23rd June 2020

The number of people who have died in the UK after testing positive for coronavirus has increased by 280. The government announced today that Downing Street will no longer hold daily press briefings. Boris Johnson has outlined plans to allow pubs, restaurants, cinemas, museums, and galleries to reopen on 4 July, marking a significant easing of lockdown restrictions in England. The two-metre social distancing rule will be relaxed to a minimum of “one metre-plus” wherever maintaining a two-metre distance is impossible.

The second day of our promised ‘return to summer’ was indeed a very warm and pleasant one, with hardly a cloud in the sky. During my morning cycle, I picked up Peter’s mail, scanned it on my return home, and emailed him the attachments. I haven’t heard from him for over a month, so I left a message asking whether he still intends to return to the UK. New Zealand is now virus-free, so I assume he will be able to fly back if he wishes.

Sue finally met up with Doreen, and they spent the morning chatting in the Memorial Garden in the town centre. Having been in ‘ultra’ lockdown in her managed apartment block since March, Doreen was relieved to get out and talk to someone face-to-face.

I pottered about in the garden, enjoying the sunshine and tying up a few more grapevines before eventually deciding, late in the afternoon, that I should do something productive before the day was done. I settled on my least favourite task and painted three short fence panels.

Sarah received some good news today: they can register Alice Thelma’s birth on Thursday. Perhaps they may still consider adding my suggestion of ‘Buttercup’ as a middle name?

In the evening, Jamie popped over to borrow some golf clubs for Joey, as they were on their way to the driving range to hit a few balls. Hopefully, if COVID-19 and time allow, I may be able to organise a round of golf with them, Suraj, and Lucas later in the summer. Should be fun.

24th June 2020

The number of deaths in the UK rose by 154.

Britain basked in sunshine on the hottest day of the year so far, with the Met Office confirming that temperatures peaked at 32.6°C.

Before the sun became too fierce, Charlotte and Ellis decided to cool off with a paddle on the water. They set off early with Harry and borrowed my canoe. While they splashed along the canal, I took Harry for a long walk down the River Welland so he could cool off and have a drink whenever he needed. I brought him back very wet and very muddy.

While canoeing, Charlotte and Ellis were listening to naturalist Steve Backshall on the radio. Seizing the moment, Ellis sent him a text saying he was listening while paddling down the Grand Union Canal. He was later thrilled to hear Steve mention him on air.

After picking up Harry and returning home to Rothwell, I set about trimming one of the rear garden hedges while there was still some shade. I managed to complete the task just as the sun reached its zenith and sweat began trickling off my nose. As ‘mad dogs and Englishmen’ are prone to do, I followed my morning ‘sauna’ with a couple of hours watering and hoeing the vegetable patch after lunch. It took an ice-cold can of cider and a freezing shower to bring my body temperature back to something resembling normal.

A wiser Sue stayed indoors for most of the day, working on her ancestry charts.

Lucas had a visit from a school friend whose family had been self-isolating since last February; no doubt he was desperate to see someone other than his parents. Meanwhile, Ruth and Jamie have now bought their own inflatable canoe and took it for a trial run in the early evening. It was a steep learning curve.

25th June 2020

The UK death toll from coronavirus has risen by 149 in the past 24 hours, bringing the official total to 43,230. A nationwide clap to thank the NHS will take place next Sunday at 5 pm, on 5 July, marking the 72nd anniversary of the NHS. The hope is that this will become an annual tradition.

Regardless of the current pandemic, this is the least we can do as a nation to acknowledge the selfless work of those in the NHS. It should serve as a constant reminder to present and future governments of the UK, leaving them in no doubt that its citizens value and praise the ethos of this institution. Tinker with its core principles at your peril. The NHS belongs to the people and is founded on a common set of principles and values that bind together the communities it serves, both patients and the public, as well as the staff who work for it.

A hot, sleepless night brought no respite in the early hours of the morning. Sue and I had planned to attempt a ramble from a route emailed by the U3A walking group she is a member of. Wisely, we decided to wait until morning to check the temperature before committing. At 7:30 am, it was already 24°C, a clear no-go!

I did, however, embark on my morning cycle, dressed down in thin shorts, a T-shirt, and sandals, though I opted for a much shorter route than usual. Sue sheltered indoors all day, continuing her work on the Family Tree. I ventured out before lunch to mow the rear lawns at a gallop before retreating to the shade of the dining room awning, where I potted up a few flowers. I have no idea what they are, but I found them growing wild under one of the apple trees and decided they might look nice in the raised flower bed by the greenhouse once established.

The first phone call of the day came from Peter in New Zealand. It’s winter there, and although he misses the English summer, he’s in no hurry to return. He told me his return ticket with Qantas likely won’t be available until next year. Though life is back to normal for him, he is concerned about new cases of the virus being brought into the country by travellers from abroad.

My next call was from John Lee in Bourne. We agreed to meet up for a walk next Tuesday somewhere in Rutland he offered to plan the route. Fingers crossed for good weather, as we haven’t seen each other since last October.

I then rang Jim and Bridget in Cyprus to check on the progress of their house sale. The good news is that contracts have been exchanged, and they must vacate the property before August. Now, they’re just waiting for their Russian buyers to confirm a date.

The final call of the day came from Jamie, asking whether we could look after Maddie, Rocky, and Nala from the 10th to the 20th of July while he and Ruth holiday in Gran Canaria. Of course, we said yes, though I’m intrigued to see whether they’ll have to self-isolate for two weeks upon their return.