18th January 2021

UK deaths: 599. Current infections in Market Harborough: 525, up 49 from last week.
Across UK hospitals, someone is admitted with coronavirus every 30 seconds.

Exercise was never something I considered a luxury to be anticipated; in the past, it was simply necessary to stay fit and support my enjoyment of sport. Under lockdown, however, it has become a vital component in preserving my sanity. After being confined to the house for several consecutive days, Sue and I took a short drive to East Langton for a brief walk,  an attempt to maintain some semblance of rationality.

Parking next to The Bell, we slipped on the obligatory wellies and set off on a short circuit around the village. Having taught at the nearby Church Langton Primary School, Sue recognised the occupants of a few of the houses we passed, which triggered fond memories of busier days and happier times. We left the village via the Leicestershire Round long-distance footpath, passing through several very muddy kissing gates and crossing a series of enclosed grassy fields towards the village of Thorpe Langton and the church of St Leonard’s. Fresh from the morning frost, the air was crystal clear, and the route offered splendid views towards the northern edge of Market Harborough. We were surprised to spot two large fields of solar panels running alongside the Leicester to London train line. Well hidden from most vantage points, they were only visible from where we now stood, and we found ourselves wondering how long they had been there.

Arriving at the late 13th- and early 14th-century church of St Leonard’s, we wandered through its higgledy-piggledy graveyard, eventually coming across the headstone of a farmer we remembered, tragically killed in a tractor accident at the tender age of 30. He had left behind a wife and two children, both of whom Sue had taught. After leaving the burial ground, we searched in vain for a Geocache supposedly located near the entrance. After many fruitless minutes, we concluded it had likely been muggled and moved on into the village. There, we enjoyed success in finding a ‘micro’, skilfully hidden opposite the locked-down Bakers Arms gastropub.

In Newbold Verdon, Sarah and her family had a productive day on the allotment, preparing for the spring ahead. Four raised beds were constructed, and a frame was built ready for the summer crop of runner beans. I expect that, once the warmer weather arrives, little Alice will become very familiar with this modest plot of Leicestershire soil.

19th January 2021: UK deaths: 1,610, the highest daily total since the pandemic began.
Current infections in Market Harborough: 540, up 98 from last week.
On the same day, the U.S. coronavirus death toll surpassed 400,000.

With Storm Christoph predicted to hit the UK over the coming days, we enjoyed a surprisingly warm and pleasant day here in Harborough. I didn’t miss the frozen fingers from last week’s early morning cycle rides one bit. And the wood-burner in the lounge wasn’t lit until nearly 4 p.m.!

As a key worker in the NHS, Suraj received his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine today. His booster is scheduled for around 12 weeks, rather than the originally recommended, and still contested, three-week interval.

20th January 2021: UK deaths: 1,820, another tragic record.
Current Market Harborough infections: 483, down 34 from last week.
There were a further 38,905 coronavirus cases recorded in the past 24 hours, compared with 33,355 the day before, bringing the UK’s total to 3,505,754.

Joe Biden became the 46th President of the United States after taking his oath of office in Washington, DC. Having watched the inauguration on television, I thought it a dignified and conciliatory performance as he swore to preserve, protect, and defend America. His call for unity and optimism stood in stark contrast to the divisiveness and self-interest of his predecessor. No doubt the ‘free world’ sincerely hopes that “democracy has prevailed,” as the new President declared on Wednesday, adding that the US has learned a “painful lesson” about the fragility of its governmental system since Election Day last November. And so do we.

Early this morning, we had a brief visit from Jim and Bridget. They had driven to Harborough to check on the alterations to their home, attend a medical appointment for Jim, and drop Shoby off at the vet for an operation. They kindly brought with them a box of bread from Jim’s baker brother, with whom they are temporarily staying.

In the UK, Sarah made a fleeting visit to see her sister in Rothwell. Meanwhile, Sue and I completed a couple of tasks we’ve been focusing on over the past week. I’ve been gathering together all the photographs featured in these blog posts, from the start of the pandemic in March through to the final days of 2020, and incorporating them into a video of memories. As we approach the anniversary of the first lockdown, it feels inconceivable that I might be creating a sequel for 2021, yet that’s how it’s looking.

While I’ve been copying and pasting, Sue has been quietly occupied with identifying and adding a large pile of postage stamps to her albums. The stamps were collected by family friend Linda Keene during her childhood, and rather than throw them away, she kindly passed them on to Sue. Using an app on her phone, Sue has been able to identify their origins, a surprisingly absorbing project.

21st January 2021: UK deaths: 1,290
Current Market Harborough infections: 320, down 118 from last week
Lockdown rule-breakers who attend house parties now face a new £800 fine for a first offence.

Senator Mitt Romney has called for constitutional reforms to the presidential power of clemency, as he criticised former President Donald Trump for handing out pardons to friends and allies, whom he described as “cronies.” The issue, of course, isn’t solely Trump; every recent president has exercised this privilege at the end of their term. One has to ask: in a democracy, where supreme power is supposed to be vested in the people and exercised by them or their elected representatives, how is it acceptable, or even lawful, that a single individual can override the due process of law? Commuting a sentence after trial by jury or pardoning someone before they are even prosecuted feels inherently anti-democratic, more in keeping with medieval kingship than modern governance.

It was a slow pandemic day for the Palmers. Sue began sorting through letters and memorabilia left from Uncle Stan’s estate; Charlotte launched into a week of carpet cleaning; Jamie drove up to Bolton to rescue a shipment of meat after the delivery van suffered a blown tyre; Sarah spent the day playing with Alice; and I turned over yet more rows of soil.

22nd January 2021: UK deaths: 1,401. Current Market Harborough infections: 359, down 130 from last week

23rd January 2021: UK deaths: 1,348. Current Market Harborough infections: 254, down 205 from last week.
Total number of UK deaths: 97,329

24th January 2021: 
UK deaths: 610. Current Market Harborough infections: 298, down 129 from last week

Police have issued over £15,000 in fines after breaking up yet another rave in East London. As many as 300 people are believed to have participated in the party in Hackney on Saturday night. These selfish and irresponsible individuals may be a small minority, but their actions have far-reaching consequences and undoubtedly contribute to the prolonged misery we all share. Surely, they should be made to face more than just a fine. Perhaps a few hours of enforced litter picking in the streets, wearing a hi-vis jacket declaring that they are “COVID-19 breakers,” might bring some much-needed shame to their actions.

On a more positive note, nearly a million people received their first dose of the vaccine over the last two days, offering a glimmer of hope.

Unfortunately, Charlotte’s next-door neighbour, a nurse who had been isolating after contracting coronavirus, was whisked away in an ambulance to Kettering Hospital. We sincerely wish her a speedy recovery.

What an exciting day the whole family had today! WE HAD SNOW!!!! Anything that breaks up the monotony of lockdown is welcome, and the younger members of the family certainly made the most of this rare occurrence in the Midlands. Knowing the ‘white stuff’ was on the way, I decided to use my allotted exercise session to dig over a bed of raspberries that I’ve now earmarked for Cape Gooseberries next summer (fingers crossed). A hard frost overnight had frozen the top few centimetres of soil, ensuring the clods remained intact as I turned them over. The family thinks I’m a bit mad for digging in the frozen ground, but it’s good exercise, and I enjoy it, so there! Hmmm, I might have a few bats flitting around the belfry, but they don’t carry COVID-19!

Jamie and Ruth decided to mark the cancellation of their Scottish snowboarding trip by slaloming down the freshly laid snow between Harborough and Great Bowden, while Charlotte and the boys dug out their seldom-used sledges and sped down the slopes in Rothwell. Sarah and Alice built a snowman, and true to form, Lee headed to his allotment and finished constructing raised beds in preparation for the warm sunny days of summer.

The snow continued to fall well into the evening, and with a forecast of -5° overnight, Monday morning’s commute is sure to be an interesting one for those who have to venture out.