to do with him! Meanwhile, consensus has disintegrated and there’s distinct sense of “they’re making things up as they go along”… and opinion polls indicate that the public has lost confidence in the government.
Clearly, the coronavirus virus has cost the UK a HUGE amount of money over the past seven months but, for the life of me, I still can’t understand how we haven’t yet managed to come up with a reliable, speedy, efficient mass testing programme (and why aren’t people being checked for the virus on a regular basis?)?
PS: And, meanwhile, Mr Johnson is telling us we’re going to end up with a no-deal Brexit (and, of course, he’s blaming it all on the EU!).
Image: Chris Riddell’s cartoon from last Sunday’s ‘Observer’.

Wednesday 23 September:

Last night, just six months after first introducing ‘lockdown’ guidelines, Mr Johnson made another of his television appearances to confirm that new Covid-19 measures were being introduced (in England) as a result of the recent rapid growth in the number of cases. These restrictions included: limiting the size of indoor social gatherings to six; people should work from home if they can; bars, restaurants and pubs closing by 10pm; renewed ban on indoor team sports; and stricter rules on the wearing of face masks. The need for fresh action to contain the virus was underlined by official figures showing the daily number of new coronavirus cases across the UK had shot up to 4,926. This was the highest daily figure since May.
First Ministers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland had introduced more onerous measures – indoor visits between households having now been banned.
Interesting to hear reaction of a leading scientist, Prof John Edmunds (head of the faculty of epidemiology and population health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine): “Overall, I don’t think the measures have gone anywhere near far enough. In fact, I don’t even think the measures in Scotland have gone far enough”.
Edmunds said he feared that, for the second time, the government would end up clamping down too late. He explained: “I suspect we will see very stringent measures coming in place throughout the UK at some point, but it will be too late again. We will have let the epidemic double and double and double again until we do take those measures. And then we’ll have the worst of both worlds, because then to slow the epidemic and bring it back down again, all the way down to somewhere close to where it is now or where it was in the summer will mean putting the brakes on the epidemic for a very long time, very hard - which is what we had to do in March because we didn’t react quick enough in March, and so I think that we haven’t learned from our mistake back then and we’re unfortunately about to repeat it”.
 
I went to Bloke’s Prayer at the Society Café this morning and, due to rain, we ended up sitting inside. I have to say, I felt somewhat uncomfortable – everyone sat suitably social-distanced but I sensed that ‘some of us’ were more ’sensitive’ than others in this respect. I registered my unease and, very generously, they’ve agreed that we’ll have zoom ‘meetings’ for the foreseeable future – unless the weather forecast is wonderfully positive (in which case we’ll arrange to meet outside).
I’ve also decided that I’m similarly uneasy about the prospect of being one of the church ‘welcomers’ for a service at Saint Stephen’s on 11 October… AND, in fact, also about attending ‘live’ services full stop. As a result, I’ve emailed Maria, Lee et al and explained my unease and have withdrawn from the rota.
Image: Land adjacent the marina now virtually cleared for redevelopment? 

Monday 21 September:

Somewhat ridiculously, since Moira and I went into lockdown on 18 March, I’ve been keeping track of the daily coronavirus deaths. It obviously makes pretty depressing reading, but it’s also a reminder that at the start of April there were several days when the daily death toll exceeded 900. By the beginning of August, thankfully, these numbers had reduced hugely – often just to single figures. But, over the past few weeks, the number of daily coronavirus cases started to rise rapidly… and so, inevitably, have the number of deaths.
Depressingly, fears of a second-wave, as we approach the winter months, has been exacerbated by shortcomings in the government’s testing system.
Clearly, for the government (whose focus, perhaps, seems to have been more on protecting the economy than people?), with the prospect of a potential second-wave comes the increasing possibility of a national ‘lockdown’.
I think Moira and I dealt with the first lockdown well (and we’re clearly aware that, for us, compared with so many others, things have been relatively straightforward), but all the speculation about a possible second-wave or a series of ‘local lockdowns’ has made me focus on coming up with strategies for dealing with any winter lockdown.
I started making a random list (which was quite an amusing process!) and here are some of items I scribbled down:
CONCERNS:
a) Won’t be able to meet outside for picnics etc; need to come up with alternatives.
b) Health (being able to get out for walks etc).
c) Money for Ruth+co?
d) Organise stuff/visits/trips before lockdown?
ROUTINES:
a) Daily walks (individual and shared).
b) Plugging in daily routines.
c) Regular ‘contacts’ (zoom if necessary) with family.
d) Moira treats? (gin?).
e) Thinking up NEW routines.
PROJECTS:
a) Christmas cake or pudding?
b) Window poster (keep smiling etc).
c) Christmas ‘card’/letter.
d) Christmas presents (relevant for lockdown?).
e) Drawing projects (‘virtual’?).
f) Meals for R+S+I+R?
g) Another Blurb lockdown book?
h) Window Wanderland?
i) Books to read?
j) Books on particular artists or art styles?
k) 2020 Year Review.
l) Photography project?
ACTIONS:
a) Organise haircut.
b) Buy lots of candles.
c) New white shirt?
d) Sufficient TV/boxsets/Netflix?
BUT will I be organised and actually get things 'prepared'?

Monday 24 August

staying alert? staying confused? being responsible?
(note: I had originally intended this as a blogpost on my ‘public blog’ but, on reflection, have decided not to do so – I’m aware it’s a sensitive subject for many and I don’t want to upset people… even though I feel quite passionately about it! So, instead, I’m posting it here as one of my ‘lockdown reflections’):
Yesterday, I posed the following question:
Asking for friends (serious question)…
‘Shielding’ restrictions were relaxed by the government from 1 August which meant that ‘extremely vulnerable’ grandparents could at least see their loved ones again after being apart since mid-March. Our friends understand that the current measures now allow two households - of any size - to meet indoors on the condition they continue to observe social distancing, now reduced to one metre where necessary. Grandparents (not just the ‘extremely vulnerable’) who don't live in the same household as their children cannot, therefore, hug their grandchildren yet, as they must maintain social distancing rules. Simply put, if they don’t live in the same household they still cannot hug or touch their relatives while maintaining social distancing.
Could someone please clarify what the current ‘guidelines’ are please… because our friends just keep seeing pictures of family gatherings where no social distancing apparently applies? Very many thanks.
You’ll hardly be surprised to learn that the ‘friends’ in question were Moira and me!
I had a good number of very useful and helpful replies – from people who pointed out specific government advice; from people who were confused; and from people who were following their own common sense or who were adopting what they felt were responsible precautions.
In our particular situation, the government guidelines can be very briefly summarised as follows (yes, I know they go on for several pages!)(and they also apply to people younger than 70 and people who aren’t shielding!):

• We should only have close contact with people outside our household if we are in a support bubble with them.

• We should only meet people we do not live with in THREE types of groups:

a) We can continue to meet in any outdoor space in a group of up to 6 people from different households
b) Single adult households (ie. adults who live alone or with dependent children only) can continue to form an exclusive ‘support bubble’ with one other household
c) We can also meet in a group of two households, in any location (public or private, indoors or outdoors). This does not need to be the same household each time.

• Because we don’t live in a ‘single adult household’, we can’t form a ‘support bubble’ with any of our grandchildren’s households. We can’t hug them… or hug our own ‘children’ (our grandchildren are all old enough to understand the ‘rules’, but I absolutely acknowledge the difficulties for the under-5s!).

We need to maintain social distancing from people outside our household (ie. everyone else!).
At times, the government clearly hasn’t helped itself. There have been times when ministers have contradicted each other in their own interpretations of policy. As one of my friends observed: “Let’s all be honest, any sense of doctrinal adherence to rules as described on gov.uk is advisory at best since Cummings-gate. It shouldn’t be, but it is”.
I have a sense that some people feel that the ‘worst is over’; that we’re beginning to ‘come out on the other side’ (daily death rates have consistently been reducing over recent weeks, afterall); and that we can start relaxing the rules a little (on the other hand, the number of reported cases has escalated since the start of August). Certainly, from images I’ve seen on television, in newspapers and on social media, it appears that some people believe this to be true. There’s a sense of “we’re responsible people, we won’t take any real chances… but we do want our old lives back now”. The trouble is (but, hey, what do I know?!) that bending the rules is the start of a slippery slope… and, as we all know by now, the virus doesn’t play by ‘normal’ rules, so being ‘careful’ or ‘responsible’ isn’t really enough. It’s not like making a personal decision to say smoke 40 cigarettes a day and ‘blow the consequences’… because in such a case only you (and perhaps your family due to ‘secondhand smoke’).
The whole matter makes me both frustrated and angry (seeing other people ignoring social-distancing and hugging their families makes me feel hugely jealous… and annoyed!)… but I do appreciate that it’s a sensitive issue for many people/families. Our lovely friend Mags messaged me saying that she felt that everyone had to make up their own minds… and, yes, I understand that point of view, but that fundamentally misses the point in my view.
With schools about to return, it’s even more important that we all follow the guidelines. We all fear a second wave or a series of local ‘spikes’ and so, again, it’s vital in my view that we don’t ‘take chances’ or become blasé when it comes to taking or ignoring precautions.
And, of course, if things DO get bad this winter, there’ll be a massive ‘blame game’ – with old fogies like me blaming all those young people gathering in pubs or on Bournemouth beach; people who’ve been healthy throughout lockdown so “it couldn’t possibly be us who’re responsible”; and all those young people maintaining the virus doesn’t really affect them and it’s all down to everyone else etc etc etc.
Of course, if you HAVE been turning a blind to certain guidelines, then I suspect you’ll say it’s too late to adjust your ways… and the only thing that will make you change your mind is for there to be a second wave or a local ‘spike’… which, of course, is what we’re trying to avoid and why EVERYONE should be obeying the ‘rules’ in the first place.
Yes, we’ve all had to make sacrifices and, yes, not being able to hug your grandchildren… or your children… or your friends (for very nearly six months now, in our case) has been bloomin’ difficult. But PLEASE keep going; please keep to the guidelines; please don’t try to justify why YOU should be an exception to the rules, if that’s not really the case. We’re all in this together and if you start making up your own rules, then maybe I’ll do the same… and that might encourage a few others to break the rules too… and then where will we be?
Right, I’ll shut up now. Sorry.
Image: staying alert (yeh, right!)…

Sunday 5 July:

Emerging from Lockdown?

It’s the day after pubs, hairdressers, cafés, restaurants, hotels, cinemas and such like were allowed to re-open. Other ‘rules’ have also been relaxed, including:

·         People can meet in groups of up to two households in any location - public or private, indoors or outdoors (as long as social distancing is observed with others not in one’s household)(‘support bubbles’ count as one household).

·         When outside, people can continue to meet in groups of up to six people from different households, following social distancing guidelines.

·         People can stay overnight away from their home with their own household or support bubble, or with members of one other household.

·         It will be against the law to gather in groups larger than 30 people, except for a limited set of circumstances to be set out in law.

Some other important restrictions do, however, still remain in place. For example, people should NOT:

·         Gather indoors in groups of more than two households (this includes when dining out or going to the pub).

·         Gather outdoors in a group of more than six people from different households (gatherings larger than 6 should only take place if everyone is from just two households).

·         Interact socially with anyone outside the group people are attending a place with, even if you see other people you know (eg. in a restaurant).

·         Hold or attend celebrations (such as parties) where it is difficult to maintain social distancing.

·         Stay overnight away from your home with members of more than one other household.

·         Gatherings of more than 30 people will be prohibited, apart from some limited circumstances to be set out in law.

Understandably, people are keen to return back to ‘normal’ life. Some families are able to ‘get together’, thanks to the reduced restrictions; some groups are able to socialise more freely (much to the obvious relief of ‘young people’ in particular). The majority of the population are continuing to take a cautious approach to returning to ‘normality’ and many are indicating that they won’t be rushing back to frequenting pubs, restaurants, cinemas or taking public transport any time soon.

The underlying fear, of course, is that people become blase, fail to take the necessary precautions and a ‘second wave’ of the virus to return… and seeing photographs of crowds of drinkers in London’s Soho last night only underlines such fears.  

Of course, it’s lovely to see or hear about families and friends re-connecting again and for people to able to travel more widely… but it’s also highlighted things that Moira and I are currently UNABLE to do. We’ve been self-isolating for nearly 16 weeks – avoiding shops, public transport and other people(!), but (for our physical and mental health) we’ve been endeavouring to get out and walk every day; we’re also not allowed to form a ‘support bubble’ with other family members. I’ve been classified as a ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’ person and, as such, my ‘shielding’ obligations (and therefore Moira’s too) remain in place until the next stage of the government’s restrictions comes into play on 1 August. So, in theory, from that date we’ll be able to go to work (except that we’re both retired); go outside to buy food and to exercise (we’ll continue to take daily exercise but we’ve resolved to avoid to go shopping); and, if we do go out, we’ll need to follow strict social distancing (which would have done anyway).

For the foreseeable future at least, we’re unlikely visit restaurants, pubs, cinemas, theatres or cafés.

So, in reality, nothing will change for us.

Having said that, we’re incredibly fortunate to live where we do in Bristol (a 10 minute walk to the harbourside and a 30 minute walk to Ashton Court/Leigh Woods) but we’ve also had to accept that, having no car and relying on public transport (which we’re likely to avoid for the remainder of this year), we are very much restricted in our movements. Even though we are car club members (which we use only say 3-4 times a year), we feel somewhat loathe to use this facility (ie. sharing a vehicle used by others/needing to fill up with petrol at service stations etc) at least for the being. In the course of the next few weeks, our views might change, of course, and it’s just possible that, perhaps within the next two months(?), we’ll end up taking an occasional car club trip (to local destinations such as the grounds of a local National Trust property or for a walk on Berrow beach?).

So, while the rest of the world gets back to ‘normal’, Moira and I will be ‘hanging back’ (we’ll almost certainly continue to take the cautious approach).

Of course, the wonders of modern technology have been hugely important during ‘lockdown’… one wonders how on earth we’d have all coped without it. But, clearly, the thing that we’ve both missing most is the simple pleasure of hugging our lovely family! When we’ll be able to meet up normally with family and friends is anyone’s guess at this stage (and I suspect that, like with all the other measures, Moira and I will be among the ‘extremely vulnerable’ group that are required to delay such celebrations… which will, of course, be doubly hard.

Image: London drinkers in Soho last night… what social distancing?

Saturday 30 May:

From this weekend, the government has changed the ‘lockdown’ rules. Some schools will re-open on Monday; up to six people can meet up in parks/gardens etc (provided they maintain 2m social distancing); you can drive to other destinations (provided you can get home the same day) if you’re taking exercise (although use of public transport is to be avoided unless ‘essential’); non-essential shops will be re-opening from 15 June (although cafés, pubs, restaurants and hairdressers will remain closed).

The government has relaxed these rules despite the fact that some of its own scientific advisors have been warning about the risks of easing the rules too soon.

But, for the ‘vulnerable’ over-70s (like us), nothing changes… the old rules still apply.

Actually, Moira and I both feel that, even if restrictions are soon lifted for oldies such as us, it’s likely to be several months (perhaps, even well into next year?) before WE will be prepared to ease some of these conditions - for example, we certainly don’t envisage using public transport for the foreseeable future.

So, while the rest of the world slowly returns to some form of ‘old reality’, many of our own self-isolation restrictions will remain in place. In some ways this feels incredibly unfair – we have made particular social/environmental choices over recent years (eg. we have no car; we rely on public transport – buses and trains – to visit places outside Bristol), so there’s a sense that we're being punished for being conscientious citizens! Of course, it’s not quite like that… but while our family and friends jump in their cars and drive to the nearest beauty spots and beaches, we can’t do that. Yes, we’re members of a car club – but, given our ‘vulnerable’ status(!), should we risk using its cars in the present circumstances? The company says it’s trying to ensure that cars get regular, thorough cleaning - but there’s only so much they can do. For us, continued use of the car club, certainly in the short term, cannot be without its risks (and what about having to fill up with petrol?)… and so we’re unlikely to take chances.

Inevitably, there will be some, like me(!), who fear that many people will now stop taking notice of any government advice (don't get me started about Mr Cummings!). There's already a sense that many of the restrictions are being largely ignored by large numbers of the public (particularly 16-30 year-olds... and especially males it seems). 

Easing restrictions too soon and risking a second wave of infections would have devastating consequences. 

Random image: there are definitely far more planes in the sky this week!

Tuesday 5 May:

I’ve also actually ‘tried’ to write some prose (definitely not poetry!) - vaguely related to the current crisis, but I just don’t have the skills. It’s frustrating because ‘writing things down’ seems to be a very good part of the ‘healing process’. I came up with this in response to an email from Emily Gould (it was ‘bashed out’ quickly, so probably makes no sense!):

It all seemed to happen so quickly.

Suddenly, a pandemic engulfed us…

We hadn't been here before, so we were all at sea.
We were asked to ‘stay at home’ and change to a new way of living.
It was tough, but that's life... and sometimes death.
Some of us oldies even began to wonder...

Had we already hugged our loved ones for the very last time?  

Such sobering thoughts shake us to our souls.

Scary unknowns, stark possibilities... life's uncertainties.
And yes, we made lists of things we would do if we came through it.

We would hug all our families and friends.

We would meet up in cafés and bars, go to cinemas and galleries.

We would jump on to buses and trains.

We would walk along beaches.

We would arrange to have picnics and sketch out of doors.

We would huddle in queues.

We would never forget the simple pleasures of life.

When this is all over…

And yes, through it all, huge positives did emerge.

We learnt to live more simply.

We were humbled by the kindness shown by people.

We didn’t drive cars; there was no daily rush; the planet began to breathe again.

We could see clearly in more ways than one.

We rediscovered things that we thought we’d forgotten.

We learnt new things about each other.

We talked to loved ones ‘almost’ face-to-face and kept in touch.

We learnt how important friendships were.

And yes, we also learnt some huge lessons…

We must stop greed and profit taking over again.

We must limit the power of corporations.

We must have politicians who want to work for us, not themselves.

We must work towards having a more balanced media.

We must value the workers and reward them accordingly.

We must look after our beautiful world.

We must treat all people with kindness.

When this is all over…

Tuesday 28 April:

It’s been quite a long time since I added to this ‘reflection’ blog…

During the course of our self-isolation (and also perhaps as a result of receiving three identical letters from the NHS telling me that I’m “at risk of severe illness” and “stay at home at all times and avoid face-to-face contact for up to 12 weeks), I’ve developed a routine of ‘dawn walking’. Not every day, but perhaps three or four times a week. The only downside is that Moira ‘doesn’t do dawn’(!) and so these early morning walks just involve me (Moira and I go for walks at other times of the day – but I’m somewhat hesitant because it involves ‘confronting’ so many more people). Strangely, today was the first wet dawn I can recall in the six weeks since we’ve been self-isolating (we’ve been incredibly blessed with beautiful clear skies and sunshine).

But I ventured out anyway…

Actually, I love walking in the rain – provided that a) I’m suitably dressed and b) I haven’t got a meeting (or whatever) to go to. Today, I undertook one of my regular circuits (via Vauxhall Bridge/harbourside/Gaol Ferry Steps) and really enjoyed the experience… being able to walk in the middle of the road (literally!) to and from the harbourside; listening to the rainfall on the hood of my waterproof; the utter silence (apart from the occasional car driving down Coronation Road); being aware of my thoughts and ‘taking in’ things that I sometimes fail to notice; and being aware that there was ‘just me’ around - actually, in the course of my 50 minute amble, I came across just two joggers, a cyclist and a dog-walker (whose ‘companion’ looked far from impressed by the experience!).

Then back home for breakfast and coffee!     

Photo: Gaol Ferry Bridge at sunrise (from last week, not today!).

PS: Having been struggling somewhat with my spiritual life and when it comes to praying, I’m thinking about the possibility of using the wonderful Iona pilgrimage guide (“Around A Thin Place” by Jane Bentley/Neil Paynter) as a basis for some of my dawn walks – I’ve used the guide on a number of previous occasions, substituting Bristol locations for various Iona ‘reflection places’… I have a feeling that the quiet isolation might be a useful key. But I might be wrong!

Good Friday 10 April:

Watching (or rather re-watching for the nth time) my “Into The Wild” DVD the other day, it acted as a reminder that so many people seem to live such ‘needy’ lives. Relatively speaking, I think Moira and I live quite simple existences - by comparison with so many, we aren’t poor, we do need to live ‘within our means’ and we do have to be careful how we spend our money. We don’t have the ‘luxury’ of being able to help support our daughters’ families financially. We don’t own a car; we don’t go on expensive holidays; we don’t have a second home; we don’t fly (well, at least we haven’t for nearly 4 years); we don’t ‘eat out’ very often; and we don’t live in a huge house with a large garden… But, yes, we do go to the theatre or cinema quite regularly; yes, we do travel by rail when the need arises; yes, we do buy books; yes, we do enjoy our various pastimes (like ceramics and sketching); and yes, I(!) do enjoy my red wine.

Simple living is important for us.

I suspect that, in these difficult times, many of us have been asking ourselves what kind of world we want to see post COVID-19. Many of us seem adamant that we don’t want to witness things going back to the way they were. There seems to be a huge sense that we need to re-prioritise (if that’s a word!) the things that matter. The virus crisis has highlighted so many things… so much kindness shown by others (despite, unfortunately, the minority who have a selfish, ‘me first’ attitude to life); not surprisingly, the pace of life has slowed over the past weeks and people are beginning to acknowledge that, for many of us, that’s been a very positive thing; it’s been interesting to see how pollution levels across the world have dropped dramatically (eg. air quality; the waters of Venice cleaner; distant views of the Himalayas visible etc); why do we need to ‘strive for more’?; why is there so much greed?; why is there so much focus producing even greater profits?; a better appreciation of the importance of family life and relationships… and finding time to enjoy them. Simple pleasures.

In short, we need to come up with a way that promotes the planet and people above profit, whilst still encouraging trade, commerce and free creativity in the way we live work and play.

I’ve noticed that some people have begun to make ‘wish lists’ of things they want to do as soon as the virus crisis comes to an end. It’s been illuminating. I haven’t noticed any of the ‘usual’ bucket list items appearing on people’s agendas (swimming with dolphins and suchlike)… they’re much more focussed on stuff that, in the past, we’ve perhaps taken for granted, such as: hugging family members; meeting up with friends (in a bar/café/restaurant); going to the cinema, theatre etc; visiting a special place you’ve always promised that you’d go to; walking along a beach; walking through a wood or a forest… you get the idea.

The somewhat scary thing for people of my age is the horrible prospect that you might have already missed your last opportunity to do these things… and, suddenly, the depth of the crisis and all its potential consequences and implications hammer firmly home.

(Image: house banner, Redcliffe Parade).

Thursday 9 April:

Following my spiritual musings from last Sunday, I came across this reflection from Norman Shanks on ‘Church Renewal’ (“This is the Day”, published 2003, Iona Community) which I found quite helpful/hopeful:

“The Church’s vocation in each and every locality is to be a worshipping, healing, learning, serving community, faithfully living by the vales of the kingdom, modelling and embodying a counter-cultural vision, looking and reaching out beyond itself with a wider vision, to discover the light and love of God in engagement with the life of the world, standing up and speaking out against all that diminishes and disempowers humanity. In doing so it will dream and explore; it will be open, flexible and ready to take risks; it will be generous, hospitable and ready to celebrate; it will not be a ghetto but keen to co-operate and engage; it will be a transforming community – influencing others for good, and being transformed itself in the process; it will be resilient and persistent, however hard the way, and it will be marked by joy and an eagerness to celebrate.”

Wednesday 8 April:

Daily exercise? Moira and I have been going for daily walks during our self-imposed self-isolation regime…

According to the BBC website on 15 March: “Every Briton over the age of 70 will be told ‘within the coming weeks’ to stay at home for an extended period to protect themselves from coronavirus. When it happens, they will be asked to stay home for ‘a very long time’, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said. The government is to release social distancing advice for elderly people on Monday - but they will not yet be asked to self-isolate for long periods”.

On 23 March, the government ruled that (all) people should stay at home and only leave the house for these four reasons:

1.    Shopping for necessities

2.    Once a day for exercise

3.    Medical need or providing care

4.    Travelling to or from work (if you can't work from home)

Well, it seems that (at least) some of us over-70s at high risk from coronavirus have now actually been officially told to “stay at home at all times”. Yesterday, I received a letter from NHS North Bristol Trust stating: “The NHS has identified you… as someone at risk of severe illness if you catch coronavirus. This is because you have an underlying disease or health condition that means if you catch the virus, you are more likely to be admitted to hospital than others. The safest course of action is for you to stay at homes at all times and avoid face-to-face contact for at least 12 weeks from today… This will protect you by stopping you from coming into contact with the virus”.

Then, at the end of yesterday afternoon, I received this text from UK.Gov: “NHS Coronavirus Service: Your condition means you are at high risk of severe illness if you catch coronavirus. Please remain at home for 12 weeks unless a healthcare professional tells you to leave. You will get a letter from the NHS to confirm this”.

This was immediately followed by a further text from UK.Gov: “NHS Coronavirus Service: You can open a window but do not go outside your property. Ask others to take rubbish to bins and to walk any pets. If you need a repeat prescription…”.

A strict interpretation of the above would seem to indicate that my daily walks seem to have come to an end? Is that correct?

This morning’s ‘The Independent’ newspaper stated this:

“It emerged thousands of vulnerable Britons at high risk from coronavirus have not yet been told they should be staying indoors for 12 weeks. With the peak of the virus thought to be several days away, officials have admitted there have been ‘mixed messages’ about which people should be ‘shielding’…”.

The BBCwebsite (1 April) provided this explanation of ‘shielding’:

“More than a million people most at risk of needing hospital treatment if they catch coronavirus are being asked to stay at home for at least 12 weeks.

This "shielding" is to protect lives.

Why do it?

Cases of coronavirus are increasing rapidly in the UK, which suggests it is circulating in the community and spreading from person to person.

While everyone is being advised to keep their distance from other people to help stop the spread, some people with underlying health conditions need to take even more precautions to protect themselves.

Who should do it?

Those most at risk, who include:

·         Solid organ transplant recipients

·         Some people with cancer who are undergoing treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy

·         People on immunosuppression drugs

·         Women who are pregnant and have heart disease

·         People with severe respiratory conditions - cystic fibrosis, severe asthma and COPD

·         Some people with rare diseases such as severe combined immunodeficiency

Anyone in this highest risk category who has not received a letter from the NHS by Sunday 29 March 2020 or been contacted by their doctor should get in touch with their GP or hospital doctor by phone or online.

This does not include all elderly people, although they are strongly advised to practice social distancing and only go out if really necessary”.

I’m assuming that I’m on the “at risk of severe illness” list due to my possible ‘pulmonary fibrosis history’ (from April 2017). But I’ve been given a clear ‘bill of health’ at my annual checks (and I now feel absolutely fine), so I don’t actually consider myself as having a “severe respiratory condition”. Clearly, in the current circumstances, it’s impracticable for the NHS to be able to clarify every individual’s precise circumstances but, for the time being at least, I’m going to continue to take my daily walks (taking due care and doing so at times to minimise any potential proximity with others). In due course, depending on how things develop, I suspect the government might impose a “stay at home at all times” ruling for ALL over-70s… and, who knows, maybe for the entire population?