4th July 2021 I suppose it was only to be expected. No sooner had optimism cantered over the horizon, and I’d been lured into returning to a more typical format for the family blog, than the weather turned on its heel and COVID-19 picked up pace to a gallop. Still, ever the stubborn optimist, I… Continue Reading

17th June 2021 On March 20th, 2020, I began a detailed record of what I thought would be a significant world event, with a blog titled ‘Surviving Coronavirus’. At the time, I didn’t imagine the pandemic would stretch on for as long as it did. I documented family and world events every few days, titling… Continue Reading

17th June 2021 UK Deaths: 5. Harborough Infected: 24. There are now 86 local authority areas with five or more confirmed cases of the Indian Covid variant, with Bedford joining Bolton and Blackburn with Darwen in surge testing efforts. Unsurprisingly, the sharp rise in cases in the UK’s current hotspots is largely being driven by… Continue Reading

10th June 2021 UK Deaths: 4. Harborough Infected: 10. Covid-19 alert level moves from level 4 to level 3. As from next Monday, people in England will be able to enjoy a pint or a meal indoors, hug their loved ones, return to cinemas, meet outdoors in groups of up to 30 people, and meet… Continue Reading

3rd June 2021 MAY BANK HOLIDAY UK Deaths: 1. Harborough Infected: 14. The number of Covid-19 vaccines given out across the UK has passed 50 million. After a better night, poor Alice seemed much brighter when we made a video call to the family in the evening. She appears to be well on the way… Continue Reading

26th April 2021: UK Deaths: 6 Harborough Infections: 10 The European Commission has initiated legal action against AstraZeneca, accusing the company of failing to honour its COVID-19 vaccine contract. This action appears to be more about saving face than saving lives. The only takeaway for pharmaceutical companies seems to be a warning against entering future… Continue Reading

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.… Continue Reading

12th April 2021 UK Deaths: 13 Harborough Infections: 49 As restrictions eased, pub gardens, shops, hairdressers, gyms, and zoos reopened in England. Shoppers flooded the High Street, with long queues forming outside many retailers. Meanwhile, millions in India are travelling to celebrate the Maha Kumbh Mela, despite soaring coronavirus rates. This month-long festival draws pilgrims… Continue Reading

5th April 2021 Easter Monday. UK Deaths: 26. Harborough Infected: 133. We woke to snow flurries and a biting wind. Sue had been expecting to play pétanque with her U3A group this morning, but thankfully the session was cancelled due to the weather. In the afternoon, she visited Doreen at her flat, as Doreen had been… Continue Reading

29th March 2021 UK Deaths: 23. Harborough Infected: 105. Today, six people, or two households, are permitted to meet outdoors and in private gardens. The government has also signed an agreement for up to 60 million doses of the Novavax vaccine to be manufactured in the North East of England by GlaxoSmithKline. The UK has… Continue Reading