9th August 2020

After testing positive for coronavirus, 10 people died in the UK.

Sue was up at 5 am and waiting at the gate by 6 am for the first Saddington car boot sale since last season. Naturally, there were strict rules in place regarding movement around the site and approaching the stalls. She reported that, unusually, only a few early risers had turned up at the start, though by the time she left a couple of hours later, a queue had formed at the entrance. Among her purchases was a very ornate wooden bench for the garden.

After rising considerably later, I drove to Rothwell to drop off the Singer sewing machine treadle table gifted by Aunt Josie that Charlotte was eager to renovate. This piece has been in our family for generations. It originally belonged to my Welsh grandmother and had been in Aunt Josie’s possession for over 40 years. As none of her children were interested in keeping it, Josie was overjoyed that this bit of family history was being preserved rather than sent to the recycling centre.

At 5:30 pm, Jamie, Ruth, and Joey landed back in the UK, relieved that Boris Johnson hadn’t added France to the quarantine list before their return, avoiding an enforced two-week isolation.

In the evening, I cycled down to the Beer House to meet Jim and Bridget for a drink. They’re still roughing it in their new home, as their ordered furniture is on a six-week delivery delay. At present, they have just two chairs, a blow-up bed, and a TV to keep them entertained.

10th August 2020: After testing positive for coronavirus, 7 people have died in the UK, the first time deaths have dropped into single figures!

Late on an unbearably hot evening, Jamie and Ruth arrived to pick up Maddie. As a thank-you, they brought Sue a new suitcase to replace the one damaged on their last trip.

11th August 2020: After testing positive for coronavirus, 8 people have died in the UK. Meanwhile, Trump’s rambling excuse for his handling of COVID-19 offers yet another cringeworthy insight into just how little he understands about important world events.

Another scorcher of a day.

At 10 am, I had a hospital appointment with the Podiatrist to get shoe inserts fitted; apparently, they’ll help stop my right foot from rolling over when walking. Meanwhile, Charlotte dropped the boys off at 9 am before heading off to work in Harborough for the day. Sue had been looking forward to entertaining them, so while I was at my appointment, she took them into town for a bit of an outing.

After lunch, we braved the sweltering heat for some sweaty games of table tennis in the garden. Once we began melting, we switched to a few less energetic rounds of pétanque, until we dissolved completely! In desperate need of cooling off, we retreated indoors and played a game of Tell Me until we felt refreshed enough to face the heat again.

With the air-con blasting in the car, we drove into town for ice creams at Gallones. Taking full advantage of the government’s half-price meal scheme, we shamelessly indulged in the chilly stuff. By the time Charlotte arrived at 4 pm to collect the boys, they were looking hot, sunburnt, and exhausted, but thoroughly happy.

12th August 2020: After testing positive for coronavirus, 77 people have died in the UK today. Meanwhile, the UK heatwave has shattered a 59-year record, with six consecutive days of 34°C temperatures.

On another sweltering, humid day, Sue went hydro-biking on the River Soar with her U3A Experience Group. She travelled to Barrow upon Soar, in the north of Leicestershire, where they hired some nifty waterborne craft from Barrow Boats. She described it as a brilliant experience, plenty of wildlife to be seen and a remarkably easy yet unique way to enjoy it.

Her sister Philippa travelled to Bristol to take part in the ITV game show Tipping Point. She had to be at the studios for 7:30 am, and under COVID-19 regulations, she was required to do her hair and makeup for the cameras, as well as bring several changes of clothing. We won’t know how well she did until the programme is aired, she’s keeping it a closely guarded secret! We’re looking forward to watching it when it eventually screens.

Sarah visited Rothwell to introduce Alice to Charlotte and the family.

13th August 2020; Eighteen people in the UK have died after testing positive for coronavirus.

Sue’s U3A Nature Group outing to Fermyn Country Park, Brigstock, got off to a rather fraught start. First, she mislaid the power adapter for the TomTom. After finally locating it, she was about to set off when she noticed the front offside tyre was flat! Transferring her gear into my car, I then had to break the news that there wasn’t enough fuel to get her there and back. She set off once more but returned five minutes later to ask how to open the petrol cap.

Despite all these setbacks, she made it to Brigstock in surprisingly good time. Unfortunately, after only a short while observing what little wildlife there was, a heavy thunderstorm brought the activity to a soggy end, and she was back home by 12:20 pm. Perhaps the gods did not approve of this particular outing!

That afternoon, while Sue attended a check-up at St. Luke’s Hospital, I took her car to the garage to have the defective tyre replaced. In the evening, I had planned to host a soirée in the garden with my pool-playing friends, but a series of heavy rainstorms put paid to that. Instead, Sue and I watched At Eternity’s Gate, a biopic of Van Gogh’s final years. As erratic in direction as Van Gogh’s troubled mind, it was nonetheless an interesting watch, though the rather grating musical score detracted somewhat from the experience.

14th August 2020: Eleven people in the UK have died after testing positive for coronavirus. France, the Netherlands, Monaco, Malta, Turks & Caicos, and Aruba have been added to the UK’s travel quarantine list.

Sarah, Lee, and Alice dropped Mia off at Willow Bank at 7 am before setting off for a well-deserved break in Devon. They’ll be staying in Paignton until Monday.

During Mia’s afternoon walk, I met up with Jim and his two dogs, Harby and Shoby. Unsurprisingly, we ended up in the courtyard of the Three Swans, enjoying the sunshine and a few refreshments while the dogs relaxed under the table.

15th August 2020: Three people in the UK have died after testing positive for coronavirus.

On a murky day in Devon, Sarah and the family visited Babbacombe Model Village. Despite the poor weather, they seem to be enjoying themselves.

Exeter Chiefs took on a revamped Leicester Tigers as the pandemic-affected rugby season resumed. Unfortunately, despite some encouraging moments for the Tigers, the confidence and strength of the Chiefs secured them the expected victory. I watched the game with some friends in the lounge, providing pizza at half-time to soften the disappointment.

In the evening, Sue and I watched Unbroken: Path to Redemption, a World War II story of survival, resilience, and redemption, based on the true story of Olympian Louis Zamperini.

16th August 2020: Five people in the UK have died after testing positive for coronavirus.

Last night, Jamie and Ruth visited friends who live at Belvoir Castle and watched their annual fireworks display. Today, it was back to DIY for Jamie as he tiled the family bathroom.

On a day of thunderstorms and heavy rain in Harborough, Sarah, Lee, and Alice paid a visit to Sue’s sister in Buckfastleigh for a lovely cream tea. The real question is: cream first or jam first? A highly contentious issue within the family!

16th August 2020: Three people in the UK have died after testing positive for coronavirus. Crowds of protesters gathered in Madrid on Sunday to oppose the mandatory use of face masks and other measures imposed to contain the spread of the virus. What?! So what do they think the alternative is—drinking disinfectant? Such flawed reasoning is reminiscent of Don Quixote… and, of course, he died from a fever!

Today, we took Lucas, Ellis, Mia, and Harry to Fermyn Woods Country Park. Sue had visited with her U3A Nature Group last week, but a thunderstorm had cut their visit short. There’s a small café by the car park, where we planned to have lunch after completing our exploration of the site.

Three trails meander through woodland, meadows, and a series of ponds. Over three hours, we completed all but the longest Orange Route, which we cut short as Ellis complained that his legs were tired. A light shower greeted us on our return.

The site is well laid out, with significant efforts made to encourage as wide a variety of wildlife as possible. Regrettably, apart from a few birds and butterflies, we saw very little. I suspect that a visit closer to dawn or dusk would be far more rewarding.

We had lunch at a picnic bench outside the café, alongside several other families who were taking advantage of a break in the stormy weather. Afterwards, the boys enjoyed the adventure playground, while Sue returned to the ponds to take a few photos, and I kept the two dogs occupied with a short walk.

Sarah, Lee, and Alice arrived at Willow Bank early in the evening from their break in Devon. They informed us that on their way back, they had made a disappointing stop in Weston-super-Mare, only to find it overly commercialised and expensive. They spent a little time with us before packing the car with Mia’s things and heading home.

Later that evening, Jamie and Ruth paid us a fleeting visit. They were on their way to B&M when Ruth realised she had left her mask at home, so we gave her one of our many spares.

Strangely, apart from Sue and me, all the rest of the family ate out in Harborough this evening, taking advantage of the Government’s half-price meal scheme. Sarah and her family dined at Casa Nostra (Italian), Charlotte and her family at Zizzi (Italian), and Jamie and Ruth at Cinnamon Spice (Indian), each completely unaware of the others’ plans. What has happened to the usually reliable family telepathy?