Corona Diaries

Delilah

“The days now are very much the same and we forget what day of the week it is.”

Background information

Female, aged 55-64, retiree of 3 years, moved from Cardiff to Shropshire in 2019, White, Married to

Husband Dennis.

March 2020

I begin the diary by describing how I came to do it. I had been thinking since the pandemic turned into a

lockdown in the UK about the WW2 mass observation study that I had read about in some research I’d

been doing. I thought it fantastic that people were sharing what they ate, and how they felt and that 70

years later we could have an insight into those very dangerous times. I thought it would be useful for the

pandemic. Then on linkedin (a social media platform), I saw an advert for people to take part and I jumped

at the chance.

Perhaps I’ll start with when we first heard about COVID-19 in January 2020. We all believed at the time,

that it was restricted to China and when they were building hospitals in a couple of days and clearing the

streets of people, we did not grasp what was to come. Eventually when Wuhan was shut down and foreign

nationals were flown out, we started to see that it was likely to spread outside of China. In early February,

a number of British Nationals were flown from Wuhan to be quarantined at Arrowe Park Hospital on

Merseyside. The people were just glad to be home but the coach drivers driving the coaches from an RAF

base, did not have any protective gear on. Then came the first cases in the UK were the end of January

when 2 Chinese students who were staying in York had it. From then on it built up slowly with handfuls of

cases, nothing more. I think we all believe so much in the NHS that we all thought it could cope with this

and the people would recover.

The first time I was really worried was around 10th March. Up to this point, we had been visiting friends in

Peterborough, going out for meals with friends to Chester, visiting Erddig with friends. The first person to

die in the UK of coronavirus was 5 March. My friend Linda and I had tickets to go and see Bryan Ferry in

the Royal Albert Hall in London on 13 March and we both started to question whether we should go. The

PM, Boris Johnson, was due to address the nation on the 12th and we thought he might say that such

events couldn’t take place but he didn’t and so we went ahead with the trip. I really didn’t feel comfortable

about going to London, which was already being identified as the epicentre of the outbreak in the UK. But

Linda didn’t say anything so off we went. The train down wasn’t full but certainly wasn’t empty. It was

noticeable that Euston Station was a lot emptier than you would find on a Friday. I had an even bigger

surprise when I could get on a carriage on the tube and I even got a seat and there were gaps between

people. I think it started to dawn on me that London was much further advanced in the pandemic than we

were in Shropshire – I think at this point, there only about 4 cases in Shropshire. It was more than that

though, the fear was palpable and we definitely started to feel more nervous. The hotel had lots of

cancellations and we felt like we were the only people staying as we didn’t see any other guests. B and I

hadn’t met for a while and so we had lots to catch up on and really enjoyed our time together. We went to

the concert and it was about ¾ full and luckily for us, most of our row was empty so we didn’t need to get

close to people.

We had originally intended to spend the following day in London, perhaps going to the V&A but when we

woke up on the Saturday (14th), we really didn’t feel like it. All we wanted to do was get out of London as

fast as we could. We had arranged to meet Linda’s son, Trev, in the Troubadour in Earl’s Court (famous

live music venue), for brunch. He shared our nervousness and we all sat there discussing possible

implications of the virus. He was a teacher and they had started to do some work on online lessons as they

had a feeling the schools would close soon. Luckily I had an open rail ticket so once we’d had brunch I

explained that I wanted to get off and catch the train back home. It was such a strange feeling for me

because I had lived and worked in London and even after 7/7 and other major disasters, I had never felt

scared and desperate to get from there. I spent the next 7 days worried that I had caught something.

Worse for Linda though was the next day, her mother had a stroke and had to be admitted to hospital.

They had just announced changes to visiting arrangements as they did not want people going to visit

vulnerable people in hospital. What a mess, luckily she survived but the ongoing care package has been

fraught to get sorted in the midst of the crisis.

From 15th March, the PM announced that he was giving daily press briefings and on 16th, he announces

that people should work from home , wherever possible and to avoid places such as pubs. The death toll

at this point is 55, 1543 positive cases. Linda & I reflected that we wouldn’t be able to go to the concert

now.

17.3.20

I had a hair appointment and although it didn’t seem critical I could tell we were heading for closedown and

so along I went. The shop is tiny and we were made to wash our hands on the way in. They were clearly

wiping everything down but the shop was too small for social distancing. That evening the Chancellor

announced help for businesses that had to close and to help them with cashflow. I felt really sorry for them.

Dennis and I are ok because we are retired, we get our pension no matter what but it’s not like that for

others, especially the poorly paid who wont have savings.

My sister, Susan, rang that evening because she and her husband were due to come and stay on

Thursday, she is over 70 so this is the group that needs to be shielded. So she couldn’t come and stay, I

understood but was very disappointed as she hadn’t been to our new house.

18.3.20

PM announces that pubs, shops, hairdressers etc to close. Dennis’ friends from the White Lion wanted him

to go for a last pint before they close down but even he is starting to see the potential dangers so stays in.

We are a bit stunned by how quickly everything is unfolding. It turns out to be a beautiful weekend. And

although they (Gov) have introduced the concept of social distancing, we are allowed out and about. I

arrange to meet my other sister Jaqueline up in the hills above Oswestry. We figured we wouldn’t see

many people up there and it would be easier to keep our distance while out walking. We took a picnic for

our lunch and sat on a bench in the memorial hall to eat it. Despite its remoteness, there were quite a few

people who had the same idea so more walkers than we would have liked. It transpires that the beautiful

weather that weekend meant everyone headed to the beach, mountains or other beauty spots, making

social distancing impossible. They scenes they showed on TV were shameful.

23.3.20

It was fairly obvious after the weekend that some further action needed to be taken. When Boris said he

would be holding a press conference at 8pm, I thought it was going to be serious. I had already agreed

that I would do my brother Chris’ shopping as he has a heart condition and is awaiting an op. We knew he

was unlikely to be on the government’s vulnerable list but he felt too scared to go to the supermarket.

Because of the way panic buying of items such as toilet paper and handwash was so prevalent, I thought it

would be better to pop out before the announcement in case he said we couldn’t go out. I went out at 7 pm

and although the supermarket was busier than you could expect on a Monday night, it wasn’t bad. The

problem was that all tinned and long life products were very scarce e.g. no pasta or tinned tomatoes. The

government had warned people not to stockpile but it seems these messages were not being heeded. I

wore gloves (my normal outdoor gloves) and put the items in my fridge in the garage with a view to taking

them the next day. I got back in time for the announcement of total lockdown, apart from keyworkers. It

was something we couldn’t get our heads around and nothing like we’d ever experienced before.

24.3.20

I had to drive over to Chris’ and as he lives 10 miles away, I was a bit concerned that I would be stopped by

the police (as they now have new powers to enforce fines) and that they would consider this as non

essential travel. I had put the groceries in a cardboard box and just left them on his patio. It was so alien

not to give your family members a hug. I explained that I would bring him groceries once a week. We

drove the back roads back home.

The next few days we spend contemplating what the measures will mean. Luckily the weather is quite

good for the time of year so we get to start jobs in the garden. As the house and garden are new, there are

lots of jobs to do. Luckily, we bought some plants just before the lockdown as garden centres are closed

and the supermarkets who might normally sell plants are just concentrating on key food products and

putting their efforts into that. You can’t get seeds either as everyone has had the same idea to grow their

own. The other thing we are doing every day is going out for a walk, this is one of the things you are

allowed to do. As we’re new to the area, this has been good as we would never have made time to roam

around country lanes. We even find my paternal grandmothers family home in Hindford, which we’ve been

looking for a while.

There are also other benefits to the situation, we are not being so wasteful with food. As we are limiting our

time going anywhere near supermarkets, it means that we are only getting food we need, we are planning

our meals better and batch cooking. Overall, this is good for us, good for our budget and good for the

environment. And we are not snacking as much. One of the other benefits, is making contact with friends

old and new. We have got so used to social media and just “liking” posts without having to speak to

people, so my friends and I have been using the zoom app to hold multi-location catch ups. It works really

well. Our family have been having bi-weekly quizzes. Some of the younger members want us to use zoom

for this but some are techno phobics. I have managed to get my sister onto zoom after much persuasion.

She still doesn’t instigate meetings but at least she now knows how to get on.

It really is an alien world when you cant see or hug your family and I feel really sorry for people who live on

their own and certainly people without technology.

What is really encouraging though is how nature has started to take back its territory. We are seeing lots of

pics on TV and social media where foxes, peacocks and goats are walking up deserted high streets. I

know locally that the lack of traffic noise means that I can hear birdsong so clearly and of course, I have

time to sit and listen. We hear also that the lack of traffic has dramatically improved air quality.

Fortunately, because we knew it would be coming, I bought lots of wool from Hobbycraft. Because there

have been 2 recent additions to our family, my great nephews, I have got enough wool to knit them a

couple of jumpers each (poor things!). I have knitted things before but clearly I now have a lot more time

on my hands and was able to send one off before Easter. If I need any more wool now, I will have to order

it online.

To begin with, I completely avoided ordering online as I didn’t like the idea of people having to go to a

warehouse of make deliveries. But as time has gone on, I have ordered a couple of things and I do make

sure that I disinfect our door regularly, so they won’t catch anything. It has also been a way ordering

birthday cards and pressies especially for the kids as its horrible that they can’t see their friends during

lockdown. Quite frankly I don’t know what we would have done if this had happened in a different era when

there was no internet or social media because at least we have been able to do our online banking etc.

April 2020

In amongst everything that is going on, the PM who was already diagnosed with coronavirus has been

taken into hospital. We were told at first that it was precautionary but it wasn’t long before he was rushed

into intensive care. It’s obvious that he is in a critical condition and that the government is trying to manage

the news but when your PM is in ICU in the middle of a global pandemic, it’s just another thing to worry

about.

One more worry (but not as important) in women of my age is their hair. It seems trivial as people are

dying but when your grey roots are half way down your hair, it is disconcerting. My friends are all buying

dye from the supermarket that you can do yourself. I have never in my life resorted to this but if the

lockdown continues then I may have to consider it.

As a set of friends, we normally have a bet on the Grand National but of course, this time it wasn’t running.

The organisers had decided to hold a virtual grand national with the proceeds of any bets going to the NHS.

Our group of friends have a whatsapp group and so John did a grand national sweepstake. Needless to

say my horse fell at the first fence but at least the money went to a good cause.

The government were terrified that over the easter weekend (and because of the nice weather) people

would not stick to the social distancing rules and especially that they would go to beauty spots, the beach

etc. But by this point, we are being shown daily the pressure NHS workers are under and pleading with

people to stay at home and this seemed to do the trick as the police showed photos of empty roads which

was great news. The big news is also what will happen when the 3 week lockdown is over as legally the

government is obliged to consider it. The only good news is that the PM finally leaves hospital but cannot

resume his duties and has to go to Chequers to recuperate. This is miraculous given how desperate his

situation was and the mood of the country is lifted by the news, whether you like him or not.

16.4.20

At least the weather has been unseasonably warm and sunny. We have dug a border in our front garden

and because the soil is very clay like, we spent a couple of days digging through it. Normally Dennis and I

would be off galavanting and wouldn’t make the time to do it but as we have nothing else pressing, we are

happy to do it. The weather is so nice today though, we decide to get up early and go for a nice walk along

the country lanes. There were not many people about so it was easy to keep our distance.

My friend Bet is beginning her radiotherapy treatment at Hospital today. She was diagnosed with breast

cancer in January and has had surgery to remove a lump which they are pleased with. Her latest treatment

was scheduled before the pandemic but I thought they might have had to cancel it because it might be

dangerous to go to the hospital and also I thought perhaps that staff would be redeployed dealing with

COVID-19. However, it is going ahead and is scheduled for the next 5 days.

Sadly, the death toll today is 861 (13729 in total) and new cases are 4617 (103093 in total). These figures

were unimaginable just a couple of weeks ago. I have found that every morning when I wake up, the first

thing I do is look at the overnight figures from around the world. It is equally surprising and terrifying which

countries have the most cases/deaths. My previous job meant that I dealt with mortality data and serious

incidents, so I have been plotting trends myself and it is all very depressing. I normally also do the % of

deaths per cases in the home countries although in reality, there is a lot of underreporting because of the

different ways the data is collected and certainly at the end of this the deaths from care homes is going to

be shocking.

The foreign secretary (standing in for PM) announced a further extension to the lockdown of 3 weeks, and

we don’t mind because we think it’s a sensible approach whilst the government works out its exit strategy.

The one thing we are allowed to do is have a takeaway, we have avoided this so far but tonight we order

fish and chips from the chippie. Most people now make you either pay contactless or over the phone and

just collect but they still want cash, so we have to scramble around for any loose change. We haven’t been

to a cashpoint in weeks.

The clap for carers initiative has been running for a few weeks now and so that happens every Thursday at

8 pm. People admire the NHS so much for all they are doing for us but this seems very little in return. I

think they deserve a pay rise when this is over. The initiative started off quite slowly in our street with just

us and our immediate neighbours but it’s growing nicely now. Thursday nights are often when the family

does a short quiz via f/b messenger.

17.4.20

The days now are very much the same and we forget what day of the week it is. I’ll probably start just

writing a diary every couple of days as I feel that there isn’t much to talk about and will be very boring for

the reader. People have been asking us how we feel about the lockdown and we have both been targeted

a lot to complete online surveys and as I already do surveys for Yougov, I have no problem with it. Dennis

and I are ok with the lockdown actually – obviously we miss the family and going to the coast and having

day trips but we both see the sense in sticking to the rules and hopefully staying healthy. People seem to

think that we are all going to change as a result of this but I am not so sure. I think that the minute cafes,

shops etc open, we will be there in a flash. What keeps shocking us is how quickly the death rate is going

up. Of course, now there are also a lot of healthcare professionals who have died of the virus which is

doubly tragic and the evidence is starting to stack up that it is affecting BAME groups disproportionately

and I must say that this is a point I made to Dennis very early on. Of course, research will eventually show

why this is but clearly these people are also very exposed to the virus and one of the things they warned us

about at the start was viral load. We also understand that there is a lag in reporting but as hospital

admissions are going down, we somehow felt that the death rate would decrease. My friend has recently

lost her husband (not to COVID-19) but cancer and people can’t attend funerals so they are being “live

streamed”, this is impossible to imagine just a few months ago.

I decide to order some meat from a butcher, where you can only ring up, pay and collect at a specific time

as they clearly do not want people congregating in a very small shop. It has been incredible the way shops

have adopted quite quickly to social distancing. Anyway, we collect the meat and take the opportunity fo r a

walk around the village as its fair to say that we feel like a change of scene and walk. Dennis has joined

Amazon prime so that we can watch movies for free, so tonight we watched The Green Book, a really good

film about racial prejudice in the south of America in the 1960’s. I even allowed myself a glass of wine. I’m

trying to only have wine on a Friday or Saturday night as I can imagine you could really get into the habit of

drinking in the house.

18.4.20

Woken by a woman coming around delivering horse manure compost from the back of her pickup (you can

tell you’re in the country). I would say that some small businesses have seized their opportunity to diversify

and good luck to them. I took 4 bags for the new border. We had a very boring day doing housework.

People tell me that they are doing lots of jobs in the house they do not normally have time for. We are not

like that. Normally we have a lot of guests staying over and we are constantly changing beds but because

we’re not having any visitors staying over, we are not doing much at all, and cutting ourselves some slack.

After housework, I made some phone calls to see how Bet got on after her treatment which did go ahead

with no problems. Also my sister Jaqueline, who is on her own. She got quite upset as she doesn’t like to

think of me going to the supermarket and catching COVID-19 and dying – I think she is spending too much

time on her own.

Whatever else we are doing, we always make sure that watch the daily press briefings. Today's are

shocking figures with 888 deaths, 15464 in total. A leading member of SAGE said recently that our death

rate would be the worst in Europe and it is looking that way. From the euphoria of the PM leaving hospital,

there is starting to be dissent about how the government handled the pandemic and how slow they were at

the start. There is also widespread criticism of PPE and testing. I am not a Conservative so it would be

easy for me to criticise but having worked in government, I know how hard it is to procure items and change

policies. There will be an opportunity to reflect on this but now they need to concentrate on dealing with the

crisis.

20.4.20

The day we go to the supermarket is the highlight of our week (now). We have learned to go at a time

when there are the least people about and of course, the supermarkets themselves are much more

organised with sanitised trolleys and one in, one out. I quite like it as once you are inside there feels

relatively few people so you don’t have to worry about social distancing. In terms of food selection, all

supermarkets have streamlined supplies but there are mostly plenty of stocks and nothing like the initial

spree when the shelves looked like a swarm of locusts had been at them. The only thing still in short

supply now is stuff like handwash and wipes. Things such as tinned tomatoes and olive oil have modest

amounts on the shelves. We drop off our stuff at home and head to Chris’ with his supply. We leave the

goods by the doorstep and pop around the corner to my sisters. I had made her a vegetable lasagne as

she hadn’t been going out shopping. I texted her to say that we were popping over and she said she didn’t

want us to go in. We hadn’t been in since the lockdown started and had no intention of doing so now so we

left the food on the doorstep and went. It made me contemplate people’s mental health. There has been a

lot on TV about this and how people were suffering anxiety. I think this is what my sister is feeling as she

isn’t seeing anyone. I don’t think she is sleeping very well either. I text her every morning when I wake up

to make sure she is ok but as I say I think she is bored and anxious. We stop off in a village on the way

back to have a walk in a different environment. Dennis & I are trying to be cheerful and the weather his

really good for the time of year but it is limiting having to walk in the same area all the time, especially when

you are used to being out and about all the time. We have had notification that our holiday to the USA (due

in May) is off and asking whether or not we would consider rebooking at some future date. I understand

the need to keep the travel industry going but I cannot see the situation changing in the next 12 months so

we are going to ask for a refund instead. Its such a shame (as it is for everyone) as we’ve been planning it

for months and arranging to catch up with old friends over there. But I cannot see us leaving this country in

the next 12 months.

21.4.20

While we were at the supermarket yesterday, we got some extra tinned items to take to the foodbank. We

hear that demand has quadrupled since lockdown, because apart from the usual demand, there are also

furloughed staff. It took us quite a while to get there as we decided to combine it with our daily exercise.

We couldn’t find the vicarage at first as they had an old and new one but anyway we left our donation

outside and was pleased to see that there was quite a lot of stuff there. We did our weekly quiz that night

and as Dennis had developed a facebook page for our new development, he went around taking leaflets to

encourage people to join the group. He was very pleased with the reaction.

23.4.20

Life for Den and I has definitely fallen into a pattern. As there is nothing to rush around for and nowhere to

go, we spend the first hour catching up on world events (mostly coronavirus related), followed by contacting

members of the family. Then we sit out, do some gardening and then go for a walk. People’s mood is

definitely changing, I know mine is. The questions that are constantly being asked now, are around when

will the lockdown end?. I think it would be nice to know but we’ve already been told that until a vaccine has

been developed, then social distancing will remain in place, even if the lockdown is eased. The problem

the government has is that it needs to ensure that devolved administrations do the same thing. The

communication coming from Scotland and to some extent Wales, is much clearer. This problem goes back

to the fact that the PM is still not working.

We have done all the little jobs in the house and garage now. We have sorted things out but of course,

charity shops and recycling centres area closed so there is nowhere to take it and I can imagine that charity

shops will be overwhelmed when they eventually open up because a lot of people are sorting.

We are told everyday now that the curve is flattening but the death toll seems consistently high which is a

tragedy. Another 616 people have died since yesterday, bringing the total to 18,738. This diary is

supposed to be about feelings as well as facts but it is so hard to talk about your feelings when you are

suspended in a bubble. I feel desparately sad for people who have lost a loved one and especially when

you hear the circumstances, e.g, people wave their husband off in an ambulance and then never see him

again. But I think that you just have to stay at home and be thankful that the disease doesn’t touch you or a

loved one

25.4.20

The weather for the time of year has been amazing – the sunniest April on record – which has made life

bearable. It isn’t due to last much longer so we are taking the opportunity to do stuff in the garden, rather

than walking. We are due to have rain tomorrow so I have been busy sorting out the lawn, planting some

seeds. We go for a walk everyday normally but the past 2 days have been shorter. We have been keeping

up with family and friends via video calls and thankfully everyone is staying safe and well. I cant imagine

how lonely and boring it is for people who live on their own. I get the sense though that people are now

getting frustrated by the lockdown. My niece Lauren is taking her kids down to the allotment everyday

which is a great use of their time and even more so as she hasn’t got a big garden herself and she has 3

little ones. It must be very hard to keep kids entertained, I know that both my brother and sister are really

missing their grandkids. Paul more so because he normally would see them every day.

The news of deaths/cases continues to shock. We passed the 20 thousand mark on deaths today and

really the figures show no signs of decreasing despite less people being in intensive care. We did another

family quiz.

26.4.20 – 28.4.20

So the weather has started to deteriorate and suddenly we all realise how lucky we’ve been with regards to

the weather as this has surely helped the government enforce lockdown. We have started to see a spike in

traffic on the roads as people are getting fed up and bored of staying at home. The government is coming

under increasing pressure to ease lockdown restrictions and publish their exit strategy. They believe that

we have hit the peak but the death rate doesn’t appear to be coming down that much. The PM has finally

started back to work at Downing Street but he also seems reluctant to ease off restrictions, conscious of a

second spike. It is such a hard decision, health vs wealth.

We have a lovely walk because we are expecting rain and want to get back before it starts. We are out for

3 hours, roaming round country lanes, listening to beautiful birdsong. In normal times, we would have

taken a picnic and sat down somewhere but now you feel that you cant sit down or you attract unwanted

attention. We manage to get back before the rain comes and once congratulate ourselves for moving to

such a rural area ahead of the pandemic. We do our weekly shop and this is what the CE of Tesco is

saying about our shopping habits. We are mostly all going once a week now instead of about 3 times a

week but our shopping basket is bigger and we are just buying milk and bread local and this exactly reflects

what we do and hopefully will continue to do when this ends as we are definitely wasting much less food.

We get extra food for the foodbank and drop that off before heading to my brothers. I have had to get him

a card for my sisters birthday and that’s one thing that they haven’t got much choice in. I suppose a lot of

us are using online sites such as Funky Pigeon, which is what I’m doing. I also order her a cardigan online

from Marks and Spencers that will be delivered to her home. On the way back, we call in a garden

centre/farm shop. We are surprised they are open. They have bedding plants in the foyer but the main

nursery area remains closed. Its such a treat to buy plants. It’s such a shame really as there will be an

awful lot of plants going to waste this spring. Chelsea Flower Show has announced that it will be giving live

coverage on line this year as it wont be opening.

My friends and I have a zoom meeting and its lovely to catch up. My one friend Philippa runs a training

business and it is horrible to hear how devastating it is to furlough staff and worry about cashflow. It is

quite one thing to hear about people on TV, but quite another when it’s a personal friend. One thing I have

noticed is that a lot of people are making wills and my friend said that she has even planned and pa id for

her funeral (she is only in her 50’s) but I think the way this disease has taken people quickly has focussed

the mind.

May 2020

1.5.20 – 4.5.20

We held a zoom meeting for my sister, 10 adults in 7 locations with 4 kids, all talking at the same time! Still

it was lovely to see everyone and know that they are all ok. The death rate is continuing to be shocking. I

do miss my family. I speak to my friends quite frequently, a friend’s mum has finally gone into a home which

is extremely difficult when this disease is about because of course, she can’t visit her mum and her mum

doesn’t want to stay –I can’t imagine anything worse.

We’ve decided to build a living wall. The builders on site here have dropped off a massive pallet which is

way too big and heavy to go up on our wall. I persuaded Dennis to cut it in half. He has put in a membrane,

I have painted it and we just need to find some plants now. Our local college is selling plants on

Wednesday for delivery so hopefully we can get something to fill it up. I have a few things, including

strawberries.

Now that the government has hit its testing target, it is now concentrating on track and trace, starting on the

Isle of Wight. The PM has appeared at the press briefings following his return to work, telling us the virus

has past the peak. I still think the figures are shocking but clearly they are now concentrating on easing the

lockdown.

In amongst all this are the VE Day celebrations. Of course no-one can go anywhere but I think we’ll have a

little “do” on the front lawn, especially as my dad fought in WW2 in the Royal Navy. I trawled Amazon

looking for bunting but there isn’t any so I might have to make some.

5.5.20 – 10.5.20

This week, we have been gearing up for the 75th Anniversary of V E Day. I feel sad because the nation

cannot come together to celebrate this momentous event especially as the last few people who fought in

the war are in their mid 90’s and might not live long enough to celebrate the next milestone. Utilising his

recently created community facebook page, Den has asked the neighbours to sit on the front and raise a

glass to commemorate and our immediate neighbours have agreed. Once again the weather has been

amazing so we are going to have afternoon tea outside. As its impossible to get red, white and blue

bunting online, ive had to make do and mend and do my own using serviettes and xmas ribbon – it doesn’t

look too bad. I found some old photos of my dad, who was on minesweepers in the war. He signed up at

19 and was sent in the advanced party to sweep for mines off Juno beach on DDay. Im very proud of him,

my mum’s brothers were also in the Royal Navy so I go photos of them too. Because our neighbours are

older too, their parents were also in the war so we had a good chat about that and spent a lovely

afternoon/evening sitting out in the garden chatting, which probably wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for

lockdown.

One thing that has changed for me all of a sudden is that I’m watching way less news about the virus and

ive even stopped watching the daily press briefings completely. The transmission rates and death rates do

not seem to be getting any lower and I just can’t face hearing about it. There have been hints all week of

an easing down of lockdown but the PM is due to speak to the nation tonight and I now don’t believe that

he will be easing up. The devolved administrations have already rejected his latest slogans and are

sticking with the lockdown.

One upside of the situation is that I’m now growing vegetables and plants from seed. Initially, seeds were

impossible to get hold of somehow we’ve got some and for the first time in my life, I’ve planted some seeds

which have already started sprouting. They take up so much time and energy that I doubt I will do this

again after this is over.

11.5.20 – 13.5.20

So last night, the PM announced the changes and because of the lack of detail, everyone including us, are

left totally confused. It does not help that we are 4 miles from the border with Wales and now different rules

apply. So England have gone their own way and the rest of the UK are sticking with the stay at home

message which I agree with. Not sure how employers are meant to sort out safety measures so quickly.

There has been much mocking in the media over the PM’s speech.

So today, I took my brothers shopping across the border and there was a police car waiting – I thought he

was going to stop me but he didn’t. Of course, now we can drive where we like in England but I’m already

concerned there will be a spike in the next fortnight. So we will largely keep to the same rules as Wales

with some minor adjustments.

When we came through one of the Village’s, they were having a scarecrow festival and outside most

houses, people had scarecrows sitting in wheelbarrows etc. There seemed to be a VE Day theme to many

of them which was sweet. When the weather was nice, we ordered an outside dining table and chairs

online. We definitely wouldn’t do this normally without seeing it first but now we just would like one while

the weather is nice. So it was delivered by courier and Dennis is outback piecing it together. Our shopping

habits have definitely changed.

I sense a plateau in the death rate, hurrah! Which is very encouraging and there are a lot less people in

critical care.

14.5.20 – 19.5.20

In line with the new regulations, we allowed ourselves a little drive to a nearby town to walk for a change. It

felt wrong to be going somewhere for the sake of it and I worry when we get there it will be busy but it

wasn’t too bad and we managed to keep our distance. There were queues outside the bakery and coop

but is all seemed good natured and good to know small business can keep going. It’s funny because now

we could go anywhere we like in England but we don’t feel like it so the next day, we were back to our

usual walk. Dennis has finally fixed my bike now that the roads are busier again. Although at one time, I

used to cycle to work in a City where it was way busier. I, somehow, don’t feel as confident on it. So am

just taking little rides on it to build up my stamina and confidence. They do say that cycling has had an

explosion in interest which is good. So, in the background, there is much arguing over testing. Its clear to

anyone that UK Gov did not adequately prepare for the pandemic but I’ve virtually stopped looking at the

daily press briefings and only look at the John Hopkins University world figures a couple of times a day. It’s

clear that everything in the coming months is a risk and I wouldn’t want to make the decision to send the

children back to school.

21.5.20- 25.5.20

So it’s coming up to the next bank holiday and it will be my birthday on 24th and I never imagined when

lockdown started that we would still be locked down by my birthday. May has always been a time for lots of

birthdays for my family and friends. It has been hard to get nice greetings cards in the supermarket so as

with everything else, I’ve had to get them online. I’ve made myself a nice cake as my sister is coming over.

She shouldn’t really as she lives in Wales but she has been the one person who has reacted badly to the

lockdown, almost being terrified of meeting anyone even outdoors, so in one way, I’m pleased that she is

coming. We have to sit outside and I prepare a table and chairs with a great big distance. The trouble is

that it’s so windy and the trees all around us are really rustling. There is no way under normal

circumstances, would we sit outside on a day like today but we have no option. Its lovely to see her and at

least I get the chance to share my cake. When she goes I also get a message from my nephew who brings

me a birthday card – more cake got rid of. My treat on Saturday is an Indian takeaway. We have the most

gorgeous food and a glass of wine. This is such a far cry from how I would celebrate my birthday but nice

anyway. The next day we go for a lovely walk which take us most of the afternoon and spend the evening

in the garden as the weather is so good. I do feel a bit bad that I’m now not taking any notice of the

coronavirus stats. I now only watch the news once a day, even under normal circumstances I would watch

the news 3 times a day. The story this weekend if the special advisor breaking the lockdown rules and the

PM defending him. The guy is so contemptuous that I can’t stand to look at him. I’m starting to feel like

we’re pulling up the drawbridge and existing in our own world.

26.5.20 – 30.5.20

So life continues to be a bit tricky living near the border with different systems in place. Today I met my best

friend, Bet, we agreed to meet in the garden centre, which she, being from Wales, is allowed to visit. It was

lovely to see her as she had undergone her cancer treatment since I had last seen her and I didn’t know

what to expect. She has had the all clear and was looking fab. It was slightly awkward standing outside

amongst the plants, discussing our most intimate details but it was still brill to get together. They were

doing takeaway coffee so we bought one, went outside and stood in the car park for another half hour. Den

has started playing golf which is good to see as he has really missed it. Think he is out of practice and it

has been hot as he has come back home and had to go for a lie down. Hope it’s only a temporary thing.

So its been more local walking and cycling as we don’t feel like going further afield even though we can.

We had a lovely zoom meeting with friends I used to work with over 30 years ago. I’m still friends with

them all but they haven’t seen each other for years. Paul also joined us from Melbourne and it was really

interesting to know how they were dealing with the virus over there. This is one of the upsides to the virus,

having the time on your hands to spend an hour online chatting to old friends.

July 2020

1.7.20 – 3.7.20

I feel a little bad as I made so many incursions into Wales this week. I met my cousin at the garden centre

in Corwen. Luckily we were the only ones there initially so had it all to ourselves. Because it’s a family

owned business they are able to stock more unusual plants. I bought heaps and was talking to the owner

who said it had been exceptionally busy since he’d opened in May but he was worried as he thought people

wouldn’t have the money, given the job situation, to spend on plants and that it wasn’t sustainable. Clearly

its difficult to run a business at this time with all the uncertainty. I could imagine though that people will

continue to buy plants as its only like going out for a coffee and cake, especially as most of the people are

pensioners anyway. A red kite flew over us as we walked around the centre – its so unusual to see them in

N Wales. I’ve only ever seen them in Mid Wales. From there I continued my incursion to a local farm shop,

where I thought their drive through coffee shop would be open. It was and so was the farm shop and

outdoor eating area. Luckily it was really quiet, given its on the A5 and I felt quite safe.

Thankfully the news on Friday is that we can now travel to Wales, legally, as they are lifting the travel

restrictions. Locally the pubs by us are getting ready to reopen. We are normally pub goers but won’t be

going initially as want to see how it pans out.

More bad news on the job front. My friend who has worked for the same global company for 25 years has

been made redundant. My other friend, who owns a business, explained that the commitment to furlough

means a lot of companies will now need to make decisions about staff and there are likely to be more

redundancies. I think they have to start making a contribution in August.

4.7.20 – 6.7.20

It’s a sign that things are normalising, Den has had a letter from the hospital asking him to go for an MRI

scan. This was postponed from March because of COVID. He needs another test at another hospital

before they decide on surgery but it gives the impression that at least the NHS are starting to contact their

backlog.

The builders have arrived to do our new patio. They were due in May but again because of COVID, they

couldn’t come. Suddenly, the world seems like it’s getting back on its feet. The bars/hairdressers have had

queues all morning.

We did the clap for the NHS 72nd birthday but there were not as many neighbours out as clap for carers.

I’ve mentioned in this diary, the issue of living near the border between England and Wales and today

Wales has finally lifted it’s travel restrictions. So we decided to go up to the North Wales coast. People

said we were mad to go as it would be inundated. This was not the case, in fact, the opposite was true. I

have never seen the Lleyn so empty. It was such a marvellous feeling seeing the sea, it really lifted my

spirits. We visited places from my childhood holidays which I was able to share with Den. In Wales,

restaurants/cafes are still not open so we had to take our own food. It looked like locals were getting ready

to reopen and we also noticed a lot of work going on preparing campsites etc. We saw a number of hand

painted signs telling people to stay away. There was a big issue early in the pandemic where second home

owners were escaping to NW Wales and the fear was that local health services wouldn’t cope. Not sure

how they feel about it now. I had such a lovely day, the best since lockdown started.

The great news was that there were no new coronavirus deaths in Wales for the first time since March.

7.7.20 – 10.7.20

So, the biggest news today is that I finally got to go to the hairdressers. The shop is quite small, but I have

to say that she had given it a lot of thought and put in very strict rules and procedures. So, she had broken

her staff up into 2 teams working 7 days a week. They all stayed in the same bubble so that if for any

reason one of them caught it, they could self- isolate, and it would not affect the other team. There was

way too much disposable plastic for my liking, but I realise that it must be difficult to ensure gowns etc are

germ free. We had to wear a mask at all times so drinks, no chit chat. Anyway, I was very happy and had 3

inches cut off just in case we have to go into lockdown again. It was so nice not seeing all that grey. I felt

like a different person.

My friend lives in Melbourne and they have just gone in lockdown again. It all happened really quickly and

luckily, she was still working from home. There is a complete lockdown at 3 tower blocks to the north of the

city which means they can’t go outside at all. It seems worse, having been given some freedom to have it

taken back off you.

11.7.20 – 13.7.20

Having been to the hairdressers has really made me feel like things are normalising now. I do keep telling

people this might be as good as it gets. We’ve been doing more walking but further afield. The weather

was also good so on the way back we passed a beer garden that had no-one in it. I thought at first that the

pub was closed but then realised it was open. This is the first time Ive been anywhere near a pub since

lockdown so I found the furthest point in the beer garden while Den went to get us a cider. We were there

for about an hour and only a couple of people came in. It does make you wonder how businesses will keep

going if there is no trade. Anyway, it was a pleasant experience. I certainly don’t feel like going inside a

pub at this stage.

The guys are continuing on our new patio in their spare time. They don’t seem at all bothered by social

distancing. They were off work for a few weeks in April but really since May have been full time again.

Because they work full time, they are having to fit us and our neighbours in. We imagined it would be a

good time to get this done but clearly everyone else feels the same. We just want it done now as we

envisage spending much of the summer close to home.

My brother called around to see us and sat in the garden. This is the first time he has been over since

before lockdown. I’m really pleased that he now feels able to come out. He is still working from home and

is continuing getting his own shopping now. I had done it for the whole of lockdown. So it seems like most

people are taking a few more calculated risks than they were.

Dennis announced last night that he was going to the pub. He always goes once a week to a local pub but

obviously he hasn’t gone since well before lock down. I think he wanted to support the local landlord as,

like everyone else, he has had no income coming in. I’ve already said that I am not ready to go inside a

pub for a while yet. When he came home he said that it was safe but very few customers were there.

One thing I have realised since lockdown is that I like walking on my own. I never really thought about it

before but since there has been nowhere to go or to see people, walking on my own is the only opportunity

I have to be on my own. Its great not having the distraction of talking and just being able to observe nature.

Perhaps its something that won’t last once things are more normalised but for the time being it is really

enjoyable.

14.7.20 – 17.7.20

So the big news this week is that we are off to see Dennis’ mum for the first time since lockdown. I have

said in this diary previously that she has dementia and this disease has been very detrimental to her well-

being. I must admit I am really anxious about being in her house. Even though, we are staying in a hotel,

she no longer wants to go out so therefore she stays in the house with the windows closed and the fan on.

From what I’ve read about the disease good ventilation is key so I have told Dennis that we will have to

have the windows open while we are there – at least it’s summer ! The other big worry is that she has

carers coming in 4 times a day and clearly they have been into many homes each. She shouldn’t be living

on her own anymore , that has become clear since lockdown but it has been really difficult to get hold of her

social worker but not unsurprisingly she has been working from home. None of this is anyone’s fault but it

has really made me realise how people with no family might be neglected.

18.7.20 – 20.7.20

Yes it was every bit as scary as I imagined. This virus is a really difficult thing to handle especially going

into someone else’s house. I felt really awful but felt I had to clean all the surfaces. I wanted to wear my

mask but that indeed did seem really rude. Shelly was actually even worse than I imagined. She really

couldn’t understand why no-one had been to see her (this wasn’t true of course but it’s what she thought).

She didn’t understand the virus and certainly her own condition had deteriorated rapidly during lockdown. It

was so sad to see a woman once so feisty being very confused. On top of everything else its trying also to

get the right care package and more importantly getting her into a home. The real danger is that if she

says in front of anyone that she doesn’t want to go then they won’t make her. The problem is that she can’t

work out that she can’t look after herself – she seems to think that she is !!!! It is the most horrible situation.

I was also very nervous going on the tram. It’s one thing living in a rural environment where the R rate is

low but quite another going into a huge urban environment. I really felt anxious and was so glad to get

home. Only now I feel like I have the virus after taking so much care. Hopefully I’m wrong.

We stopped to have a walk on the way home just to get some fresh air. We were in the peak district

national park but even there it was heaving. I think I’m turning into a recluse.

21.7.20 – 23.7.20

So we’ve just got back and now Dennis has had to go back up to see his mum. The situation with his mum

is getting worse and his sisters are upset. They took her to see the home but she doesn’t want to go but

there is no choice now as she has started going out and constantly bothering her neighbours and all of this

in the middle of a pandemic when probably her neighbours don’t want to go into her home especially as

she has carers there 4 times a day. Now they have to get her to sign the necessary paperwork. I feel so

sad for all of them but a situation like this can’t continue.

24.7.20 – 26.7.20

So after such an emotional week, it was such a distraction. My sister asked me to share her birthday

pressie of an afternoon tea. They were only doing takeaway so we had it at my house and I got out all the

best tea plates etc to try and make it a bit more special. As my sister is still scared of coming indoors (but it

was raining) I had to put her the end of the table with the patio and open the doors. The girl who’s business

it was, was very generous with her cakes and even gave my sister a bottle of prosecco because she

couldn’t have it in the tea room.

Den’s been playing a bit of golf between visits up to his mum, to take his mind off her situation. The good

thing is they have all gone into organising mode which seems to have helped. They are busy organising

and ordering what she will need.

Den and I also took some time out to go to a market town. It had some lovely architecture, and we were

able to sit out in the main square and have lunch. We then took a very scenic route back.

27.7.20 – 31.7.20

The week continues to be dominated by Den’s mum situation. He has been back up to organise what must

happen now. I have taken the opportunity to see my wider family who I haven’t seen for months. We met

for an outdoor coffee and then a walk along a National Trail and through some woods. There was hardly a

soul about. The weather was much cooler than down south but lovely to be out and about in the fresh air

and nattering. I also met up with my friend. A lot is happening in our respective lives. It was so nice to sit

outside, have lunch and a natter and a walk by the river. I am definitely going out more even though

nothing like pre-lockdown. I’m finding still that the differing rules in England and Wales difficult but I just

wear the mask everywhere now, its much easier.

The news from Europe, particularly Spain, has been depressing and I feel sorry for people who have

booked a holiday and now must quarantine themselves. However, I think that I am more surprised that so

many people were booking foreign holidays in the first instance. The other depressing news is that easing

of lockdown restrictions is being halted and clearly there is a huge problem in the North of England. It

really is worrying to think that this is not over by a long way and people really need to stick to the rules.