Saturday 30th May
Walking on the fields behind our home I meet up with a with one of the regular dog walkers that we come across from time to time. Like me he is spending more time using the field paths to avoid the large number of people who have been looking for different places to exercise during lockdown, and who have discovered the routes on Croft Hill and around the adjacent quarry. His neighbour is one of these folk, who got very excited, asking whether the dog-walker knew that if you crossed the local sports field, there was a route that led across the fields and back to Croft Hill? It was patiently explained to him by my dog walking friend that he had been using that particular route, with different dogs, for over 20 years.
Our conversation turned to born-again cyclists, also looking for ways to exercise during lockdown. I commented on the number of cyclists that I now see passing our house on the Lane, some serious cyclists on very expensive looking bikes, but most are families on standard bikes that have no doubt been retrieved from the back of the shed. It seems that some had been buried beneath the lawnmower and garden chairs for too long, and need more than a quick squirt of oil to resurrect them. The deterioration is such that the condition is terminal. My friend, part of a regular road cycling club, said that working bikes that once went for a few quid on e-bay, are now fetching several times the price asked during normal times.
Family Zoom this evening, and we discuss the arrangements being put in place for returning to work. In my case there will be a limited number of people in the office, likely to be restricted to those on call. Arrangements for the use of the shared pool car have yet to be finalised. Matthew’s employers will similarly limit the number in the office, with plastic screens to provide protection from airborne viral particles, with employees encouraged to work from home where practical. The lease on Simon’s office is soon coming to an end, and there will be an assumption that many will be working at home when deciding on any move to another office. At Pauline’s school students will remain in the classroom during the teaching day, and teachers will migrate around the school. The capacity of staff facilities has been halved to allow for social distancing.
That leaves Megan, for whom there are no proposed changes to the way she works, no proposed changes to staff facilities to enable social distancing, no changes to working methods. She must rely entirely on PPE. She is at greater risk from becoming infected by Covid 19 than any of us, as she is in direct contact with Covid 19 patients. Should last Thursday’s Make-A-Noise-To-Thank-The-NHS really have been the last one, as suggested?
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.
