Week 19
Pick n Mix is back in Tesco. If ever there was indication that we are being encouraged to “get back to normal” that feels like the surest one yet. As I wandered into Tesco at the weekend I saw that the cafe was open, though hardly anyone was in there, and that the pick n mix was stocked again. Though, everything in the little pods was individually wrapped so there were no Cola bottles or white mice but you could get a cup of mini Snickers and parma violets.
This was also the week that saw facemarks become compulsory in all shops which has been a real blessing in my opinion. Many, many, people are furious about the idea of covering their faces, why, well you tell me. When I ventured out to do the weekly shop it felt comforting to have my face covered and not have to worry about other people getting too close.
This also gave my dad an opportunity to turn his old Comic Relief t-shirt into his own facemask. What do you think? I think it is genius.
Gyms have also reopened this week too
Apparently
It was also lovely to hear that care homes have been allowed to reopen, with one person being a designated visitor. I cannot imagine how hard it must have been for families with loved ones in a care home, especially those with dementia who won’t be able to grasp what it is that is going on. My heart breaks whenever I have seen stories from care homes on our local news, and I have openly wept at the acts of selflessness from many of the people working in homes who have moved in to keep them all safe. In the years to come when we look back at this time what has happened in care homes should be viewed as a scandal. And we aren’t out of the woods yet as I am fairly sure this winter is going to be brutal, with a very definite second peak. It may even come sooner than that.
And on Saturday next week it will be the turn of beauty salons being able to reopen too. Why on earth they have not been able to open when they are the most sterile place on the high street is beyond me. And men can have their beards trimmed in the barber.
I cant lie though, I have struggled with all the changing of regulations, with knowing that some people cant do things that I can now do whilst others are completely disregarding the rules and doing whatever they like still. It really is hard to see, and once again I am feeling that lockdown was so much easier because we did know where we were.
Our highlight of the summer should have happened this weekend as we all get together to watch the polo at Cowdray Park. It is only down the road from my parents house and so we use it as an opportunity to all get together and have a big picnic and to spend the day watching yet another sport we have on idea about! Of course, this year it has been cancelled but we decided that since socially distanced gatherings outside were permitted we would still put out the huge tarpaulin and have the picnic at my parent’s house. Cowdray Park Polo were going to stream the match on their website so it seemed like the ideal opportunity for us to still have our day at the polo. Dan managed to borrow a projector and a screen for us to link up the laptop and so we could all sit on the tarpaulin and pretend we were really there. It wasn’t the same, obviously, but it was nice to be all together in the same postcode.
And there is always next year, isnt there?