Should have called him (Un)Lucky!

 Family in south London got a rescue dog over the Lockdown. Quite old and infirm, reject at least twice and returned to Battersea Dogs Home, nearly adopted by him off the tele (ITV programme? which I can never remember name of celeb or programme as not a dog person myself or a lover of Celeb types!). 

They re named him Rocky cause he rocks and rolls with stiffness when he walks. Last weekend he was attacked by two out of control Pitbull-type dogs in the local park. Very expensive vet bills followed by a bank holiday of care.

Honestly never mind Rocky, should have called him Lucky!! or UnLucky?

Family did not share the details of their incident as they were too upset. After seeing TV footage of that dog attacking the seal on the Thames I am absolutely sure I would have not been able to do a thing if I had been there. What a scare. 

Biodegradable tea bags

 When the tea arrived in the on line shopping the other day I did not take too much notice of the packaging only that it was a substitute for whatever box I had ordered. Within days of opening it I was tearing my hair out.

Bag after bag exploded in the cups. Mug after mug of tea leaf strewn drink was going down the sink. Lockdown mind losing? Lost ability to make tea? In a petulant frame of mind (or generally p'eed off) I searched the box for a link to the complaints department.

Yes. Apparently I can't make tea. Who knew after 60 odd years of putting the kettle on? 

I don't like strong tea so for years and years the habit at home (and work) was to dip the tea bag and whip to a second cup with a few stirs the bag gave a decent second cup. No longer. Now we are "biodegradable" (ie now plastic based glue which is good) the given method apparently is to gently pour on the water and leave to soak. Using one bag per cup. It works, but is costing twice as much in tea bags (or less in wasted mugs of spoiled tea).

You can't order from my usual supermarket any other kind of tea bag in this my preferred black tea blend (I am sure that others are available elsewhere) and I am sure its good for the planet/us not to have the micro plastic glue but I do feel stupid and annoyed in equal measures.

When we can do more things (one day) I would love to do the guided walk round London to all the old tea traders and warehouses.  I heard about it on the radio some time ago and was fascinated by how tea is so embedded in UK history and buildings apparently.

Village litter

 I live in a very rural village in Norfolk (just off The Wash) which is 90% middle to upper class yet we have a dreadful problem with litter. In fact if the evidence of litter tells you anything we have a dreadful problem with alcoholics as 50% of the litter is gin, vodka, beer or energy drinks. And most of that seems to be tossed out of cars!!  There are quite a few bins around but litter is everywhere right out to the rural roads where the next habitation is a mile or two further on. Worst thing to see is how it gets ploughed into the fields and mixed with all those food crops! 

Last weekend some of the young parents of the village organised a litter pick (within Covid restrictions) off their own bat on the village Facebook. It was extremely successful with 200 black bags collected. Local businesses chipped in a skip and bags/gloves. Absolutely nothing was organised by the Parish or Borough council. As I am on the Parish council I was a bit ashamed but did my bit as a private citizen and expressed private support to the organiser. Not allowed to be public on this social media stuff apparently (and one day I probably will get sacked as a Councillor)!!!

Small Treasures blog posted this image of an anti litter campaign " 'up North".

I love it. Suggested to the other Councillors we get some! But probably not "suitable" language round here!! 

I have put a poster on my non-recycling bin supporting the Tidy Village campaign and openly invited anyone to drop a black bag of litter picked in it if there is room. We never fill our bin up completely anyway and our 2 widower neighbours can go months without even bothering to put out their bins they have so little in them. We have plenty of capacity for litter and we have paid for collection anyway!

Shame that even after last weekend's efforts I have within half a mile of my house picked up 3 carrier bags full of rubbish in the last 3 days. Ah well, at least litter picking on the way back from the post box (the one marked NHS priority right out at the end of the farm lane) where I was dropping in the Bowel Cancer tests allowed me to say a sentence I never expected to my husband on return:

 "I've been posting poo and picking up crap!".

Finally irritated by Co - vid

 Every year the NHS prescription service begs us to get our repeat medicines early for Xmas/New Year. Not this year apparently. I did the on line order and realised it was the 26th of the month so would need more and made a two month request. When I went to collect the pharmacy inside the Health centre absolutely refused to give an extra month's!

I  was told I MUST reorder 7 days before run out ie 19/20th and collect probably 24th!!! Because this year they will not close over Xmas.   As if I want to spend Christmas Eve or Boxing Day coming round here I thought. Not that there will be anything more interesting on TV!!

As I stood there with my mouth open (inside the mask of course) I had some logical and illogical thoughts.

1. We are old, so they expect us to drop dead in the pandemic in the next month because local figures are high? But the high figures are in the next county to the north about 10 miles have been that way since September, and we have not been there since March. Or they are high to the south in town 6 miles away and we have not been in town for 5 or 6 weeks and only twice since February? Not likely to get infected by the open North Sea to the east or the open fen land to the west. We are in lockdown and are remotely rural  "obedient people".

2. They will be open all over Christmas  I am told. Really? Never usually open for weeks in Dec/Jan!!!  Is that the plan to give us the vaccine?  But its not even been declared safe yet! Do you lot really think that is going to happen in any meaningful way in the next 25 days?

3. If they are up to their ears in vaccinating over Xmas surely they don't want to spend time and evoke dangers of queues giving out regular prescriptions as well? If I was their manager (and I have been a manager in times of crises) I would be saying clear the decks of all other work and concentrate on the targets!

By the time I got out to my bike, de fogged my specs and prepared to cycle home I realised I had been manipulated by "the system".  By not giving me the prescriptions I was tied to home for the run up to Xmas and not able to go and stay away. We have already given up hope of seeing any family over Christmas and that was depressing already but it was our choice and this felt very much not my choice.

I know, none of it is logical really and totally minor, but it was the first time all year I felt my normal routines, and my acceptance of the rules,  were sorely tried.  😕

Government working well?

 Over two days my husband received three letters from the Pension Service. From Belfast, with prepaid envelopes for return to Wolverhampton. 

Are you Mr G? Do you live at this address? Please sign this and return, we are looking for you. 

Errr

Same address for last 6 years where you have communicated with me on several occasions. Also you have communicated with me by email and text which would have been cheaper than printed letters and envelopes.  And I have just registered on the voting lists - so you could look it up electronically?

Why ask me twice in one post and then ask me again next day? Give me a chance to forget to reply - after all we am old and not going out much to post boxes as instructed by your Masters the Government?

Hang on. What about Mrs G? Do you not want to make sure she's still here and not under the patio?

First two letters went back in separate envelopes just to be annoying. Third letter is waiting for us to think up some "pithy" comment to write on it.  Might even re label it to Belfast just to be more annoying to them. 

How much time and money wasted?

My first NHS interaction post virus

Bit surprised when the local health centre rang ME and invited me to come for annual blood test. Never done that in 20 odd years of regular medication, usually have to beg and technically not due till August. My husband was full of doubts and wanted to put it off.
I was wondering if they were going through various lists and seeing if they could get some "business" going because the GPs get paid at least part of their income by the number of tests and reviews they do. Still I went along.

But first you have to -
1. Get a reminder text
2. Get another text with a long URL asking you to do a Covid19 check.
3. Log on (don't have a smart phone so had to transfer to computer) and answer NO to a dozen questions confirming alive, not ill, not infected, not been out, etc.
4. Get another text to say its Ok to turn up.

5. Get there (on bike, its less than 3 minutes on 2 wheels) and the whole place is deserted and silent.
6. Run the gauntlet of posters and barriers. All of which are made in house and look temporary (hardly corporate NHS stuff) just chairs and tables blocking off things.
7. Can't log in on the usual computer touch screen at entrance to confirm you are there and actually have to speak to receptionist (that's a first, usually ignores you).
8. Sit on one of 6 chairs scattered at socially distant intervals.
9. Name comes on TV screen and you wander off past a hand sanitising station and the nurse opens the door in full PPE.
10. Invites you to keep your face covering as taking blood is close work.
11. Usual blood letting stuff (I channel my inner Tony Hancock and try not to think about it being "an armful"). Was not allowed to put on my own plaster which was strange as I could have and she did not have to touch me.
12. Tried to leave but the nurse had shut the door. Did an inventive elbow and knee thing to escape.
13. Back down the corridor with another swipe of the sanitiser.
14. Front doors all left open so no need to touch anything and there was no one around to side step in the entrance.

Well. That was fairly easy. Not sure if it will be that easy when it gets busier?  Or will more people stay away?  If they spread out appointments to avoid more than 2 in the building it could be take months to get things done.

Anyone else been contacted like this?

Bunting

Was not going to do anything for VE day as a child of a Burma Campaign airman I resent the way my Dad was part of the "forgotten" who went on for 6 months more and by the time he got home all the attention, and housing, had gone. My parents started married life sharing with her sister and 4 boys in a bomb damaged house then in a Nissan hut vacated by Polish POWs till getting a council house in 1952!  Still I put my feelings aside when I found I had lots of triangles of blue all over the table from cutting the V necked scrub tops for the NHS. Roughly joined them to a left over strip, added a couple of white and a red triangle and hung on the garden gate to join my rainbow just to cheer our road up.

I had to bike round the village today to get some milk( about 2 miles) and in that distance only counted 5 other bunting efforts. Could have been more on the estates and closes off the roads but I thought there would be far more considering this is supposed to be a "retirement" village.

Perhaps I will do a display for VJ day in August!

Meanwhile lockdown drags on a bit for us. My husband decided he wanted to finish a boat model project he started 20 years ago. He dragged out the hull and the wood for it from storage but could not find the plans. Hardly surprising as we have moved at least half a dozen times since then! He went on a boat model forum and someone in France offered him the plans within 2 days! Marvellous thing this internet, and, Google translate!  They apologised (in French) that he may have to wait 2/3 weeks and he replied that after 20 years that would be fine!

Lockdown stupidity

Saw the most stupid thing yesterday on way to our Click and Collect at the supermarket. By the entrance is a row of recycling bins for various stuff and I was just about to note that it was remarkably tidy the area was, when in the corner I noticed the clothes bin.

It was full to bursting. 

It was surrounded by overflowing plastic sacks. 

It was raining. 

What a waste!!! Well done for spending lockdown sorting out your wardrobe. BUT

 If you were going to recycle clothes and had it all bagged up did you not  realise that no one was working on collections just yet and why not just keep it in the car till you found an empty bin! And that Charity shops when they reopen will be desperate for donations directly into their get funds going again.

Later I turned on the Volunteers Facebook page and found in a post that people were donating new and nearly new duvet covers to make scrub launder bags for NHS by the hundred. People have obviously spending lockdown sorting out their Linen cupboards too. Well, at least they were not sitting next to overfull recycling bin with the clothes!


At least I did not pass any fly tipping on that journey which was a relief!

Left hand not knowing the right at the supermarket!

Just logged into our supermarket on line shopping. No slots for the next 7 days. Oh well, did not need anything for 2 weeks anyway so filled the basket, saved and logged out. Will try another day.

Then I looked at my email account.  Oh loo,k a message about "my offers", available to me, as a favoured shopper, Joy unbound.  Hang on if no click and collect for next 7 days, am I likely to get a spot on day 8 to take advantage?  I really doubt that.

Does the offer department know what the ordering department are doing do you think??  Or just doing this to thumb their nose at me?  Paranoid in Lockdown.

Your offers this week

Here are some of your offers this week. Hit the button to see all of them.

20 points Sainsbury's 50% Fruit Muesli 750g Expires in 8 days		10 points by Sainsbury's' smoked back bacon rashers x8 Expires in 8 days

40 points 'by Sainsbury's' loose carrots Expires in 8 days 60 points 'by Sainsbury's' medium tie handle food & freezer bags x40 Expires in 8 days

Click and collect 4 weeks of supermarket shopping

So this week we did our first ever Click and Collect supermarket shop. For 6 years we have had online supermarket drop every 2/3 weeks but since 4 March we have failed to get a delivery booking. We ate our way through the cupboard stores, the freezer and what was on offer locally and saved up all those things we get from supermarkets for the one big effort.

Before we had even left the village we passed an online delivery van from our supermarket (Grrr..) and in the next village we met another one from the alternative (Grrr..). We carried on the 7.5 miles to the start of the arranged hour slightly apprehensive after watching far too many news broadcasts. There was no one there. Literally no one on that side of the supermarket's large car park. Few cars round the other side but no long snaking queue to the entrance. It was 10 am but it was a bitter cold east Anglian wind that morning and hanging about would have been wickedly chilly.

Rang the intercom, followed the instructions to wait in car and a young man wheeled out a mountain of boxes filled with carrier bags. I loaded wearing plastic gloves and we drove away and did the 7.5 miles back with very little traffic.

At home I had set up a table outside the back entrance. So emptied bags on to that, wiped with antiseptic wipes or soapy water depending on packaging and ferried it into the house to sit and dry on a plastic tablecloth which was wiped again at end.

A lot went on to the "store" section for future weeks.

All the fruit and veg was tipped out of the packaging and washed.

So after what felt like a long session, or at least stocking a boat for a transatlantic crossing, I was left with sore hands and one problem.  The 31 plastic carriers that I never usually have.  Felt guilty for throwing away. Felt guilty about keeping. On discussion the next day we decided if they spent 72 hours on the washing line it should be safe enough but we would keep in shed for outside uses.

Not had this much white squares on the washing line since the terry nappy days of the 1970s! (when we often decorate the shrouds of our sail boat with nappies too much to the disgust the Hamble yaughty types)

Too fussy about the shopping?

I am not going to do a supermarket shop again for 4 to 5 weeks thank goodness as it was all a bit much really. Hopefully delivery spots start to open up for regular customers over 70 by then.

Consequences of slow down in the world?

I wonder what the consequences of change in behaviour will be after Coro is over?

1. Pollution. So Climate Extremists are a bit quiet this week? They wanted people to stop flying here and there and now they got their wish!!! I am sure they did not mean for it to happen this way. But I would like to see some figures about drops in pollution level. Last week there was an article and map in weekend papers showing Carbon Dioxide emissions over China from space before and after the shut down.  Yesterday I saw a similar thing for northern Italy. It was remarkable.

2. Appreciation for our homes and "I could mend that attitude" rather than "I will go and shop for a new one"?

3. Grow your own food more?  If you are home for up to 12 weeks they are a lot of crops to be had in a little space.

4. End of globalisation/commerce thinking - "hang on I don't need to transport it half way round the world I can get that man down the road to make that" ....

5. Schooling - is home schooling or on line better than dragging people together 5 days a week and causing all that daily traffic chaos - how about 50/50 with more diverse group activities during a school session?

6. Adults learning new skills from on line resources and by asking their elders on line! Two of our sons are discussing sour dough bread making on Whats App with me. Taught bread making when younger but city slickers now forced to re learn.

There are lots of other bonus changes I can rattle on about - I am sure you are having same debates. Any changes you would like to see long term?



We are starting a mental list called "losers and winners" too.
 It started this morning when the daily lorry went buy to pick up its supermarket ready packed daffodils from the factory farm up the road. I was unsure if only one went by or the usual 2 or even 3 a day especially  coming up to Mothers Day.
"Would people be buying daffs when they are panic buying everything considered essential" I wondered. "Would it be another trade to hit the skids? Especially if this weekend they can't take flowers to their Mums. Would florists delivering be cancelled?"

My husband thought flowers and florists will be in the winners column. Eventually. Funerals. Cheerful 73 year old strikes again.

On line shopping glich?

Did my normal sainsbury shop last week and booked a delivery for Monday. Could have sworn it worked as normal and was working on having stuff as normal. Went in today to add one item to make some more varied lunches and there was no order!!!

Can see no trace of my order anywhere and apart from my hand written note of time booked I have no proof so no point arguing.

May be paranoid but what the ......??? Now I have to wait till Friday and pay three times as much for a delivery. 

Glum.  But I am going to take a copy of the promise to deliver!

Herd resilience?

Not sure I am in tune with the Government treating the populous as a "herd" in this new theory of dealing with virus to build up resistant anti bodies.

What kind of herd do you see yourself? Sheep? Goats? Cows?

(I am now reminded of Merle Collins poem The sheep and the goats, where you end up with some separation to pass into the safety of the new country)

On that note I must go and find some fun and self assuring activities for later!!

Stuff buyers and railways rant.

So addicted shoppers who have to just buy "stuff" because its "stuff" what are you going to do when you realise China is virtually closed down and not making any more stuff for a while to be transported in big ships round the globe to feed your addiction?

As an anti "stuff" buying persona I can only gloat ( a lot)!!!!!! And hope the stuff addicted don't start coming to charity shops!

Meanwhile feeling extremely sorry for anyone who has had flu anywhere. I have been a fortnight getting over mine and I thank that orange coloured airline for making it ten times worse delaying my plane mid January by a total of over 3 hours cause 1) the pilot forgot to turn up for work and 2) on way back they could not find a screwdriver to mend the luggage door.  Never again. Sticking to trains. 

O, hang on trains are not doing that well either are they?  There is a fantastic input on one of the Whitewick's YouTube videos by a railway engineer about the HS2, who points out that by having an express route it eases the congestion on local lines allowing more capacity locally. His example was improving Aberstywth to Birmingham journey - having done that several times in the past I can see the logic of HS2!!!  Whitewicks usually trace old railways but that input was one of the best explanations I have ever seen and I will probably never see it on mainstream media will I?

I am spending far too long in front of the TV as we wait for February weather to improve. I must find something gardening related to watch.  Oh hang on, the BBC don't do current gardening programmes till after March??? 

Sorry for rant. Bored.

Council Tax value for money?

The season of Council Tax bills will be upon us Uk residents soon. That is when we pay for local services. As I am on the Parish Council I get to see up close now how that money is spent and accounted for. So I started to think about the other tiers that get my money (we have 3 layers here - parish/local; borough/nearest town; County/overall services but based 40 miles away).

Over 6 years I have paid the Borough council £468. What have they done for me?

Emptied my wheelie bin 300 times. 

That is £1.56 each time whether it is non recycling or recycling (and remember in theory they could collect money from stuff that is recycled not that I would know).

I have not used any of the other local services that are free except I have walked in 2 parks about 5 times in 6 years. Can't find anything on their web site that I would have need of except I have used council car parks in town and paid about 10 times in 6 years.

So this week I had no hesitation in making a DEMAND. They have an on line presence where you can ask for stuff to be done.  I asked "Can you please clean the streets in my village?"

This was my second time of asking in the last month and this time I sent 10 photos of the mess in out gutters from health centre, past schools and to the shops. Even grass growing in places! Drainage compromised and as a cyclist I get forces to ride through the mess when cars swing too close.

They came and did it yesterday!!!

Respect and love for NHS?

Boxing day afternoon in a London Urgent Care Unit (joy, all round) I observed who the "people" who are purported to love the NHS treat the waiting area. If they love and respect it how come there were cheesy whotsits under one seat and half drunk plastic cups of water under several others?  At least the man dripping blood from a hand wound offered to mop it up!! If I had not wanted to vomit on moving myself, I was about ready to go round and pick some of the cups up.  If I could have gloves. Where is the respect for "your NHS" we have heard about daily for the last two months, I asked my youngest son  accompanying me? Save a fortune on cleaning if people just respected this space. Long political debate ensures.

Loved the young doctor.
Your blood pressure is a bit high.
What do you expect I retorted? Two hours of screaming kids, sweaty women dripping everywhere, blood on the floor, man behinds face slowly exploding in swelling bruises as his broken nose takes shape, and inexplicable fast tracking the queue. 
Most people get quite mellow having to sit for 2 hours and do nothing, he replied.
Those are the ones on their phones/gadgets turning themselves into the zombie brain dead with incessant beeping. 
Could you hear it? Because I think you have Meniere's disease of the inner right ear.
You need mild anti psychotic pills to turn off the noises in your other ear and stop the dizzy episodes.

Great, says my youngest son, - mad lady pills!!! How appropriate. Must get that on What's App Family Group.

Is it time for turkey curry yet?

Village litter pick

Just got back from volunteering for 2 hours of litter picking round the main area of our east Anglian village. Started cold but wind eased and sun came out.

So the population is 4500 approximately. We had 11 volunteers and 3 of us were parish councillors. Only 3 children, so we concluded the Climate Emergency wave had not yet reached here. There were more people stopping us to say we were doing a good job as they walked their dogs or drove their mobility scooters to the shops. All the women with me of a certain age, all refrained from saying if you did a bit on your way it would be a help, mate.

Conclusion? 



From all the pop cans and sweetie wrappers and the empty vodka bottles and cider cans we picked up at the next "What does this village need?" survey I expect it to say - we need a dentist and alcohol rehab! 

I wonder how many villages know that this village was once famous for having "a Methodist home for inebriated women" where the magistrates of London used to send the habitual drunk women off the streets?  Tradition at its best?