Monday 30th March
Lying in bed reading last night with the window open, all was silent – no noise from M69 motorway, no vehicles on the Lane or from the busier road around Croft Hill, no aircraft, no trains. There will be goods trains later in the night, but road and air traffic has noticeably reduced as people stay at home. I am on annual leave this week, for a break in Wales. I have decided not to cancel the annual leave – lock-down is an opportunity to sort out a disorganised garden, and this keeps me busy for most of the day. My Junior Doctor niece Megan WhatsApps to the family group – Next have teamed up with the hospital to provide “work clothes” – white T-shirts. But, as she says, nice that big companies are offering to help out. Fetching the recycling bin from the drive I meet sister in law (well, technically ex-sister-in-law) Sally walking past with her dog, and we chat. She has a part time job maintaining a golf course, and lock-down occurred at the beginning 
of the ground maintenance season. Her boss is concerned that the course will be un-manageably overgrown by the time ground staff are allowed back to work. There will be many consequences of social isolation that most of us will not realise until life returns to normal. Dog Training Club meets tonight, and some of us upload a video of exercises that we have been practicing with our dogs – virtual dog training. Tia does a commendable “send away”. Ellie weaves between my legs as I walk. Like kids, dogs need home-schooling during social isolation. This morning BBC news reports that Jenny Harries, Deputy Chief Medical Office stated that lock-down could last for 6 months. No, she didn’t. I saw yesterday’s daily Government news conference. Dr Harries said it could be 6 months before things returned to normal. This is not saying that we will be housebound for 6 months. Why the negative spin? We need positive news, such as the number of people surviving the virus who are now immune, to balance the daily death and infection count.
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.
