19th April 2021

UK Deaths: 4. Harborough Infected: 13. Travel from India to the UK is being banned for non-UK and non-Irish citizens from 4 am on Friday. More than 10 million people in the UK have now received their second dose of the vaccine. Today, quarantine-free travel bubble between Australia and New Zealand began.

Today was Jamie’s birthday, and he celebrated with a trip to Alton Towers on what proved to be a warm and sunny day.

Sue spent her morning playing Petanque, returning home triumphant after winning the tournament. I devoted much of the day to planting the final rows of maincrop potatoes. Unfortunately, the rotavator starter cable unwound itself after just 15 minutes, leaving the machine unusable. Foolishly, I decided to tackle the task manually with a fork and rake. Under the blazing sun and cloudless sky, I persevered and managed to complete the planting, saving just enough energy to water the emerging onions and shallots. Lesson learned, next time I’ll stop and fix the cable! After all that, I suspect tonight’s sleep will be hard-earned.

Meanwhile, Charlotte spent her day adding a fire pit to the family’s remodelled lower garden.

20th April 2021: UK Deaths: 31 Harborough Infections: 13

France has become the first EU member state to trial a digital coronavirus travel certificate as part of a Europe-wide scheme. The certificate will be stored on mobile phones, raising questions about how they might address the issue of unvaccinated individuals borrowing phones from vaccinated people.

Today was another productive day in the garden, greenhouse glass cleaned, and beetroot sown. Ellis proudly received a Silver Chief Scout certificate for his contributions to the pack, a well-deserved recognition.

21st April 2021: UK Deaths: 22 Harborough Infections: 13

It has been revealed that at least 100 fake coronavirus test certificates are used by UK arrivals daily. Sadly, this comes as no surprise.

In the afternoon, Sue joined her U3A group for a pleasant 4.5-mile ramble around Gumley.

22nd April 2021: UK Deaths: 18 Harborough Infections: 11

India has reported over 314,000 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, surpassing the previous record set by the US in January.

Today felt like a return to normality. Under a cloudless sky, Sue and I ventured to Ravensthorpe for a five-mile ramble. The village itself is centred around the church of St. Denys, the Chequers pub, and its shop. Its most notable history involves five witches who were discovered living there and hanged on 22 July 1612 at Abington Gallows, Northampton. This marked the first recorded use of the water ordeal (ducking stool) in England to test witches.

Our ramble took us north out of the village along a well-trodden path through a mix of meadow and newly sown arable farmland. We passed through the tiny hamlet of Coton and by the 17th-century Coton Manor House and gardens, where a few curious visitors were queuing to explore this popular attraction.

Following the lane downhill to Ravensthorpe, we turned onto the shoreline of the reservoir nestled in the shallow valley. A handful of adventurers were making the most of the respite from Covid, some casting lines from boats in hopes of catching trout, others stretching their legs and filling their lungs with fresh country air. There’s something enchanting about the union of water, sunshine, and silence; it soothes the soul and brings a quiet smile to the lips.

We crossed the reservoir’s head by walking along the dam wall, pausing to marvel at the stunning views across the water teeming with wildlife. From the boat hire lodge, we made our way back along the west bank and returned to the village via the lane. After a quick change of footwear, we sought refreshments and lunch at the Chequers. Attracted by its illuminated ‘OPEN’ sign, we were disappointed to learn this only applied to the shop; the pub itself wouldn’t open until the evening. Undeterred, we stopped at The Bull in Clipstone on the way back to Harborough for a hearty al fresco lunch that truly hit the spot.

Determined to carry on the day’s relaxed mood, we invited Jim and Bridget over for drinks in the garden. The warm, sunny afternoon was perfectly spent in pleasant company, enjoying copious drinks and engaging conversations. Honestly, it’s a lifestyle we could easily get used to!

23rd April 2021: UK Deaths: 40. Harborough Infected: 11. India is being ravaged by a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and is accelerating beyond anywhere else in the world. 

The day began bright and early with a 7:30 am handover of Rocky and Nala, who will be staying with us while Jamie, Joey, and Ruth head to Cheshire for a glamping weekend. Fortunately, the weather was perfect, shorts-and-T-shirt kind of perfect, ideal for my favourite pastime: dog walking.

The morning’s four-mile stroll was briefly paused for lunch, followed by a leisurely two-miler in the afternoon. Afterwards, I turned my attention to repairing the starter pulley on the rotavator before mowing the lawns. Meanwhile, the mutts, clearly worn out from their morning exertions (or perhaps just from observing human activity), sprawled out on rugs on the patio, fast asleep.

What’s wrong with this generation? I remember my first dog, Jethro, who would have been a great help, passing me tools, following behind the mower, and even emptying the basket! Tut-tut, I blame the parents.

In the evening, Sue, Nala, and I settled down to watch the Netflix film Stowaway (Rocky opted for sleep instead). It was a hugely entertaining effort, loosely inspired by the Apollo 13 scenario. However, that turned out to be the frustrating part. The plot revolved around a lack of oxygen and a failure of the CO2 scrubber, problems that were successfully resolved by NASA scientists in 1970 within hours, without any loss of life. Yet, in this fictional context, such challenges seem to surpass the capabilities of today’s boffins (at least in Hollywood’s imagination). What’s wrong with people these days? I blame Hollywood and the American education system.

24th April 2021: UK Deaths: 32 Harborough Infections: 10

Thousands of people gathered in central London for an anti-lockdown protest against COVID-19 vaccinations and vaccine passports. The demonstrators, who were not wearing masks, heckled shoppers on Oxford Street who were complying with mask guidelines. One can’t help but wonder, are these individuals so oblivious to the devastating situations unfolding in India and Brazil? Or are they wilfully ignoring the 125,000+ of their fellow citizens who have lost their lives to COVID-19 and, as a result, are unable to exercise any civil liberties? As Oscar Wilde aptly put it, “Irony is wasted on the stupid.”

On a brighter note, it was another pleasantly warm day. The dogs enjoyed their walks, Sarah painted the fascia on her house, and Jim and I watched England triumph over France in the final of the Women’s Six Nations, followed by the Tigers’ narrow loss to Northampton. Meanwhile, Jamie and Joey celebrated their birthdays with Ruth by exploring some caves in Derbyshire.

25th April 2021: UK Deaths: 11. Harborough Infected: 10. The British government is sending urgent shipments of medical equipment to India as a huge Covid wave overwhelms the country’s health services.