Reasons to Celebrate July 4th in England

Dear Marmite,

Having a big celebration here on July 4th is normally unusual. It is Independence Day in the US and that was when they got independence from us. On that occasion we were the losers! Our big celebration will be the lifting of lockdown.

Big Bad Boris and his corrupt cronies have declared that life should move towards normal on this date. The new rules, like the old ones make no real sense. For instance, you can have a hair cut but not your nails done for starters. For the life of me, I can't see any logic in that rule. There are other interesting quirks about the new regime which are yet to be ironed out too.

I suspect the loosening of the 2 metre rule is because no one can figure out how to run schools without having a smaller distance between everyone. At this point, I could put my hand up and suggest a few safe ways round this - half days or half weeks in school and support at home with blended learning. Small group tutorials either online or in school for older students. I'll save my breath as no one is likely to listen. I imagine schools will be a hotbed for the transfer of infections come September. Naturally - it will be teachers' fault when that does happen - another opportunity for the blame game.

In reality, nobody seems to be observing 2 metre distancing anyway and shops are certainly not reinforcing the distancing rule while inside. Yesterday, no one was wearing a mask either. On a bitter day with gusting winds and intermittent downpours we popped to a shopping centre to have a look at clothes and sports shoes - just like half of Milton Keynes. My observation - too many people with very short memories.

First of all we passed a traffic jam waiting to get into the IKEA car park. The tailback was so long it took a while to realise what the issue was. At the nearby mini retail park, Costa Coffee was sort of semi open and there were queue's to get into all the shops. Despite my overwhelming annoyance at having to wait to shop, I was persuaded to stand around in a squall for a while til we were let in. 

I didn't particularly like shopping before lockdown and I am not too excited about being able to shop now! There are things that I am looking forward too. It would be nice to plan a bike ride to a village pub and then wobble home. That for me will be a joy and something I'd like to do. 

I had planned to visit my son in St. Andrews. I am in principle allowed to go but not to use public toilets on the way. The trip is 500 miles each way. I have decided to wait until the following weekend when that restriction will be lifted. Seeing people face to face will be another joy to celebrate. 

So over this lockdown it has been said that people will emerge as hunks, chunks, drunks or monks. I can certainly discount me being a monk. I have spent lockdown in very good company, unexpected as it was. I haven't hit the bottle no more than three times a week so alcohol consumption was kept in moderation. I can't describe myself as drunk.

Food has been of the best sort so I probably wobble a bit more even though I still roll around the bedroom floor feigning stretching most days and hit the road on my trusty bike. Balancing those two out I am wavering between chunk and hunk - not particularly a good description for women, me thinks.

The weather has been hotter than Singapore so we have spent a good deal of time in the garden under my improvised shade. The garden still needs a lot of work. I sit on the chair and feel a pang of guilt. Regardless, we have eaten broccoli leaves and rhubarb and there are now tomatoes, beans, potatoes, herbs and raddishes on their way to be harvested! Not bad for the first year of growth.

Danielle brought old photo albums over. These were pictures I hadn't seen since Sammi was born. Here are a couple of funnies.... for the clothes, for the memories and for history.

So Marms, how are things changing for you in Singapore. Are you getting out more? Seeing more people around? What do you make of being able to eat in restaurants again? In spite of the recent rains, you are in a good place. Be happy and stay safe.

Sending really big hugs to you. 

Love

XXX

Summer Solstice

Dear Marmite

There are many things that are different about life over here. One of them is the passing of the seasons. For this reason I thought it would be a great idea to watch the sunrise this morning. The official time for sun up was 4:52am so I set the alarm for 2:50am just so I had enough time for coffee and at 3:30 I set off with a very reluctant partner in crime for Midsummer Boulevard which was built in line with the solstice sunrise to watch this event.

Nasser was so reluctant he was given to muttering a few swear words (in English) about me as we set off. Unperturbed, I led the way along the cycle lanes towards the city centre. Many others have been press-ganged into participating in my "adventures" on previous occasions so overcoming resistance of this nature is not new to me. It was one more challenge!

So, at very early o'clock we pedalled through a miserable drizzle and waited for sun up. It must be noted that there was quite a crowd gathered so this puts me in a large category of people who are prepared to forego sleep. The event really was a damp squib. The cloud cover was so heavy there was a momentary glimpse of a red ball coming up over the horizon and then it disappeared behind heavy cloud. On cue, we did too. We cycled back through the rain and when we got in I shed my damp clothes and got back to bed just to warm up.

I forgot that I had the cycle app running on my phone and so at lunch time today it was telling me my workout was paused! This has to be my longest bit of exercise I have done without knowingly doing anything.

Danielle has brought a box of old photos over so I am going through them. Lots of the pictures are from my days in the Bahamas but some of them go back to sixth form and uni days. The bright coloured jacket I wore for my trip from Singapore is in some pictures from 1990! I have had that item of clothing for 30 years.

There is also a picture of the Beetle that Danielle was born in in 1986. So all in all it has been a really nostalgic trip down memory lane. I am only half way through the albums so far as there are literally hundreds of pictures. The only trouble is - I need storage space so it will have to be a pretty  big house I get as I'll need to store them.

We are out of lockdown and there is more life about. Shops have signs saying they are opening up and the streets do feel busier. Tescos still has the 2 metre blobs on the floor and directional arrows which seem to be largely ignored. I would give anything to sit in a pub garden and have a beer - not possible just yet, though.

The biggest plus from the lift is that I could get the stuff returned to B&Q. Some of the things ordered were wrong and so my contractors had to get alternatives. Other things had been double ordered. Getting rid of a garage load of stuff has been a big step in the right direction. The house six months on is nearly sorted.

Already I am looking on lockdown as being one with happy times. Danielle misinformed me about when Richard's birthday was so I made a set of general knowledge questions about his birth date and things he is interested in - the birth date questions I have had to update so that they refer to 5th July - his birthday!

I have put a question on little cards and hung them round bottles of beer ( different varieties). I am going to put these round the house for a treasure hunt and he can only drink them when he gets the question right...I really do have too much time on my hands! We are also doing a BBQ for a select few...

So as you can see Marms we really are into homemade fun. I bet you wish you were here! I do.

Love you as always

Love

XXX

Things that Shock Me.

Dear Marmite

You wouldn't believe it. The world is in kilter - honestly! For starters, Mamite - the spread is rationed to small jars only. This as you can imagine is a big personal blow to me but the other really odd thing is that the queues to get a MacD's drive thru in Wolverton are so long the line snakes back to a mini roundabout and blocks the flow of traffic.

First of all, I can understand the outrage at having limited supplies of Marmite but I find it hard to believe that anyone can have missed having withdrawal symptoms from a Super Mac and skinny fries.

This sudden fad to queue for fast food with the engine idling and adding carbon to the atmosphere after a two months of fume-free roads is disappointing. In other ways the lockdown is lifting and I don't see much evidence of people taking this very seriously either. Last Sunday I walked around Willen Lake with a friend. It was busier than a Benidorm beach and there were very few people who observed the maximum group size.

Willen Lake- the bit without people

Some more shops have opened for business but I am not sure which ones. Clearly that is an opportunity I have missed from my exciting life - a visit to the shops! On the grapevine I hear that some shops are much better with the physical distancing than others. So this seems to be rather ad hoc. There are also a lot of discussions about getting kids back to school. I'm all for this but the planning is such a shambles I don't think this will happen - ever - at this rate.

My hairdressing skills were tested once again this week. I used to clamp you between my thighs to shave you, Marms. This is not a technique I am currently using. I didn't add a hole to the style this time. I'll count this as a skill I have picked up in lockdown.

Apparently, there are hairdressers who break the rules to cut people's hair over here. The service is advertised using a scissor emoji. The hairdressers do house visits or open the back door to their shops for customers. For the hairdresser, it is survival income and I am sure there are hundreds out there who wouldn't dare let their partners anywhere near their locks! In reptrospect, this might have been classified as an essential service.

On the home front, Danielle and Richard emptied a jigsaw on the coffee table. The jigsaw is an Escher and obviously is shades of grey - the same colour as the carpet. I manage to fit about five pieces a day and at this rate I can look forward to it being completed sometime near Christmas. They bought it from a charity shop for £1. This has to be one of the cheapest entertainments ever!

Fortunately for us, the weather is now summery and we sit and have our evening meal outside. Food quality is definitely on the up. Last night Richard cooked a meal using vegetables from the garden and last weekend we had Rhubarb Crumble. OMG. One hour from picking to eating - how fresh is that? Tonight - Nasser will wield the knife. Life is good!

Shadow now has the meaty leftovers for her dinner. I do think of you when she gets them. If only you were here to share. Miss you still

Love

XXX

Somehow I've been here before - and lost!

Dear Marmite

Lockdown is slowly being lifted over here. the only differences I have noticed are more cars on the road and that shops are getting ready to open on June 15th. Some are already open. Yesterday we cycled to IKEA just to see if it was open but mostly for somewhere to cycle to.

You wouldn't believe how packed IKEA carpark was and how long the queue to get in was. The queue alone has put me off even wanting to go near the place even though there might be Mr Flatpack waiting inside just for me!

I know the weather in Singapore is barmy with thunderstorms. You are lucky, Marms. Here it is colder than March and quite wet. We set off just after lunch yesterday with an overcast sky and brisk winds. Almost immediately the 70% chance of rain turned into a 100% certainty of getting wet just where we were cycling. The brisk winds turned into an icy squall making for less than pleasant cycling.

Oh yes, we did get lost. First of all, bloody EE internet is worse than useless. I have a low signal and google barks instructions probably a few seconds after I pass the key turning. My friend, took over - he got us lost. We did a complete circle before we noticed we had been there before. I took a smug, private joy in not being the culprit for once. Small things bring great pleasure in times like this. I promise not to gloat.

In the car, IKEA is 6.9 miles away. We did 19.5 miles round trip. That is the extent of us getting lost. After all, it is lockdown and we really do have all day to do absolutely nothing so this is not a problem. Besides, going out in a squall almost guarantees you are safely socially distanced from everyone else. Few people are mad enough to go out in inclement weather - especially in June.

On the home front - My daughter is now fully moved in with Richard so the house is busy and buzzing. The last bathroom is nearly completely done -  fingers crossed. I am almost ready to say goodbye to my workmen after 5 months of having bits done to the place and constant dust. There are just a few things to be tweaked and that is that!

I have also started my third Futurelearn course. I am drawn to the social sciences and this one is about economics and politicians. The other night I watched Terry Jones' Boom Bust Boom on Youtube and on subsequent evenings a few interesting movies about the 2008 crash from Amazon TV. Also my reading list gets longer by the day so I won't get bored.

Rhubarb

Sally Sourdough resting in her cage

My biggest joy is my rhubarb. It is a delight. It really does like this weather so there are little silver linings. I have also got a new pet - Sally Sourdough. She lets off a rather pleasant homely smell and fulfills my need to nurture. She won't replace you though, Marms - no one or nothing could.

Love you loads.

Love

XXX

Keeping up my training

Dear Marmite

As you may remember, I used to have fairly regular training sessions on Sunday evenings in Singapore. Some people have been impressed with how long I have been in training with my friend, Rachel. It has even been commented on on FB.

This training continues even now I am in the UK. The only difference is we do it over a video link. Now we have a bottle of wine each and for me the session starts at 1pm. We sometimes have funny hats on, or silly glasses from the messenger app. Over all, our deadly serious training is all about drinking wine! You used to be part of the session Marmite, so you must remember the raucous laughter as we put the world to rights.

This is not my only way of keeping in touch with what is happening on the ground in Singapore and in Dairy Farm in particular. I also do the Trouble Brewing Quiz via zoom on a Wednesday with a chat on Whatsapp to discuss the answers for our team, Blind Bambi. My attendance makes this an international pub quiz! Trouble Brewing promises free delivery of their beer. I am trying to get this service but currently to no avail.

All in all, Singapore is faring so much better than we are here in the UK. My friend has started going to work again. She is an SDO - a "social distancing officer" in her place of work. She knows which parts of her building she can visit and she must scan a barcode to get in and out of her part of the building. Only half the workforce work in the office - the rest work at home. The other half come into the office on alternate days. This seems like a system - a bit regimented but at least everyone knows what is what.

I do my shopping in Tescos where the rules change almost daily. One day, the trolleys are cleaned for you, the next it is DIY cleaning. Sometimes only one person per trolley is allowed and then others it is OK for two people to walk together with one trolley. On ocassions there are also "lollipop" workers who walk around the store reminding everyone to keep 2 metres apart.

I have always found it a little difficult to stick to the rules so I have taken to dragging my trolley backwards down some aisles so the my trolley is pointing the right way but is going in the wrong direction. I figure I'll be inside for less time so in a way I am being sort of good.

Tescos has trouble  - that seems to be nothing in comparison to the border control. Priti Patel has made yet another major cock up. Not only is her system unworkable, apparently half the staff don't have a clue what they are supposed to be doing. While Priti Patel muddles and befuddles, the rest of the cabinet do their best to make her look competent by spouting equally ridiculous ideas to the nation and these, like TESCO, change daily.

OMG! I have no faith at all in this government. At the very worst they are self-serving idiots - and - they are economic with the truth to boot. PM Lee of Singapore is a true statesman. We need him here on loan - he could teach our government a thing or two. I know that government gaffs in Singapore don't get reported in the not so free press. I accept that and I know that no one is perfect. Even so, there is normative leadership - a sense that everyone is in the same boat working for the best outcome. Well done, Singapore. I miss you!

On the home front, Danielle my daughter has moved in and yesterday we had a BBQ in fairly miserable conditions. The weather is not so good for June. There is a reason for this. The reason is, I bought a BBQ. The day I bought it, the weather turned. I can guarentee a cool, damp summer from here on because of my actions. My apologies.

All a bit make do... but wonderful food

Our socially distanced BBQ of sheesh kebabs, vegetable kebabs and marinated chicken was a roaring success once the coals finally took. Shadow didn't like the fire so kept well away despite the tempting possibility of meat. She is polite like you, Marms. She will only eat when allowed to do so. I have to say she is a little treasure.

I am not one for watching TV but over the last week we have managed to do Killing Eve - all three series. For me, that is binge watching.  Illogical plot, I know, but a great story.

What can I say. Lockdown is annoying. My life is on hold. I have unfulfilled dreams. Day to day the minutes slip into hours and the coffee keeps flowing. Things are rosy. I am one of those who are experiencing a pleasant and whimsical lockdown. I will come out of this relatively unscathed.

Reading the news and the economic outlook for the UK with forcasts of 10% unemployment, increased homelessness and higher lovels of poverty as a result of the virus. We should be thinking of reshaping our world. What do you reckon, Marms? What would you do?

I would guess you would vote for long sleeps and shorter walks for starters.

Love you as always,

XXX

Not my fault- It never is

Dear Marmite

The evidence

An old dear with a good ticker!

I know that in the past you have been the victim of my little jaunts that turn into epic journeys. Today was one of THOSE epic journeys. We cycled to Winslow and back. I know how far it was because I had looked it up on google maps before setting off and in addtion to this we had tried part of the journey a couple of times before. Google said it was 9 miles - nothing really. Nine there and the same coming back, more or less. My friend was up for it.

As you have probably heard the weather is once again a typical English summer - cold and windy. We dressed up in warm clothes, I made a picnic and off we went into the blustery beyond. Around Great Horwood the skies darkened and the wind whipped up. Hail bounced off my face as I fought my way up a hill and into Winslow. I was at once cold and soaked through. Bloody English weather!

I raced ahead to save myself from the elements and was joined a short while later by Nasr. His bike is a bit slower than mine as he never changes gear. He was wet, and not happy. In retrospect he was more unhappy than wet. He said he would never have done this in his old life and he had been tempted to turn back a few miles back. Nevertheless, we had reached our destination so we ate our picnic standing over the bikes under a tree that dripped on us. As you can imagine, not ideal picnic conditions and really only acceptable to hardy Brits.

I could see the funny side of this. Marms, you know many of my friends who have suffered a similar fate. It is all too familiar in my life to have little adventures. Also, I absolutely hate going back the same way as the outward journey so we googled a new route back.

With a little blarney, Route 51 looked ideal and just a few more miles further than route that got us to Winslow. It is a national cycle route so potentially safer than roads. It was bumpy and potholed and very soon my bottom began to feel a little tender. I now realise I am well-padded in the wrong places to protect myself from off-road jaunts. On the upside, Route 51 is a rather picturesque 15 mile bridleway that goes from Winslow into MK. What could go wrong?

I'll tell you. When you hit MK, the signposts disappear and effing EE internet failed me yet again so I had to second guess the route back to Wolverton. I second-guessed a bit wrongly and at one point accusations began to fly - I really didn't get us lost on purpose - honest - and even though I have done this before, it is not my habit. Trust ME. We ended up on the North Bucks Way - a route that made Route 51 feel like a  freshly tarmaced road. Ouch  - double ouch.

Then Google sent us to a closed road - THAT wasn't my fault - we were 23 miles into the trip. The wind was still rather harsh but the sun was shining. The world is a wonderful place even though we were facing the prospect of having to retrace our steps. We even passed Dairy Farm.

en route

Suffice to say we are now back at base 27 miles covered and still speaking after a small bribe of a Costa cappaccino.

Costa coffee stop

I am happy on many fronts. My daughter has moved in and started her new job in MK. She is a key worker so we clapped her after dinner last night just before I proved myself once again to be the Woolhead Canasta Queen.

Yay!!!

Shadow has settled in her new home. I am sure you miss her, Marms. Even the annoying things she did like nip at your heels to get you moving. As always, she is ever hopeful of goodies. She lies at the kitchen door and watches whoever does the cooking, ever the optimist.

I too am an optimist. I'll get my friend on another little jaunt before too long no doubt.

Miss you and love you,

XXX