Grey

The last couple of days have been so dark you’ve needed the lights on all day to read. Outside it rains.

 

Over the weekend we’ve been discussing the idea of an overnight stay when we go down to Manchester for my visit to Christie’s. I managed to find a couple of hotels that were open only for essential workers & those with good reason for travel, not holidaymakers. I think we would come into that category.

 

However, since then, we’ve heard so many reports about the increased spread of the virus & wonder if it is such a wise idea. Staying in a hotel inevitably involves meeting others, even if socially distanced. Since most places aren’t serving food, that also means popping to a takeaway for a meal & in the process being near more people. If we drive down on the day, the only people we should meet en route are each other & that meeting is unavoidable. What is more we would still have to be up early in a hotel as there is a need to pack & sort out key arrangements before leaving. So it’s a very early morning for us.

 

Various friends have suggested coming around to see us. I keep pointing out it is now illegal to make unnecessary journeys. Since none of them live within walking distance of us they can hardly justify visiting us as either part of their daily exercise or as essential, wonderful as it would be to see them. And anyhow I don’t feel we can invite them into our home or garden. To chat any length of time on the doorstep is just either too cold or too wet & sometimes both. We shall just have to keep in touch by phone & hope to see them as spring comes along. It is reassuring to hear at least the older among them are now getting their vaccines. I wonder when ours will come.

 

Meanwhile two more appointments have come through from Oncology at Kendal hospital. They’re clearly keeping an eye on me even if there isn’t much treatment they can actually offer me.