25th January 2021

UK deaths: 592. Current Market Harborough infections: 281, down 243 from last week

 

Moderna has announced that its COVID-19 vaccine is effective against the new and more infectious variants of the coronavirus found in the UK and South Africa.

Meanwhile, López Obrador, who has faced criticism for his handling of Mexico’s pandemic and for not setting a strong example of prevention in public, has tested positive for COVID-19. A situation not unlike that of the ex-president just over the border.

As expected, we woke to a perfect winter’s day: blue skies, glittering sunshine, and a thick blanket of pristine snow, a dazzling sight from the ground up to the treetops. Content to wring out the last vestiges of warmth trapped between duvet and mattress, I rose much later than Sue. By 10 a.m., we were carving footprints up the driveway, eager to experience the thrill of proper winter weather, a welcome change from the dull, muddy, and soggy conditions dished out by the Met Office so far this year. There were few people about, and very little traffic dared risk the treacherous road conditions (didn’t they grit last night?). Those walkers not accompanied by dogs had opted to bring cameras along with their thermals, seemingly determined not to miss the chance to capture a rare memory of how beautiful this world can be.

 

We decided to ‘play it safe’ and ramble within the confines of the town, keeping well within COVID-19 restrictions and avoiding the treacherous driving conditions. Following Harborough’s Millennium Mile, we passed through a relatively empty Welland Park, a very quiet town centre, and the market, before crossing the River Welland at the train station and heading up the road towards Great Bowden. I chose to make a brief detour to investigate the disused Church of Mary in Arden while Sue continued, finding the going difficult in her wellies and not wishing to risk the drifts piled up behind the headstones.

 

Reaching the village, we picked a path that took us over the main railway line and through fields where Jamie and Ruth had spent the previous day snowboarding. The overnight snow had left the piste fresh and deep, providing a perfect slope for a few early sledgers to enjoy. We made our way diagonally across the various ‘runs,’ heading resolutely toward the rear of Ridgeway School, careful to avoid a potential disaster from the enthusiastic human missiles hurtling downhill, driven by excitement and gravity.

Our remaining ‘exercise’ was completed through the northern estate and town centre before we retraced our steps back down a nearly untouched Willow Bank driveway, a clear sign that we hadn’t had any visitors in the last two hours, not even the postman!

To amuse ourselves in the evenings, we are both discovering our roots. I renewed a previous subscription to Ancestry.com and am now engaged in tracking down my family heritage. Sue is conversing (by email) with several relatives who have created family trees and is using the information to expand her own. On a plus point, lockdown does give you the time to reflect and engage in activities that are so often put off in saner times.

26th January 2021: UK deaths: 1,631. Current Market Harborough infections: 450, down from last week: 90. The UK’s total death toll from the coronavirus has now reached 100,162. A doctor from the Wuhan hospital, hardest hit by the COVID-19 epidemic, has shared that he and his colleagues suspected early on in January last year that the virus was highly transmissible, weeks before Chinese authorities officially acknowledged it. However, they were reportedly prevented from warning the public at that time.

It was a year ago today (reminded by Facebook) that we visited an indigenous Amazonian tribe in a remote Brazilian settlement deep in the jungle. The journey took us a couple of hours in a fast speedboat from Manaus, a city that had been one of the hardest hit by the first wave of coronavirus in Brazil. Hospitals had quickly been overwhelmed, and mass graves were soon needed to handle the mounting death toll.

Our visit to the tribe was a rare privilege, and it only took place under strict governmental supervision to protect them from outside influences. Looking at the photo of the tribe, I sincerely hope that they have remained untouched by the pandemic and that their isolation has helped shield them from its devastating reach.

27th January 2021: UK deaths: 1725. Current Market Harborough infections: 437. DOWN from last week: 47. The global number of recorded COVID-19 cases has now surpassed 100 million. The Prime Minister has confirmed that passengers arriving from “red list” countries will be sent directly to quarantine hotels for 10 days. This measure, which will see passengers “met at the airport and transported directly into quarantine,” has been a long time coming, and frankly, it should have been implemented last March.

The EU has urged AstraZeneca to supply more doses of its COVID-19 vaccine from UK plants, amidst a row over shortages. The situation serves as a reminder of the inevitable challenges when relying on bureaucratic structures that are often too slow and indecisive.

28th January 2021: UK deaths: 1239. Current Market Harborough infections: 420. UP from last week: 100. In better news, the UK Vaccine Taskforce has secured early access to a vaccine produced by Valneva, with manufacturing starting today. The UK has agreed to an initial 60 million doses, with an option for an additional 130 million if the vaccine is approved by regulators. Meanwhile, travel bans from the United Arab Emirates, Burundi, and Rwanda have been enacted to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 variant first found in South Africa.

With the snow now gone, the river in flood, and the sun starting to add a little warmth to the day, it seemed like the perfect opportunity for a short ramble. Sticking close to home, we decided to head up to the closest trig point on Clack Hill, just on the outskirts of the town.

Our route took us west through the southern part of town, passing by our first-ever house, ‘Cartrefle,’ located next to the River Jordan in Little Bowden. As we crossed over the Leicester to London railway line, we encountered a huge, over-engineered pedestrian bridge, an eyesore, to say the least. While no doubt convenient for residents, this ugly green structure seems like a costly and unnecessary monstrosity, clashing with the landscape around it.

 

 

Reaching the foot of Clack Hill, we slogged our way steeply upwards along Kettering Road, passing one of the largest housing estates in town, built around 20 years ago. Near the top, a footpath skirts the edge of the estate before leading to the new A6 bypass. About halfway along the path, we hopped over a low fence and into the field where the trig point remains hidden from view.

As we neared our destination, the breeze picked up, offering some relief from the heat generated by our thermal clothing and the exertion of hill climbing. We paused for a moment, surveying the town below, playing a game of “who can identify what” while grumbling about the number of new developments that were gradually spoiling the charm of our once-lovely market town.

The return journey took us through the sprawling estate, into the town centre, and then along the flooded River Welland, home to Willow Bank.

Sadly, last evening, we learned that a friend from our trip to Nepal a few years ago had passed away. Sarah lived with her mother in London and helped her run a pub near King’s Cross Station. She had such a bubbly personality and was always full of life until, tragically, she was struck down by cancer. And as if there wasn’t enough grief in the world, today I paid my respects to a very old friend from the Rugby Club. I stood with many other members and former players along Gorse Lane (the site of the original club) as Jack’s funeral cortege passed by on its way to the crematorium. It’s so sad that, in the present climate, we are prevented from fully expressing our appreciation for those we have had the privilege of knowing and who we counted as dear friends.

29th January 2021: UK deaths: 1245. Current Market Harborough infections: 483. UP from last week by 123.

During the morning, we had a brief visit from Charlotte, who had been working in Desborough. She took the opportunity to stop by and collect some ash from the wood burner for her chickens, along with a few bags of sweets that Sue had bought for the boys. In the afternoon, we decided to go for a cycle ride down the Brampton Valley Way, which follows the disused railway line. It was a gentle, flat 6.5-mile ride that got us out of the house (legally) and helped burn off a few calories. We cycled as far as the first tunnel, then turned around, as the track at that point had become a stream, fed by the run-off from saturated fields on either side. In the evening, we watched an excellent film called The Dig, which had been released that day on Netflix. It’s based on the discovery of the Anglo-Saxon royal burial site at Sutton Hoo in Suffolk just before the outbreak of World War II. After watching, we resolved to visit the site once the lockdown is over and it’s safe to travel.

30th January 2021: UK deaths: 1200. Current Market Harborough infections: 368. UP from last week: 114. The World Health Organisation has urged the UK and other wealthy nations to pause their mass vaccination drives once vulnerable groups are protected to ensure a fair global rollout. Noble sentiments indeed, but I fear the plea will fall entirely on deaf ears.

A miserable, cold, sleety day, made bearable by the internet, Netflix, and the return of live rugby on the TV.

31st January 2021: UK deaths: 587. Current Market Harborough infections: 411. UP from last week, 113. Almost 600,000 people in the UK were vaccinated against COVID-19 on Saturday, a daily record for the vaccine programme.