Saturday 1st August through to Tuesday 4th.
Royal Oak, Hurdlow 4th August.
August didn’t start too well. I woke up rather early on Saturday morning after not the best of nights. For whatever reason, I was awake from around 4.30am, and a civilised hour was slow to materialise. It was around 9am that I realised I wouldn’t be eating much that day; something the night before must have “disagreed”. I did manage to walk in the afternoon, and again Sunday. The glorious hot weather on Friday was a “flash in the pan”, Saturday’s nod to a British summer bearing no resemblance to that idyllic day before. I welcomed an early night on Saturday and “slept for England”.
The following day, I was awake in time for Sunday Worship on Radio 4. Although very different each week, I do appreciate the accessible bible reflections, usually based on two relevant and often familiar passages. The “sermon” for want of a better word was delivered by the Chaplain to the Archbishop of Canterbury, charting her horrific and detailed experience of/with covid-19. It was a reminder that whatever the relaxations in restrictions, the virus is still very much with us, and dangerous. I’m taking a risk today treating myself to lunch, not because on Mondays to Wednesdays in August, Boris Johnson is “going halves up to a tenner”, but, because Domestic Bliss arrived two hours early for the fortnightly blitz on my house. I gave them instructions for today’s clean, and then made my way to the Royal Oak for a government subsidised lunch, and jolly good it was, too. My right knee continued to give grief. I had put on a support bandage which made walking down hill difficult.
Today, both the stomach and right knee are “improved”, although the knee bandage does restrict movement. With luck, tomorrow should be the last day I need to wear it.
Yesterday, I enjoyed lunch with my neighbour over the road. That, and a weekly hike up hill and down dale are regular occurrences these days. I remain nervous about crowded areas, and still try to self isolate. During lunch (by myself) at the Royal Oak, a former work colleague and his lady partner showed up and settled at the next table. I had a welcome update on how things were at work. Just like at work, I had left my wallet at home, and needed to retrieve it to pay the restaurant bill.
I have put my name on the “wait-list” for the first post covid-19 voyage of R.M.S Queen Mary 2. All the single cabins have been booked already. We’ll see.
News of every large and devastating explosion in Beirut, believed to be in the harbour, has occupied much of tonight’s news. There are casualties and I am reminded of a huge explosion in Halifax Nova Scotia, also in the harbour, one morning in December 1917, when two vessels collided, one heavily laden with high explosives. On that occasion, around 9,000 were injured, but according to my limited knowledge, there were no fatalities. Today’s catastrophe has claimed around 70 lives so far.
Once again, midnight approaches. Time for slumber!
Thanks for reading. David. 23.35 hrs at home.
David's Cruise 