Covid 19 June 30th to July 4th 2020.
This week we passed 100 days since the UK was locked down.
We were a bit tired on Monday after a busy weekend and staying up until 11.30 on Sunday watching David Bowie at Glastonbury did not help matters.
The birthday coffee cake was superb as was the Scampi Provençale. I made a banana loaf alter in the week, which was like a soggy brick, it tasted nice but very wet.
We nipped to Aldi, the roads in town are nearly back to normal traffic wise, although there are still a lot of people working from home. I remember venturing out in April and feeling guilty for driving to the supermarket and not seeing another car on the road. Tuesday was a drizzly day but we managed to keep going in the garden and filled up the green bin. I then reproofed the hood on the Saab having been shamed into it by Martyn. It does look a bit better but it is past its best I fear.
Wednesday I went for a walk with the “walking group” girls. They walk at a canny speed and I found it hard to keep up. Also Sue took us up along Sheepridge lane which was overgrown with nettles and thistles so we all got stung and pricked. I was not very happy, loved the company but I like a walk not a route march, also felt bad that they had to keep waiting for me, it took the shine off a bit. We stopped at Adele’s for a coffee after and she had made me a strawberry and cream birthday cake it was delicious.
The weather has been a bit off here this week, warm and a bit drizzly at times, windy too with the occasional downpour.
Ian went walking on Thursday; the weather was looking reasonable when he set off however they did get caught in torrential rain. I was a bit concerned, as he had only taken a pack-a-mac with him. When they arrived back home they had mostly dried out but had had a good drenching.
Thursday night Suzy & Paul M, Donna and Paul T came round for our weekly chat. It was very nice as always. Suzy is back at work she is currently working on Jurassic park. Paul is looking for another film to work on and is currently lined up for 3. It was very interesting to hear them talking about actors, Suzy says Claire Foy is the most amazing actress she has ever met. She can turn on tears and emotion at the click of a finger. Paul T is a bank manager and his new client is Gino D’Acampo he says he is totally mad, but just like he is on the TV. As I say very nice and different conversation too. Although it was a bit chilly and overcast we sat outside until 10 to 10.
Donna S and Kev have had a big falling out with Suzy and Paul M over car parking. There has been shouting in the street mainly from Donna S. We are keeping our heads down over that one.
There are too many Pauls and Donnas here now sorry for any confusion.
Marion (2 doors down) is back from hospital but is unable to look after herself so she has gone to live with her daughter down the road. The son has been in to Marion’s house and ransacked it and taken a load of stuff. Paul M (next to us) had the police round to ask if he had seen anything and what were the family like as the son is reporting that the Mother has kidnapped the mother to get her money and the house. Larry (Marion’s husband) died at the start of the pandemic (don’t think he has been buried yet) and she has been alone most of the time since then. She had a fall and has been in hospital for a few weeks.
What a lot of goings on.
I did some work down at the Age Concern Garden on Friday morning then we tried to patch up where we knocked the render off the garage wall. So far it looks ok, will probably get up in the morning and find it has slid off.
This afternoon at 4 we have a zoom meeting with 8 people. They are all the ones that we went to Glastonbury Festival with the very 1st time. Ian and I are thinking we will just be sitting there while everyone else talks over each other, I have not done an 8 person virtual chat before, I am sure it will prove interesting. Simon will probably have some rules about who can talk when. It was ok actually and worked quite well. Nice to catch up although some plans were made to revisit the festival the year after next. Hmmm
Helen thinks that she will loose her job next week, Simon is not enjoying his job at present as with the need for cleaning hospitals etc increased, the demand for goods is high and supply is difficult.
Rhiannon has gone to Tenby with Sophie, pretty sure she is not allowed to do that just yet, but Jeremy’s parents are vulnerable and you are allowed to travel to a bubble. Rhiannon said she was nervous when driving in case she got stopped.
Saturday morning we took a stroll down into the town to see what is happening with pubs opening etc. Still fairly quiet, a lot of the shops are still shut, some have permanently closed. The chain restaurants are not opening just yet and many of the pubs are not opening on the 4th. The Old Brewery was open in the high street and had a few people inside early doors. The main thing were the queues for the barbers, and people sitting outside whilst they waited, it looked fairly quiet in the hairdressers on the High St. though. Strange to see people wearing masks and face shields whilst cutting and having their haircut. The farmers market was on so we had a stroll around there. A pop up pub was selling pints of beer and wine, this woman had a pint of lager as she was walking down the street and said to someone it's been a long 3 months. Do you think she hasn’t had a drink at all during this time and does she normally walk down Marlow High St with a pint of beer, no I don’t think so either, but I might be wrong.
The Stay Inn was open on Saturday, all the beer gardens were closed due to inclement weather although it was 20 degrees in Marlow but windy and showery. The St Merryn contingent were late in attendance as they had been out into Padstow to visit a new drinking venue that had just opened that day, the previous owner of Bin Two has another new business it looks very nice and judging by the merriment of the Griffins a good time was had by all. Mind you if they are taking their custom elsewhere the Stay inn might have to go into administration, as it can’t afford to lose any customers.
Traffic jams were reported heading down to the South coast on Saturday, the A303 had miles and miles of traffic queuing and also the M5 was rammed. Is this how the virus will re spread or are we safe? It's a big question and I think we all know the answer, hopefully we are wrong but the Scientists keep telling us we MUST socially distance or it will spike again.
It appears that in the main people were drinking and social distancing responsibly. In London there were crowded streets and pubs, the Government has again warned us to look at the rest of the world and see that second waves are happening
We should have flown out to Lisbon on Wednesday for a Lisbon, Porto break. We will get a full refund less £5 for ATOL charges. What is that all about?? The taxi company have given us a voucher to use next time we are there, that might be fun trying to get that back. Its only £19 so no big deal, but cheeky. I am sure I will be able to transfer it somewhere else.
The virus is on the increase again and Leicester has gone into lockdown, only essential shops open and travel is restricted and the schools have to close again. They say lack of social distancing is to blame. This is the 1st local lockdown in the UK there is a spike of 800+ cases in Leicester.
Britons working from home have spent £2 billion on office equipment. Estate agents say that people looking to move have office space as one of the must have requirements.
Bucks Council have ordered 850 laptops and routers for vulnerable pupils to enable them to study at home.
Café rouge and Bella Italia have gone bust and most importantly the lovely card and gift shop in Bourne End has gone under too.
Scotland has announced that wearing of face coverings in all shops will be compulsory from July 10th.
Air Bridges have been announced but Nicola Sturgeon is not allowing flights into Scotland.
Pubs can open at 6am tomorrow morning 4th July. (We won't be setting our alarms for that)
You can get married now but must wash your hands immediately after exchanging rings. No singing allowed either.
The FTSE 100 is bobbing around the 6150 to 6250 all week.
I went shopping on Thursday into Wycombe and it was noticeable how many people were wearing face coverings. Just visited 1 shop out of the town, didn’t go anywhere near the town centre.
People went to the hairdressers at midnight last night, they have waited 100+ days a few hours surely won't make that much difference. Then as its early hours of the morning they go home and sleep and mess it up. Duh!
Reading this back there has been a bit too much Cake going on.
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| Not a queue for Sainsburys but the barbers next door. |
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| Outside the Coach. |
1 comment:
Come on Mrs F; where the next instalment??!
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