28th January 2022

The family made it to 2022 relatively intact, although Sarah and Lee (and probably Alice) began the year suffering from some form of Coronavirus (unsure which variant). The world is a very different place compared to two years ago, fraught with challenges and anxieties brought about by the tiniest of life forms, one that leaps from continent to continent with seemingly little effort, becoming ever more adept at assailing humanity as time passes.

Jamie and Ruth appear to have been the only ones in the family to celebrate the New Year with a party, joining friends to see in 2022. Sarah and Lee were still isolating, while Charlotte and Suraj, like Sue and I, went to our beds well before midnight. Even the traditional Harborough ‘war zone’ of fireworks at midnight failed to rouse me from my slumber.

Here in the south of Leicestershire, the year began unseasonably mild but damp; we even had one day in Harborough when temperatures reached the giddy height of 16°C! With the pool now filled in, I have been freed to set about tending the vegetable and fruit plots, a similarly satisfying task that still involves moving countless spadefuls of soil.

Despite the ‘spring-like’ weather, our badgers remain very lethargic. Just a couple of visits occur each night, and rather than appearing in the early evening, they now emerge between 2 and 4 a.m. As they often leave food uneaten, we are providing less for their consumption.

On the 1st, Sarah and Lee finally tested negative and were keen to get out of the house with Alice and Mia. In a flurry of activity over the first few days, they managed to fit in visits to the shops, the swimming pool, Play Zone, and a castle.

Not to be outdone, Charlotte and her family spent a day in Lincoln, during which they also successfully had the central locking on her Nissan repaired, saving £400 in the process. The following day, they treated Harry to a greyhound meeting. I imagine the last time he encountered so many fellow hounds was when he was racing around a track somewhere in Ireland. I do wonder what he made of it all.

Still full of energy after the celebrations, Jamie, Ruth, Joey, and the dogs headed to Clacton-on-Sea on New Year’s Day. Intending to stay for the weekend, they were disappointed to discover that their ‘booked’ hotel was closed on arrival. However, they managed to find an open Travelodge, so all was not lost. From the photos shared on Messenger, it appeared that the weather was good and they had an enjoyable time.

On the 2nd, the Rothwells met up with the Newbold Verdons at Bradgate Park for a family ramble, while Sue and I looked after Jamie’s rabbits and made plans for some future outings, Covid permitting!

While Sue and I  continued to bunker down at Willow Bank against the highly infectious Omicron variant, the rest of the family continued to get out and about, taking the canine members for their essential walks. Harry was treated to a trip to a disused WWII American airbase at Grafton Underwood. Built in 1941, it was the first airfield in England to receive an Eighth Air Force flying unit, when personnel of the 15th Bomb Squadron took up residence in May 1942. It proved a fascinating visit for the humans in the family as they explored this relic of the war.

Meanwhile, Alice and Mia had an equally interesting walk when snow fell over North Leicestershire. Alice looked well wrapped up against the elements, but poor Mia seemed to be missing her waterproof coat.

Tragically, there has been a setback for Charlotte and her family’s house move. The solicitor handling the legal paperwork for their sale sadly died of Coronavirus over Christmas, a terrible loss for her family, friends, and colleagues, and one that will inevitably lead to delays in the exchange of contracts for all involved in the chain.

In a very annoying incident, while Sue was engaged in a U3A ramble near Kibworth, some antisocial scoundrel stole the front tow bar cover from her parked Mini Clubman. Unfortunately, Sue had not switched on the dashcam; otherwise, we might have identified the culprit and recovered the cost of the small piece of plastic, £35 from eBay. A pox on the varlet!

On a miserably cold and drizzly Saturday (8th January), the Verdons decided to visit the grandparents. Arriving mid-morning, they opened their Covid-thwarted Christmas presents before Sue accompanied them to Mini-Mischiefs, a children’s indoor play and party venue, where Alice was able to enjoy herself and have lunch.

Despite the frequent showers, for the first time in nearly a year, I took Mia for a walk. The intention had been to have lunch at the Coach and Horses in Lubenham, but short-legged dogs and mud on a rainy day are not a good mix. Predictably, she was far too grubby to be allowed into any hostelry, so I had to settle for lunch at home, but only after first giving Mia a good twenty-minute shower!

The following Monday, I caught the bus to Leicester General Hospital for a scan on my much-improved eye. It was decided that another injection was warranted, it will be scheduled in a few weeks. On the same day, Jamie and Ruth informed the family that they had bought a Waltham-on-the-Wolds house. They have been looking for quite a long time; hopefully, things will go smoothly, and they will have moved in by spring.

It seems that Jamie’s company, Fx Learning, has become acclaimed and made it into an article in the Financial Times. Hopefully, his already successful business will become even more lucrative for him.

As Charlotte and Jamie are soon to be moving house, it seems appropriate that Sue and I have at last decided what is to replace the swimming pool, and have arranged for a garden room to be built in its place. It has been a convoluted process, weighing up the suitability of various designs and materials, but at last we are happy that we have settled on something both functional and aesthetically pleasing. It seems we are not alone in our thoughts, and our little project must wait its turn, as Composite Garden Buildings, the company undertaking the work, is busy scheduling construction due to a large number of ‘lockdown’ orders. Hopefully, it will be built between late February and early March, after which the furnishing and supplementary landscaping will begin. More difficult decisions ahead!

On the 27th, I joined the ‘guys’ for what will hopefully become a monthly gathering at local eateries, enjoying good food and each other’s company. This month’s venue was The Roebuck, which, having burned down during the pandemic, has somehow miraculously risen from the ashes. Our soirée coincided with a quiz night, and the pub was quite full, so it was fortunate we had booked a table for eight in a small ante-room. However, we couldn’t completely isolate ourselves from the quiz-master’s patter, and until the prizes had been handed out, our conversations were frequently punctuated by thoughts drifting into the neverland of quiz-world. Still, we enjoyed the evening and are already looking forward to February’s edition.