Day 35...

And there was week 5 gone. It still feels very strange to think that this has all been going on for quite so long really - and no certainty on an end date yet, either. On the other hand - locally we had a day with no new C19 deaths at our local hospital and things have definitely started to show an improvement generally on that front too, signs that the lockdown is doing what it should, hopefully. Around here most people are being pretty good about it - yes there are the odd little gatherings of people outside on sunny days, and we have neighbours who have continued to have family members turning up for social get-togethers almost daily throughout - it is annoying but there is little we can do about it really. Meanwhile I drop off Mum & Dad's shopping each week and we grab a short conversation with me at the safe distance of the end of their garden path.

Social media is still interesting with a real mix of viewpoints on the whole thing. Rather like in everyday life - the majority understand the reasons, a fair few have done enough research to also understand the aims, and a probably really quite small, but loud enough to sound otherwise minority are armchair experts supreme and are insistent that the whole situation is dreadful, it's not fair, against their rights and the government don't know what they are doing. On the latter point, probably a degree of truth, and this is of course why the focus on managing the pandemic is being directed by a team of experts behind the scenes - or in the case of a few of them, probably rather less behind the scenes than they might ideally like! The irony is that a lot of the government bashing posts are of course as ever politically motivated, yet the experts advising would be the same regardless of which party was in power - a point which many seem to be choosing to ignore (or simply don't realise!). while the majority of politicians are very sensibly putting the real cut and thrust of party politics to one side at the moment, there are many on social media who seem unable to do the same and continue to bang the same vitriolic old drum day in, day out - much nastiness ensues with the different sides resorting to name calling. All very tedious, and of course entirely unhelpful. I've never done personal politics on this blog, and that will remain unchanged, personal should mean just that in my view.

I completed my first running challenge of the lockdown this afternoon too - the Navy Wings charity are doing a "set" of 5 different 5k challenges - I signed up for the Sea Vixen 5k in support of one of my absolute favourite classic jet aircraft, and a slow 3.5 miles this afternoon leaves me in a position to claim my medal for that.

Robyn