17th January 2021. 309 days of isolation/lockdown.

Sunday has come around again, much quicker than I would like. The time during lockdown is flying by and we now learn that the situation may well be going on until autumn. I think that is the worst case scenario given all the new vaccination centres that are opening including on in York. Practically on our doorstep. I had to go to our local surgery for a blood test on Friday. They had given up on my original effort as they could not find a vein after two attempts on each arm. Today, they took it from the back of my right hand and that took two efforts. In conversation with the nurse, she said that she thought that letters would be issued for the Covid vaccination immediately as stocks had now arrived. I wait with baited breath!

Despite the still depressing statistics, vaccinations are accelerating as the supplies and deliveries of the vaccine are increasing. 50% of over 80s have had at least one jab and it is reported that 140 injections per minute are being given. That’s 200,000 per day which ties up with the hope of 1,500,000 injections next week. These figures refer to England. I’m hoping that Mum and us soon get the call. As a key worker, My younger sister has had her first vaccination.

Spent a lot of the weekend cooking and baking and making soups. We now have the freezers full of chillies, curries and soups. Jenny continues to hone her knitting skills and has completed a really nice winter scar

David called to pick up a load of baking equipment for Maisie and Thea. We had a lot of spare bits and the girls did some baking as soon as they got home. They could not get out of the car so we talked through the windows. It’s a strange world.

As I am going nowhere with hospital appointments for my knee I have decided to invest a few quid on going private. Every time I go for a long walk of about 4000 steps I can’t walk or sleep for a couple of days. I have Emailed a request for an appointment at a local chiropractors.

13th January 2021. 305 days of isolation/lockdown.

A proper lockdown day where we did not venture out. We had a delivery of fresh groceries today. Given the current circumstances, it will no doubt be the first of many. Our local garden centre has most items we will need until it is safe to go out again. In a similar vein, I am awaiting delivery of a new pair of house slippers.

Marcus Rashford is very angry about the food parcels provided for children to have lunch for 5 days. The company given the contract to supply them is given £30 (from us the taxpayer) for each pack in which they have put less than £5 worth of (mostly inappropriate) items. Needless to say, the company involved are donors to the Tory party. B###### profiteers.

A new variant of Corona virus is on it’s way from Brazil. Again we must roll out the vaccine as soon as possible. The new viruses seem to infect much easier and is imperative we are all immune as soon as possible. The UK is now up to 2,500,000 at the moment and is accelerating, hopefully. Infection rates in East Yorkshire and Humberside fell today to 222 per 100,000 population, with the national average being 526. Hope for optimism.

12th January 2021. Amended to……304 days of isolation/lockdown. (2020 = 292. 2021 = 12)

During the lockdown we have watched alot of foreign films and TV series. They have been transmitted in their original language with English subtitles. At first it was difficult but we eventually got used to it and learned to understand bits of Scandinavian languages. Now, in a complete reversal, a Finnish Police series, whilst still having English subtitles, is also voice dubbed into the English language. What is really odd is that the spoken translation and the written dubbing are translated slightly differently. Obviously translations are done by different people and whilst the attempts in translation are similar, there are, nevertheless , slight differences. It is very disconcerting but highlights the difficulties interpreters have in translating, especially things like speeches in the UN, in real time. We prefer the written translations to the voice overs. We want to hear the voice that goes with the lip movements. Voice overdubbing was a big thing in Germany when I was a child and I remember watching “Ben Hur” at Fritz Stuhr’s Cinema in Laboe where Charlton Heston had a squeeky voice. Before the main film we watched a short Laurel and Hardy film and both actors had squeeky voices. The duo were known as “Dick und Dof” in Germany. It translates as “Fat and Stupid” which is not PC today but still hilarious.

I had a blood test yesterday. After four goes, the nurse gave up. She could not find a vein so made an appointment for Friday where she will try again. As it was an early appointment I had got up got washed etc and gone to the surgery without a drink. That was my mistake. I was apparently dehydrated and this slows the blood flow. You live and learn. She also updated me on the vaccination situation. Supplies have arrived and we will shortly be invited in, probably to the De la Pole Hospital (actually now defunct) about two kilometers away.

We have put in our first telephone shopping order of this lockdown. We rang before lunch and the order from our local garden centre will arrive tomorrow. There is no charge for delivery and although prices are slightly higher than the shops, it is so much easier than going out in the cold and rain/snow.

Whilst ordering from Amazon is brilliant we want free delivery, They design the site so as to guide you to signing up for Amazon Prime. This is a subscription delivery scheme. Having worked out how to avoid it we have to go through the process each time. Can they please allow me to opt for my preferred delivery for all time? It would seem not.

We had a lovely Zoom call from Sally and Jim who had received a little surprise xmas package from us. It was nice to watch them open their gifts while we all toasted each other with a glass of wine.

Brexit continues to cause problems to the UK. The EU is clearly set to punish us despite the fact that more than half of us wanted to stay in. More stories are coming out of Spain in particular of restrictions to be placed on Brits. Those who have a second home there that they like to stay in for 6 months over winter, are to be restricted to 90 days in a 6 month period, even if they have fully registered with the Spanish authorities and pay all the relevant taxes. If you want to move to Spain you need to prove that you as a couple have an an annual income (net) of £24,000. We are oh so glad we sold up when we did. It was put to me that it was healthier and cheaper to live there. Well maybe, but all I really miss are the oranges straight off the tree. Friends and family in these times are more important.

Visited Mum this morning. I didn’t manage to see a carer to get an update on Mum’s vaccination. She has been messing with her TV remote control and all she could get was Sky News. I managed to re-tune it all and she now has all channels. As long as she has Channel 1,2,3,4 and 5 she is fine. Otherwise she was in good form.

7th January 2021. 302 days of isolation/lockdown

In my whole life, in individual challenges, I have rarely been in the top 4 of anything. I came top in a geography exam once and also won the school music prize. That’s about it. So, it is gratifying to know that I (and Jenny) are in the 4th group for Covid vaccinations. I did nothing for the achievement except be born in 1948 and sit at home watching the TV for long periods. Sometimes until 1 am. Oh, it’s good to be old sometimes. Mum is in the 2nd group and we should all be done with the first jab by the end of the month.

I heard from Manfred in Germany today. They are also in full lockdown, only allowed out for a walk. The situation in Germany as a whole is disorganised. Possibly due to the fact that there are 16 autonomous regions. (Take note Scotland). Maybe, just maybe, we are getting something right as the UK is miles ahead of the rest of Europe.

Alongside all this going on, there are the problems in the USA. I can’t say much that hasn’t been widely covered in the press. I always suspected that the USA had lost it’s mind when they elected Trump and as a result it is a very racist country. Look at the soft approach by the security forces against the white facists last night and compare it with the harsh treatment in the (peaceful) Black Lives Matter march. I despair. I have always hated extremism in any form but I’m afraid it has crept into so many areas of our once peaceful existence. From the Republicans in the USA to animal rights protesters including PETA to anti abortionists to anti vaxxers. The list goes on. I need a drink.

6th January 2021. 301 days of isolation/lockdown

1 in 50 people in the UK have had Covid 19 confirmed. This is a worrying figure and serves to fortify our resolve to stay at home. We will up our exercise levels (walking) as we have been a bit too inactive. The trouble with inactivity is that I now weigh 100 kgs. That’s 15.71 stones. I must try to get that down to 90 kgs..

David got us a very warm wooly Duvet for Christmas and we now have it on our bed. It is SO warm it is like sleeping with a sheep (although I have never done that of course).

My Barbers have closed down completely for the lockdown so I cut my own hair for the first time since we left Spain. Didn’t make too bad a job of it and as a bonus I saved myself £8. The lockdown savings go on!

Aunty Phyllis and Uncle Ray have had their 2nd vaccine jab. No instruction as to what immunity they have although they should “keep up the lockdown” for 14 days. They are our family “Pathfinders”.

Our friend Irene rang for a chat. Bill was having a siesta which after his course of radiotherapy, has become more regular. Irene’s sister Mary was buried last Wednesday. It was very soon after her passing so was actually a blessing. Otherwise they are all well. The husband of the couple that bought Bills house in Spain has died so the property is up for sale again. The asking price is not yet known.

Donald is up to his usual tricks. Even at state level, his interventions are disgraceful, trying to “find extra votes”. It looks like the two senate seats being contested will go Democrat and therefore take away the Republican majority in the senate. There are still some results to come in but the few areas to report lean heavily Democratic. Even the US Loonie will not concede, we are surely witnessing his final death throes.

To put our current plight in perspective, this is for those of us feeling a bit stir crazy:-

ANN FRANK and 7 others, hid in a 450 square foot attic for 761 days, quietly trying to remain undiscovered to stay alive. Surely, we can all do our bit to keep everyone safe and spend a few weeks at home?

5th January 2021. 300 days of Lockdown/Isolation.

On our last trip to Aldi before lockdown. I opened the car door only to be hit by a falling branch. I looked up and a very large bird was just flying away. The car did not appear to be damaged but blood was drawn from my thumb. Was I being reminded that I should stay at home? That is our intention. This should certainly be our last “big shop” in a while. The last time we had full lockdown there were long queues to get into the store and we are not going through that. We will have deliveries from our local garden centre which provided high quality produce at a very slightly higher price. There was nothing we couldn’t get from there and it was always delivered within 24 hours.

Boris’s announcement that we are all on Tier 5 from (legally) tomorrow morning, is going to be hard but was no surprise. All schools will be closed and there will be no restaurants open although they will be allowed to do takeaways (but no alcohol). All gyms will be closed and ours has already sent us an Email saying they are shut down after tonight. I had already cancelled my subscription and Jenny’s will now also stop. That’s a total  saving of £47 a month! We are also saving on minimum car use having driven only about 2000 miles in nine months. We shall use the bus but maybe after we have been vaccinated

Things are not so bad in Romania and Sally and Jim are touring around in their friends car. I think that when they get home they will be in lockdown and teaching from home. I wish we could be there also.

Petra has been in touch and they are as bad if not worse than the UK. Both she and Manfred still have to go into work and Petra’s colleagues are less than cautious.  She is quite rightly worried. What is wrong with these people?

I called to see mum today. She is well and commented again on how she enjoyed the plated Christmas dinner we had taken her. She has not yet received a vaccination letter but Sue, one of the carers said that surgeries should be issuing letters now that the vaccine has started to arrive. Apparently the government have promised that all keyworkers and people in care in a home and at home and everyone over 70, will be vaccinated by mid February. I am not holding my breath.

We took our Christmas tree down on Sunday. That and all the trimmings are now in the loft. Mum still has everything (such as it is) on display and will keep it out until the 6th. Some traditions are hard to give up.

Sally in Romania.

4th January 2021. 299 days after lockdown/isolation.

Happy New Year dear reader. A lot has happened in recent days and I have been waiting for mum to get her letter to be called up for a vaccination. No letter or phone call has been received as yet, despite her being 94 years of age. Boris is on at 8pm and is likely to announce a full lockdown.

We have four main groups of Brits in the UK. Brexiteers, Anti vaxxers, Remainers and those who welcome the vaccine programme. Of those groups, I have found it rare that Brexiteers admit to their voting history. The rest are quite happy to stand their ground. Maybe the Brexiteers are waiting for it to be successful before they “come out of the cupboard”. Well, at the moment they will be keeping quiet as each day brings more bad news for the whole of the UK or individual groups of Brits. One emerging story is the Spanish authorities treatment of ex pats who have property there and those who might want to move out there. Pensioners have to have proof of income (minimum €26000) and restrictions on those already living there with challenges if they leave the country for a holiday. As an example (and I don’t have any details) I would site the purchasers of our Spanish house in Murcia in December 2018. After less than two years they have put it up for sale.

New years Eve was different this year. Most of our neighbours came out on the stroke of 1200 and we wished each other a Happy New Year. There was no singing or clapping but it was lovely and friendly and may become a tradition. Many years ago when we were in our 20s, we would go to the Barham pub until midnight and walk to our friend Liz’s house but on the way we would be invited to have a wee dram in a lot of houses where people were stood on their doorsteps listening to the boats hooters going off in Hull Docks, and watching fireworks. That’s a tradition that is long gone but would be lovely to revive. If only in part.

Lockdown Tier 5, has been announced. It applies from tomorrow unofficially but will be made law from Wednesday. The biggest thing is that schools will close down until at least February half term. Exams will probably not take place this year. More information will come out tomorrow.

31st December 2020. 295 days of lockdown/isolation.

So here we are, the last day of 2020. I have mixed feelings about a year we will never forget. It ends with Brexit being a fact fom 11pm tonight and the prospect of vaccines “killing off” the Covid pandemic giving us hope that the number of deaths will virtually disappear.

2020 meant for us

2 cancelled holidays to Germany

1 holiday by car starting in France and ending up in Northern Germany

Several concerts including Andy Fairweather Lowe.

At least one holiday in Romania

Many weekends not booked but planned

Our 50th Wedding Anniversary celebrations with live music…….lost forever

Brexit…merd.

A virus which will not go away.

In 2021 we have already booked a holiday to the Harz Mountains in Germany. We will book for the Munich Beer Festival again.

We will be going to Normandy to see Bernard and Sue and we have an open invitation to go and stay with Petra and Manfred in Kiel. The invitation is reciprocated.

Lots of UK weekend breaks planned and we already have concerts booked including the fabulous Paloma Faith. Will we fit it all in and will we be able to travel?

A happy new year dear reader, Lets hope we ALL have a good one.

29th December 2020. 293 days of lockdown//isolation

The Christmas “celebrations” are all over and it is time to take stock. Christmas Eve had gone without a hitch and we hope the arrangements had kept everyone safe. It is a bit worrying that there is a new variant of the virus which is easier to pass on. We should just keep on doing what we are doing.

Christmas Day was a busy one. Under Government regulations for Christmas Day we were allowed a visit to take our presents to his house for our grandchildren, who were there until 1pm. It was great fun and we got presents too including an Alexa, A canvas print of David and Jo and a 1000 piece jigsaw of David and kids.

Covid has been the big news with thousands more affected in a tidal wave of new infections. The NHS is almost overwhelmed and there is no immediate solution and everyone is pinning Their hopes on the vaccination programme. They have started dismantling the Nightingale hospitals due to lack of staff to bring in. I am very pessimistic and am determined that Jenny and I will not be caught out. We will only go out if absolutely necessary and have food deliveries as we did way back in April. The situation is very serious and I hope someone can come up with policies that will reduce the numbers. I don’t think Boris has it in him and neither do any of his ministers.

Brexit seems very inconsequential at the moment and my guess is that some sort of extension is absolutely necessary. We may have a “deal” but it is by no means signed sealed and delivered. I had intended to list the benefits versus the advantages today but will do that at a later time when things are clearer. The FTSE is at least on the up although the sterling exchange rate is falling. That would however be good for any Brit moving Euros back to the UK.

There will be restrictions on passports and travel in general to Europe. We won’t need visas, it seems but our EHIC cards may be invalid and we will need a UK insurance green card and a Europoean driving certificate which will involve a small charge.

On Christmas day we went to David’s house to watch the grandchildren open our gifts. We kept our distance and went as soon as possible to cook the dinner for which David joined us. I did a plate for Mum which I took in the after noon. Jenna, a carer who I saw later, said she warmed it up for her and she really enjoyed it.

On Boxing day we went to Davids house so I could put up shelves for Ronnie’s new X-Box. He was at Jo’s. The rest of the day we watched TV at home. Great! Apart from Jenny taking her passport to the Post Office, we stayed in and so we can stay safe there will be a lot more of that in the future.

24th December 2020. 288 days of lockdown/isolation.

It’s Christmas Eve and the end of another strange week with lots going on. Today, the whole Clark Clan would descend on Mum’s house each year without fail for the traditional (German) distributing of gifts. Clearly that will not happen in the house today and a rota has been devised with each branch (Angela’s, Christina’s and mine) going at a pre-arranged time, 10am, 1pm and 4pm. All available family will rock up and wish Mum happy Christmas, from outside, with the three siblings (Mum’s bubble) being inside to distribute the gifts. No Santa this year. We won’t be there long as the weather is awful, Cold and wet. No snow. Sally and Jim are stuck in Romania and obviously cannot be there but during our visit they will try to contact us by video call.

Of course, Brexit is big news at the moment with an “agreement” imminent. Apparently there are 2000 pages of it so it needs reading and voting on before ratification. In he meantime there are thousands of lorries stuck outside Dover thanks to a french ban on goods entering France. Yes, it’s them, AGAIN. Next they will be setting our sheep on fire, AGAIN. I think the referendum would have had a different outcome if we had simply been asked to vote on France being excluded from the EU. It would have been a definite “Oui” from me. The buggers still would want our fish though. I think even the rest of the EU are fed up of them. Scotland are also rattling their sabers about independence again. Just GO!! and take your parasite riddled farm salmon with you. And we don’t need your oil. And we’ll find somewhere else for our submarines etc. So there!

Took Mums christmas gift and met David and the kids there. Did a video call to Sally and Jim who were waking in the woods. We all went back to ours for a cuppa and to open presents. We’ve got an “Alexa”. What fun! We then went for a walk to see the village lights and ear fish and chips on a park bench. Until the rain and snow came. It was blooming cold. We went home and our visitors went back to Beverley,

I’m hoping Brexit will be clearer tomorrow and that the Corona vaccine gets rolled out quickly to save us all from the mutations. Boris is speaking tonight but I think it will be a poor deal with the EU. One we will come to regret, sadly. In this case I don’t think saying “I told you so”, will give me any satisfaction.