England V Germany.

 2 - 0 The jinx is broken

Rightly or wrongly sport is back.  Having not missed sport when the pandemic started, suddenly it is really wonderful to have a crowd, to be watching the tennis and to actually be winning in the football.  

The number of people with the virus is going up rapidly but who is winning vaccines or virus.  I still do not know I just know I seem to want to go out, to see people, to be active etc. 

I have finally got down to our sister allotment and loved their approach to permaculture and the presence of real coffee, so definitely hope to go down again. I have finally done a walk I meant to do a long time ago and I am gradually catching up with people.  This weekend I will go to a concert - two in fact, so things seem to be progressing. So a great relief.  For a while I was seriously down, but reading, the weather and friends seem to be helping to lift things.  Still do not know if one can go to the wedding but still hopeful. 

Hancock, has truly cocked up his own career, after a dreadful start, the vaccine role out had saved him, so he decided to have a secret affair and snog his aide surprisingly passionately   I do not know how it is that I cannot manage to just get up and go to work, whilst the people running the country through the worse situation is at least a decade and perhaps since the war, manage to have babies, get married, have affairs and finally agree perhaps they have been a touch hypocritical and fall on their swords . Great soap if it was not our lives they are playing with . 

It is in theory summer, but it is raining and the days are getting shorter, the plants on my allotment, apart from the weeds, are not doing well, but luckily on my car park that thinks it is a garden there are lots of beans and indoors the tomatoes are producing a bumper crop of tiny delicious fruits/vegetables. 

Worrying news from China, but here in the UK life is semi normal

 One of my Chinese students was suddenly back in a lockdown situation and surge testing is going on in her area.  People all have a code to say whether they can go out and about and her husband's code has changed from green to amber, so he has had to be tested.   The problem is that this is the Indian variant that is in the area and very few people have been vaccinated in the area.  Up until scientists have said that the Chinese have managed to suppress the virus, but others have also predicted that the south of the country is still vulnerable because so many people live near animal production units.    If the virus spreads, what will this mean for China or in the long run the rest of us.  Oh dear.    

Because I have been vaccinated and have access to lateral flow testing on a regular basis,  I have almost been functioning as normal. I can visit friends and family indoors and I have been going out and about.  Luckily most places one goes to take hygiene very seriously - the B and B for example in Poole wanted my details before I could go there and yesterday in London only 6 people at a time were allowed to visit Turner's House and even then we could not be in the same room at the same time, but these restrictions aside,  it is easy to feel at ease really.    But this news, could have implications for us all. In China if people are told do not go out,  they do not go out,  however, the virus got back in somehow! 

When Turner moved into the house in Twickenham it was in the countryside, and he could see up to Richmond Hill and down to Marble Hill House. Now it is surrounded by housing.  However, it was such a lovely day and the park was open afterwards for an open air repast, the virus.    And whilst it is not sure that the country will re-open up by June 21st it is within touching distance, however, this news may change everything again. 

And at last we are allowed to holiday and at last the sun comes out in celebration.

Blissful Lulworth with HF holidays.  A tiny walk up a hill that even friend and I could do,  whilst most other guests, many older, traipsed far and wide,  followed by ice cream, masses of food and lots of just blissful sitting in the sun and enjoying the views.    As a child we did HF walking holidays,  and once took Nathan on one too, but usually their walks are too long for me now, but with the covid restrictions in place,  their holidays are now self guided,  so that was perfect. 

Poole seemed a bit sad in comparison,  though it was lovely to catch up with distant and long neglected cousins.  However, I did manage to get into the sea and it was lovely watching everyone pottering about in the water.    And it was lovely being able to go by bus from Lulworth to Poole and all for nothing.