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?