Great to see my nephew on television this evening – he and his wife are the only commercial coffee growers in New Zealand 🙂

Life appears much as normal to us in our isolation. We took a ferry across the bay to the original capital of NZ (the “hellhole of the Pacific” in the 1800s due to the drinking and whoring) and walked to the flagpole of historic contention. Back in town met the restaurant manager from the oldest liquor licence holder in the country, who is a fellow sailor, advising that the hotel was closed and she is likely to find other employment on the land – harvesting is in full swing and a lot of the seasonal workers from the Philippines and Pacific islands are unable to come here given current restrictions.

Happy,

I suggest you direct your soon to be ex to the article on the front page of the Observer which informs us 71% of UK patients are/were male. 37% aged under 60.
Also frighteningly 63% are/were overweight, obese or morbidly obese and surprisingly considering what we’ve previously been told less than 10% had serious co-morbidities. Two of the female patients had recently given birth which also shoots the theory of it only affecting the elderly out of the window.

There are literally thousands of people out today in London parks. Richmond Park resembles August BH so I expect it’ll be closed tomorrow. Kew Gardens has closed indefinitely and several London boroughs are closing all of their parks as so many people are ignoring advice.

Lockdown is imminent.

This crisis is certainly sorting the smart and caring from the stupid and selfish.
It appears to me behaviours are related to the sources of media. If you rely on non fact based social media or certain sectors of the press (I’m looking at you Rupert!), you are living in LaLaLand. This is when critical literacy is vital. Read widely, consider your source and it’s reliability. WHO is a very good start. Compare, think rationally. Then act sensibly.
Clearly the thousands of young backpackers at Bondi during the weekend don’t care about themselves or anyone else.
Good luck with the housemate Happy.

As lots of people aren’t working and entertainment has closed down, pressure is put on outdoor areas. It also explains the run on food items. People who ate out or had takeaways at work, are now having to stock their kitchens, and some of them to actually learn how to feed themselves! Normal is no longer normal.
At least my local streets are fairly empty, so long walks are possible by simply crossing the road to avoid passing anyone else.

We are being inventive on our twice daily walks to vary the routes as much as possible. It IS interesting that WE are the ones that have to actively avoid other walkers. Especially young folk glued to their phones.

I have so many choices including walking along the canal which is fabulous on a fine day.
I’m hoping tomorrow will be quieter as people will be working from home and children all have school work to do.

Before anyone had heard of Covid 19 I had stopped getting out of the way of anyone glued to their phone but self preservation has meant a change of tactics.

Happy, I’m more than happy to have long hair again. It is already shoulder length. No way us Mr P getting near it. Mind you, I cut his 🙂
Barata, it is amazing how many chinks there are in the armour everywhere. 😒 P

Morning/evening all,

Another beautiful morning here 😀

I’m watching Sky news and they’ve just announced 5% of the world’s Covid 19 cases are in New York.

I’ve been trying to grow my hair and it’s reached a stage where it looks fine the day it’s been washed and after that it does whatever it wants. I’ve been pondering on giving up and getting it cut but that isn’t going to be happening now and as I’m now a hermit I guess it doesn’t matter 😆

Keep safe everyone 😜

It’s not long enough yet!

Who’d have thought a pandemic would revive this thread……

I do it myself and once again as no-one will see me it’s getting a holiday.

Talking of holidays, I’ve managed to cancel my trip to Tanzania to see the Great Migration and rebook for next year without incurring any fees. My travel company are always so helpful.

If things look up and we are able to travel later this year I’ll try to get away somewhere but if not I’ll have this to look forward to 😁

Hi again
Sorry, Happy, about your situation. I have lived a similar situation when my ex brought his girlfriend home. I could hear their idiocy( in French)- ex one idiot to 1 pretentious ” Tell me, Claude, how is the word “will” used in English?”
I didn’t react very well- stupid question, stupid answer.
Yes your STBOH has a lot to lose and too much bravado.

So much for my hot air and bravado about driving to London. By leaving here I would risk a fine of up to €3600. Martial law applies to residents as well as citizens, and I didn’t have a ticket to show. My car is registered in France. All stacked against me. My daughter told me I was mad. You’re 70 she said.
After the large energy burst on Saturday. I deflated and crashed. Anyway maybe not being locked into 50 square metres for months with OH is a good thing. At least here I can say what I like to my neighbour Gaston the donkey, and he always replies the same thing.

Interesting comment about hair colour, Purple. I don’t colour either. Too difficult to be consistent. But I must watch out for white roots passing down the lane. Just think about poor French women who so value their image.
I am trying to work as I do with my OH.
Very difficult to concentrate.
The vogue song in Italy now Volare ohoh Cantare ohoh. Please spare a thought for Italy.
xx Wiwi

Dear Amazon
Are you by any chance laughing at me?
Glad you are.

I always say that Gaston is a welcome addition to this village, as he puts up the collective IQ, and doesn’t talk behind your back.

xx Wiwi

Oh Wi, darling, how upsetting for you. Frustrating as it is, at least you are in one of your own homes and Gaston will be good company. I used to have a couple of donkeys…very smart, independent animals, with gorgeous soft muzzles, ears and eyes.
I’m now busy digging out my old teaching resources to help, online, with homeschooling all my grandkids, who all stopped going to school yesterday.
This fast moving crisis is leaving noone unaffected.
Keep safe all. P

The UK is now in lockdown.
We are only allowed to go out to buy food or medication and the PM specified we should do so as infrequently as possible and only buy what is necessary. We can go out once per day for a walk a run or a bike ride either alone or with one other person from the same household.
Groups of more than two people will be broken up by the police and we could be fined if we do not comply.
Everywhere apart from food stores and pharmacies to be closed with immediate effect.
We have also been urged to use food delivery services.

The problem is many supermarket shelves are empty, many online items are displayed as out of stcok on supermarket websites and if one can find anything to buy it is impossible to get a delivery slot for less than 3 weeks time!

The supermarkets are all working hard to remedy the issues with food supply by employing large numbers of temporary staff to work in distribution hubs, warehouses and as delivery drivers and the lockdown should give them breathing space to get supermarkets shelves and warehouses fully stocked.

This will be reviewed in three weeks time.

A beautiful spring day here.
Feeling a bit down as OH set up WhatsApp using my NZ number on his phone, and it was obviously what my WhatsApp here in France was on, and I am locked out of my contacts.
I will have to set up a new account and find all my contacts again.
Food-wise, it will be two meals today – a witlof salad for one, and as I have the slow cooker on all the time. I had onion soup yesterday, and today more of the same.
Nearly at the end of my invoice writing, next job, cut 2000 square metres of grass.
I hear Gaston, but he is in a different field.
xx Wiwi

Hi everyone,

The police were out in West London yesterday armed with a megaphone telling people on Shepherds Bush Green it’s not a Bank Holiday, it’s a lockdown, GO HOME NOW!
The video which was aired on the TV news showed around 20 people all hanging around not social distancing.

Why do these people think the rules don’t apply to them?

I’ve not been out since Monday so decided as I did yesterday to stand on my little balcony in the sun and drink my morning coffee. The man next door came out and lit a cigarette 🤬
I went in and came out 5 minutes later and he was still smoking so I said oh, still smoking I’ll come out later.
He is a tenant and not permitted to smoke inside the flat. They have access to the garden and could easily walk down the stairs and sit on the bench but no they stand on the doorstep so the smoke comes through the air vent above my door, or straight in if I have the door open. It is so thoughtless.

Anyway I’ve spent the last 48 hours training for the new Olympic event of eating for Britain. Now the Games have been postponed for a year I have plenty of time to get into peak condition…….

I was up very early this morning and did my workout and am now considering a walk. I would like some fresh air but if there are too many people about I guess I’ll be home very soon.

Wiwi,

Can you not access your contacts via your email account?

Keep safe everyone 😜

I’ve actually done much better today, two meals and no extras, a workout and a walk.
Fingers crossed I can fast tomorrow.

I used to smoke and I think it makes me less tolerant than people who’ve never done so.

If there’s one thing this pandemic has done it’s give people a nudge to make contact with those they’ve not spoken to for a while. I’ve received so many text messages, emails, and a couple of calls one of which was from my friend in Perth WA, whose opening line was “thought I should call to see if you’re alive” 😆

The weather here has been wonderful this week but winter is apparently returning tomorrow.
Thankfully I’ve not put the thermal underwear away yet…….

Oh no Amazon! Sorry to hear about your eatathon, but these are unusual times so I guess we can cut you a bit of slack 😀

I’m sensitive to cigarette smoke too, and the people who think it’s OK to smoke next to your door/ window really wind me up. Have you got a fire extinguisher you could turn on your neighbour…?

It was a lovely day here today too, sunny and warm!! Winter returns for us just in time for the weekend – at least BoJo will be pleased if it keeps people inside!

So the annoying one went shopping this morning, without the shopping list, and bought about 3 things ☹️ He could have saved me a journey at the weekend…but he didn’t. And now he’s barely speaking to me for daring to suggest his modifies his behaviour during a pandemic….🤣 How long are we going to be in lockdown for?!!

I’ve pointed out that if I get sick, who will feed us both. Time to raise the anti. 🙄
At least living costs have plummeted, along with incomes. 😶

😅😅😅🤣🤣🤣🤣
I’ll prove you can teach an old dog new tricks yet!!!

Well the police are stopping people in the Lake District with camper vans and caravans, mad that people think it’s a good time to have a holiday!

And I don’t think the government are helping by massaging the death figures, it will only give people a false sense of security…

Amazon, I would rather be here alone, but the housemate isn’t too troublesome! We have enough space to mostly avoid one another 😁😷

I am fasting today, as it’s about the only thing I can control at the moment!

Middle of the night here and a large helicopter has flown over. Very odd at this time as we have a flight curfew over Sydney between 11pm and 6am. In the last week it has been bliss with no rush of landing planes either end of the curfew. We are well away from the airport, but on the flight path.
I spent part of yesterday listening to an art lecture and drawing a very detailed Matisse from the computer screen. An excellent way to free the mind. Also lots of playing music on the piano. Tomorrow I might start a sewing project. I greatly doubt the call of dusting and vacuuming will be strong enough. 😉
Happy, they are closing caravan parks to non locals in Australia, especially WA, to limit exactly that. Spain had a huge spread of the virus from people going off to country areas. Medical services are very limited if they do get ill, and in more remote areas, the indigenous mobs are extremely vulnerable. More thoughtless behaviour. 🤨
There’s a steady drizzle here. Lovely to hear it pattering on the tin roof. Good luck with the fasting girls, I just don’t have the will at present.
P

Dear team, I am in an Internet- free zone in the new house until 1 April – vendors’ISP didn’t get the changes set up! So in lockdown without benefits. Second day of isolation, so grateful we managed to get into our new house before it started.

My sleep is in tatters – with you there, P 😕. Exhausted from unpacking boxes, makes me feel old. I have managed one circuit of the garden with the secateurs, dead-heading the agapanthus and reinga lilies. Unfortunately I am unable to start a winter veggie garden as there is no access to seedlings, so stuck until I unearth my seed packs.

I am in agreement about insensitive smokers – I have never smoked myself. Stay safe, all.

Well key workers, and the NHS staff in particular, will deserve a bonus at the end of this. It will be exceedingly shabby of the government if they revert to underfunding and salary squeezes after this.

It’s a lovely day here again too. The forecast is decidedly cool for the weekend and with windchill will apparently feel more like 2 degrees on Sunday than the respectable 14s we’ve enjoyed this week. Brrr.

Yesterday’s fast went well and I am focussing today on consolidating, i.e. not overeating!

Barata, I hope your sleep improves now you’re safely installed in your new home.