Perhaps the last Hurrah for a while.

The 23rd of September we went to Arundel for a couple of days, a Travel Zoo deal. We met up with Liz & Ray and all stayed at the Norfolk Arms in Arundel. Up until today the weather has been glorious, sunny and warm and actually quite hot at time beautiful weather. Today however it has tuned and is much cooler and as we get nearer to Arundel it starts to rain. We park the car and go to reception and report into a grumpy receptionist who barks at us that we must pay £5 a night for the car and are not allowed to check in until 3. We meet L&R in a café and work out what we are going to do over the next couple of days and have a coffee in the riverside café. This is followed by a mooch around the town and eventually end up in the Swan for a beer. The new covid track and trace app is available today so we download that and check in. A brisk walk up to the Cathedral, a very steep hill has some of us puffing but I am glad that one of them is not I, our increased exercise load seems to be paying off. The Cathedral is shut. Some retail therapy is partaken and we return to the hotel for a freshen up before dinner. The hotel is sad looking, shabby and in need of a refurb, the room is clean as is the bathroom but the communal areas need brightening up, it is quite a cold depressing place at present. A pre-dinner drink in the Swan and then onto the Parsons table for dinner, which as always was very very good, despite the Turbot special being off the menu. Covid rules are strict and getting stricter from Tomorrow. Sorry cant really remember what we ate, I had Duck, liz had sea bream and risotto, ray had Lamb and Ian had some sort of beef. Kept awake a lot of the night with howling winds and pouring rain. However we awake to a bright sunny morning and have a walk before breakfast. Today new rules are in force, you must wear a mask in enclosed public places unless you are seated. Its table service only in pubs and restaurants. If you get up to go to the loo or entering or leaving you must wear a mask. Track and trace is enforceable today and you need to check in using the NHS app, the establishments own app or leave a name and contact details. This is applicable in cafes, pubs and restaurants. After a hearty breakfast Liz & Ian try again to get into the Cathedral and Ray & I take a stroll around the town. It is a very pretty place and there is lots of history to be learnt here. We will come back when things are more amenable and get to know the history a bit more. Cathedral visit achieved but it was rather dull and they had to insist they were allowed in, as it’s not open for tourists but both being of the Catholic faith they managed to blag their way in as there was a mass being held. A tour of the Castle gardens and the Castle itself is the order for the next part of today. We find a craft fair just outside and end up buying 7 wasgijs, enough to keep us going through the next period of isolation perhaps. The castle gardens were stunning, full, of flower and very cleverly done, it was a nice sunny day and we spent a good while walking around and enjoying it, plenty to see. Inside the castle was just as good, the family still live there but you can get into a lot of the rooms, it is truly a lovely place to visit. Back outside and the water garden are next on the agenda, hmm water garden yes but we got more water than we bargained for as the heavens opened and a torrential storm came in. We did make it to the garden but had to abandon and took sanctuary in a nearby public house, which was very good indeed. After a quick snack for lunch, the rain continues, so we abandon things and go back to the hotel and let the umbrellas dry out in the bath. It would have been nice to have sat by a roaring fire and enjoyed a glass of red but no such delights we to be had. We also had water coming in through our celling at one stage and although it was promptly sorted (Pigeon poo being the problem) There was no apologies from reception or even acknowledgement, or question if everything was now OK. Dinner that evening was at Butlers and very nice place only marred by the fact that the manager kept removing her face shield whilst showing other unmasked guests to their seats. This made Ian really mad and I had to prevent him from making a scene about it. However he was right but perhaps not in the best frame of mind to point it out to her. Even the waitresses were complaining that she was not following her own rules. Nuff said. Dinner was (Ian & I had the same) Lamb breast coated with a herby crust and served with a bacon jam. Delicious. Main was fresh grilled place with shrimps and asparagus, really lovely. Ian had a pud but the rest of us were too full. Out of the restaurant and back to the hotel by 9.45 and straight to our rooms as everywhere has to shut by 10pm, customers and lights out! There is a very good butcher in Arundel and after another good breakfast we take advantage and stock up on some good meat. We asked if they had any pigs cheeks and were promptly treated to pigs head being paraded in front of us and the cheeks removed rather swiftly and skilfully. With our purchases stashed in the car, we bid farewell to Liz, Ray and Arundel and head home via the M25 that was a horrendous traffic jam for some unknown reason. We did have a lovely time, nice to be away somewhere different and meet up with friends but very nice to be back in our own bed after 2 nights of very little sleep. Nice to be home. Boris gave a briefing on the 30th September. WARNING behave or you will get locked down. Cases are on the increase and climbing rapidly. . This week there has been the biggest daily rise in cases since the pandemic began 32 billion pieces of PPE have been stockpiled and 14 million people have downloaded the track and trace app. People continue to flout the rules and gather outside pubs and clubs in large groups. Also after closing time they are taking to the street to carry on drinking and socialising. People and the media say the governments rules are not working, its not the rules that don’t work its because some people are ignoring them. It makes me so cross to hear people whinging on why have the government shut down their town, its because people are spreading the virus by socialising, its not difficult to understand. One woman who claimed Bolton had been victimised said that they all just walked down the road to a pub that was outside the area. I rest my case. At present there is no increase in school age children testing positive. In 17-21 year old is where the problem lies (see above). Up tick in 75-85 being hospitalised and people being admitted to ICU. It was reiterated that the NHS was open for business and people should get medical help if they are suffering from other illnesses. However they warned if covid takes off again normal services would be reduced. So we have all been told. Hands, Face , Space. Take heed or things will get worse. Next morning the papers are saying its all levelling off. Where the hell did that come from, and if it is levelling off shouldn’t they at this stage keep that bit of info to themselves or the revellers will just go back to revelling and spreading? Cases in High Wycombe are continuing to increase up to 242 this morning from 6 about 3 weeks ago. An old lady bellowed at me in Aldi this week to keep way from her, Stay back she shouted, you are so impatient. I was only putting my groceries on the belt and was at least 2 metres from her. She was very rude I think that she was very frightened and it is sad that we are reduced to this fear. She only had a few items and had probably popped out whilst it was quiet and I had inadvertently upset her. Felt bad about that. 4th Oct 2020 Trump and the 1st Lady have got Coronavirus. DT is in hospital although it looks like a lavish hotel suite (Obvs not the Norfolk Arms then). He has been given the Regeneron drug and claims its is a miracle from God. Boris has today warned that it will tough in the next few weeks and months and bumpy after Christmas. He is planning to relax the rule of 6 on Christmas day and let student go home for the festive period. It seems that the levelling off is due to a miscounting and a technical error. So is it really increasing I am still confused. It is freezing cold today and pouring with rain, hopefully this will keep people from socializing too much. Yesterday we ventured out whilst there was a break in the rain only to be turned back as the A404 at Bisham was flooded, we had a change of venue for a quick bout of exercise and fresh air, later managed to top up our steps with a walk into town and round the park. No such luck today. Now I must get back to my WASGIJ.