A sorry note to end on but a brighter future ahead.

 Christmas has come and gone, we had a nice couple of days and enjoyed them very much. We did not over purchase food so have very little in the left-overs stakes and back to normal eating after Christmas day.

Our Goose fed us well for a few days and lastly became a hoisin Goose and noodle stir fry.

 We have been out for a few walks, but Marlow is overcrowded, and the High Street continues to be flooded with people. Why do people need to have coffee after a walk (that’s if they have even been for a walk and not just a stroll down the town) and feel the need to queue in the High St for the sacred beverage. I keep saying this is TIER 4 and the message is STAY HOME. Yes, get your exercise but go home for your coffee and don’t linger in groups.  it is getting really really bad out there. Over 50,000 cases reported yesterday and the hospitals are getting overwhelmed.

There are conflicting reports about the Nightingale hospitals reopening and or being dismantled. 

The data below is before any adverse effect of Christmas mingling

 Government statistics show 71,109 people have died of coronavirus, up 357 in the previous 24 hours, while the total number of confirmed cases is now 2,329,730, up 41,385, and hospital admissions since the start of the pandemic are now 257,757 up 2,143. Updated 29th DEC

Loads of people out and about running but it’s too cold for us, fair weather runners.Jeremy & Nic are having to self-isolate after getting pinged on the NHS App, probably from an hour or 2 on Christmas day in the Cornish. 

Snow has snarled up parts of the country but none here, we have had the most beautiful sunrises and the last 2 days have been quite sunny in parts enabling us to get out and about in the countryside away from everyone else.

Our usual walk in Hurley was thwarted the other day as during storm Bella or whatever this one was named a tree was blown down and blocked the road.

30/12

Another briefing this evening and as expected it’s not good news. Infection rates are escalating at a pace. In September 1 in 90 people were positive for CV19 today it is 1 in 70. More places have been placed in T4 nowhere is in T1 and Cornwall move to T3. 78% of population in T4. There is an uptick of the new variant in all areas. Personally, I am annoyed that the Media are calling this variant the English Variant like we developed it, actually we discovered it.

JVT says we are in a very dangerous situation.

Nightingale hospitals are being readied and in Manchester Nightingale some patients are already being treated.

Secondary schools have been delayed in opening until the 18th January and Primary schools are to go back on the 4th but pupils are to be tested beforehand.

A roll out of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine is in hand as the Vaccine has been approved for UK use. Hopefully this will speed things up and we will all get vaccinated soon, however there is a supply and logistics issue. Marlow has had problems finding a suitable place to administer the vaccine, but I think that has been resolved now.

Martin Tett leader of Bucks council sent out the following email today. (Extract from)

Figures up to 24 December put the number of cases now up at 514 per 100,000 and current projections are expecting this to increase to closer to 800 per 100,000 by next week. This compares to the current average COVID-19 rate in England of 402.6 per 100,000.

Of greatest concern, this increase is also being seen in our older age groups. Our rate in the over 60s population has gone up by over 60% and this is now putting our health services under very severe pressure, not helped by staff shortages through increasing numbers of positive cases and self-isolation amongst staff. The pressure on the Buckinghamshire NHS is mirrored in surrounding areas.

Taking all of this into account, Buckinghamshire Council, in consultation with NHS partners, has declared a ‘Major Incident’, amid fears the number of COVID-19 cases could overwhelm our local health and social care services. For example, hospitals in Buckinghamshire are already having to postpone or delay non urgent treatment.

I completely understand that most people are continuing to follow the government’s guidance. However, frankly some are not. Also, it would be quite tempting to see the announcement of the new Oxford vaccine as meaning that the pandemic is nearly over and we can relax. It is not over and we certainly cannot relax our behaviours. It’s vital that we all continue to play our part in helping to reduce the transmission of the virus by strictly following the current Tier 4 guidance. I would encourage everyone to stay at home as much as possible and help those who are vulnerable, by offering to collect their shopping and prescriptions etc.

Well this is it folks the end of 2020 and the beginning of the end of this situation.

On the bright side its only 12 weeks until the official 1st day of Spring and the clocks go forward, but before that we will have all the lovely Spring flowers coming into bloom to brighten our days. I am hoping that we have as good a Spring weather wise as we did last year.

Happy New year everyone and stay safe.

PS don’t tell anyone but Santa didn’t make it back to the North Pole I think he had too many Mince Pies and Sherry, we found his sleigh abandoned and the Reindeer sleeping off too many carrots, no sign of Santa anywhere though, keeping an eye out for him.

This was 2020

 The year 2020.

Well folks the year is nearly at an end, so I thought a bit of a recap was in order. 

January.

Not much going on just trying to get rid of the Christmas excesses and detox in readiness for upcoming holiday.

1st rumblings about serious flu epidemic in China.

February.

Trip to Miami and cruise to Central America visiting Grand Cayman, Cartagena, Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico and Cozumel.

Rumblings getting louder and a cruise ship is stuck in Japan with passengers on board with Covid.

March.

Mrs F’s diary starts to record events as pandemic is announced and the world struggles.

My brother has to cut short his trip to South America and makes it back home by the skin of his teeth before everything is locked down worldwide.

March also heralds the start of the walks. Skylarks, March Hares, Bluebells and beautiful Spring days.

On March the 23rd I reported that 335 people had died so far of CV19.

Boris gets Covid.

The Stay Inn is launched.

Panic buying sets in.

Rubbish tips are closed.

Blue Tit nest building starts.

Daily briefings from Downing street.

April.

Clap for carers. (Ian gets mad with non-compliant neighbours and I have to hide my good saucepans)

Waking up very early to do diary.

Streets, roads and airspace deserted.

Feeling afraid, vulnerable and frightened to go shopping. Ian goes AWOL inside supermarkets sending me into a frenzy.

Boris goes into intensive care.

Lambs are in beautiful spring meadows.

Great weather.

Home haircuts.

Blue Tits lay eggs.

The NUFC for sale drama starts.

Shopping only every other week.

 

 

May.

More gardening. Garden looking good.

Blue Tit chicks hatch.

CV testing kit developed.

Lovely sunny walks and lots of them.

Advice is to wear face masks (Not compulsory)

Hedgehogs are benefiting from lack of traffic and population gets a boost.

Marlow gets the bluest sky in the country.

Track and Trace starts.

Stay Inn beer gardens open.

Weather turns very cold and wet and windy.

Blue Tits die because of cold.

Road traffic starts to increase

June.

Lockdown easing starts, a little more freedom but not a lot.

Massive queues outside Primark and Ikea.

Clap for carers ceases.

Dentists reopen.

Marlow introduces one-way pedestrian system which is mostly ignored.

We escape to the Cotswolds for a day out

Neighbours nights in Hillside road kick off.

Glasthomebury birthday weekend.

 

July.

Holiday days start with a day trip to Littlehampton and a long-awaited walk on a beach.

Day out in Arundel.

Portugal holiday cancelled.

Beaches and parks are packed, and warnings ignored.

Trip to Knepp to see Storks that have nested.

Gazebo ordered to enable socialising outside.

Face coverings now compulsory in shops.

Cricket resumes but no one seems to have been to the hairdressers and many wear hairbands.

A very good month socially and weatherwise.

We make plans to spend Christmas in Newcastle with Joyce.

August.

Terrific heat and no rain.

 Joyce manages to get down for a week.

Pubs reopen and virus kicks off again.

Kitchen thermometer reads 31 degrees.

UK officially enters a recession.

Abundance of Blackberries.

Garden looks lovely, firefly lanterns and bunting round the gazebo makes it look very summery.

People have been travelling abroad. 

England introduces quarantine for certain countries 

Football is back on with virtual crowd noise which is just terrible.

Some days of heavy rain and raging winds.

Eat out to Help out introduced.

Neighbours fight over car parking spaces.

My Saab gets a makeover.

Blackberry vodka made.

Visit to Highclere.

Planning ahead in case of another lockdown which is always on the horizon.

SWAT team out on Hillside road with rumours of a shooting.

Pupils from Marlow and other places in the UK went to Zante and many tested positive on their return

Visit to Petworth.

2 visits to Summ Vietnamese restaurant during EOTHO

September.

Covid is on the increase again. 

Rule of 6 introduced.

Pubs and restaurants close at 10pm.

Hands Face Space slogan launched.

Infection rates highest in the Midlands and North of England.

Media claim Christmas is cancelled (Oh how little did they know then)

Stockpiling starts up again with flour and loo roll the main items.

In my September Diary I wrote Stay safe for Santa’s sake, but no one listened to me.

We had a fabulous few days away in Tenby.

Our Couch to 5k starts.

Great morning runs along the beach.

Air traffic slightly increasing.

Fire pit purchased.

First visit of the year to Vanilla pod.

Signs of Autumn appear.

  

October.

Track & Trace enforceable, NHS app is launched.

Wearing of masks in enclosed public places.

Couple of days away in Arundel.

Boris says behave or we will get locked down again.

Donald Trump and FLOTUS have reportedly got Coronavirus.

17-21 yr olds are reportedly the ones spreading the virus as Universities open up.

The nights draw in and the Jigsaws return.

Donald Trump goes mad and claims he is young and fit and immune to the Chinese plague amongst other ridiculous claims.

3 tier system introduced in England and Pubs Shut in areas of Scotland

C25K continues. 

Hotspot lockdowns introduced and Nightingale hospitals put on Standby.

Beautiful Autumnal day walks in Burnham Beeches. Loads of Acorns and Chestnuts litter the ground it is a mast year.

Marlow still in T1 but electronic signs up around Wycombe announcing you are entering a high-risk area.

Logs and coal delivered, and red wine stocked up for winter.

 

November

Downing street briefing saying we are to be locked down from midnight 4th of November.

Pubs shut.

No mixing of households indoors or outdoors.

Non-essential shops to shut.

Furlough extended to March 2021

Weather tuned cold and even a gritter lorry was out.

Ian injures his knee running.

Shelley completes C25K.

Marlow moves into tier 2 but we are in lockdown so irrelevant.

Cases per day in Wycombe are over 1000

Lots of gardening done and spring bulbs planted.

New imac purchased and set up with the invaluable help of Dr Mac

Trump loses USA elections, Bidens wins.

Ian has to give up wearing shorts as its. Now too cold.

Pfizer vaccine breakthrough announced and could be ready before Christmas.

Tragic milestone of 50,000 deaths announced.

December.

Lockdown ends and we are put back into tiers.

Vaccine roll out commences and the 1st person in the world to receive it is in `Scotland.

Our annual jaunt to Aldeburgh postponed until September 2021.

Our Christmas with Joyce is changed to a virtual one.

Ian completes the C25K.

New virus variant found and is spreading like wildfire.

Tier 4 is implemented across the South / East of England & London.

Marlow moves 3 tiers in 3 days.

The non-workers lunch and the walkers get together was carried out in our garden.

Christmas mixing households in T4 is banned and only mixing on Christmas day allowed in other tiers.

Getting ready for Christmas, house gets decorated and the Reindeer and lights are up outside.

Well that makes for some interesting if not totally pleasant reading.

We have in the main had a very good year, made new friends, discovered parts of Marlow never before visited by us. Got fitter and healthier.  We sure made the most of the times we were allowed to. Holiday days were very special and so was rediscovery of a picnic instead of a pub lunch. People were friendlier and more considerate. We as a nation rediscovered the delight in the simple things in life, nature benefitted from the lack of traffic and the skies were oh so blue and not a plane in sight or hearing distance.

Our homes and gardens have never been so tended, painted, planted and the great ingenious ways of using pallets almost became a competition.

Best of all was the weather is was fabulous and made this year bearable. We still have a way to go with this situation, but we have learnt a lot this year and need to continue to stay safe and be kind to each other.

 Thank you for reading, Merry Christmas and every best wish for 2021.

Willow observing 2 minutes silence on V E day.

Its the DOORBELL !!

Champagne, Tiers and a trip down memory lane.

Saturday December 19^th.

 

Well it happened we are now in tier 3 here are the rules. Ah no there are too many of them to put down, but basically you can go shopping on your own and a walk with a member of your household and that’s it. Until 23^rd December when all bets are off to party and mix with nearly anyone you like, and then in January, we will all be in a total lockdown or in hospital if there is a spare bed! Its best not to think about it too much as its quite depressing to dwell on and the New year is quite a daunting prospect. I am projecting my thoughts to March when all the spring flowers are going to appear, and the baby lambs will be leaping around in the sunny meadows. Ah that’s better.

 

We were going to have a Christmas drinks do (allowed 6 socially distanced in the garden) with our walking friends on the 20^th  However, as it would fall into tier 3 we had to arrange a spur of the moment do, raid the crisp cupboard, take Ian’s sacred sausage rolls out of the freezer, erect the gazebo and light the fire, all in an hour. We all had a really good time, the fire pit kept us lovely and warm and the Champagne lifted all our spirits.

 

Saturday 19^th December although we are in tier 3 and Sarah & Jon have dropped to T2 we have arranged to meet up and exchange presents, at a distance of course. Destination is the Blunsdon house hotel car park, haven’t been there for years it used to be a birthday treat to be taken there for dinner when we were young. We had a quick chat from our vehicles exchanged presents and drove off, well that’s what had to happen and strictly speaking Ian & I shouldn’t have been there.

We had a detour drive home as there was a problem on the M4 so we went via Highworth and Lambourn, nothing to hurry home for so we might as well make the pretty journey home. I pointed out various landmarks to Ian, my grans house and other family abodes, my primary school and Jon’s senior school. A good trip down memory lane it was so lovely driving over the Berkshire downs and when we are allowed will make a day out of it.

That was all so nice and to see Sarah & Jon face to face….. and then the trouble hit.

Boris had called an emergency cabinet meeting and at a briefing from Downing Street we were informed that we (Bucks) along with many others are in a new tier, Tier 4. Basically, lockdown again.

There is a new variant of the virus which is ravaging the South East and spreading like the proverbial wildfire. The rise in the rate of infection is alarming, it is changing rapidly and there is huge concern as they believe it is 70% more transmittable. So, from midnight, Bucks, Berks, London, Surrey, Essex and parts of Kent all in T4.

 

Also, major changes to Christmas rules.

T1-T3 only allowed to gather on Christmas day and T4 no gatherings from outside your own household, no overnight stays allowed in any tier and no one to travel outside T4.

On our Marlow facebook page people who were planning parties or family dinners are now offering spare food (can’t cancel the order) for free. One local pub has offered their 10ft Christmas tree as it is no longer required

 

 

Sunday 20^th Dec

 

It is a warm and sunny day, and time to take the party gazebo down, however it is still wet. We mop the wet off and try to dry it by lighting the fire pit, no joy. We then lowered it and tried to dry the inside of it, herein lies the problem. The inside is waterproof coated, and condensation keeps forming on it. Resolved the issue by wiping it down and then drying it off with the hairdryer, well that took care of a few hours. We then decided to go for a walk and went the Munday Dean route, up the pig track and back down the hill through Munces Wood. With the very recent restrictions it brought back memories of all the walks we did in the Spring. Season wise we have really come full circle, just this last bit of winter to endure.

Masses of Sunday afternoon walkers were about, normally we don’t meet anyone along the way, but we always avoided going out at weekends.

Chaos reigns on the roads as Europe seems to be cutting us off, with French ports shut and countries banning us to travel there.

A mass exodus from London continues with trains packed to the rafters. So, people in the highest infection area (of the new rapid spreading variant) are now unleashed throughout the rest of the country.

 

 Government statistics show 67,401 people have died of coronavirus, up 326 in the previous 24 hours, while the total number of confirmed cases is now 2,040,147, up 35,928, and hospital admissions since the start of the pandemic are now 249,471, up 2,034 

Sorry to end on a bum note but that’s how things are at the present but……

 

Only 4 sleeps to Santa

To party or not to party that is the question.

Let’s talk about the weather, well there’s not a lot else to talk about unless its Covid or Brexit related. We have had some good sunny days and some terrible rain. On Monday Ian ran along by the River at Hurley and the road was badly flooded He had to pullup sharply and has consequently sustained an injury. I did not run as still limping around so had a jolly stroll around the loop, swishing through the flooded road watching a Buzzard soaking up the sunshine and various other birds enjoying a warmish sunny morning. My phone had died so Ian could not contact me, and I was dawdling along waiting for him to come around the 2^nd loop but when I eventually got back, he was hobbling around the car park rather wet and sore, oops. We are coming to the conclusion that maybe running is not that good for you!

So here we go on the Covid front. London and parts of Essex and Kent have moved into tier 3 as the infection rate is growing at a rather alarming rate. Also, they have discovered there is a variant of the virus which may be the reason for the increased spread of infection in the South East. These viruses are clever little nasty things. It appears that it (the virus) has developed a variant so it can spread itself more rapidly as things were slowing down due to lockdowns. Do viruses have brains, how did it work that out?

Infection rates in Wycombe are falling but are going through the roof in Buckinghamshire. This is in the main due to Aylesbury vale and Milton Keynes. It does put us however in jeopardy of going into tier 3 either later today or by the weekend. Bucks council have just sent out an email warning us that this might happen.

It has been discussed that the Christmas easing should be abandoned but Downing street are against this, if they think this is going to help with any re-election voting they need to think again as any good will created by the easing will be wiped out when we are all dying like flies in January (well the party goers anyway). People are being urged to use their own common sense and not gather. A lot of our friends are not visiting families and friends over the Christmas period.

We had our non-workers Christmas lunch yesterday (Socially distanced outside). Strictly speaking it should only be Ian & I as Rhiannon now has a part time job. She says it is so low paid as to not count as work, so we have allowed her a waiver. Jeremy is also allowed a waiver as he has been trying to give up work for the last 3 years. We sat in the garden (only allowed gatherings outside in tier 2) as it was a mild sunny day with no rain forecast. We had some lovely Christmas nibbly things from Aldi and then steak sandwiches. Some Champagne was also consumed. The fire pit kept us warm and even though we had a short sharp shower and the umbrellas came out it didn’t dampen our spirits or determination. We had a good laugh at our own ridiculousness, but it was better than not doing anything the food and wine were good and great to have some face to face company.

Tomorrow is going to be a lovely sunny day; Ian and I are both getting haircuts and maybe get a walk in. At present (Weds 16^th) it is cold and miserable; Ian is watching the shouty cooking programme aka Master chef. Why are all the contestants deaf or is it just Greg Wallace that can’t hear much and has to shout all the time so he can hear himself pretending to be a chef.

 

Talking about food, this week’s menu consisted of the following.

 

Chicken Curry

Sticky braised brisket

Egg Curry (made with left over sauce)

Steak sandwiches with caramelised onions.

Moussaka and salad. I haven’t made one for years and today remembered why, there are so many component parts to it, but it kept me out of trouble for a while and it looks very good even if I say so myself.

As well as the infection rate being high the Mince Pie consumption is on the increase at 62 and its just me that eats them!

As for the title question: well I think we all know the answer to that one. However there is still next year.

 

Stay safe lovely readers.

 

Are we having fun yet?

This years Tree

Willow loves to help out with the decorations

 

Vaccine gets rolled out in UK

 Tuesday December 1st

Another trip to the Spade Oak for a walk and a spot of birdwatching. Well mainly Kingfisher spotting. We were very luck and got some fabulous views. Sadly, the resplendent male Bullfinch still eludes us as does the treecreeper, but we will persevere. It was a lovely sunny day but really cold and the wind cut right across the lake. After a couple of hours, I could feel myself starting to seize up so had to go and sit in the sun a while to thaw out.

Wednesday 2/12

We all came out of lockdown and fell into our respective tiers. Our holiday to Aldeburgh was cancelled at the 11th hour but we have rebooked for September next year. We are going to miss it as we always have such a great time plus we had chosen a different cottage this year and were looking forward to a bit of a change.

Best news is the Pfizer vaccine has been approved and vaccinations could start as soon as next week. This is the one that needs to be kept at really low temperatures so it’s a bit of a logistical nightmare so implement. I think Ian & I will be lucky if we get one by March. It got me thinking that even if we are vaccinated will we be allowed to travel the world if other countries have not started the programme? I certainly hope so.

Sara came over to Marlow to see the lights and we did a bit of retail therapy and grabbed a hot chocolate in Strawberry Grove it was delicious. It was nice to get out and the High Street was ok not too busy.

We had a run 1st thing I have decided that I do not like running in the cold weather anything under 8 degrees is not nice even if there is no wind. Ian is running really well and will soon be on the last leg of the C25K weather permitting.

4/12

After various consultations and trips to the Drs for check-ups and follow ups for me , the week was nicely rounded off with a trip to Henley Hospital for Ian who had managed to ram a piece of wood down the side of his nail and it became infected. We had to sit in the car park for over an hour to be seen, it was freezing cold, but better than being inside. Having said that it was very quiet and much better than Wycombe. They had to cut part of the side of his thumb nail out to clean it, nasty but all fine in the end.

5/12

We should have been going to Aldeburgh with Jon & Sarah today. We were all a bit sad about it being cancelled but made up for it by the 4 of us having a good virtual White Hart on facetime, with both parties having a roaring fire, Ghost ship and Adnams Copper House Gin.

8/12

Vaccine roll out commences in UK.

The first person in the world was given a vaccine for Coronavirus today and it happened in the UK. In my opinion this is something we should be immensely proud of as a nation, but there are the continual whingers and moaners about how they are not having the vaccine as it might not be safe, how badly the government have handled things etc etc. It makes me so mad, this is an epic day and something to be proud of.

To counteract my rage, I made the Christmas sausage rolls, baking therapy always works. I was against the clock as I needed to get them done and ready for the freezer before Ian got back from his walk as the stock would then get greatly depleted. I did not manage it, but Ian was a very happy person, hot sausage rolls straight from the oven. Mmmmmmmm.

9/11

Today the tree is getting put up but 1st Ian’s final C25K run which was completed with ease even if he was a tad overdressed for the occasion. No, he was not wearing a Tux in anticipation of celebrating but several layers of thermal wear. His other 2 runs this week have been completed in 0.5 degrees. Today it was a balmy 6 degrees and no wind, so he soon heated up or as it turned out over heated. Congratulations Ian.

Things are rather boring as there is not much going on and we are not seeing anybody or going out anywhere, so I am going to cut back on the diary. You are probably not reading this anyway and I am just talking to myself.

Start of the final run.

 

And the finishing line.