Perhaps I was a little “out of sorts” yesterday after walking a couple of miles the day before. Once again, my highly expensive designer prescription dark glasses had decided to play hide and seek, leaving me annoyed and wishing I had never bought them in the first place.
Also annoying me is the fact that I have paid a hefty deposit for a fantastic world tour which I just cannot see taking place, although the travel companies (including the Carnival Corporation), which I am dealing with will not, or cannot say whether they are going ahead with all or part of the holiday. I, and everybody else feels it would be most unwise to go on this journey (USA, Canada, Alaska, South Korea and Japan) so soon after the start of the Covid 19 crisis.
Maundy Thursday.
At the moment, I am becoming accustomed to the self isolating regime as advised by the government. I do experience small bouts of “cabin fever” but thankfully, all my general needs are being brought to my front door, and I can take a walk in the country without using the car. I understand going for a leisure drive is now against the law.
Tonight, I got to meet my neighbours over the road whom I had not come across since they moved in two years ago. A family with four young children, aged from a few weeks to twelve. The two young girls, 8 and 11 years old were chalking their support for the N.H.S. and carers, all over the front drive with chalk of all colours. It was wonderful to see.
Earlier this afternoon, I walked up to the track bed of a railway I can see from my bedroom. Had I moved to where I live just five years previously, I may well have been able to see British Rail freight workings from the back of my house. During my very early years on the railway, I remember the lines which had only recently been closed, still intact branching off towards Harpur Hill from what is now the Hindlow (freight only) branch which remains very much in use today. The Buxton to Hindlow branch was originally a part of the line to Ashbourne which closed to regular passenger traffic in the early 1950s. Ramblers’ special trains and occasional other special trains would continue to use the line up to the early 1960s, the whole thing shutting down completely completely in 1967. Artefacts from the Buxton to Ashbourne line are, for some reason, very highly sought after.
Tonight, Thursday, I joined my neighbours in saluting the N.H.S. personnel and carers. Throughout the land, at 8.00 pm, each Thursday, people leave their front doors to applaud loudly in support of all those in whatever caring occupation they are engaged with. This is very poignant. I think there is a determination to beat this crisis. I don’t quite appreciate the ramifications of almost everything shutting down across the globe; but there is not a lot of point worrying about what might come of all this.
Tomorrow is Good Friday. This will be the first time I have not attended church. It is the one time I wish I was much better with computers; I could worship on line.
Maundy Thursday is drawing to a close. It’s quiet; only the gentle raw of tinnitus interrupts the tranquillity, but it’s not too loud and doesn’t keep me awake. I think I shall watch some T.V.
Thanks for reading, David 21.22 hrs Maundy Thursday.
David's Cruise 