Corona Diaries

Edited for clarity by the researcher

Bill

“One thing I don’t like is a tragic ending. Especially if I am writing about myself. Far from it. Even if it is

going that way.”

Background Information

Male, aged 65-74, Retired, South Wales, Divorced.

March and April 2020

Early in March I ate a biscuit, crunching it. It was hard around the outside; I didn’t realise it was so hard. It

was like biting into stone and I felt and heard a crack.

I cracked a tooth. You can move it with your tongue. (Like a milk tooth). I know the stump will have to come

out before it gives me great pain. So, I phoned the dentist up. They said, “are you in any pain?” “Not at the

moment, but I will” I told them.

They give me [an appointment on the] 24th March (say two weeks). And with the coronavirus breaking out,

[it] made me worried. Soon the Prime Minister Boris Johnson will stop people meeting in busy places. So I

tried to move the appointment on the seventeenth. On the seventeenth what I dread happened, I had a

phonically from the dentist. The girl said I cannot have an appointment because all the appointments are

cancelled.

I told her “What if I’m in pain?” She asked, “are you in pain?” I said “my tooth is cracked, I soon will be in

pain.” She said “well it’s not bothering you yet. Your appointment will be cancelled like the rest.”

They did say if I am having pain the dentist might see me.

I am also writing about how many caught the virus and how many died.

Writing my story of this documentation of the virus that is recorded from daily newspapers, [illegible] am I

being morbid about this?

I shelved my writing, three times I put my pad in the draw. But then I thought, if I don’t like writing about

who many had the virus and died, perhaps it would be better to write thoughts on who had the virus and

survived. I’ve only copied two at the moment. Actor Ken Morley and a young mum Laura Jacobs.

So! Who got the virus and died?

In blue ink – who had the virus and survived.

(My story) (myself and the virus) closing down everything including my dentist appointment and how its

going to affect me.

Edited for clarity by the researcher

Also, panic buying in department stores is happening. I always carry a basket but never a trolley. The ones

with the trolley are sometimes stacked up to the top. One woman left one of the stores with a trolley full of

goods, I thought of saying to her “live on your own do you?” but I didn’t, I kept my sarcasm to myself.

It is Saturday 18th April 2020.

14,576 dead in Britain now.

In my paper, sat, the Daily Mail, it also said that experts warn 40k may die (and that’s just in the first virus

wave). ‘Britain could suffer the highest death rate in Europe with up to 40,000 fatalities during the first wave

of outbreak’ a health expert warned yesterday.

Anyway! How am I at the moment? Well my broken tooth hasn’t given me any trouble yet. What I am doing

is eating cloves to combat the pain [in case] any pain is about to emerge. Also my dentist showed me how

to plaster the toothpaste each side of the tooth, and that will deaden the pain. Also, I take painkillers, half

paracetamol before I go to sleep.

Covid death total in Wales nears 600 (section)

In the South Wales Evening Post 20/02/2020 it says if you have urgent dental pain, you should still call your

dentist. If you have a health complaint that is worrying you and it won’t go away, [or] you or your family

member are seriously ill or injured you should dial 999 or attend your nearest emergency department.

So! Perhaps with this coronavirus I hope they haven’t ruled out the other complaints as well.

Let’s go back to myself, the coronavirus is now constant, but let’s forget my dental troubles for a minute.

Going back I wrote a fictional story about – Bend um & Curl um, like CARRINCHA. The fictional character

Tom Spruce is seventy-five and all free prescriptions have been stopped in Wales. So, he thought “there is

only one thing for it! I’ll have to go herbal.” So! He took herbs and surprisingly he got fitter and playing

football again, going on as a sub. He was so fit he wondered if he could play a 90 minute game of football.

I myself Bill [wonder] if I could take herbs to beat this coronavirus. That is a minute possibility! Could be the

cure though. If I practice it. It could happen.

A while ago, sitting with Kev, I remember him saying “out there, there is a cure for everything.”

Mid May 2020

In Saturday daily mail hospital admissions for coronavirus have halved since the pandemics peak, the head

of the NHS reveals today, writing exclusively in the Daily Mail. Simon Stevens says the fall in demand

means the sick should not delay in seeking help for other illnesses.

Hospital staff are treating just over 9000 patients a day in England – down from 19000 a few weeks ago.

Admissions are now falling by around 2000 a week. Sir Simon says, “we are not out of the woods.”

In the Daily Mail 30/05/2020 there was a bit on the second page about check ups at the dentist. ‘Patients

will have to wait until next year for a dental check up because practices face a huge backlog of urgent

Edited for clarity by the researcher

cases’ the dentists’ professional body warns today. Even those with severe toothache will be left waiting up

to two months according to the Britishh Dental Association. Earlier this week the NHS announced June 8 th

but only if they felt ‘appropriately prepared to provide safe care without spreading the virus.’

Regarding my cracked tooth, my cloves and plaster paste on both sides has been effective [I’m] having no

pain. It’s [been] nearly three months now. But [I] wonder if I could do it for another six.

June 2020

Hoping the lockdown will ease off.

The garden centres are now open. Scrap centres are opened and open markets [are to] be opened soon.

The Prime Minister reckons that shortened distancing, instead of two metres, will be one metre soon.

Shops will soon reopen too. But what I need is a haircut. The barber and hairdresser stylists are still shut.

^ I wrote that yesterday. Today is the |SUN|Sunday.

June 14th 2020

On page two Boris Johnson is poised to ditch the two metre social distancing rule to help battered

businesses bounce back from lock down. PM pledge that this week instead [of] 2 metre [it will change] to 1

metre. The Prime Minister will this week set a date for lifting the restrictions – and it could be as early as

next month.

Hoping the lockdown will ease off. The garden centre now open. Scrap centres are open, and open

markets are open soon.

Beginning of this month my right eyeball was bad. To blame it was my hair being long, the front and side

was going into my eyes. Walking down the street where I am now living, a bloke named Marv said to me “I

need a haircut” I told him “I know! But where could I find a barber?” “I know” he said “all the barbers are

shut”. “I’ll have to cut it myself” I told him.

Two weeks ago, I had a red eye and put ointment on it. It healed. It the crusted up in which I [had] another

eye complaint. Conjunctivitis. So, I cured that with a herbal eyewash. I put a yellow Calendula (English

Marigold) in a small bowl of warm water – and that’s my eyewash.

Then I decided to cut my own hair. But only the hair that was going in my eyes, so I cut it from near the

front.

For the reopening of Swansea on Monday 22nd June 2020 I went to Swansea for a change. There were five

on the bus that went and [on the way] back there were ten.

As I came back there were ten.

As I got to Swansea I went to a shoe shop and it was shut. I looked through: up against the glass. There

was two women in there, but they wouldn’t open ‘til Saturday.

Edited for clarity by the researcher

I went to Smiths, where now, the post office is. I handed a post card over the counter and then I went. I put

seven pounds into my bank.

So a lot of things has gone back to normal but a lot of shops are still shut. Then I went to Tesco. Got two

bottles of Ginger pop and fish fingers.

Going home I was tired and sat outside the prince on one of the two benches.

I then remembered being on the bus going home there was a young girl waiting. This happened on the

second stop. Being polite, she left a young man in his twenties, and a old man go before her. When she

nearly got on, the driver looked back and told her “no more”. I thought that was a little unfair. And I thought

anyway there is a lot of seats empty. Only after I was told there were only ten people allowed on the bus.

After that I decided not to go that Saturday.

Tuesday I went to the ASDA near where I lived, luckily I bought a pair of Jims for £14 pound.

July 2020

Hi Michael

I’ve written another four sheets. The next lot of sheets will be an ending. As you see I’ve written about

endings. Luckily, I’ve seen a dentist this week and I [will] be writing about removing the lockdown. Slowly.

Going to pubs and clubs and having a haircut. Going to the bookies and the libraries. The third lot of sheets

im sending you now, and on the fourth lot of sheets I hope there’s a good ending.

From Friend, Bill

On July the 9th Thursday I decided to got to Swansea even thought there was a risk that I had to walk back.

On Monday the sixth my money was short. What possibly could have happened I thought. Was [it] that they

took my pension credit away, which is about 19 pound they pay me on top of my pension. I was short of

about twenty, so it was similar to my pension credit. I get a lot of things free, so I didn’t want to lose that.

Dental charge was free. Even old electric appliances to be dumped they take away for free. And other

things as well.

I had a lift to town in my son’s car. He dropped me off.

When I went into the bank, the girl checked on the computer and said that my pension credit is all right.

That was a relief. [As I was] relieved, I didn’t press any further to say for instance “is [it] my pension

affecting me then?” I came out of the bank a little [more] relieved than I went in.

At first I went to Tesco [to] see what I can have for dinner. The when I left the supermarket, “how am I going

to get home” was on my mind. The first bus wouldn’t let me on because the small bus already had ten

people on.

Then the only answer was to walk home – luckily a double decker drew up opposite the train station.

Number 89, so I went to my old house [and] my son gave me a lift to my flat.

Edited for clarity by the researcher

On Friday the 10th a bit of my tooth broke off. “Not again” I thought. I was in a lot of pain, I thought of my

cracked tooth that time I ate a dunking biscuit. This time I ate a fig. The biscuit coating was hard. I still

worry about going to have it out. That’s if I could find a dentist with this coronavirus outbreak in full swing.

Although some of the lockdown has been lifted.

On Tuesday the 14th as I am writing this I have a paper at the side of me saying the pubs & clubs are open.

During the Coronavirus I needed to buy trousers and bought one with the waste not big enough. Instead of

going back to change it I decided to keep it. With getting another two, with a bigger waist (38”) I wanted to

slim down to a thirty six.

After the coronavirus perhaps I [will] join a weightwatchers group.

I bought a second [pair of] trousers that will fit me.

On 24th July, which is my birthday, I went to my son’s for dinner. My ex wife also bought me another

trousers so now I got three.

On the twenty fifth I had an appointment to have a hair cut. I got there early, luckily I had my hair cut early. I

there had been a cancellation. So! The coronavirus lockdown is lifting slowly. But I’m in no rush to go into

the pubs. Shops are mostly open and I’m waiting for the second hand shops also to open.

August 2020

I phoned the dentist on August, Thursday the 6th. I told them I wanted the tooth to be pulled out it’s chipped

and been hurting through the night. The receptionist told me come in [at] eleven tomorrow.

Eleven o’clock came Friday. I sat in a chair. And the dentist and the assistant nurse were wearing a mask,

through the coronavirus.

It took him about half an hour to try and pull the tooth out – only succeeding by pulling bits out but leaving

the root in the gums. He finally told me I have to go to hospital where they have drills. They took my own

dentist’s drills away through the outbreak.

After that, I went to a nearby pharmacy for antibiotics tablets. So perhaps if they do see me in the hospital, I

could ask them about the cracked tooth that hasn’t given me any problems yet.

Sense of ending.

When I write a story I wonder what sort of ending I will put. A happy ending. No ending that makes you

think! A touch of Alfred Hitchcock. I hope not. One thing I don’t like is a tragic ending. Especially if I am

writing about myself. Far from it. Even if it is going that way. I like the character to be left with the end. That

life goes on.

End for now.

Edited for clarity by the researcher

At the end of page twelve, at the last paragraph I wrote about stories and endings, which I wouldn’t like to

have one. In this story: myself and the virus, [it] is about my story of what happened [to] myself, and my

dental problems and the coronavirus.

Remembering what was in the paper The Daily Mail in May – 30/5/2020, patients will have to wait until next

year for a dental check-up. With clinics only able to see a few patients a day. Even those with severe

toothache will be left waiting up to two months, according to the British Dental Association.

But I heard in the paper, people have taken their own teeth out, its barbaric stuff. Now that frightens me.

When I chipped a tooth eating a fig, my cracked tooth at [that time] was not giving me any trouble. But

[with] my chipped tooth they couldn’t take all of it out. They finally told me I had to go to hospital. In fact, the

hospital dentist was a house in the town over in which my son made an appointment for me. He took me in

his car. Coming from mine to the dentist, taking a short cut I said to him “Is the mental hospital over there?”

And my son said “Yes, perhaps I drop you off there instead of going to the dentist.” “Cheeky bugger” I

thought.

After the tooth finally came out. I asked the dentist [why] he didn’t use a drill. I thought that’s why I am here.

He said that he’s been taking teeth out and he knows what to do. But whatever, I am relived now that the

tooth is out.

Has my fear in this story about a bad tooth and would exclude of not being pulled out. It was pulled out after

all. But not a tragic ending, not been a bad ending. A sad ending. I did have my ex-wife pass away. It was

Saturday the 19th. The 20th Sunday I drunk in a near pub called the prince. I sat on my own for a bit and

thought this was the end bit that I wanted. “Life goes on.”

The end.

Edited for clarity by the researcher

Handwritten copy

Edited for clarity by the researcher

Edited for clarity by the researcher

Edited for clarity by the researcher

Edited for clarity by the researcher

Edited for clarity by the researcher

Edited for clarity by the researcher

Edited for clarity by the researcher

Edited for clarity by the researcher

Edited for clarity by the researcher

Edited for clarity by the researcher

Edited for clarity by the researcher

Edited for clarity by the researcher

Edited for clarity by the researcher

Edited for clarity by the researcher

Edited for clarity by the researcher