5th April 2020

This morning, the wind vane on top of the house was pointing south, finally signalling an end to the chill north wind we seem to have been locked into forever. The BBC weather lady promised a summery weekend, possibly stretching into the following week. The government, wise to the whims of its citizens, has flooded the airwaves and media with warnings not to go out and spread infection. Sensible advice, though unfortunately, it has to be repeated ad nauseam before some take notice.

On a slightly different tack, our cousins across the pond have been given sound advice by their president: wear masks whenever venturing out of the home. However, he promptly followed this by stating that it wasn’t compulsory and that he wouldn’t be wearing one. Great leadership, sir! So which is it? Follow medical advice, or ignore it because you know better?

Yesterday, Sue had a long chat with Aunt Gwenda in Deep River, Canada. They still seem to be in the depths of winter, deep snow and freezing temperatures. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau probably doesn’t need to remind his citizens to stay home; the weather appears to be doing that job for him.

After finishing my digging duties for the day, I set about spraying the patio, pool area, paths, and driveway with weedkiller. However, there were few weeds to be found, Sue had been at them last week! I spent some time chatting with a neighbour at the end of the driveway (social distancing observed). He was jubilantly carrying a tightly gripped case of beer back from the supermarket, quite the treasure in the current climate, a whole case rather than the restricted three items!

Hmmm, I thought, is it time to unleash my beer-making kit, safely stored atop the cupboards in the utility room? Probably not for a few weeks yet, I still have plenty of supplies, and then there’s the small matter of a garage full of wine.

For reasons unknown, Jamie persuaded Ruth to cut his hair last night. It didn’t need cutting (according to his mum), Ruth isn’t a hairdresser, and she didn’t want to do it, and, as one might expect, the result was far from professional.

Today, Sarah and Lee went geocaching for their daily exercise. As well as discovering several geocaches, they came across a warning sign stapled to a post beside a well-used pathway. Perhaps a necessary and appropriate reminder of the current danger, but it did feel uncomfortably close to ‘Big Brother is watching you!’ Jamie and Ruth had the same idea and also went geocaching for their exercise.

05/04/20

Last night, Sue and I donned our glad rags and headed to the theatre, virtually, of course. In the coming weeks, the National Theatre, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Leicester’s Curve Theatre are streaming some of their productions online. Last night’s performance was One Man, Two Guvnors, starring James Corden, from the National Theatre. An utterly ridiculous plot set in 1960s East London, but highly entertaining. I found it very amusing and often burst into laughter, though, like Sue, I initially struggled to accept its sheer absurdity. Sue gave up after 15 minutes and immersed herself in ‘catch-up’ on her laptop, but I stuck with it and was rewarded with two and a half hours of wonderfully over-the-top, hammy entertainment. Great fun. Later this week, we can glam up again, scoot off to the virtual Curve, and watch The Importance of Being Earnest.

Thankfully, Spain and Italy appear to be plateauing in their infection and death rates. If this is the case, it offers the UK a glimmer of hope that there is an end in sight. Although we are following the same lockdown strategy, British society is built more around nuclear families than the extended households common around the Mediterranean. Mathematically, this should mean our peak is lower and the corresponding dip steeper, just a hopeful theory, of course. Ultimately, it’s down to Team UK not dropping the ball.

That said, it doesn’t help when Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer had to publicly apologise today for ignoring her own advice. After repeatedly warning people not to take non-essential trips, including visits to their holiday homes, she was caught doing just that, twice. At the time of writing, she’s still in her job, but with individuals being fined up to £1,000 for such behaviour, she has lost all credibility. She should be fined heavily and sacked. Or are we expected to accept the same ‘do as I say, not as I do’ attitude as Donald Trump?

Another day, another row was dug. Tomorrow we plant!

Ruth has managed to cajole a much slicker-looking Jamie into some hard graft on this lovely, warm day. He’s built a pergola in the garden in preparation for summer, a great idea, as they may well be spending a lot of time out there. Charlotte and her family have also been making the most of their garden.

The family Messenger group has been particularly lively today, with discussions ranging from the best climbing plants for various soil conditions to identifying the owl pellets Charlotte found this morning on a foraging walk with Harry and the boys. My suggestion of something useful, such as grapevines, was swiftly dismissed by the younger members of the family in favour of purely ornamental options. Don’t they realise there’s a pandemic going on? Grow food!

Meanwhile, Lee has been getting in some early fatherhood practice while cooking Sunday lunch. I’m not entirely convinced that carrying a baby while handling hot pans is the wisest approach, but I suppose you can call me old-fashioned!