I was recently asked to write about self-isolation for our village newsletter Menston News. I chose to expand a little on what I had written on this blog around Easter time. Here’s what I wrote for the village newsletter.
Twelve weeks isolation, or more?
When I’m asked about the 12 weeks confinement to our small flat, due to end mid-June but quite likely to be extended, I have to say that it’s not so bad. Both my wife Petronela and I have been put in the extra vulnerable class. For the first couple of weeks we had to keep 2 metres between us because, as a teacher, Petronela could well have brought the coronavirus home. That was the hardest part. Another difficulty for her is missing her students at Allerton High School.
Front cover of Menston News, showing in general the view in Spring from our sitting room window. It is now largely obscured by the multiple greens of trees in full leaf, equally beautiful.
Mind you, we are lucky. Our sitting room window overlooks Menston park. Our kitchen and bedroom windows look over the Wharfe Valley to the hills beyond.
The fine weather means we can have the windows open night and day. The dawn chorus, usually spoiled by passing motor vehicles or planes from the airport, can be enjoyed and the air coming through open windows is noticeably cleaner. We are in no hurry to go back to things as they were.
We do miss our walks, close to home through the park, around High Royds, down Bleachmill Lane, on the Chevin, and further afield on the moors. Fifty times back and forth across our sitting room, just about 1km, is not quite the same!
The problem with the current war is that the enemy is silent, hidden until it strikes you, but in other respects the problem has similarities to what many people endured in WWll.
I’m old enough to remember the whole family sleeping in a cage (Morrison shelter?). I think this was close to the Fleet Air Arm base at Sandbanks, Dorset, where my grandfather was some high-ranking officer. The shelter was in the cellar (my maternal grandmother refused to sleep in it, remaining outside of it). Also, the sight of rows of houses without their front walls, revealing the lives of the former residents like dolls’ houses with their fronts open except the baths were hanging down on the lead drainage pipes, remains clearly in my memory. As does the sound of the air raid siren, which unusually sounded like a baby crying. I was then about 3 years old!
We’re also lucky to have wonderful neighbours; the young couple in the upstairs flat, Grace and Phil, knocked on our door well before the call went out generally for volunteers, asking if they could help. Since then they have done our shopping. We had other offers too.
We’re lucky in other ways. So-called social media means we’re not so cut off as we might have been. Petronela works on lesson plans and keeps up regularly with her teacher colleagues and her parents in Romania with video chats. I have more time to write, as a keen blogger (https://grumpytyke.com) with ‘friends’ in many other countries (over a dozen), as a member of our Menston based writers’ club – Writing on the Wharfe – which continues to ‘meet’ through video chats on Messenger, or just for enjoyment.
We are not complaining. We know many are in a worse situation than us, for many reasons.
Final word
If I ever had faith in our present Government, not only for tackling the covid-19 pandemic but in general, that’s completely gone now. The continued support by the Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Dominic Cummings is ridiculous and, as implied in my question in a recent post, if this ‘adviser’ is essential for this Government to govern then who is actually governing?
It seems to me that we are being ‘governed’ by an unelected person whose main attribute seems to be an ability to win elections (and lie). As a former communications consultant I say he has no idea about truly communicating, certainly not the truth; I could do a better job even now, in my dotage!
The PM says he want to move on; the quickest way to have done that would have been to get rid of this dubious ‘adviser’. It still is.
This is not my final word; my final word will be a letter to my local MP Philip Davies.
June 28, 2020 at 8:43 am
The whole Cabinet pack seem to me stupid, crazy, or both Eddy.
June 1, 2020 at 5:00 pm
I’m pleased you have nice scenery around you, we’ve been going on little walks with masks on because of the high infection rate in London but I haven’t been on the tube since 16th March.
We’ve found a bit of telephone sales work to do from home, George is teaching a few students online, and we’re both practicing every day. our concerts are helping us to concentrate and has build up a good community response, we actually know most of our neighbours names now which is unusual for London.
Stay busy and well both of you.
All our best xx
June 28, 2020 at 8:34 am
Still catching up Charlotte so this comment is a bit late. My nurse blogging friend Gray (see comment below) tells me recovering from an intravenous strong antibiotic can be a long job so I’m pleased with my progress so far. I’m hoping during the next week (as at 28/6) to be able to tackle the stairs to our 1st floor flat which will allow me to go outside and sit in the park for 1/2 hour.
I’ve said it before but your balcony concerts have been a big contributor to my recovery.
Getting to know neighbours better and much lower atmospheric pollution and noise pollution are just two of the advantages coming out of the pandemic. I hope these are not forgotten in the scramble to get back to ‘normal’, but I fear they will be.
June 1, 2020 at 9:51 am
There must have been a range of emotions and change of routines in your experiences of isolation and the limitations of lockdown. Your journalist experience/professionalism will be awesome if you reflect later down the line. And this Cummings debacle? Speechless. This is so sinister. And the England easing off scenario is not healthy watching material. We talk a lot and debate possibilities and consequences at work. Our anxieties over the months were through the roof. At present a little more gentle. But a spike again? Possible or inevitable? Very worrying. Hope you are both keeping well. All the best.
June 28, 2020 at 8:40 am
The easing of restrictions terrifies me Gray. Despite the fine words the Government seem reluctant to deal effectively with the many groups interpreting these in a foolish way. However, the muddled messages from the Government are partly to blame.
June 29, 2020 at 10:15 am
You are right Roger. Easing restrictions and vague information concerning rules and advice have led to this absolute nightmare of a ‘free for all’. The stupidity is beyond belief. Watching people on the Bournemouth beach, crowds gathering to voice political dissatisfaction and Liverpool fans celebrations? I wonder what impact this will have on hospital beds and coping. They’ve locked down Leicester. This will extend to other areas. To start again at the beginning of all this. To feel the isolating experiences of what once was earlier this year. Depressing.
May 30, 2020 at 7:16 am
And to use the easing of the lockdown and rushing test and trace through as a distraction away from his mate! I imagine that trust is lost forever. I’m just surprised the 1922 committee haven’t stepped in and push Boris out.