Pandemic - Part 2…

 As things got worse, then better and now are getting worse again, Sue and I have continued to work from home and to take things cautiously – shopping online and rarely venturing out where there may be crowds. We have though relaxed a bit as time went on.

We became a ‘support bubble’ for Deb (Sue’s sister) and she has stayed with us a few times, and Sue often stays over at her place so that she can spend more time with her family.

As the weather improved, we visited Chris (Sue's eldest brother) & Lynne and spent a lovely afternoon down at the seaside in Seaford and in their beautiful garden.

 A heatwave swept across the country and we experienced temperatures in the low to mid-thirties for several days in a row leaving us sweltering and characteristically complaining about the weather. 

Our garden continued to be our refuge and we planted, cultivated and reaped the rewards of our small vegetable plot (Apples and the soft fruit was exceptional this year along with the tomatoes, cucumber and chilies).

On Sue’s birthday we took time off work and went to the seaside, enjoying a walk and fish & chips during the day. In the evening I cooked, with ingredients provided by Cotes, a restaurant chain that had adapted to the restrictions with a delivery service. It was a tasty French inspired menu courtesy of Cotes at Home. Afterwards we curled up on the sofa and watched a movie.

The street party celebrations continued and there was a special event for the 4^th July.

Our walks in the countryside evolved as we started venturing further afield, sometimes on our own, sometimes meeting up with others. We helped out at Sue’s mum’s, gardening and cleaning as she had come down with an unknown illness (tests only proved that it was not COVID-19 but not what it actually was). A couple of times we travelled to Tring to visit my uncle and his partner for socially distanced lunches in their garden.

Our virtual conversations with friends and family further afield continued and we managed to link my mum and uncle into regular family talks, which was good for all of them.

Dave’s (Sue's other brother) 60^th birthday was celebrated in Deb’s back garden and it was the first time since lockdown that mum came out (apart from those trips to hospital!).

We bought a large gazebo for our deck to provide shelter from the sun and rain so that we could entertain more outdoors and hopefully keep socialising as the restrictions of people indoors became tighter again.

Our first holiday since lockdown began was to the Peak District, glamping in yurts with friends (Deb, the Whittenbury’s – Deb, Dave, Tom, Ollie, Sam & Steve, and Paul and Lorraine). On our way up we stopped at Calke Abbey which has some impressive gardens to explore. Much of the holiday revolved around BBQ’s, Swedish hot-tubs and plenty of drinking. We were based on a farm that had camping facilities near the village of Monyash and it was here that we walked around Lathkill Dale. Driving further afield we visited the quaint village of Tissington and the market towns of Buxton and Bakewell. The weather was variable so when rain made going outside less fun, we found refuge in the Devil’s Arse cave. Partying continued in the rain though. We had some lovely walks around Carsington Water, Dovedale and the magnificent gardens of Chatsworth house.

As the summer continued, we watched Tom and Ollie play cricket on a local village green.

Jamie bought a house in Peckham, and we went to help him move. The removal deliveries were unusually by bike (an electric assisted delivery bicycle with huge trailer) run by a friend of his and called Pedal Me. later on we took mum up to visit him (along with a car full of presents).

Later in the season we went on another holiday, this time it was in a static caravan down in Cornwall with Chris and Lynne. This consisted mostly of various beaches, busy roads and finding it difficult to get in anywhere. We surmised that many people of our generation without kids (they had gone back to school) and not wishing to risk travelling overseas (many countries had started to see rises in infection rates and travellers were having to isolate when they returned) had instead flocked to the UK holiday resorts. This in conjunction with closed facilities or reduced capacity at venues, meant there was loads of traffic on the roads and everywhere was packed when we arrived. Some restaurants were fully booked for days in advance and some had run out of ingredients to make their dishes. We still managed to have fun though exploring Port Isaac, Polperro (where Sue’s dad was evacuated to during the war), Praa Sands and Falmouth (where we ended up when we could not get into St Michael’s Mount). As we left the county, returning home on the Friday, we noticed a constant stream of traffic heading back the other way undoubtable making it even busier.

Now autumn is firmly upon is and temperatures have dropped from the summer heat and clouds and rain are a more dominant feature in the sky. The days are drawing in, the kids are back at school, universities have reopened, and the infection rates have spiked again, resulting in some cities being put under stricter controls verging on lockdown again. Our companies, along with many others, are feeling the pinch economically and some are making unpalatable, but not wholly unexpected, decisions.

We are bracing ourselves for a rough winter to come and hope we all can get through and out the other side in one piece.

Pandemic - Part 1…

It has been a while since I updated my blog and that is due mostly to the global COVID-19 pandemic that has had us in lockdown since after we returned from my birthday trip away in February (I went into isolation before it was made mandatory).

I had a cold around Valentine’s Day (pretty sure it was nothing more, but now every cough and sniffle makes you nervous), otherwise we have been quite healthy (touch wood). We were worried about Sue’s mum who was very ill for quite sometime and even got ‘blue lighted’ to hospital a couple of times. It was much later that she got a test which showed she did not have it, but not the antibody test to say if she had had it before. My family in NZ have had a much better time of it thankfully as that is a huge weight of my mind, anxiety being the worst thing that I have had to deal with.

The weather improved and was unseasonably warm and dry during the strictest part of the lockdown period and so we felt very fortunate to have a garden to sit out in and an abundance of countryside on our doorstep to get our exercise in.

Sue and I set up an office space in our attic games room at either end of a gateleg table. This meant we had a regular work routine to keep us occupied and were able to leave things set up overnight without the equipment impacting our living space. Another regular event emerged for a while as people stood at their doorsteps one day a week to ‘clap for the heroes’ (NHS staff and other essential workers who were keeping the most important services working and caring for the mounting sick).

There was a rise in the use of video conference technologies to keep people in contact (Zoom and Houseparty appeared and new features were added to FaceTime, WhatsApp, and Skype). We ended up with calls almost every other night with family and friends and even ended up played a few quizzes and games using them.

Musicians and actors trapped in their homes started to broadcast shows online as concerts and shows were cancelled. These events provided a glimpse into the homes and lives of our favourite artists that we would not normally see. The Globe showed some very interesting performances, there were global musical concerts arranged, and there was even a Comic Relief Dungeons & Dragons event.

We stayed away from the supermarkets and only ventured into our local bakers and corner shop. We managed to source our provisions from other local venders who would deliver (meat from the butchers, fruit and veg from a deli/coffee shop, fish from a bit further afield, English cheese, and of course wine… …lots of wine).

We have been drinking a lot more than normal (and we were never that abstemious in the first place), but it has become one of the crutches to help us through the days. We have started doing Pilates via YouTube and have done some length walks out in the countryside, but it hardly compensates.    

As companies felt the financial pinch Sue and I made some sacrifices for ours. Sue took a pay cut and started working five days a week rather than the contracted three, and I took 10 days unpaid leave one day a week. Some of our friends and relatives were furloughed (a word that we were previously unfamiliar with but now everyone knows), and the government but in schemes to try and support the workforce. This spare day I used to do some tasks around home (paint furniture, plant and tend the garden, and even try my hand a baking).

Inspiration came from unexpected places and the country (indeed even beyond our shores) became captivated with 99-year-old veteran Captain Tom Moore who was raising money for the NHS by walking 100 laps of his garden before his 100^th birthday. His story prompted a duet with Michael Ball that went to number 1 in the charts (and gave him another record) and he raised tens of millions of pounds for charity. He was given an honorary military promotion and a knighthood for his efforts and many other people were inspired to do similar fund-raising events.

Many memes and jokes circulated as antidotes to the increasingly desperate news broadcasts and we started to learn some new terms:

Lockdown lingo

*Coronacoaster*

The ups and downs of your mood during the pandemic. You’re loving lockdown one minute but suddenly weepy with anxiety the next. It truly is “an emotional coronacoaster”.

*Quarantinis*

Experimental cocktails mixed from whatever random ingredients you have left in the house. The boozy equivalent of a store cupboard supper. Southern Comfort and Ribena quarantini with a glacé cherry garnish, anyone? These are sipped at “locktail hour”, ie. wine o’clock during lockdown, which seems to be creeping earlier with each passing week.

*Le Creuset wrist*

It’s the new “avocado hand” - an aching arm after taking one’s best saucepan outside to bang during the weekly ‘Clap For Carers.’ It might be heavy but you’re keen to impress the neighbours with your high-quality kitchenware.

*Coronials*

As opposed to millennials, this refers to the future generation of babies conceived or born during coronavirus quarantine. They might also become known as “Generation C” or, more spookily, “Children of the Quarn”.

*Furlough Merlot*

Wine consumed in an attempt to relieve the frustration of not working. Also known as “bored-eaux” or “cabernet tedium”.

*Coronadose*

An overdose of bad news from consuming too much media during a time of crisis. Can result in a panicdemic.

*The elephant in the Zoom*

The glaring issue during a videoconferencing call that nobody feels able to mention. E.g. one participant has dramatically put on weight, suddenly sprouted terrible facial hair or has a worryingly messy house visible in the background.

*Quentin Quarantino*

An attention-seeker using their time in lockdown to make amateur films which they’re convinced are funnier and cleverer than they actually are.

*Covidiot* or *Wuhan-ker*

One who ignores public health advice or behaves with reckless disregard for the safety of others can be said to display “covidiocy” or be “covidiotic”. Also called a “lockclown” or even a “Wuhan-ker”.

*Goutbreak*

The sudden fear that you’ve consumed so much wine, cheese, home-made cake and Easter chocolate in lockdown that your ankles are swelling up like a medieval king’s.

*Antisocial distancing*

Using health precautions as an excuse for snubbing neighbours and generally ignoring people you find irritating.

*Coughin’ dodger*

Someone so alarmed by an innocuous splutter or throat-clear that they back away in terror.

*Mask-ara*

Extra make-up applied to "make one's eyes pop" before venturing out in public wearing a face mask.

*Covid-10*

The 10lbs in weight that we’re all gaining from comfort-eating and comfort-drinking. Also known as “fattening the curve.

VE Day celebrations were different and some streets, such as ours, set up in the front gardens, taking advantage of the good weather, to responsibly socialise. One of our neighbours had a powerful sound system that was placed on his van and played music and reruns of historic speeches. The music show became a regular event for a while allowing us to check in with our neighbours.

We saw more wildlife as spring moved towards summer and watched the birds nesting, feeding and the young emerge. Our trips in the countryside seemed full of life as the lack of airplanes and much reduced road noise allowed us to hear and see more than usual.

Initially we were horrified as the numbers of infected and dead increased in countries ever closer to us such as Italy and Spain until we eventually saw the UK death toll surpass them. It was of some comfort that the efforts in New Zealand seemed to be much more successful. Any stoic constraint and patience the UK population may have had with the regulations and controls put in place by our government soon waned as the rules started to be questioned.

As the weather continued to be good and a series of Bank Holidays approached we were somewhat concerned as lockdown restrictions seemed to be flouted (even by government officials). People flocked to beaches and countryside in large numbers that ignored the social distancing rules. When the Black Lives Matters, protests blew up in America and spread around the world thousands of people gathered close together in groups. At a time when the infection rate was borderline under control and the death rate was decreasing many of us were increasing worried about a future spike as has been evidenced in historical viral outbreaks (like the disastrous Spanish Flu amongst others).

The lockdown was eased to allow small gatherings outdoors and now single people can extend their ‘bubble’ to one other family to help them with the isolation. More businesses are starting to open, and some children are returning to school. We though are continuing to play things safe and are limiting our interactions with others to only close family and friends now.

I am sure this will be an ongoing saga that will continue for quite some time to come. Somethings may never return to how they were before as this becomes the new normal.

Birthday Treat…

For my birthday this year we took a few days out in Oxford. The accommodation was a converted prison, and although we were not in the old cells our lovely room had large picture windows that looked out across the exercise yard at the old wing.

We walked around the historic streets visiting many of the academic and non-academic sights in the chilly but bright February sunshine. We had lunch at the Eagle and Child (a pub once frequented by CS Lewis and Tolkien), then we went onto the Thirsty Meeples game shop for a couple of games and a few cocktails.

That evening we wandered over to the Jericho Tavern to see a gig. The main act was Sarpa Salpa, but them and one of their support acts, The White Lakes, were too headbanger for us. The opening act, Sara, was fabulous.

The following day we meandered back stopping at the lovely National Trust property Greys Court House, and then onto Henley for a stroll along the Thames and a pub lunch.

A lovely weekend.

Flowers…

We had arranged to meet Jamie at the Columbia Road Flower Market on Sunday and so we took public transport there, picking up Deb on the way. We met for drinks at the lovely and hip Birdcage pub before braving the crowds through the lush market. We bought a couple of smaller plants (there were some very large examples for sale, but taking them all the way back on tubes, trains and busses was out of the question). Jamie took us for lunch at the distinctly carnivorous Flat Iron restaurant before we made our way to Covent Garden for cocktails at Maxwell’s. 

Seaside…

We took a trip down to Brighton for a Saturday afternoon/evening and had a stroll through the lanes down to the shore, which was bright but blustery. We took shelter and had a lovely fish lunch at Riddle & Finns on the Beach before taking time out to watch the new Dolittle film which was a bit of good humoured, light, nonsense (we were just filling time until the gig later).

The Bombay Bicycle Club (check out ‘Everything Else has Gone Wrong’), ably supported by Liz Lawrence (‘None of my Friends’) and by The Big Moon (‘Your Light’) played at the Brighton Centre. They were all great, but I think the venue was to big for their sound and that they would sound even better in a more intimate surrounding.

Wassail…

Recently we joined in the local Wassail celebrations.  

According to Wikipedia, the word wassail comes from the Anglo-Saxon greeting Wæs þu hæl, meaning "be thou hale"—i.e., “be in good health”. The correct response to the greeting is Drinc hæl meaning "drink and be healthy".

The purpose of orchard-visiting wassailing is to awake the cider apple trees and to scare away evil spirits to ensure a good harvest of fruit in the Autumn

The celebrations started with some song and dance at the Star in Dorking, with a Mummers play, Morris dancing by local side the Box Hill Bedlam, Isle of Wight Moonshine Border Morris and surrealist folk double act Huginn & Muninn’s humorous interpretations.

A procession took us to the Dorking West Station where a few more dances took place as others gathered prior to the torch-lit walk up to the Dorking Community Orchard, where there were bonfires to warm the outside, and marshmallows on sticks for the youngsters and mulled cider for the grownups to warm the insides.

Druidic incantations were performed, and the trees were blessed with offerings of toast and cider and evil spirits were noisily chased away with much singing and banging of drums, pots, cans etc.

Post Festive Gatherings…

The last Friday of our holiday break we went into London to catch up with Marc, Heather and Elise while they were over, meeting them at a delightful hole in the wall pub near Borough Market called the Mug House. We continued to Lobos Tapas for a lovely lunch. That evening Sue and I stopped off at Sutton and met up with a few friends to listen to the lively Ska group called Ten Tonne who were performing at the Nightingale pub.

On the weekend we drove up to Tring and had a lovely meal at Terry’s with Katherine and Rod and Jenny and caught up with all the news. The next morning, Terry, Katie, Sue and I had a walk down the canal and over the fields (passing Alpacas) on to the Valiant Trooper in Aldbury where we had lunch before walking back again to Tring Station.

Once back home it was time to get ready for the return to the daily grind.

Our (NZ) Silver Celebrations…

For our (NZ) 25^th Wedding Anniversary we went to Venice for a few days, arriving in the evening of the 28^th Dec at our accommodation, Hotel Carlton on the Grand Canal. We strolled around the immediate area and had dinner out (pizza and Aperol Spritz) at Trattoria Ai do Fradei and a rather expensive drink back at the hotel.

The next day we bought a travel pass for the vaporetto (water bus) and cruised around getting a feel for the city stopping at the Rialto bridge, Academia bridge, St Marks square, Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute, walking through the many mediaeval streets and over bridges straddling picturesque canals, and finding many more squares and churches as we went. We had a lovely lunch out on a patio beside the water at OKE and that evening we went back to the area we ate in the night before and had a few drinks and nibbles in the trendy little TiME Social Bar before having a nightcap at a little café near our hotel that was to become a regular for us.

On the following morning we went out to explore the extravagant Doge’s Palace and spent a good few hours there in amazement.

Afterwards that we took the vaporetto out towards the islands, passing the Arsenal and the spectacular Building Bridges sculpture by Lorenzo Quinn of hands clasped over a waterway, and the hospital (conveniently located opposite the cemetery island). We stopped first at the island of Murano famous for its glass making both ornamental and functional (it is thought the Venetians popularised the use of glass to correct poor eyesight). We had a simple lunch at Bar Fornace before catching another boat out to Burano, famous for its lace making and colourful buildings, and there had a snack at Sue-Zo before watching the sun come down over Venice.

Back at Venice we went for a lovely meal at Luna Sentada, a place recommended by the hostess at TiME. I tried cuttlefish with black ink pasta for the first time (it was good but I’m not sure I would have it again).

On New Years Eve we started out exploring the Ghetto area and several noisy, smelly and interesting food markets. We took the boat over to explore the Chiesa di San Giorgio Maggiore church before continuing for a late lunch at Terrazza Dei Nobili (calves’ liver in polenta, calzone). We watched the sun set for the last time this year and had a rest back at the hotel before venturing back out to the promontory opposite St Mark’s to watch the spectacular fireworks display.

For our last day in the city we took a gentle stroll around this enchanting city, stopping at the touristy and expensive Trattoria da GiorgioAi Greci for lunch.

The water taxi back to the airport was rather bumpy and uncomfortable and later, as the plane was about to land at Gatwick, the pilot had to suddenly abort due to the fog obscuring the runway and go around again, getting the computer to eventually land it. We were rather glad to get back home, exhausted from a fabulous holiday.

Christmas with the Ashtons…

We hosted Christmas this year starting with the Christmas Eve gathering of friends for our now traditional Jamaican inspired buffet.

We had 10 people around for Christmas Day which pretty much filled our small house. The fare was traditional with turkey and gammon and all the trimmings and went down a treat.

And on Boxing Day we had another, smaller, gathering of family around for more of the gammon, this time with homemade pickles.

Our (UK) Silver Celebrations…

For our (UK) 25^th Wedding Anniversary (we had our wedding in the UK on the 23^rd Dec, and a church blessing  in NZ on the 31^st Dec) Sue took me to watch the latest Star Wars film (she’s a keeper). I loved the film (Sue had a nap). Later we went and had a lovely Thai meal at the Giggling Squid in Reigate. Before the movie we went for a champagne brunch and a walk around the park in Reigate (coincidently which happened to pass by the HopStop beer bar).