Thursday 26 March:

For Moira and for me, self-isolation is inconvenient but manageable. No, we can’t go to shops, can’t meet up with family and friends, but we’re very fortunate to have a house of our own and to be retired and not needing to work.

Of course, like everyone else, we can’t go to cafés, bars, cinemas, theatres, galleries and the like (and obviously for the likes of people like me, we can’t sketch outside - beyond the garden)… but you learn to adjust and it’s not all that difficult to cope. There are no meetings to attend; committee responsibilities have been put on hold… suddenly, you realise you don’t have to keep consulting your diary.

And, of course, we have the internet (and so we can keep up with the news; be in touch with people via social media; get access to catch-up tv, films etc); telephone/mobiles; we can get outside for exercise… and, of course, there are always books to read; music to listen to; hobbies and projects to become involved with etc etc.

Part of me is irritated that, all of a sudden, there seem to be lots and lots of people who are now living the life of us retirees!

On reflection, I think there are three things that dominate our collective thoughts: a) the uncertainty, b) the prospect of becoming a coronavirus victim and c) being able to cope financially.

But then, I think of others… and as soon as I start to do so, the list of concerns just gets longer and longer. Here are just a few:

·         My asylum-seeker friend Zabiullah: how is he coping in his shared accommodation and without the daily routine of worshipping in his local Mosque?

·         The homeless and the rough-sleepers: eg. how is my rough-sleeping friend Phil coping (hardly anyone around to give him money etc)?

·         People working in the NHS… and all the other groups of workers (supermarkets/food stores, pharmacists, delivery people, bakers, teachers looking after children of ‘essential workers’, farmers, police etc etc)?

·         People living in abusive relationships?

·         Families living in cramped conditions?

·         Single-parents?

·         Various people on zero-contracts, self-employed, freelancers, minimum wagers etc?

·         People who live alone?

·         The aged? 

After the initial turmoil and countless stories of panic-buyers/food hoarders invading supermarkets, it seems that things have started to ‘calm down’… and supermarkets realising they have adapt their ways (eg. restricting number of customers; ‘distanced’ queuing arrangements) and also, by and large, customers realising that food IS available, if only they had patience. At present, however, online delivery slots have become like gold dust.

Going outside is a somewhat eerie experience. There are obviously far fewer people (and traffic) around and, at times, it feels quite eerie. 

Lots of instances of great kindness being shown by lots of individuals and, certainly, the vast majority of people are being wonderfully generous and considerate. Of course, one also comes across instances of people behaving abominably and ignoring the isolation rules and meeting up in large groups (eg. ‘Brit blokes’ in Spain drinking large quantities of alcohol and ignoring the police; my friend Annabel witnessing students from Exeter and Falmouth Universities in large numbers ignoring the current measures; youths in Bristol setting fire to supermarket home delivery vans and then stoning the police etc etc). I just hope that such instances don’t force the government into inflicting ‘total lockdown’ rules on us all. I have a horrible feeling that, ultimately, this might be the case… which would be pretty awful.