Friday 3rd April
As expected, after this morning’s dog walk, I am again dispatched to Aldi. I suggest that I shop in the Co-op, or postpone the Aldi trip until this evening, but, despite a full and frank discussion, I lose on both counts. The queue is longer than last week, and it is 30 minutes before I hand my pound coin to a nice shop assistant, who kindly fetched me a trolley after disinfecting the handle. As Chantal is vulnerable, I have no option. From my conversation with the chap behind me in the queue I get the impression that he has been sent out for just a few items to get him from under his wife’s feet, while he is furloughed from work. Half of the queue is men, and there is a bit of camaraderie between us. I am not the only one to film the queue in the vain hope of getting sympathy at home. As we approach the door there is the odour of alcohol-based hand sanitiser, as customers prepare for shopping. As I reach the front of the queue, a lady with an NHS identification goes straight to the door, apologising profusely to everyone, and saying that she needs to get back to work. No-one objects. Like last week the retail experience is fairly relaxed, and I tick off most things on my three shopping lists. On my return home the only criticism is that I spent over £8 on a large free-range corn-fed chicken. The list said “large free-range chicken” and I bought the only large free-range chicken. Apparently, at that price, the only other option, a Medium Farm Assured chicken, should have been selected. This wasn’t specified. We receive an e-mail from the owner of a Yorkshire cottage, booked for mid-May. The balance is due today, but, under the circumstances, need not be paid until two weeks before. If lock-down continues into May we can defer the booking for up to 12 months.
Technically we live in Oaktree House, but sadly the tree had to go.
We now have a thriving Oakstump at the front of the house.
