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Friday 31 July 2020

Out


Shielding ends today. Our son Isaac is classed as an extremely vulnerable person and we have been in lockdown since the middle of March. The last few weeks have been very frustrating as we have watched the rest of the world start to go back to some kind of normality, people going to pubs and restaurants, people going on holiday, the roads filling up again, streets getting busy, while we feel left behind. I drove through the town centre last weekend and it looked like a bank holiday, people all over the streets, outside pubs and milling about. I'll leave to one side the rights and wrongs of all of this, or my perceptions of right and wrong. One thing I don't like about the last few weeks has been the way that it's got so easy to become judgemental about anyone doing things differently to yourself and I've tried hard to stop myself from doing it but I know I've failed at times. This isn't any easier when you see people whining about having to wear a face covering for a few minutes in a shop as if it's some major infringement of their civil liberties. Shopping, unless it's for food, is a leisure activity, something to pass the time, so to refuse to put other people's safety first by wearing a mask while shopping for something to cheer you up is just wrong. Of all the hills to take a stand on, refusing to wear a mask to slow down transmission of a potentially fatal disease seems a bizarre one. The libertarian right wing are a poor bunch with a shit value system- they take the view that their 'freedoms' are more important than everybody else's health.

The reality of stepping out of shielding is pretty worrying, going from no contact with anyone outside the household to some contact with other people, at a time when it's clear the virus has not gone away. On the other hand, he (and we) can't stay locked down forever, we have to start to step out into the world again. There is some advice from the government about this, opening up to a group of people in outdoor settings, going back to work or day care if they are Covid secure etc but frankly taking advice from the current government seems like the last thing you'd want to do. The ONS reported yesterday that England had the highest levels of excess deaths in Europe in the first half of 2020. The people responsible for that are the current elected government, the same ones giving us advice about coming out of shielding. It was much easier back in April and May when everyone was in the same boat and dealing with the same set of rules (and the government fucked that too with the Cummings episode). Meanwhile talk of a second wave and spikes is rife and rates are rising in various places, some not very far from us. The re- opening of pubs will inevitably lead to a rise in transmission. It looks premature to talk of a second wave when in England we don't seem to be out of the first wave yet. Further lockdown beckons. Grim.

We will be taking entry out of shielding slowly. We have booked a caravan for three nights in a remote location, South West Scotland, not so far away that we'll need a service station stop on the way. We can wipe down the caravan on entering it, take walks in some remote places and possibly risk buying fish and chips. I think it's fair to say the last four months have left us fairly institutionalised and risk averse but if nothing else the view from a caravan on the Solway Firth for three nights will be different from the view from our front room.

I've been enjoying the latest release from the prolific and talented Ripley Johnson, a man who just doesn't stop. After 2018's Wooden Shjips album and tour and the same last year as Moon Duo he now has an album out as Rose City Band. Psyche country and western, some very laid back late 60s Laurel canyon vibes crossed with that motorik drumbeat, droplets of guitar and those whispered vox. This one, album closer Wildflowers, is a beaut.



Edit: various changes to restrictions were announced last night affecting the north west of England. I find it hard it understand how the new restrictions mean you can't meet in people's homes but you can still meet in pubs. Where's the risk and where's the priority, public health or the economy?

11 comments:

Nick L said...

Your last sentence sounds like a Billy Bragg lyric...
I completely agree with this, it's a complete shambles. And wearing a mask is pure and simple politeness isn't it?

Swiss Adam said...

It does sound like a Billy Bragg lyric- an unintentional Braggism!

drew said...

Maybe have a trip to the Galloway Forest where @TheDarkOutside broadcasts from when you are in the area.

Re your last paragraph, I think that the plan is that Cummings through his mouthpiece can say "we did all we could, it's your fault" when the infection rate rises (hopefully not). It is all deflection from this mob, they have absolutely no concern for "ordinary people" that they can avoid coming into contact with whether that be by travelling to your fathers country estate, your Grace and favour house, your yacht or private estate.

George said...

Here's hoping you can have some sort of relaxing holiday. I don't suppose you are looking forward to returning to work too much. Over here, everyone in a school will have to wear a face mask, hand gels in every room, and it appeared from what I could gather on the news today, that on entering the school building everyone will have their temperature monitored (assuming that the gun-like object teachers were ppointing at students was some sort of body temperature gauge).
That Rose City Band is excellent. One of your fellow bloggers has also been raving about it

Charity Chic said...

That would be me

George said...

It's not all about you. I was thinking of Ramone666 at For The Sake of The Song.........and you

Nick L said...

Just to put in another comment about your caravanning plan, we have just been away in North Norfolk in our campervan, and with all the social distancing in place on the (large and busy) site it worked fine. We even had fish and chips by the sea. Hope you enjoy yourselves.

C said...

I'm late to the comments but just wanting to wish you and family a relaxing break from all this and echo sentiments/frustrations, etc about everything else...

Rol said...

The economy wins, clearly.

Hope you still get some kind of break.

Luca said...

Stay safe. Governments rarely care about the common person, they usually are 'concerned about the economy' which basically means the well-being of the few. As for the so-called libertarians, my answer to them is https://images.app.goo.gl/EHPeX5FvJSJUKgf39

Walter said...

It hurts to see that economy will win.

Enjoy your break and I hope you and your familiy will stay safe