15th February 2021

UK Deaths: 230 Harborough Infected: 205 The new variant of the coronavirus first detected in the UK last autumn is not only more infectious but also 30-70% more deadly, based on a study by the UK government.

As if by magic, our week-long winter wonderland, its white, powdery landscape blanketing everything in sight, vanished overnight, replaced by the familiar seasonal palette of drab greys and muted greens. Just a few degrees in the right direction and a touch of midnight rain were all it took for this impressive disappearing act.

Strong southerly winds have swept in, pumping warm air from France, Spain, and even North Africa, a most welcome export, and thankfully free of tariffs. Long may it continue!

Pleased to free ourselves from the shackles of winter, we pulled on our wellies and set off for a ramble. Our 4.5-mile circular route began in the charming village of Shearsby. Thick fog shrouded the surrounding countryside as we made our way through the settlement, many of its buildings looking as though they’d stepped straight off the cover of a chocolate box. The village exuded a wonderful atmosphere, with its abundance of thatched roofs and white-washed cottages. Such a shame the pub, The Chandlers, was closed due to Covid restrictions; lunch there would have rounded off our little trek perfectly.

Our chosen route took us across partly frozen fields, the surface slick with a thin layer of watery melt that made walking somewhat arduous. Passing through the hamlet of Knaptoft, we lingered for a while, watching a group of Greylag geese honking contentedly by a series of ancient fishponds, before setting off on a brief, though unsuccessful, search for the remains of the old church. Whatever traces still exist must now be hidden beneath the soil, as nothing was visible above ground. We pressed on.

More fields with varying depths of muddy slicks lay ahead as we made our way towards Bruntingthorpe. Fortunately, the day took a welcome turn for the better, and the fog and mist cleared, replaced by sunshine and warmth. We were soon shedding hats and gloves and unbuttoning coats. A big thank you to southern Europe for the unexpected warmth, keep it coming!

We skirted the edge of Bruntingthorpe before joining the well-trodden path of the Leicestershire Round, heading back towards Shearsby. Along this stretch, we encountered a couple of ladies also out for a stroll. We paused to exchange pleasantries, noting that they had opted for walking boots rather than wellies and had accumulated a thick layer of sludge from knees down.

By the time we reached the car, the temperature had climbed well into double figures. It felt like a summer’s day, what a change from yesterday!

16th February 2021: UK Deaths: 799. Harborough Infected: 193.

Shrove Tuesday, or Pancake Day! As a reminder, Charlotte kindly shared her pancake-making efforts on the family Messenger group. Later in the day, with everyone suitably fortified by energy-giving pancakes, the family set about taking down the fence in the back garden to extend their property up to the field fence.

Sarah had new neighbours move in next door and was pleased to discover they have children.

In the morning, my little Fiesta was booked in for a service and its annual MOT at a local garage, passing with flying colours. Unfortunately, it hasn’t done many miles over the past year, simply sitting quietly in the garage, keeping Sue’s Mini and Jamie’s quad bike company. Later, we had a visit from Ruth and Nala. Ruth had arranged a meeting with some local developers who are converting Harborough’s Cottage Hospital into sheltered accommodation. She needed to take some photos for her university dissertation on ‘retrofitting.’ Afterwards, she was planning on buying Nala a new coat, so we looked after the little ball of fun for an hour while she snapped away with her camera.

17th February 2021: UK Deaths: 738. Harborough Infected: 175.

A new study reveals that common UK garden animals like hedgehogs, rabbits, and even domestic cats have the potential to harbour new strains of coronavirus.

First thing today, Sue visited the dentist for two fillings, a cleaning, and a polish. I had an early morning emergency call from Jamie, asking me to take his rabbit, Maddie, to the vet. She hadn’t been eating for a couple of days and didn’t look well.

Earlier, during her morning run to the dentist, Sue’s clever little car informed her that it either needed charging or a long drive. Under lockdown, it’s mostly been left in the garage, with only rare trips into town. I suppose, like the rest of us, it just wanted to get out more. It got its wish when I used it to pick up Maddie in Desborough and then drove to the vet, surprisingly located on the way to Leicester at Langton’s Garden Centre. The rabbit’s diagnosis was that her digestive system had stopped. I left with some medicine to rehydrate her, but also with a warning that, in 50% of cases, it’s usually fatal. Fingers crossed for Maddie.

On her morning walk with Alice and Mia, Sarah spotted a rare guillemot, an unusual sight inland. The last time I encountered one was on a plate in Reykjavik, served with vegetables and a blueberry sauce. It was very tasty indeed!

18th February 2021: UK Deaths: 454. Harborough Infected: 171.

The head of the UK’s vaccine task force has announced that every adult in the UK could receive both doses of the Covid-19 jab as early as August.

Good news about Maddie, after another visit to the vet and an antibiotic injection, she’s starting to eat again and is nearly back to her old self. In Rothwell, the family dismantled one of the chicken coops, leaving the hens to scratch around in the main run. Poor Harry found it all a bit much and had to take a lie-down.

Each afternoon, Sue and I have been delving into our family history, and today, I discovered a photo of a needlework sampler completed by one of my ancestors on my father’s side, Hannah Smith, when she was just 12 years old in 1826. So far, I’ve traced our lineage back to the early 1700s, while Sue has managed to go as far back as 1425, uncovering a link to the Spencer family and Lady Diana. My research has revealed a lot of miners, agricultural workers, a farmer who was jailed for larceny at the age of 62, and a miller. I’m still hoping for a dukedom, though a baronetcy would do just fine! It’s surprisingly enjoyable digging through the online archives, and of course, it certainly helps fill those lockdown hours.

19th February 2021: UK Deaths: 533. Harborough Infected: 201.

The weather forecast was for a reasonably dry morning with rain arriving during the afternoon, so we took the opportunity to stretch our legs and went for a four-and-a-half-mile walk, starting from the nearby village of Saddington. In 1066, the village and surrounding land belonged to Queen Edith, the wife of Edward the Confessor. Since then, the manorial estate has passed through many hands until the rights of ownership were extinguished in 1877. Most of the houses in this compact village are constructed of fairly uninteresting red brick and range from the early 19th century to the present day. Among the smaller and older buildings, mud walling still survives. There was an example of this adjacent to Manor Farm as we left the village, heading steeply downhill through fields towards  Mowsely. The wet soil conditions again made wellingtons essential and the walking tricky.

Though the forecast temperature was a reasonable 9°C, for most of the outward leg, we were walking into a stiff, cold wind that chilled us to the bone, making the little shelter we found alongside hedgerows all the more welcome. Our route took us through a small but picturesque valley, thankfully keeping us on the slope above the full Saddington Brook, which wriggled its way northeast towards the reservoir. As we passed the abandoned Peashill Farm, we paused for a while to wonder whether the buildings could be converted into homes, but eventually decided the location would be too remote for most.

As we neared Mowsley, we had to descend a steep and very muddy track, passing several ancient fish ponds before crossing Mowsley Brook and climbing once more into the village. Mowsley, smaller than Saddington, has its origins in Saxon times. Interestingly, its name comes from the word Muslai, meaning ‘mouse-infested field’.

We paused for a while at the red telephone box in the centre of the village; as is often the case nowadays, these former communication points have been repurposed to house books for exchange, a defibrillator, or serve as an information point. This particular one was the latter, and we left with a booklet containing details of an intriguing village trail.

We continued, following the narrow Saddington Road as far as the aptly named Valley View Farm, where we descended the steep slope to Mowsley Brook. The remainder of the trail followed the watercourse, and we squelched our way along until crossing a charming little wooden bridge before climbing once more towards the boundary of Saddington village.

Annoyingly, the mud had not yet had its final say. The area around the gate leading onto the lane into the village was in such a state that it could have easily been mistaken for the Everglades, the Okavango, or the Niger Delta! I opted to creep along the left hedge while Sue chose the right (the middle path was clearly a no-go). Several times, both of us found our wellies stuck fast, and it took a fair bit of precarious tugging and wiggling to free them. After a significant delay to our expected arrival time, we finally made it back to Sue’s Mini.

It was an enjoyable walk, certainly worth doing again, ideally in drier conditions. It would be even more enjoyable when the Staff of Life (Mowsley) and the Queen’s Head (Saddington) are once again open for business.

The forecast rain duly arrived in the afternoon, timing its onset just as I mounted my bike to cycle to the GP Surgery for the first of the Pfizer Covid injections. Sue’s vaccinations were scheduled 10 minutes after mine, and she, too, chose a wet ride to the clinic. We both joined the end of a long queue that stretched from the entrance to the roadside. As a testament to the efficiency of the NHS, the line moved quickly. After being registered, warned, pricked and thanked, we were soon sitting in ‘departure,’ waiting out the obligatory 15-minute adverse reaction check before being allowed home.

That evening, Jamie informed us that he had been furloughed at work and will be having next week off. The company have been rotating furlough on a weekly basis since last March, and up until now, Jamie has been exempt; he is looking forward to it.

20th February 2021: UK Deaths: 445. Harborough Infected: 125.
Boris Johnson has pledged that every adult in the UK should be offered a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of July.

Despite being warned that we might feel grotty for a few days, the only adverse reaction to the vaccine either of us experienced was the usual sore arm. It was a relatively quiet day, punctuated by a visit from Jim (who had recently been vaccinated) to watch the Tigers surprisingly beat local rivals Wasps on BT Sport. Though we were still observing social distancing, it was a small but welcome taste of previous normality.

21st February 2021: UK Deaths: 215. Harborough Infected: 158.

More than 17.5 million people have had their first dose of a vaccine, which appears to reduce the chances of transmitting the disease by “about two-thirds”.