Happy days at Kolossi, Cyprus in 2012! Memories! |
Hello Peeps,
So, it's the sixteenth week of lockdown. However, there is a difference here in the UK. Boris has eased our restrictions and we are enjoying visiting hairdressers, pubs, zoos, cinemas, shops, or to put it simply, 'going out'. Unfortunately, the dreaded lurgy has not departed our shores nor any other. The virus figures are accelerating at a fast pace and two areas of Spain are back in total lockdown, while Australia has a severe outbreak in Melbourne. Brazil and India are seeing leaps in their number of cases and fatalities. We need to stay vigilant. So, what did I have to share peeps last weekend? Here goes.
Day 103, July 4th Super Saturday. Independence Day in
America.
I was late rising this morning. Its still bleak, drab and windy
but not cold. Its rather like summer has taken a holiday and we have moved to
autumn. Thinking back to December 31st last year; not so far down
memory lane. I went to the local Oldbury retail park and visited Costa for my
panini and latte. Hmm yes, that used to be my little treat. Whenever, where
ever, I would go inside a Costa, get my food and drink, sit down inside and
enjoy. On that particular day it was so warm that peeps were sitting outside in
shirt sleeves (plus a few other items of clothing) and shades, enjoying both
the refreshments and the weather. Sunshine and warmth in December when we were
more accustomed to snow. It was odd and unusual. Now today, no chance of
sitting outside and it’s July. It is very true our world is changing and so is
our climate. Alas, whatever we believe we are not in charge of these external
forces.
So super Saturday has arrived. I have the BBC news channel on,
and it seems that some hairdressing salons were open at 12.01. The earliest
possible time today and peeps were queuing for professional hair treatments. A
reporter was in a Lancashire salon talking with someone who spoke of the
excitement of getting ready to venture out after staying inside for 15 weeks.
Such joy. We were shown round the salon. It looked almost alien, staff wearing visors,
clients wearing masks after being questioned and having their temperature
taken; no pretty mags to read, no drinks, chairs a meter apart.
Again, there are numerous companies talking of downsizing and
job losses. I would name them but there are so many and it’s an everyday
occurrence. A large number are in the aviation industry but also retail. Many
stores like John Lewis, for example, will not be reopening all of their
previous stores. A new way of life has developed. Peeps, where possible are
still working from home. I do not see the daily rush hour returning. Working
from home is the new norm. As staying at home, staying safe has become the ‘in
thing’. Peeps have become accustomed to shopping on the Net. It’s like a new
habit and one which I think will continue. Goodbye to traditional shopping.
Memory lane, again. Back in the fifties, I remember going on the
bus each Saturday morning to Newark for the weekly shop. Our little hamlet did
not have shops. The bus was more like a charabanc. There were very few of them,
and the maximum number on board would be about 30. I remember looking along the
Fosse Way waiting for that bus or anything to trundle along the road. If one
car travelled by in ten minutes, it was exciting. Now, that road is a duel
carriage way with scores of vehicles zooming along at 70 mph. In those days the
top speed of a vehicle was 30 and that was fast. Eventually, the bus from
Nottingham would come into sight and take several minutes to arrive at the
stop. We would board and ride into town. If it filled up I would be ordered to
stand up and give my seat to an adult. That was normal practice. None of this,
well she got here first or has paid for the seat. Parents automatically told
their progeny to give up the privilege of sitting down.
Once, in Newark we would start at the market and then the shops
on the high street, butchers, greengrocers, grocers, fishmonger’s etcetera were
all separate places. The supermarket had not been invented. We queued in each
shop and I recall my mother having conversations with others in the queues.
There was no rushing. Usually, after all the shops our last call was Woollies. (For
youngsters that shop used to be F.W.Woolworth; it went into liquidation about a
decade ago although it was thought of as an institution). Even in there, everything was at
separate counters, sweets, clothes, hardware, cosmetics etc and you queued at
the counter. That was the old way of shopping. Then, the supermarket arrived
followed by retail parks heralding the death of the high street shopping
experience. Now, it seems we’ve moved on again and shopping has become an
internet experience. Good for delivery peeps. Well, the art of conversation
disappeared with the advent of the box. All you see of your product before
purchase is a pretty pic. Changing times!
Pubs, restaurants, and cinemas are now open. I have already
mentioned that there is no Silver Screen cinema for the over 55’s. I have such
fond memories of the Thursday morning cinema group. We all chatted and sat in
our own seats with bikkies and drinks, but we were largely single peeps. It
would take up too much room, even with seating one metre apart. I suspect that
restaurants and pubs will be pretty much the same. So, single peeps, think we
have to stay at home. The seating will be designed for ‘bubbles’. It would be
nice to sit in Costa again! For those going out this evening, remember you have
to give personal details and fill in ‘track and trace’ forms in case the person
in the next ‘bubble’ happens to have contracted the dreaded lurgy. Loud music
is forbidden because it would mean raised voices and a greater chance of spreading
the lurgy. Temperature taking is now like CCTV. Everywhere. So, be prepared to
have your temperature checked. Try not to be too shocked at the new appearance
of the hostelry and its ambience. There’s gonna be Perspex glass everywhere.
Perspex glass companies are one of the few unlikely to be out of business in
the near future.
The first weddings are taking place, after three months of their
non-existence, but a maximum number of 30 and only close contact with those in
your bubble. I’m thinking again… memory lane. “I’m for ever blowing bubbles…”
Who else remembers those tube things you used to get with a kinda of small
circle on the end of a stick which you blew through and you got pretty bubbles?
Childhood memories. Can you still purchase those things?
It’s afternoon and lunchtime while I listen for those melodic
tones. Also, time to make that phone call.
Yes, the person I missed yesterday answered today and we had a
long chat. Alas, my Antonio did not make an appearance.
Figures! I’ve just checked local figures and they’ve shot up by
600. It’s higher than its ever been remembering that it dropped down by 200/300
about two weeks ago and then just a few cases each day. Scary, although I’m not
surprised after the recent marches in Birmingham. The global figure is 11,303,942.
The USA is approaching 3,000,000. Brazil is almost at 1,500,000. Spain has had
a rise in cases and has imposed restrictions on certain areas. Will we still be
allowing peeps to fly there? Australia has reported a rise of cases in the
Melbourne area . India also has a rise in the number of new cases. What baffles
me is that we seem to have lost about 30,000 cases. In the middle of June we
passed 300,000 but now only have 283,757. What’s happened? This is weird. If
you have cases they are either in recovery, active or death status they cannot
suddenly disappear. Peeps still want to go on holiday? This is all a mystery to
me. Miraculously, by losing a few thousand cases we are now eight in the league
table instead of fifth.
Evening time. Dinner. Have resorted to watching old videos. Yes,
I still have videos and recorder. Have just watched, The Daughter of Rosie O’Grady.
I videoed it thirty years ago, the sound
quality wasn’t brilliant but the pic was good.
Soon be bubble bath time and bed. Back tomorrow.
Day 104, Sunday, July 5th NHS 72nd
birthday.
Good morning Peeps. Sunday for me is a special day and I look
forward to Songs of Praise and, if I’m lucky a church service! There is
talk of a second wave of the dreaded lurgy in the winter. Is that why we have
all these Nightingale hospitals? If that does happen, then the Sunday morning
church service will probably make a return.
Church services are taking place for the first time in three
months but no singing of hymns as it is believed singing, by it’s nature of
raising the voice, could lead to the dreaded lurgy being spread through the
droplets being spread further a field.
However, today is a more special Sunday than usual. The NHS was
born 72 years ago in 1948. I believe in those days there was renewed optimism
for a brave new world, a rebirth and new beginning after the austerity of the
war years. What went wrong? Personally, and I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I
fear it was my generation who messed up. We experienced the ‘you’ve never had
it so good’ years when things changed in the sixties. It was a time when we enjoyed
a tidal way of good fortune. We rode on that wave and we were going to make
even better ones. We could change the world by our protests and marches for
freedom, union power, solidarity and removing restrictions, discipline and the
old order. We did not understand the concept of the wisdom of the years. We
believed the wisdom of youth was the way forward. How wrong were we?
Well, this afternoon at 5.00 pm we are going outside to clap for
the NHS again. There’s a lot of noise outside again. Two doors down the
youngster is outside playing a kind of tennis game with one of the adult’s
resident in the house. She, an only child, and on her own in a house of adults since all of this
started, what will she think of it or remember in her adulthood? Will today’s
youngsters really suffer from mental illness or other problems as a result of
these horrendous but challenging days?
Antonio has delivered. So, I’m happy today.
Let us have a look at the situation. Globally, we are almost at
11,500,000. Accelerating. We have still lost 30,000 cases and according to the
data today we only have 22 deaths. Don’t believe it. Some good news is that
most peeps were sensible yesterday; there were only a minority who became intoxicated.
Places were not overflowing with peeps determine to celebrate freedom. May it
continue until the next lockdown!
5.00 pm. I’m off outside clapping. Where is everybody? Just me.
Not having that. Go and bang on a neighbour’s door. It seemed that the message
of today’s session has not reached West Brom. Well, I did my bit.
It’s gonna be a relaxing, lazy evening. Tomorrow we begin week
16 of lockdown. It is still lockdown; whatever peeps choose to think. As long
as there are new cases daily, deaths daily this virus is here, and we are in
lockdown.
Sleep well and stay safe. Lady M xxxx
This was a fantastic idea. I really should have followed your lead instead of letting writer's block paralyze me when this hit. Well done, Marilyn!
ReplyDeleteThanks, my friend. I am now approaching 90.000 words. Should make a good book for the tenth anniversary.
DeleteIt's a very informative and human post. I enjoyed reading through your blog.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
ReplyDelete