Well thought I’d better get something down before I catch Covid-19 or Coronavirus.

I’m being serious; I’m nearly in the ’70 and over’ bracket and I have ‘underlying health issues’. But enough about my health, I’m staying in (9 weeks and counting) and going out for a walk, although not every day, sadly. I went to a Wilkinson’s shop today because I was running out of toiletries and they sell all I need at a reasonable price. It was my first foray into a large shop (I’ve been to the local farm shop) and I was pleasantly surprised by the orderliness of the queuing system outside the shop. Everybody respectively kept their distance, although the markings on the floor helped, and the guy on the door was friendly and helpful. In I went and there were about 10 customers in the shop, again keeping the right protocol about staying away from each other. I also managed to buy everything I wanted, then I was going to go into Lidl to get some other stuff but the queue to get in there was far too long so I didn’t bother and came home. They say systems will start to appear after 5 days so I’ll wait that out to see what happens, although I did wear a mask and gelled my hands all the time.

Its actually not much different to our normal life with the lockdown, we didn’t go out at night a lot anyway and we were mostly at home during the day. The things we miss are the social side and connection with our daughter Charlotte who lives 10 miles away. But that’s the same as everyone, so no piling on the agony from me. I respect that the gov’ment are trying to do their best for all us, so I hope they are not too liberal with any relaxing of the lockdown rules. Actually even now just 9 weeks into it, I’m not sure how we’re all going to react to being released from isolation. Life is not going to go back to normal that’s for sure, whatever normal was. It’ll be a gradual thing, but I doubt it will like it was before. All those conspiracy theorists who say it’s a world plot to reduce the population and pollution are wide of the mark I feel, nobody would try to implement such a haphazard event. It is what it is,and I have complete faith in whoever is trying to develop a vaccine for this virus, it is after all what they do all the time. Not that us oldies will get the vaccine in a hurry, the younger fitter will be first in the queue. Talking if which I read today that there was a 35-40 car queue to get into a newly reopened KFC today as soon as it opened. That’s very sad a) to queue for so long to get a reconstituted meat product in a dubious bun with dried preserved additives and b) surely people aren’t that fed up with getting their own food at home. The same happened with a Costa coffee shop, inordinate queues to get a cup of hot water with some ground flavour in it. The mind boggles has the population got so ingrained in doing these things that they have to start doing it again as soon as is humanly possible. Like many of my generation, a McDonald’s or a KFC was a once a month treat maybe, having said that I haven’t had either for probably 20 years or more. But the world rolls on, people are sick in hospital with this dreadful virus, and the NHS are working flat out to try and ‘flatten the curve’. I hope they succeed, but I feel the battle will go on for many years yet. I’m just wondering what the third thing will be. Well, we’ve had Brexit and Covid, both have put the gov’ment under extreme pressure, what’s the next thing; a meteorite in danger of hitting earth? These things are monitored closely by the many agencies around the world, but can any them do anything about it if we were in the path of catastrophe? I’m afraid Bruce Willis isn’t available to do it this time. Will the world’s powers get together and try to work out what to do collectively? Or will they work independently, as they seem to have done with Covid, and come up with myriad solutions none of which are compatible with each other? Whatever happens and what plans are made a meteorite strike will probably end the world, like one probably did for the dinosaurs, although of course the world remained intact. Who’s to know; no-one.

On to other things: The weather has been most unseasonal, I expect that will change come the summer and we’ll be in the usual state of cooler summers. Actually the last few summers have been quite warm so maybe the trend is reversing. If this lockdown last until then, it’s going to be pretty bad for people who want to get out and about.