Lockdown day #69

The news breaking today is that Dominic Cummings, the Senior Advisor to the Prime Minister, broke the lockdown rules.  Apparently while having symptoms of Covid-19, and his wife having symptoms too, he drove 264 miles to Durham to "self-isolate" with his parents, who are in the high risk category being over 70.  This is contrary to the specific rule from government - do not visit family who are not part of your household.  Not only was his journey unnecessary, but he exposed his parents to risk - what kind of man would deliberately put his own parents at risk of catching Covid-19?  Unbelievable!

The Prime Minister has defended him, and I suspect that is a serious miscalculation of the part of the PM, given to widespread anger at this incident.

After getting up this morning I watched two films of YouTube - one entitled "Buses of the North East during the late 70s and early 80s" (watch a catchy title) and the other entitled "Aloud" being the story of a young boy in an orphanage who joins the choir, but can't sing - his reason for joining the choir is that choir members get adopted.  It was quite a sad film.

Buses of the North East during the late 70s and early 80s

Aloud

 I met up with Alan and we walked round Boggart Hole Clough; the walk was 3.7 miles and it was good fun, even though it was fairly cool.

I watched another short film on YouTube called "The Living Word"

I then did a lockdown quiz in the Midland Red Group on Facebook having people guess the various MAP designs for local bus networks introduced in the 1980s.  It was good fun.

Lockdown day #68

Today would have been Birmingham Pride ... but for obvious reasons it wasn't.  I only went once (in 2014) - the dance group I am in, the Gay Gordons, were booked to give a demonstration on both the Saturday and the Sunday.  We are provided with accommodation in a posh hotel in Birmingham - only they forgot to tell us they were only reserving the accommodation, and we had to pay for it.  This was not what they told us!

I arrived, checked in, and was presented with a bill I could not afford.  I got very emotional, knowing this was beyond my circumstances, and knowing that I could not get another hotel in the city for much less.  After some trying I got through to our dance group leader, and he had a word with the organisers of Pride, who duly paid for the room.  I was so upset I was on the verge of going to New Street station and getting the first train home.

It worked out ok in the end, but I don't think I am planning on going to Birmingham Pride this year or any other year in future. 

Birmingham Pride 2014

Instead I read an e-book on the trolleybuses of Manchester and Ashton-under-Lyne and watched a video of buses in South Staffordshire.

 

I ended the day re-watching the TV series "A Very British Coup", which remains as pertinent as it was when it first aired.

Lockdown day #63

I got up late again - seems to be a recurring theme.  Sometimes I wonder why I bother getting up at all. 

I watched two films today - both are on a theme of someone trying to find themselves - both had elements of loveliness, and elements of utter despair.

Firstly - "The Fruit Machine", and secondly - "Aleksandr's Price" ... both worth watching.

I watched a Socially Distanced performance of the march "The Red Shield" performed by the New York Staff Band.

I also downloaded a book from the Super Prestige Series which is being made available for those of us in lockdown.  The book is about Rossendale Transport and was released for their centenary in 2007.

This week I had hoped to go the theatre to see Arthur Miller's "All My Sons".  I saw "A View from the Bridge" at Farnworth Little Theatre a while ago.  I wonder if the artistic director there took the same English Literature A-level course that I did!  Of course the play was cancelled due to the need to keep a distance from each other - and that little theatre relies on every seat being sold to break even.  I do hope these small theatres rise from the ashes when we are able to get out and about again.

Our government is claiming that there will be 30 million vaccines available by the autumn - I do hope so, but I wonder where I will be the priority for one of these?

Lockdown day #62

Today is Sunday!  Just thought I would put that there in case, like me, you are losing track of days.  The normal rhythm of the week has stopped, and days are merging into one.

I had a bad night, and didn't get to sleep until about 4am.  A consequence of that is that I missed "church" (ok it is via Zoom, but I still missed it).  I did watch a couple of things to 'compensate'.  The International Staff Songsters had a sing-along of the lovely spiritual "Hand Me Down" and there was a composite of "Saviour's Love" which was lovely.

I downloaded a couple of e-books made specially available for those of us unable to get out.  The first was "Scottish Transport - The Annual Magazine of the Scottish Tramway & Transport Society" No 62 (2010).  The second was "The impact of Atlanteans in the South and West" including a chapter on the Midland Red D10.

My lunch today was pork with potatoes, cauliflower and carrots, followed by rice pudding.  Very scrumptious.

I watched a couple of films too.  The first was "BUSFLIX 136 Cumbria April 2016" and the second was "Henry Gamble's Birthday Party".

This is also my 100th blog! 

Lockdown day #55

Had a bad night, couldn't sleep, got up at 2am and did a jigsaw online, courtesy of Jigsawplanet.com (the jigsaw was about buses - surprisingly).  I also downloaded a copy of the British Journal of Photograph - the edition who's feature article was "Masculinities: Liberation Through Photography", this time courtesy of issuu.com.

I went back to bed and got about around 7am.

I chatted with friends on facebook, and had another ring me up for a nice chat.  I then made my Sunday lunch (this week chicken, with mashed potatoes, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower).  Then I took a postprandial walk, and boy it was cold out there.  Yesterday there men on the allotments near me shirtless, today ... it was a blast of winter returning.

I watched a couple of films - The Exception on Amazon Prime, and Straight A on YouTube.

Then was time for "May You Rejoice and be Brave" - which I didn't enjoy.  I was sent, however, a chapter of Mark Pack's book "Bad News - What the headlines don't tell us" designed to whet my appetite into buying the actual book ... I may do that ....

A little sorting out of files followed, together with a decaffeinated coffee - and now feeling tired need to wend my way to bed!

Lockdown day #45

I didn't sleep well last night, and woke up groggy today.  I missed the study group, and it is not really for me.  I really do not like meetings/study groups/classes etc on Zoom.

There was a new thing to do - Sing for the Brain ... from 3pm to 4pm - I don't know we were meant to be singing, but I sang a few songs that I know, and it was fun.

I was sent the link for an Information Film about the virus - they put the important message into a fun setting, but getting the message home.  

I did some more research, although I am not yet in a rhythm for doing it, and downloaded two books to read online - one dealing with Portsmouth Corporation Transport and one dealing with the buses of Bolton Corporation.

Then was the time to clap for the NHS workers and other frontline workers, and I did the Virtual Pub Quiz - got a reasonable score of 28 out of 50 - it would be better if I had someone to confer with .. perhaps next time.

I had a variant of scrambled eggs for my tea - with a tin of salmon (smoked salmon would be better) - but this time I added some basil, and it seemed to work well.  

I rounded off the evening with quite a strange film .... I know I pick strange films ..... a Belgian film called "Noordsee Texas".  Quite hard going at times, with unexpected plot twists, but (maybe) a happy ending. ...

I hope I sleep better this evening!

Lockdown day #39

Today I was up nice and early and decided to spend the day reading.  None of the books I read today are physically owned by me, and all were free downloads to help us "readers" who are running out of material to read.

Today's "must reads" were:
*The Golden Miles, Blackpool Corporation Tramways 1885-2010
*Hawaii's Religions
*Independent Buses in North Wales and
*MDS Books for collectors and enthusiasts 2020 Spring Book News.

I also received in the post the Cyprus Post News detailing their upcoming new stamp issues.

I took the opportunity of the sunny and warm weather (21 degrees near me) for a nice walk in the sun.  My ankle is easier to walk on and it felt good to be in the sun.

In the evening I "attended" the Lockdown Ceilidh - streamed live from a kitchen in Nottingham - great fun to watch, but a tad difficult to do by oneself.