27th September 2020

The close of a difficult year, the end of an era for us. From the minute we rescued Bruno from the SPA kennel in Montauban, France, life had been one big adventure. I’m so glad I wrote Pensioners in Paradis, where so many of his doggie mishaps are recorded for posterity. We always wanted only the best for Bruno but yesterday, when the time had come, we didn’t want to follow the vet’s current Covid procedures, where you must stand and grieve on the public pavement outside whilst handing over your beloved pet. Miraculously, a solution appeared out of the blue via a company called Dignipets, who come to the house. Bruno, as a hunting dog, always preferred the outside so we arranged for his final moments to be resting on the grass in his favourite sunny spot of our garden. I held his paw throughout. It was so peaceful. Bruno will have his name inscribed in a doggie memorial book at the Prestwood Pet Crem at nearby Stourbridge where we will be able to walk in the woods by the flowing river there and remember him. 

RIP Bruno, our beautiful Breton spaniel. 2003-2020.

20th September 2020

For some, this weekend is the time of new year. In over 70 years I’ve never known a crisis like this past year. In times gone by we’ve suffered from terrible world wars, where millions were slaughtered by men from different countries fighting each other. In the past, how ever bad it was, we knew that at some point it would be over and the world could return to normal. Those were dark days but this crisis is different. Of course, we’ve always had viruses. Every winter flu kills thousands. But that is a more ‘natural’ virus, not man-made, and we don’t change our lifestyles because of it. But Covid? Many believe it was caused by an accidental leak in a secret lab researching mutant viral strains in bats, which was covered up by its subversive, non-democratic country host. An accident waiting to happen, causing death to millions and ruining the whole world. Will there ever be an effective vaccine or will this man-made virus keep mutating making any virus ineffective? Let’s hope today is a turning point. 

13th September 2020

Age. As a child there was a memorable ad on every bus: a 20 year old man said They tell me the job isn’t pensionable, a 40 year old said I worry my job isn’t pensionable and a 60 year old said Now I’m 60 I don’t know what I’m going to do. Now I’m over 70, how transient life is. At 20 I’d think wow it’s taken me 20 years to get here. At 70 it’s taken 5 seconds. At 40, I’d look in the mirror and see my mother. At 70 I see my grandmother. Yesterday Diana Rigg died. In my mind I see her leather-clad but am shocked to see her 80 year old face. I think of my children as babies, mouths smeared in jam. Today, c.50 years later, where have they gone? Oh yes, they both live the other side of the Atlantic. After Covid, will I ever see them in the flesh again? Autumn is almost upon us, the young fresh leaves dying and falling to the ground. Life is cruel.

6th September 2020

 It’s now six months since we were forced into lockdown as a ‘vulnerable’ couple. The entire globe has been affected, millions have died, a disaster for every nation’s economy, school education and tourism, yet for some unfathomable reason still no word of global condemnation for the perpetrators, especially from the unbiased WHO.  Many pics of lonely 5 year olds at school, sitting all alone at lunchtime, separated from their friends whilst eating from a box. Ambiguity and uncertainty abound over what’s allowed and vice versa. Last week we went out on a rare trip to take advantage of the government’s ‘eat out for half price’ scheme. Staff wore masks but, of course, diners can’t to enable them to eat! Where’s the logic when the virus can easily pass from one diner to the next? And outside, smokers indulged their habit, masks sitting around their necks. Plenty of signs where not to stand, but not where you can. Now that deaths from the virus seem to be lessening, time to ditch everything à la Sweden?