Well - what to say? It felt like a good time to perhaps start blogging regularly again. As I type it feels a little like the world is grinding slowly to a halt, and none of us are able to get off.
For clarity for anyone reading this in years to come, it is 22nd March 2020, and the UK is several weeks into our battle with Coronavirus, COVID-19. I'd say "google it" but I suspect you won't need to - even if you are from a much younger generation, you will have learned about these events in school in the same way that my generation learned about the awful Spanish Flu epidemic at the end of WW1.
Social distancing measures are starting to be taken more seriously by most; all pubs, restaurants, nightclubs and bars have been ordered to close for the duration, although they are allowed to do takeaway food and drink. McDonalds has just announced that all its outlets will be closed from tomorrow, and we're expecting other fast food outlets to follow. The Outer Hebrides ferries are now switched to a lifeline only service after an influx of unexpected visitors flooding to the islands over the past weeks - the Western Isles currently have no cases of the virus and with the limited medical facilities there they are keen to keep it this way.
From our perspective with our social lives centering around the aviation scene, the rugby club and our activities with CAMRA, life feels a bit of a funny shape right now. Events are cancelling left, right and centre - the Royal International Air Tattoo has cancelled, even though nobody knows where we will be at in July it's impossible for them to plan the event. The same applies to Farnborough Airshow which has also taken the tough decision to cancel. All CAMRA events and face to face meetings are cancelled - we had a Great British Beer Festival working party meeting via a microsoft teams conference call yesterday which worked well though. MrEH will be mostly working from home from tomorrow, and I am working frantically to get enough work together that I will have something to do if I have to do the same - it is less of an issue from me as there are only three of us where I work - it's easier to keep distance between us, and as I travel in and out by car there is no exposure risk to or from others.
Amongst all the gloom and scary stuff there are still bright spots. One of my best friends and his lovely wife had their second baby on Friday, another little boy. After a couple of tense days spent in NICU he's now been pronounced healthy and they are back at home. we spent much of this afternoon out on the balcony potting up plants into our pots for both balconies, which we hope will brighten up our view front and back. Currently we and all those closest to us are fit and well - although like much of the country constantly wondering if "this" or "that" is a symptom of the virus...
I suspect as things unfold writing stuff down here may prove to be somewhat therapeutic - and while I'm not expecting daily posts, I'm hoping to be a little more regular than I have been for a while.
Take care all, stay safe, ration your loo roll (for future readers who are scratching your heads, keep reading subsequent posts and all will be revealed!) and remember to focus on the small wins.
Robyn
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