Lockdown Diary - Saturday 19th December 2020

Out the house on the way to the shops with son #2 before the first carer call of the day: as we are exiting our, she passes and we flash and wave. Ships in the night (literally, as it's still bloody dark)

We park up, walk to the shops and join the queue.  I still don't like shopping as things currently are: I'm afraid I don't trust other people and how well they are observing the rules.  Since we have to shop, my plan is to get it done and out of the way as quickly as possible, while it's quiet. As it is we've woken up in tier 3, which is beginning to put our Christmas plans in doubt.  We finish the supermarket shop fairly quickly - it's still not that busy, which makes the effort of getting up worthwhile (I'm not sure son #2 wholly agrees).  It's now raining very heavily as we make our final stops at the bread stall to pick up our order and the coffee shop for our breakfast.  Back to the car and now the car park is starting to get busy, but we are leaving, which is what I wanted to achieve.

After putting everything away, son #2 and I sit down together and eat our breakfast, which makes a change as I normally eat breakfast while I get the chores started. Today we're early and I reckon I deserve the occasional break.

Usual tedious stuff underway...

We all have lunch together, a little late, and watch another episode of 'The Mandalorian'. Once it's over my sons all leave, and as I'm about to clear away my stuff, the phone rings and it's my mother-in-law.  

A 75-minute or so conversation ensues, though mostly I'm listening, with the occasional appropriate interjection, during which time I learn that she's received the hamper I sent (she likes what's in it), she's received the cards I sent and has reciprocated (the parcel of cards from her to us arrived about 5 minutes before she called), there's another parcel on its way from her and she's had a card from her son (my wife's brother!) for the first time in five years.  Topics lead to other topics and I can tell she's just glad to have a chance to talk to someone. Eventually she runs out of things to say and, when she realises the conversation has returned to its starting point, she says something along the lines of 'I'd better let you get on' and I hear myself saying, 'call again if you want a chat'. 

At some point, either during or just after the call, I learn that 'our' (not my) Prime Minister has created a new covid tier, tier 4, we're in it and Christmas, as far as guests are concerned, is cancelled. I'm happy to obey the rules, as I couldn't see the sense in it from the start: we'd have had one guest, my son's gf, who lives in an area that remains in tier 2 and we have been very careful to minimise risk, including her being driven directly here and back afterwards.  What I'm not happy about, however, is the fact that Johnson suggested there would be a five-day Christmas break, without rules, in the first place, before consulting the experts. Health experts said it was a bad idea, from the off. It turns out that covid-19 isn't aware of Christmas and wasn't planning to have a rest. Who'd have guessed that? This was Johnson the populist at his worst: he didn't want to be remembered for having cancelled Christmas, so he decided - without consultation - to set his own rules. Setting false expectations, then at the last minute dashing them, is far worse than telling people upfront it was to be a restricted Christmas. Of course, he'll try and blame it on the new strain of coronavirus, but let's not forget that experts were saying it was a bad idea, before news of the new strain was announced.  He even ridiculed Keir Starmer in Parliament for his opposition to allowing an unrestricted Christmas to go ahead a mere couple of days ago, and here he is with yet another U-turn.  People will have made plans, ordered and bought food on the strength of his earlier announcements: he is undoubtedly the worst Prime Minister for our country at this time. He is a fool, and a dangerous one, at that.

Most of all, I feel saddened for my son and his gf: none of this shit is good for anyone's mental health. I will suggest we have a second, mini-Christmas, for my son and his gf, when it is safe to do so. 

After the joyous yuletide news, I somehow fritter away the early evening in a mix of things that needed doing, reading some of the papers, until it's time to make dinner.  

It's film night, and my choice.  I decided a few days ago what I'd watch, based on a friend's recommendation, that being 'Crooked House', a supernatural tale. A perfect subject for a long winter night.

I really enjoyed the film, a few twists straight out of some the Hammer House of Horror 'story collection'-style films, but none the worse for that.

Something seasonal, which sort of fits quite well with the film, too. This is Stick in the Wheel with 'Drive the Cold Winter Away' from their recent album 'Hold Fast'.  It's folk, Jim, but not as we know it.

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