31st August, 2021. 535 days since our first lockdown date (15/3/2020).

We are having the new kitchen fitted today. In all the noise of the drilling and hammering, I thought I had better catch up on The Diary, which will be the new title. As before, it will not be a regular entry for now. I still feel a bit lethargic and my current health does not really give me much motivation. The eyesight problem persists and despite having an injection direct into the eyeball, I am still unable to focus properly and am still self imposing a “driving ban”. I do get the car off the drive for Jenny but that is about all. This has been going on for nearly a month now so I hope to speak to the consultant when my next injection takes place on 21st September. I am hoping some progress will have been made so that I can drive. Apparently I am allowed to drive with vision in one eye only but it is impossible to judge distances when seeing in 2 dimensions only. I find the strain of trying to focus very tiring and can sleep very easily during the day.

The injection into the eyeball was surprisingly painless. The anaesthetic drops stung a bit but the injection was more like a very short bit of pressure on the eyeball and over in a second. The staff were wonderful and the consultant explained everything in great detail.

My “magic” copper knee bandage seems to be having some effect. The pain has reduced somewhat and I am able to go up and down the stairs alot easier although I still rely on the banister for stability. I am still slightly sceptical and may be experiencing a placebo effect but a recent 4000 step walk (with a stick) did not result in a stiff knee joint as it normally would have. Other than eye and knee, we are both in reasonably good health.

Ronnie’s football and cricket have about ended for the summer apart from an odd friendly including a “Parents v Children’s” match. The parents just scraped a win but not before the entertainment of Ronnie and his Dad bowling at each other and David launching a massive six into the trees behind the tea room. David is now considering playing next season. The Over 50 team await with baited breath.

There has been much bad news in the world in the last couple of weeks.

Our troops have pulled out of Afghanistan and the Yanks are not far behind. Not everyone who wanted to leave, many with correct papers, were able to get a flight and are stuck there at the mercy of ISIS and the Taliban. Poor sods. They have no chance despite promises made. One suicide bomb has already been deployed and over a dozen Brits and Americans were killed before they could get out. There will be alot more deaths I fear and women can say goodbye to the education they have been able to enjoy over the last few years. As for Biden (who is proving to be weak and ineffective) and Johnson (who we know to be a numpty), both have blood on their hands. This is compounded by their incompetent handling of the Covid crisis.

All the covid infection graphs are trending upwards and we still have to jump through hoops to get on a plane. We are not alone in the UK for mishandling of the pandemic but I think that even with firm instructions from government, the general public (some of them) are as much at fault. The anti vaxx movemeny is not diminishing and may even be diminishing. Although a large proportion of the population have had two jabs and the vaccination is open to more (young) people, the take up is worryingly small. I remember at the beginning, 500,000 people per day were getting vaccinated but now there is a struggle to get the vaccine (1st and 2nd) numbers to 100,000. What is wrong with these people? It is not that they are uneducated although I do wonder, that when they are interviewed they put forward as an excuse “I have too many other things to do”. Or “I am not being told what to do”. For goodness sake. Get a grip of yourselves.You are killing other people. Perhaps even someone close to you!!!

Brexit is till making things difficult for everyone. The HGV driver shortage is not going away. The government are trying to shift the blame onto the pandemic but nobody believes their lies. #JohnsonOut# Johnson is a serial liar and adulterer surrounded by serial liars and sycophants petrified of losing their jobs. Rahb is the worst Foreign Secretary we have ever had and his handling of the Afghanistan evacuation was abysmal and as for Gove, don’t you just want to slap his face?

Sally and Jim came to the UK straight from their holiday in Spain. They first went to Croyden to stay (in a tent) with Jim’s family. They then spent six nights with us. We talked ourselves hoarse and they went visiting all our family And their pals from Tadcaster came to East Yorkshire for a visit. It was such a shame that nowhere was open to go for a meal on a Sunday evening. We had to make do with an Indian takeaway which was actually fabulous.

Most of the new kitchen units are stored in the garage and by the end of day one, the kitchen has been stripped. The electrician, Ryan, came to help Jason, the carpenter, and prepare the new circuits and get all the old tiles off. We now have nowhere to cook or prepare food A skip has been ordered to take away the old kitchen apart from four units which I will put on the wall in the garage. When all is done this will help tidy the garage very nicely. The gasman is coming tomorrow to redirect the gas to the oven and cap the gas supply to the, now obsolete hob.

We went for a great meal to The Duke of Cumberland yesterday with David and the kids. We have not seen that much of them due to David’s shift patterns and the belligerence of his Ex-wife. She is still making things awkward for him but I think she is gradually losing the battles and the kids are becoming more aware of what is going on. All will change, in due course, slowly but surely. Maisie’s arm is at the itchy stage and causing irritation but she has no more pain.

14th August, 2021. 154th to 157th day of isolation.

Brexit goes from bad to worse. There are still the paper difficulties at borders and shortages in Supermarkets are starting to display empty shelves. The Government are trying to put the blame on shortages onto the pandemic but we all know it is a question of supply. The shortage of HGV drivers is going to force Boris to draft in HGV drivers from the Army. But only 2000 of them. The UK shortfall is 100,000 drivers, so 2% of that is to be covered. Even if it comes off, which I doubt, there will be a shortfall of 98,000 drivers and they are simply not there. Even if you could find drivers to take the HGV test, it would take at least 6/8 months to train them. And they will have to pay for their own training. So expect more lies to come out of this debacle.

UK deaths are on the up again and Hull has the most, new cases in he country with Lincoln a close second. My own experience is that shops are not insisting on mask wearing in their premises and the ignorant, thick public are taking advantage and not bothering with masks at all. I have one in every pair of trousers so will not get caught out. Even on buses now, there is a lack of mask wearing. It seems to me that it is the older generation that are wearing masks and we have just about all had our second jab, weeks ago. There are more cases each day of people in hospital very ill with Covid and also, many are dying. Figures show that most deaths are to people who have not had the vaccine, deliberately. Their much publicised last words seem to be “Take the vaccine”. I suspect many have also said ” You did warn me, more than once”. I still believe anyone who refused the vaccine, sould pay for treatment

I see Lionel Messi has transferred to Paris St Germain on a free transfer. Nobody else could afford his wages apparently. Wouldn’t it be nice if a player like him in his late 30’s thought to himself. “I will go to a smaller team back in Argentina where I learned my trade on lesser wages that were affordable, say £1 million a year instead of half a million a week”. And he may as well pay the correct amount of tax too. He could save on financial advisors’ fees too. He must have earned enough by now?

We had Fish and Chips last night for the visit of David and the kids. All plates were totally clean. They all seemed to like it. They were mostly quiet as they were still tired after a two day trip to London achieving over 30,000 steps each. They had a great time

My eyesight in the right eye is deteriorating and this morning I received my appointment for treatment in about 10 days time to treat Posterior Vitreous Detachment/Retinal Detachment and a Retinal Tear, none of which I fully understand but I will find out soon enough. The hospital stay is estimated to be about three hours.

10th August, 2021. 153rd day of isolation.

After several visits to the Hull Eye Hospital I have been diagnosed with Macular Edema in my right eye which is a swelling on the retina which is causing a lot of problems at the moment. Indeed I can see only shadows out of that eye now, apart from the blue. white and some red flashing/twinkling lights. The hospital are treating me as an emergency case and will need injections into the eye every 1/3 months. I have to wait for an appointment for the first one in a week or so. I can’t wait. In the meantime, I have given up driving the car.

Our friend Mike Leach was buried in York last week. He was suffering from cancer. His wife Chris died a few months ago. There were only 30 allowed for Chris but no restrictions for Mike. We will miss both our friends alot.

I had a great day in York last weekend watching a 50 overs league match between Yorkshire and Warwickshire. Yorkshire won in a very exciting game. The weather was beautiful until we got home where Mike and Maria stayed for a few beers. A great day indeed. They are now in Reykjavik at the moment, lucky devils.

Our tyre warning light has been on again but Northfield garage topped up the tyres for no charge. I had to get someone else to pump up the tyre as I cannot read the pressure display.

Maisie is making progress and her plaster is now festooned with signatures and drawings. She seems really well. David and the kids visited Mum whilst I was still there.

9th August, 2021.137th to 152nd day of Isolation.

Somehow I have lost the original Diary #58, so this one covers a long period which coincidentally roughly covers the Olympic Games fortnight.

This turned out to be a spectacular event, watched mainly by other competitors, coaches and medical staff. It was a big risk by Japan/Tokyo but with the superb TV coverage, turned into a stunning event. I was glued to the TV and watced everything from skateboarding to boxing. Great Britain were fantastic, coming fourth in the medal table with a total of 65 medals which equalled our London medal haul. Quite an achievement. There were handreds of great stories including the fact that we beat the Russians. They competed under the ROC flag. (Russian Olympic Committee). I don’t understand this as they, the Russians were banned for drug offences sanctioned by the state. There were so many in the squad, it was indistinguishable from what would have been the normal team. And yet, nothing was said about it. I don’t know how many medals could have been gained by GB but it must have been some. Maybe even Gold ones. We will never know as it looks like everything stands. I always thought that if there was drug taking, the country was banned as a whole, including those where drug taking could not be proved. And they may have been guilty anyway. They sent a squad of 355 athletes! It appears that the only real penalty suffered was that the could not have the Russian National Anthem or the Russian flag at Medal ceremonies. Big deal!!!

Our biggest challenge during the last week was he injury to granddaughter, Maisie. Instead of going “round town” with her friends, they collectively decided to go to Beverley Westwood to Play on a rope swing somewhere in the centre of it.Inevitably it was Maisie who fell, badly resulting in unconsiousness , cuts and bruises and suspected broken bones. The Yorkshire Air Ambulance came as access for an ambulance would prove difficult. As it happens, an ambulanc came vary close and the helicopter, having landed, was sent away. The outcomeof all this was a 36 hour stay in Hull Royal Infirmary Accident and Emergency. Several Xrays and scans and examination by a Neuro Surgeon later she was sent home with a broken wrist, cuts bruises and scrapes and probable concussion. Two days rest at home with David who was in the hospital with her the whole time (nobody knows where her mother was. We think abroad) and she was well on the mend. Quite an episode.

We had a lovely afternoon tea with friends and neighbours Dave and Thelma. Their work for the Make a wish charity is inspirational and Jenny hinted she may like to do some voluntary work for them.

We have spoken alot to Sally and Jim who had a great time in Crete and went from there to Sally’s flat in Spain. Interestingly, the drove to Loss Vicentes and had a drive by our old house (and Bill’s). The gardens were full of weeds and looked very sad . Nobody was living there at the moment but they saw our old neighbour Jose. He had had Covid badly but is fully recovered. He looked well and was pleased to find out that we were all OK. I have a mind to send him a card wishing him and Lola well.

Covid 19 continues to feature in our lives. I don’t take much notice of the figures as they can be made to say whatever the government wants. We just stay inside most of the time and if we venture out we are ALWAYS masked. Many are not! Sister in law has still got covid as has her daughters’ family. They are all double jabbed so as the scientists predicted they have a mild form of the disease but still have to isolate. They could have contracted it from Leanne’s children. Or even their dog, Poppy. Who knows? We haven’t seen Carol for three weeks so we are OK. It pays to be careful though. Especially as Sally and Jim are coming here next week for 7 days and we want to have a really good week. Lots of wine will be drunk. It will be great to see them for the first time since February 2020.

Brexit outcomes get steadily worse. It is not, as thought, a question of shortages due to new border controls but a shortage of 100,000 truck drivers. All the Europeans have gone home and Boris’s solution is to draft in 2000 military to make up the shortfall That’s 2% of the missing drivers and therefore a hopeless con by Boris. Soon, if things don’t improve, we may even need ration books for food. The actions of our leaders is criminal and in years to come we may wish that the likes of Johnson, Cummings and Gove should have been banged up in jail. I am not really a political animal but if Kier Starmer said that the labour party is going to fight to rejoin the single market, he would get my vote! He won’t do it though.