On Becoming a Hermit, Sort of ... Days 12 to 14

Days 12-14
(Saturday, 28th to Monday, 31st March 2020)

Two weeks! It’s now fourteen days since I started this blog series, since the day after the PM issued the first instruction about ‘Social Distancing’. Interesting that soon after our first hearing of that phrase I became aware that it was already being used World-wide. Is it possible to conceive that, in a few days, we’ve found the beginnings of a common language that we are now using that is capable of crossing boundaries, crossing cultures and letting through if only a chink of light, which is casting over a World in which we could begin to believe in the possibility of there truly being a  future for our quest for sustainable peace and social justice And this causes my thoughts to cast back into history.

It is a well documented Piece of history, which is being revived in the news by the current pandemic that, between 1665 and 1666, in a small Derbyshire village called Eyam, the Plague arrived. It was thought to have been brought to the village on a consignment of cloth that was delivered from London. In the ensuing months 260 of the village’s 700 inhabitants perished, but much worse was prevented in the wider countryside outside the village, because of one heroic act or, should I say 700 heroic acts. Self isolation. We understand this now. At this time, 360 years ago, there was no medicine in our modern understanding of that science, and social isolation was so much more devastating, because they didn’t have any means of communicating with the outside world. One can imagine how friends, families and even lovers will have been separated. Nearby villages will have been able to supply food to Eyam so they could feed themselves, but in every other way, they were completely on their own. 

One thing that we cannot complain about today, as the Corona Virus works its way through our communities, is that we are so isolated, so totally alone, so heroically, so philanthropically willing to sacrifice our freedom for the sake of others. It is a lesson we are all learning now. The people of Eyam in 1665 would have benefitted, certainly psychologically, from today's communications technology.

On Saturday morning it was my turn to have a lie in. Most times I’ll read or catch up up on social media, in particular Wrote a prose poem about ... well, to explain it, I'd have to say I woke early with famous playwright, Samuel Beckett, circulating in my head and in particular, two of his later and most famous plays, "Waiting for Godot" and "Happy Days", both of which I saw as a student whilst lived in London and was a friend of The Young Vic. Rather than explain it, it will be published in the BeZine Blog and the Poet By Day web sites in due course. 

Tai Chi Qi Gong at 10:30 as usual for half an hour, at the end of which B and I attempted to remember some of the 'form', but didn't get very far. More tomorrow. For those who are not familiar with Tai Chi, Qi (pronounced Chi) Gong is effectively the warm up in which all parts of the body's musculature is exercised in preparation for the actual form, the choreography that simulates the defensive art form that Tai Chi is. We have made contact with our old teacher, who is planning some on line conference group sessions. We are looking forward to that.

In other news, it seems at the end of last week, three members of the government's cabinet have gone down with the virus, including the Secretary of State for Health, Matt Hancock and the PM, Boris Johnson himself. Boris is continuing to run meetings, we are assured.

Had a call from our most senior granddaughter, Jessica and a very welcome update on her activities this week it was. Included in which was an on line singing lesson, which she admitted felt a bit weird, but she was cheerful enough about everything. The Nicholson household is keeping their routines going well.

Bedtime story with the Anstie grandchildren completed our day, with B's reading of an old favourite in this house, "The Little Red Hen", a cautionary tale about how important it is to help others in their time of need. In fact we've managed bedtime stories with the Sheffield mob every night since, so far. It is a very welcome break to do this and experience some silliness, in spite of the pressure their NHS employee parents are under. Bless them all.

Isolated Bedtime Stories

Three day's Music Choices from Clemency Burton-Hill's "Year of Wonder" are
Saturday: In The Month of March by Toru Takemitsu 
Sunday: Ambre by Nils Frahm 
Monday: 'La Calinda' from Koanga by Frederick Delius   

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On Becoming a Hermit, Sort of ... Day 11

Day 11
(Friday, 27th March 2020)

Rose at usual time, around 7 am to sort the animals, make a pot of tea and start work on further editing of the lyrics for "Festival of Roses" after last night's meeting with Sam Hubbard, Frankie Grasso and Graham Porter. By midday, after a few other tasks, including our morning Tai Chi session with B, I was done and it was on its way to Sam. 

Spent a fairly energetic hour after lunch washing down the dogs' spending run as well as the arduous task of removing the eminently breakable plastic grills covering the drainage channel to clear it of smelly muck! Anyway, job done and smells a lot better now. 

Lovely long conversation with Cate, who was walking Cole, her HIV positive cat, on a harness. Cole had early on in the walk, climbed a tree as far as the lead would let him and, for most of the conversation, he remained up there giving Cate the evil eye! Anyway, it was good to hear she was well, but about to embark on a series of five night shifts at the veterinary practice. Three or four colleagues were apparently off in isolation for various reasons, so mounting pressure there.

So there ends a fairly interesting and satisfying day, but nevertheless a day in which many more people have succumbed to the infamous Corona Virus. A day in which increasingly the police are clamping down on any public social gatherings and even stopping people in the cars to find out if their journey is essential. If not they are being turned round and asked to go home.

Stay at home, people, free up the roads for those who really need them, like the doctors and nurses of the NHS, who need as much relief as they can get.

I'm beginning to pray more.


Today's Music Choice from Clemency Burton-Hill's "Year of Wonder" is Overture fromLa clements di Tito, K.621 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart   

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On Becoming a Hermit, Sort of ... Day 10

Day 10
(Thursday, 26th March 2020)

My turn to stay in bed and have a cuppa brought to me by my good wife. 

I had woken much earlier with my brains rattling around the lyrics for "Festival of Roses", a tune composed by one of Hallmark of Harmony's super-fans, Ray DeGrasse, who is wheelchair bound and, to most appearances having difficulty with movement and speech. But he has been writing musical compositions for at least ten years. Remarkable. I am in awe at the spirit and enthusiasm for barbershop singing that he clearly has.

Sam Hubbard is organising the arrangement and leading the pulling together some lyrics that will fit the arrangement. He is a gentle but very musically astute taskmaster. So I have gone from version 1.0 through to version 1.61 and finally, after a morning's work on a significant re-write, paying due attention to Sam's required structure - could we call it lyrical architecture? - I have just delivered version 2.0. We shall have to see what happens in what will be my fifth on line conference in five evenings. Two or three others offered to have a go at lyrics and will be participating this evening. I've not seen anything from them yet, but I suspect at least one of them will come up with something for sure. It's been a challenge, but a welcome one. Life is for living and learning. Let's hope we can deliver something that's worthy of Ray.


Today's Music Choice from Clemency Burton-Hill's "Year of Wonder" is 12 Notations pour piano, arranged for orchestra 1: Fantasique - Modere by Pierre Boulez 

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On Becoming a Hermit, Sort of ... Day 9

Day 9
(Wednesday, 25th March 2020)

I was first up this morning. B had done the last two, for no particular reason than that she was awake and ready to go downstairs and feed the menagerie and get the first news of the day.

It was me who got the first news, which was largely more depressing statistics on the number of cases and deaths caused by COVID-19 (shall we call it C-19 from now on? Yes, I think we should. It seems we are two weeks behind Italy, who now have recorded more cases and more deaths (apparently) than China, where it all started back in November. Monday afternoon's announcement by the PM that staying at home was to become more than an 'instruction', that it would within days become enforced by law. At this point most people are taking notice and following the advice, but this morning's news confirmed that is still no uncertain amount of ignorance on display. The stubbornness, refusal to follow the instruction, arrogance and, frankly utter stupidity in ignoring official advice, which is coming from the highest authorities on the science and medical epidemiology (which I spoke at some length about in Day 3 of this journal). Still, it seems there are crowds of mainly young people meeting in public for their social pleasure.

My day finished with my fourth on line conference call, but this time with fellow choristers in Fox Valley Voices. We tried (against my advice, given the experience of Hallmark) to sing through a song, "Autumn Leaves" all together with harmonies. Whilst there was the odd moment when I could detect the odd harmonious phrase, for the most part it was a car crash. The greatest value, as with Hallmark, was being 'together', talking about how we are fairing in the Corona virus crisis ... and generally having a good old laugh. There's a result, then.


Today's Music Choice from Clemency Burton-Hill's "Year of Wonder" is Romanian Folk Dances 2: 'Sash Dance' by Bela Bartok 

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On Becoming a Hermit, Sort of ... Day 8

Day 8
(Tuesday, 24th March 2020)

It's now a full week, since the PM's announcement of a more serious level of social distancing, in the late afternoon of Monday, 16th March. It feels like a month! Goodness, have we come a long way into this pandemic crisis. I feel like I want to give a big hug to every Doctor, Nurse, Carer and all those who are under so much stress with the burgeoning patient load, including my own son and daughter in law.

Anyway, on with today's events and ramblings.

We were up at a reasonable time this morning, as B had an appointment with the physio, but she'd arranged to do it via FaceTime ... and guess who had to hold the phone! It actually worked very well, from different angles as instructed by physio, utilising the consummate skills of the cameraman, who, albeit if the physio had seen his occasional postural alignment, she would no doubt have commented!

This was followed, a bit later than planned by some more Tai Chi, but not before I tasked myself to replace some fencing to block the hole in the wall where the stream enters the lower reaches of our garden, but that had been washed away during the several torrents that had caused so much flooding during the storms of the past couple of months. B had been down there with Guide Dog Puppy (GDP) Taz and he had walked up the stream and got through the hole into the neighbours 'small holding', with the attendant risk their hens might have ended up the targets for some vigorous play that might well have ended in a costly chicken bill or at least some very excited hens.! 

More Qi Gong was followed by coffee and a brief serious talk with B about preparing for the possibility of at least one of us getting the virus. A preparation that would involve internal isolation from one another as far as possible to reduce the risk of both of us getting really ill at the same time. I guess it's a good thing to talk, at least so we get ourselves mentally prepared for that event. Likewise a conversation about preparing for the possibility that any of our children may need our help, if things get difficult for them. But that will involve a decision based on having to maintain social distancing as far as possible, unless they or our grandchildren need some rescuing in some way or other. But we cannot plan for this. We shall have to respond when the circumstances present themselves.

The day finished with a two hour session using this Zoom conferencing facility for our Hallmark rehearsal. Different, but well thought through by our esteemed Musical Director, Tim Briggs. Never before have I sang harmony to one other voice whilst Tim directed us. Not being able to hear anyone else's voice (apart from Tim, who was singing one of the parts) is novel, but it focuses attention on one's timing and particularly pitch. I was doubtful this whole idea would work, which it only partially does for the singing, but for it became very clear that its value for our morale is beyond measure. this is another expression of the good that can be found in community, leaving thoughts of those selfish folk who've been panic buying food and hoarding it for themselves, out in the cold for a while.

As a footnote, I have always been moved by people of all ages getting together to sing in harmony. I am not on my own. There are many members of Hallmark of Harmony, who are of like mind, but I think in our present predicament, we are more than ever moved, not just by harmony singing and music in general, but also appreciating (more than ever) how important it is to be together. The only way we can do this right now is over the internet. Let's hope that doesn't let us down.

See you tomorrow.


Today's Music Choice from Clemency Burton-Hill's "Year of Wonder" is Viola Concerto in G major 1: Largo by Georg Philip Telemann

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On Becoming a Hermit, Sort of ... Days 5 to 7

Day 5-7
(Saturday, 21st to Monday, 23rd March 2020)

Having decided to take the weekend off, to (sort of) make it feel like a weekend, things did happen, of course, not a lot really, but nothing did not happen!

Saturday at 7am was marked by a dash into and out of the Coop to get some things we needed, particularly milk and some veg. The only disadvantage of going at its opening time was that the bread van had not delivered yet. Surprised to find I was one of only three or four people in at that time, so I had some elbow room. By the time I had done, it was beginning to get busy. I did make a point of thanking several of the staff there for being there for us and it was very clear that they really appreciated being thanked. Clearly not enough people have thought to do that.

We weren't going to on the weekend, because of the fine weather and the fact that we knew the moors would be crowded, but later on Saturday afternoon, we did walk the dogs on a less popular part of the local moorland, where there are sheep grazing, so kept them on the leads at all times. No bad thing for them to get used to being on leads when they don't expect it!

Sunday we stayed home all day. B did a ration of gardening and I did some indoor exercises, training and games with the dogs. I also made some quiet time to sit and read, which is more than B got in the garden as the residents of the cottage behind us was playing music in his garden. You have to mow the grass outside, but it is possible to play music indoors!  In the evening after supper, I had a test meeting (on Zoom) with my barbershop chorus, Hallmark of Harmony. Probably around thirty involved It doesn't lend itself, unfortunately, to singing together and being able to hear each other in the process, but with imagination we can do some constructive stuff, talk and share, set goals for learning and practice as well as having a bit of fun and, most importantly, keeping a team spirit going; keeping the 'band of brothers' together.

So that was the weekend.

On Monday morning, B woke with the inspiration that we should start doing Tai Chi again. So plan A: for the first week at least, to do some Qi Gong (Chi-gong), which is basically warm up routines that wake up the whole body step by step ahead of embarking on doing the short-form tai chi 'choreography'. Remembering and relearning all these routines has been the first challenge, but it's slowly coming back.

Various other tasks and activities ensued and my day finished with another , smaller meeting on Zoom with Hallmark, this time just for those who couldn't make it on Sunday evening. Just to get familiar with how it works. Some having more difficulty than others initially, but we will all get there soon enough.

We're definitely trying to ration news to the main bulletins and brief Prime Ministerial press conferences and pick up 'other news' from the on line press.

Dara Ó Briain provided the pre-bedtime comedy to lighten the spirit. I have to say he always talks so fast with his Irish accent, that thickens as his presentation becomes more intense, that I have great difficulty hearing any but half of it! But it is his energy and comedic timing, the looks, gestures and punch lines that are so unmistakeable and make hime so funny.

Gard blass 'em.


Three day's worth of Music Choices from Clemency Burton-Hill's "Year of Wonder" :
Saturday: Piano Trio No.1 in D minor, op.49 2: Andante con motto tranquillo by Felix Mendelssohn.
Sunday: Recomposed: Vivaldi Four Seasons 'Spring 2' by Max Richter
Monday: Heal You by Anna Meredith 

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On Becoming a Hermit, Sort of ... Day 4

Day-4 (Friday, 20th March 2020)

More philosophical thoughts were circulating this morning when I awoke. Now I can't remember what they were, you'll probably be very happy to hear!

The first distraction that laid these thoughts to rest, was when I realised we'd better book an online food shop because of long lead times - the earliest delivery was 20th April! It may only be slightly interesting that Barbara had the same light bulb moment only twenty minutes after and logged in to discover a very full trolly! We need to talk more

Is it me, or is this a very boring opening to a blog post. No, don’t answer that!

Following a trawl through the terms of our travel insurance, to see if there is any chance of claiming for the cancellation of our rare holiday next week and a few requisite communications to provider, insurer and credit card company, the second distraction came from our neighbour. He invited us to meet outside with a chap who'd come to cost the relaying of their driveway with what was described as a SuDS compliant 'porous resin'. He was asking whether we'd like to get a quote too, since our drives blend into each other and are therefore shared. Anyway, neither of us were particular taken by the design patterns, but even less impressed with the price ... £5,500! So that wasted another hour!

You are no doubt beginning to realise that this has been an ordinary day, as days go. Not necessarily the material for astounding blog posts. But I have already said that this is an attempt at a journal and, as such it is bound to be a little parochial. Ho-hum. 

One thing that strikes us both is that, even though retirement can do this to some people, we have never lost that 'weekend feeling'. We know what day of the week it is because of our schedule of activities, most of which usually occur regularly on certain days of the week, with regular but occasional variations, including weekends, particularly for my singing activities. In the past week, we have suddenly lost those activities. All of them. So differentiating between weekdays and the weekend has concomitantly become more difficult, not to mention the loss of those important deadline dates, weeks and probably months ahead. Things to aim for. 

However, today is Friday. We often throw a pizza in the oven to celebrate the start of the weekend and have some green stuff to go with it, and maybe treat ourselves to a G&T! Ooof I hear you gasp! But we have neither pizza nor salad (we ate the last one on Tuesday ... or was it Wednesday?). But I'm not going (and don't need), to whip down to the Coop to get one. We'll have something to eat in the freezer, so here we go.

The moral (if that's the right word) of today's post, is clearly that we need to adjust our routines, set some goals. To this end I made a reminder list this morning with five tasks on it. When I've posted this blog (the fifth on the list) shortly, I will have achieved three and half of them. Tomorrow: must do better. 

I may not post on the weekend because ... well, it is the weekend after all.

For now, here's a couple of photos of our Guide Dog Puppy, Taz ... 

January 2019

February 2020

Today's Music Choice from Clemency Burton-Hill's "Year of Wonder" is Zefiro tornadoes e di soave accenti - Return, O Zephyr by Claudio Monteverdi : https://youtu.be/qns0zAPZ0ts 

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On Becoming a Hermit, Sort of ... Day 3

Day-3 (19th March 2020)

I started my day thinking about statistics. "Geek!" I hear you say, but read on. This is important, very important. My thinking continued and extended to what I learned in my scientific education and its application to my subsequent working life as a scientist and engineer. It has always occurred to me that there is not enough understanding of the principles of statistical probability and risk.

The mathematics of statistical analysis is crucial to the development firstly of our understanding of scientific phenomena and secondly to the control of processes, the building of reliable machinery and especially in medical science, on all of which we rely in our modern lives. 

The two main building blocks of science are the pure sciences of Chemistry and Physics, along with their various branches. Organic and inorganic chemistry, electrical, mechanical, optical, nuclear, thermodynamics and astro-physics all provide the fundamental principles on which modern technology is founded. In order to develop and build the machinery of modern technology, we need mathematics and, crucially, a means of assessing the probabilities of success for any designed system, the risks of failure in that system and therefore its economy, reliability and, perhaps most important of all, its safety.

How did we manage to develop the motor car to where it is today with the state of reliability we now enjoy in automotive technology, without the application of science and the assessment of its efficiency and reliability and consequent continual improvement? 

How did we develop computer technology, without the assessment of how to make it work, experimenting with different materials to build and carry the microcircuitry, without the development of binary code, which goes to build the software algorithms that determine the reliability of the technology in so many diverse activities of our lives? 

However, there is probably no other branch of science, where statistical analysis has been more important than in Bio-Medical science, in the development of medicines and treatments for illness, including infectious diseases. In fact, many of the mathematical techniques of statistics was developed in aid of this branch of science.

In its simplest form, the expression of risk or probability can be done by considering the linear scale, a line if you prefer, between 0% and 100%. Consider 0% to be 'Black' and 100% to be 'White'.

0% ------------------------------------------------------------ 100%
Black _______________________________________White

In science, there is never going to be 0% or 100% certainty. Systems, results, facts and reality always lie somewhere in between these two extremes. In other words, it is never either black or white.

To illustrate this, the following is circulating on social media right now and seems to be a very useful visual way to demonstrate the assessment of risk in the spread of the Corona virus.

With thanks to Gary Warshaw (https://twitter.com/GaryWarshaw)

Figures from the very important scientific report from Imperial College, which alerted the government to the advice they need to give to the nation, suggest that if we do not exercise this advice to implement 'Social Distancing', it is probable that we would be heading for a mortality rate that would result in as many as a quarter of a million deaths in the UK alone. That is 35 times the mortality currently reported World-wide so far! By strictly applying social distancing this was also reported to be able to reduce that figure to something like 20,000. Twenty Thousand ... is bad enough!! Let alone 250,000. The reality may still be higher than that lower figure, but it depends on how well we implement social distancing. Nonetheless this does put it into a chilling perspective. It doesn’t bear thinking about to consider the impact and repercussions the higher of those two figures will have on our lives.

There is no need to be afraid, because we can survive this thing. But before I go out again this week, however essential it may seem, whether for food or medicine, I shall have a careful think about these figures and reassess the necessity on the day. Let’s keep our itchy feet well grounded for as long as it takes. 

These are very hard times. Barbara and I, in our current circumstances, feel relatively lucky to be in the position we are. To be honest, I confess also to feeling a mixture of deeply felt anxiety and guilt about how our own children are managing, in different parts of the country. This is accompanied by a growing feeling that we need to do more to help them, but this would be in direct conflict with government advice, the message of today's post based on advice from the medical scientists, the people who know. 

So many of us live in differing circumstances, each of which may require the application of a different level of understanding of this crisis and how each of us manage to deal with it, physically and mentally. But I would begin to close this overly long essay with the following reminder what I believe is a reasonable summary of this message.

If you are young or even middle aged and physically fit, without any underlying condition that raises your own risks from this virus above minimal levels, you will survive this disease, but please try not to think only of your own safety, even though your life is as important as the life of anyone else. Try instead to think that, were you to be feeling only slight symptoms or even, as is possible, carrying the disease truly without knowing, somewhere down the line, in 5 days or even 30 days, someone could die as a direct result that you came into close contact with someone else, who passed it on to someone else, who passed it on and on ... and on. Even if you genuinely have no way of knowing whether or not either you (or the other person) are infected with the virus, it is by far the safest decision to assume you are. Simply put, you don't know what is the probability of you (or the next person) having the virus; whether it is nearer to 0% or 100% certainty, you don't know. Therefore there exists a degree of risk. A risk to human life. If you ignore this, you are playing Russian Roulette, not only with other people's lives, but particularly those of your family and friends, with whom you have more frequent, closer contact.

I apologise for the length and seriousness of this diatribe, but I had to get it down here, to clear my thoughts, to say what I needed to say, to say what I’ve understood to be true since the earliest days of my scientific education, hopefully to be understood by someone somewhere. This is a personal journal after all and you didn't have to read it or, if you did, thank you for bearing with me. If you agree with it, do let me know your views by commenting below.

It is now 12 midday, Thursday, 19th March and this post is already a bit too long. Before I close and publish it a little later in the day, I hope to report on something less demanding, slightly more cheerful. Perhaps see what crazy things our puppy-dogs get up to ... 

... just another refreshing walk to the trig point, in calm but chilly and bright conditions. We blew away some cobwebs.

Today's Music Choice from Clemency Burton-Hill's "Year of Wonder" is Cello Suite No.1 in G major 1: Prelude by J S Bach


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On Becoming a Hermit. Sort of ... Day 2

Day-2 

(18th March 2020)

Up at 7 am, as usual, although awake with the birds first tweets. Dogs and hens done and cup of tea in bed for B (we take it in turns). I'm sure I was woken by my bladder, but other possibly hypnopompic thoughts determined to get me worrying again.But in all honesty, I can't remember what those thought were now and I'm not trying very hard to remember them. Although, if I do remember before the end of this post, I'll relate them to you, if they're worth relating.

I then finished off yesterday's blog and posted it.So here we are towards the end of the afternoon on Day-2, which included another trip out to shop, because I observed we were low on hen food, so off to Argo Feeds for another sack. Whilst there, having paid, I enquired of the man in the warehouse if they'd been busy (it didn't appear as if they were at the time of my visit). He retorted that he hadn't had time to re-stack the shelves with new stock and blamed the media for causing panic buying. "it wouldn't have been like this in the 60's" he said. "Hardly anyone had TV's then!". I blamed social media more. More on this subject was covered in yesterday's post.

On the way home, around lunchtime, decided to drive round by the Coop to see, out of interest, if the car park was still heaving. It wasn't. It looked almost normal and at least far less busy than during my yesterday's visit. I decided to call in and fetch some coffee for a neighbour, who'd told me yesterday they were running out. Bought a couple of loaves of bread (now sensibly restricted to two per shopper) and some salt. Rounded the corner to the 'paperwork' shelves to find one of the supervisors putting up some new stock of toilet Rolls. Goodness me! Decided that I'd take one of the brandless four packs as a spare (our Somerset dwelling youngest was complaining yesterday that she hadn't been able to buy any at her Coop so thought we might be able to post some. 

I asked the supervisor if I could take a four pack and commented that it looked like the madness had died down today. "Only just" he replied, looking like he needed a break. her added, pointing at a laden trolly: "take some Andrex, if you want". He obviously took me for an Andrex kind of man!

Another walk with both dogs on the lead up the lane by the farm and onwards a bit, was our rather limited duty to the dogs for the day, explaining to them that they were lucky to be getting that and that they did at least have each other to play with at home, unlike the bull terrier we often see tied up outside in a front garden on our way back, who insisted on shouting across the road at us: "for goodness sake I'm so bloody bored, please give me a break!". That's our occasionally stubborn LabxRetriever, Meggie, letting us know her feelings about being short changed.

"Listen! I haven't finished my walk yet!"

Today's Music Choice from Clemency Burton-Hill's "Year of Wonder" is Polonaise de Concert in D major, op.4 by Henryk Wieniawski.


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On Becoming a Hermit, Sort of ... Day 1

Day-1
(Tuesday, 17th March 2020)

"The Dukes Road"

Yesterday was our first day of ‘voluntary’ isolation. Following the announcement at a press conference by our PM, his Chief Medical Officer and his Scientific Advisor, on Monday afternoon, this was that everybody was advised to start a period of ‘social distancing’. Visits to pubs, clubs, restaurants and theatres were to be discouraged. The announcement came on the back of the worsening pandemic across Europe of COVID-19, the so-called Corona virus.

We had pretty much known, through the regular press, what was likely going to happen, so it wasn’t a complete shock, but, after a reasonable night’s sleep, albeit too short, I confess that I awoke with an overwhelming feeling that my life was suddenly empty. Empty of the activities in which I have I indulged for several years. Barbara too, although she is happy to catch up on some overdue gardening activity, my rehearsals and performances with the Sheffield Barbershop Harmony Club (Hallmark of Harmony) and chamber choir (Fox Valley Voices) have been curtailed until further notice. So, it will be virtual from now on: there are plans a foot to enable some kind of on line singing projects. We shall see what evolves. In the mean time I shall keep on singing at home, to myself and the dogs ... and Barbara, if she's got nothing better to do!

This morning I decided to take Guide Dog Puppy, Taz, to the Coop to get one or two things we needed - primarily cheese. On the way down the hill I noticed there seemed to be a scarcity of cars that are usually parked on the roadside. Thought it was a working day, but then fell to pondering why so many people were out in their cars and thought that it had to be to do with the Corona virus outbreak. On arrival at the Coop, my suspicions were confirmed. The car park was rammed! The world and his wife were there shopping for their lives. 

There was no apparent panic, but facial expressions were telling. A combination, somewhere between concern and mild panic on the one hand and, on the other, a kind of unwillingness to meet the eye. Was that an expression of knowing guilt, a demonstration of a proud wartime tradition, quintessential Britishness of keeping calm on the surface, whilst panicking underneath it. I don't know. I suspect a whole spectrum of conscious and unconscious thinking and, in some cases, I detect no thinking at all; an instinctive, but in my view, unnecessary reversion into basic survival mode ... all the while filling a public space with people, all of whom were capable of exchanging their invisible droplets of breath, and who knows containing the now infamous virus. I know now, when I arrived in the car park, that I should have turned round and gone back up the hill to the sanctuary of home, but part of me said that Taz would be disappointed not to get out of the car and have an albeit boring walk around the shelves of the supermarket. The other part of me, I confess, probably felt some part of that concern, panic and instinctive need to be as well provisioned as we could reasonably be to face the coming isolation.

Of course there were no toilet rolls or hand sanitiser on the shelves of the Coop and no paracetamol (the recommended pain relief). Across at the dispensing chemist, a sign on the counter said "we have no hand sanitiser and no thermometers. Again not surprising, as current advice says of expected symptoms, that a persistent dry cough and a temperature, were to be expected. Anyway at least they had some paracetamol, which Barbara usually needs more than me for her aches and pains, but who knows?

Looking North from the Duke's Road

Later, shortly after lunch, we had what I termed a 'Street Meet', quite incidental, but two neighbours and we stood in a triangle, ten paces apart, in some very welcome sunshine, and talked about things, including holidays. Barbara and I had earlier, regretfully, made the decision no to cancel our already paid for holiday in a remote farm cottage in North Northumberland next week. We felt that it is up to individuals to take responsibility for reducing the risk of spreading the virus, with the primary objective of avoiding the serious risk of overwhelming the resources of our precious NHS. If we don't take that responsibility seriously, we could end up like Spain and France with the limitation of movement being enforced by the law. I feel we are on the brink of selfish 'disobedience' on a level that could precipitate such action. I hope I am wrong, sincerely. It is time for us to realise it is not about self any more. It is about the effect our actions have on others ... 

The last activity of our day was to take the two dogs, Meggie and Taz, up onto the moors in a stiff breeze for a walk along the Duke's Road. It refreshed the spirit. A bit of escapist TV was followed by an early bed.

Today's Music Choice from Clemency Burton-Hill's "Year of Wonder" is John Field's Nocturne No.5 in B flat major.



[If you have been affected in any way by this journal and feel the need for support, please talk to a friend, a family member, someone who loves you ... or, if you'd like, leave a comment below]

An Announcement ...

I have made a decision; not a swift impulsive decision, but one that has been in gestation for a considerable time. A period of time during which I have had the opportunity to observe the growth and development in the major social media platforms for over ten years and I have come to a conclusion.

This is that I am going to withdraw from active involvement in the major platforms. My reasoning is that, whilst they can be a force for good, a platform for promoting much that is good and hopeful in the World, as well as putting forth the work of some very inspiring people and even the endeavours of those trying to make an honest living, they are, however, also a force for the not so good. 

Besides those who, at best, are there to promote a less than ‘social’ agenda, there are also forces, that harvest our data and interests in order to sell us stuff we don’t need. It has become the advertiser’s dream arena. But perhaps the most insidious and darkest of forces have also emerged and evolved into something that takes these platforms to another level of risk. A risk to us all. These forces, it is alleged, are there to wash unresolved minds, to influence voting behaviour, to spread misinformation and propaganda for potentially nefarious reasons, to inform ‘low-information swing voters’ (my thanks to Joe Pickin for this perfect phrase). It needs to be said that this phrase is not intended to be a derogatory statement, because it refers to those, for whom life does not allow them the capacity to research the facts, who are very busy or those who, through no fault of their own, don't know how, but who are nonetheless the target of unscrupulous propaganda.

I don’t personally feel under threat, because I have endeavoured to inform myself with facts in those areas that need them most. I have tried to source the truth of the affairs that confront us every day. I have to admit there is no perfect solution to this search, but, in the process, I have concluded that there is no better source of truth than the heart. It is my heart that I should be listening to; my soul that is the product of a lifetime of apperception - accumulated experience - that I should heed most. It is the natter, chatter and clatter of social media that has caused the elusive clarity that I seek, to become clouded; a mirky pool in which I don’t need to swim, not helped by the appalling state of politics in this country and elsewhere. It is an unnecessary distraction from the quest for truth and undoubtedly a far less effective means of expressing one's views on those affairs in life that are truly important.

But, in spite of all, this is not ‘goodbye’. I shall instead be sharpening my focus on my family, my close friends and those with whom I collaborate in creative, endeavours that have become, at least to me, a well recognised force for positive outcomes and life enhancing consequences and to all of whom I owe a great deal of thanks. I shall of course continue to communicate with the small groups that serve these needs and post anything worth promoting, but I shall not be interacting to as great an extent as I have been on the major social media platforms. I shall also continue to write from time to time, both here and over on My Poetry Library as and when I have something that is in my view worth to publishing. 

In the mean time, I leave you with my mantra …

“Where there is pride, prejudice and profit, there be lies and deceit.

Where there is poetry, poverty and passing, there be the path to truth.”