Diary of a self-isolator – week 38

A lighthearted look at a few memories and the situation over the last seven days in our house.

Sunday 29/11/2020 – Day 260

Well it’s a real pea-souper out there, I was awake as usual at 5.30am, by 6.00am I was having my Weetabix. We finished putting the Christmas decorations up yesterday but we still have to clear the mess up, I have a load of empty boxes to put into the attic and Mrs H has at least one hours hoovering to do. I still have to put up the exterior lights, but maybe not today brrr!

Mrs H doesn’t know this yet but she is having a bouquet delivered today, for the past couple of months she has been bemoaning the fact that there are no flowers in the house, so, I saw a site online that have a very good reputation and decided to put that right, along with a card and a slab of mint chocolate (her favourite) it will be delivered today between 8.00am and 6.00pm, I can’t wait to see her face – and of course to collect all my Brownie points.

Just flushed the loo and the colour drained from my face – as did the water in the pan, it disappeared without trace leaving just the echo of a gurgle, this happened about a month ago and the drains were blocked, I have a horrible feeling the same has happened again, the problem is that our pipes go across the neighbours garden into their manhole and then onto the other neighbours garden manhole before it drops into the main pipework in the street..

I am not looking forward to tomorrow, the job will have to be tackled, the last time I did it I managed to wrench my shoulder and it’s been playing up since, oh well, perhaps this will put it back right, but I sincerely doubt it. There was only one thing for sure – it certainly wasn’t getting done today, Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest, and rest I shall, until Mrs H wants me for something of course, no-one’s that brave.

This got me thinking about the religious shows that used to be presented on a Sunday, the earliest I can recall was when Jess Yates developed Stars on Sunday as a replacement for outgoing show, Choirs on Sunday. It ran from about 1969 -1979. The new format was a religious variety show with sets of a house and grounds created in the YTV studios in Leeds. One backdrop was the towering west front of the house; other scenes took place in the grounds, a waterfall and lake, the rose garden, the hall of dreams, a ruined abbey and a paddock. His TV presenting career ended in 1974 when it was publicly revealed that he had been having an affair with young actress Anita Kay, although he was separated from his wife at the time. It was later revealed that his daughter Paula was not his daughter, but the daughter of Hughie Green.

Anyone remember Highway? It was a British television series, broadcast from 1983 until 1993. Presented by ex Goon Sir Harry Secombe, the show was a mixture of hymns and chat from various locations across Britain produced by their respective regional ITV franchise holders. Guests sang religious songs, gave readings or talked about their lifestyles and spiritual feelings. The series was broadcast on Sunday evenings. The final series was moved to Sunday afternoons.

 Songs of Praise is a BBC Television religious programme that presents Christian hymns sung in churches of varying denominations from around the UK. Since 2016, its presenters have included former BBC Breakfast co-presenter Bill Turnbull and Good Morning Britain sports editor Sean Fletcher.The series was first broadcast in October 1961. On that occasion, the venue was the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Cardiff. It is one of the longest running series of its genre on television anywhere in the world.

Of course, I would have missed most of these shows as I was always at Sunday school – they did some great squash and doughnuts afterwards, but that wasn’t the only reason I went – honest!

Todays figures – as expected over the weekend – are well down, new cases sare 12155 and the number of new deaths are 213.

Monday 30/11/2020 – Day 261

I have woken up with the Monday morning blues, very unusual for me, but I know what most of the day has in store for me!

After my usual four Weetabix I fetched my steps out of the repair shop and proceeded to put up the exterior lights around the porch, it doesn’t matter how careful you were the previous year it always takes an absolute age to untangle them, once done it only took ten minutes to hang them from the gutter, we had already put a Christmas tree on the porch so it just remained for me to put the other lights on the bush by the window, I was absolutely soaked by the time I had finished, it had rained an hor ago and the bush – still in leaf -was sopping wet! So, that was it, all done and ready for the big switch on tomorrow.

How things have changed over the years, twenty years ago Vickie and I would gleefully go shopping much to the dismay of Mrs H, we loved all those garlands that stretched out from one corner to another, skilfully crossing in the middle of the room, then there were those bells, the ones that opened up ad formed a complete bell, you just had to bend them back to stay open, a skill in itself. To complete the job we’d blow up the balloons to pin in between the gaps that were left, always two round ones with a long one in the middle, never failed to get everyone giggling, except Mrs H of course, she hated the way Vickie and I decorated the rooms, she wanted to see more greenery, more sort of Victoriana with lots of holly and stuff adorning the walls and cupboards, it would be ten years before she got that. Then of course the Christmas tree, as far as I can remember we had a false one, real ones in the nineties would have been as bare as a badgers backside within a week, this was always adorned with fairy lights, crackers, loads of tinsel and wads of cotton wool to emulate the snow, globes of all colours were enhanced by little chocolate treats hanging from the tips of the branches. Happy days!

Anyway back to today, those drains had to be tackled so with gritted teeth I brought out the drain rods, I lifted the manhole cover and rodded down the pipe, but I kept hitting something hard, I had to access the next cover in the line, problem was – it was under the decking! With great trepidation I proceeded to dismantle the decking outside the back door, after a substantial amount of cursing and cussing I finally lifted the second lid, I wasn’t expecting what I saw! The drain which was about three feet deep was chocker block with roots from a bush we have growing about five feet away, no wonder I couldn’t budge it. Two hours later I had filled a black bin bag with roots, I got Mrs H to flush and all was once again well with the world, all except one thing, I had been splattered nearly everywhere, I was in need of a shower, I went upstairs threw all my old clothes into the washing basket (Mrs H wanted to burn them) and jumped into a refreshing hot shower. But my shoulder was now ten times more painful than it was before. Oh the sins of being a DIYer.

Once again, the figures are looking good with just 12329 new cases and 205 recorded deaths.

Tuesday 01/12/2020 – Day 262

Well, here we are finally in what must be the worst year on record for most, just 31 days left of this terrible time, happy December everyone!

At 5.15am  I was wide awake, but manged to lie in until 5.45, quite a bad frost last night leaving everything with a white coating. After repeating ‘White Rabbits’ three times I got up for breakfast. ‘Bouncer’ was out and about early this morning, bouncing up and down in front of our garden mirror whilst doing his business all over our memory bench – bless him!

Decided to give George a ring before I ventured outside to the Repair shop, as I hadn’t heard from him for a while, I was not surprised to hear that he is in the doghouse yet again, Rose asked him what would stop the stairs squeaking, apparently Slimming World was not the right answer!

I have a few little jobs awaiting me outside, I have to retrieve a large coffee table from the Summer house and just give the top another lick of paint, apparently the divine Mrs H has agreed a swap with our other daughter Sarah, she gets a new refurbished coffee table and we get one that belonged to her mother, which will of course be unrecognisable by the time I have finished with it.

Mrs H also has a brass box depicting Cavaliers sat at a table in an Inn, it too is looking a little neglected, it was her Gran’s, so we have decided to spray it a copper colour which will blend in with where it sits in the hallway. I was a little apprehensive, but the finished result really was quite stunning.

And finally I have to strip off two sides of a cocktail cabinet which has splintered melamine on it, when I say cocktail cabinet it isn’t at the moment, but it will be by the time I have waved my golden wand over it.

On this day 90 years ago, the birth of the singer Matt Monro, who became one of the most popular entertainers on the international music scene during the 1960s. Throughout his 30 year career, he filled cabarets, nightclubs, music halls and stadiums throughout the world. His music brings back so many memories for me, especially ‘Walk Away’, every time I hear it I am transported back to the early sixties and my Mum listening to the song on Two Way Family favourites on the radio as she cooked the Sunday dinner.

Also on this day in 1990 a feint whiff of garlic came through when Britain and France were joined for the first time in thousands of years as the last wall of rock separating two halves of the Channel Tunnel was removed. Thousands of rats made a run for it.

And finally on this day in 2014 Christopher Law, the former owner of Britain’s last surviving temperance bar (Fitzpatrick’s, in Rawtenstall, Lancashire –  was prosecuted for drink-driving, you just couldn’t make it up could you lol.

Wel[, the figures are in for the past 24 hours and were not what I was expecting, the new cases were only up slightly at 13430, perhaps we are getting hold of this virus at last, sadly deaths are up to 603, but should hopefully start to fall soon.

Wednesday 02/12/2020 – Day 263

Managed a bit of a lie in this morning, didn’t get myself out till 6.45am, it’s looking very good outside so I’m off to the Repair shop. Today is the end of the lockdown and prayers will be said everywhere that people are going to be sensible.

Last night Mrs H and I had the official ‘switch on’ of the Christmas lights in memory of Vickie, we never put any decorations up until 2 weeks before Christmas, but when Vickie became ill she convinced her mum that they should go up on the 1^st of December, we have stuck to that day ever since, so it is a bittersweet day for us.

It was at this time in the late fifties that the festivities began in earnest at school, usually three to four weeks before the big day, although every other child I knew would start their countdown after November 5^th. Around the end of November we would start pasting all those endless coloured paper chains together, looking back it was a bit tedious, but to young eyes they looked magnificent strung up from one corner to another, at home we would do the same but we used a mixture of flour and water for a glue. Story time in the class was always about the baby Jesus and we loved every minute of it! We were encouraged to make our own Christmas cards to take home as well, but the main thing that sticks in my mind from the age of five was the Nativity play.

Even at the tender age of five or six there was always a lot of competition to play the part of Mary and Joseph, I sadly never made it (apparently Joseph was huge and didn’t have stunted growth) I was always a shepherd and not even one that visited Jesus in the stable, so, for almost half an hour I stood robed in a striped bath towel and one of mums best tea towels around my head. Inevitably as with all youngster’s mistakes were made, one year the donkey fell off the stage, another year Mary fainted, and there were always long drawn out silences as children were prompted to remember their lines.

Then before the Nativity play we always had the Christmas party, I can’t recall where all the food came from, I am pretty sure it didn’t come from the parents as it would today in some schools,  but that didn’t matter, what I do remember is that a long table had crackers,  hats and plastic tumblers in each place, we were then treated to such delicacies as Jelly and custard, blancmange, yule log and fairy cakes, all washed down with orange squash, the best thing was of course being waited on by the teachers. After a bit of a clean – up (tables and faces) the games would begin, Musical chairs, pass the parcel, pin the tail on the Donkey and so on, but the highlight of the party would have to be the arrival of Santa, it was the most exciting time I can remember in my childhood, I now suspect he was the school caretaker as I’m sure Father Christmas didn’t smoke or drink whisky, but this was what I always got a whiff of as he asked me what I would like for Christmas, Then the present was handed over, If I recall correctly it was always the same for the boys and girls and was usually a reading book to aid schooling, a book like Janet and John.

And that was the end of school Christmas, we broke up a couple of days before Christmas eve after the Nativity play usually, this depended on which day Christmas fell, Working parents  finished work on Christmas eve, usually around midday and after the inevitable passing around of the drinks.

I hope my ramblings have brought back a few childhood memories for you.

Figures for today have seen a substantial increase with new cases at 16169 and recorded deaths at 648.

Thursday 03/12/2020 – Day 264

Rain, rain rain, that’s all we’ve had all night, very heavy rain as well not that fine rain that soaks you right through. So, what were Mrs H and I going to do with our day I hear you ask, well, the simple answer is – absolutely nothing!

It was far too wet for anything outside, and it was far too cold for the repair shop, so the plan was to look through thousands of photographs we’ve accumulated throughout the years. Mrs H has a cherished photograph of her Nan and Grandad which has sadly faded quite badly, we did put the feelers out to one of those experts who restore these things – but even they replied that the photo was like me – too far gone.

So somewhere in the two drawers full of photo’s is the original one of her Nan and Grandad, the plan was to search through these photo’s and find it. But I’m ashamed to say that at 11.45am we decided to get dressed, this was after we had done our online order for Tesco’s, and after we had ordered numerous Christmas presents for a few family members. In fact. we were on our fourth cup of tea and Latte by the time we realised that time had stolen away our morning, so it was turned midday before we were both dressed. A very unreadable and soggy local newspaper dropped through our letterbox as I headed toward the kitchen for the fifth cup in what had so far been a very short day, I nearly shouted after the idiot that he had a rainproof flap on his paper carrier, but had a change of heart when I saw it was just a young lad as wet and as soggy as the rubbish he was putting through letterboxes. Still, it’ll save having to dampen it down for the compost heap.

My ample stomach gave me a timely reminder that it had been almost six hours since I had eaten, by the time I had eaten my sandwich it was 1.30pm. I went back to my computer in search of some things for Mrs H’s Christmas presents, the problem was, what do you buy for the woman who has everything? She had already dropped a few subtle hints that she had plenty of both her favourite perfumes, so I was actually surfing sites for lingerie and dresses, but the only problem is Mrs H keeps appearing from nowhere suddenly and I have to quickly change sites, that’s all well and good, but I cannot hide the red blushes in my face, a bit like a naughty schoolboy who has just been caught logged on to a pornographic site, I had just survived one such incident when the doorbell rang. It was George’s son Colin he had dropped us some potatoes in the porch, he seemed a bit tired and irritable, when I asked him what the problem was he said,”My neighbours knocked on my door at 2.30 am this morning – 2,30am, can you believe that – fortunately, I was still up playing my drums”.

I looked at him in disbelief, like father like son!

Today’s figures are once again slightly down on yesterdays, new cases drop to 14879 and the latest death figures are at 414.

Friday 04/12 2020 – Day 265

Had another lie in this morning, I don’t know what’s wrong with me, must be these horrible dark mornings I think. A lot of people around us seem to have a Winter sprinkling of snow, thankfully, we didn’t here in Kidderminster, having said that I have known all surrounding area’s to have had substantial snowfall and we have had none, the dead giveaway is cars coming into town from other areas with a foot of snow on their roof. But Kidderminster is in a depression, no I don’t mean that we’re a bunch of saddo’s, I mean that there is no way out of our town without going up a hill so we are literally in a big valley and surrounded by hills.

Well I apprehensively ventured into the Repair shop even though it was quite cold, I put the radiator type electric heater on to take the chill off, but it was about as useful as a candle in an igloo! Even so, being the brave bunny that I am I soldiered on and got a few little jobs done, I had a big jumper on and a coat, but still I wasn’t warm, I did however, manage to get the drawers to fit back into an old dresser I was working on, I also tried to get my Router working, no ladies, that is not a Sat-nav, it’s a machine used for rebating and contouring timber, but, just like me it was old and knackered!

Which of course gave me the excuse to switch off the pathetic heater and join Mrs H inside for a hot cuppa and a browse on Amazon, well I browsed and browsed but nothing was interesting me, it was then that I remembered that I was still working for Screwfix and that I was only furloughed. Within minutes I had found the one I was looking for, I phoned my boss and he ordered it for me with £10 off already and my discount of 20% I had quite a substantial saving and a really good router as well.

By 3.00pm I was so bored that I phoned someone in India to see if they’d had an accident!

Can you believe that it’s only three weeks today, 3 weeks tomorrow we’ll all be wondering what all the fuss was about and where all our money had gone! Then we’ll all be counting down to New Year’s Eve, not that there will be any linking of arms or kissing – yeah, I know – it’s being so happy that keeps me going.

Seems that new case numbers are slightly rising again, the papers are saying that there is a problem In Wales and in London with cases rising again, There were a further 16298 new cases, the highest in a week and there were 504 registered deaths.

Saturday 5/12/2020 – Day 266

Guess what – yep, it’s pizzitively possing down again this morning, it’s hardly stopped for three days, and just to put the icing on the cake it’s blown my outside lights, there seems to be some sort of water penetration so I’ve now got to find it – think I’ll have six Weetabix this morning.

I am fed up with Amazon, I ordered four large letters off them two days ago, they were supposed to say NOEL they arrived today but when I arranged them they said LEON, anyone have a son by that name, they can have them for free.

The daughter and her boyfriend popped round yesterday, it seems that Mrs H had arranged a swap with her, she gets a newly finished coffee table and we get a part completed hall table with barley twist legs in need of some TLC, she also brought a large mirror for me to refurb, oh well, they say that the devil finds work for idle hands, don’t they?

I was giving them a rub down in the Repair shop whilst listening to Gold radio and Rawhide came on sung by Frankie Lane, the memories came flooding back, those Friday and Saturday nights in the late fifties watching the cowboys on TV, all the girls were mad about Clint Eastwood as Rowdy Yates in Rawhide, there was also Ward Bond in Wagon Train, Clint Walker as Cheyanne, Bonanza with Lorne Greene, Bronco with Ty Hardin, Fury with Peter Graves, Have Gun Will Travel with Richard Boone, The Rifleman with Chuck Connors and my favourite Laramie with Robert fuller.

Then there was the brilliant cop shows of course, Z Cars which included: Stratford Johns (Detective Inspector Barlow), Frank Windsor (Det. Sgt Watt), James Ellis (Bert Lynch) and Brian Blessed (“Fancy” Smith). Barlow and Watt were later spun into a separate series called Softly Softly. There was also No Hiding Place with Raymond Francis as Inspector Tom Lockhart, and a young Johnny Briggs as Sergeant Russell. But surely the best of that time had to be Dixon of Dock Green. It starred Jack Warner as London Bobby George Dixon, the role had been reprieved from an earlier film, The Blue Lamp was made in 1950 and starred Jack Warner as Pc George Dixon, but in the film Dixon was shot dead by gangster Dirk Bogarde, there was such an outcry at the time that as I said, the role was reprieved and was on our screens for 21 years. There was something very homely about that old -fashioned copper who at every episode spoke the lines “Evening, all” and “Goodnight, all”, and a suitably moral homily, from outside Dock Green police station.

I didn’t get to sleep until late last night, I was engrossed in a really good book that I just couldn’t put down, in fact I didn’t stop colouring till nearly 2.00pm

The figures for today are 15539 new cases, the total for the week is now 100,799, the registered deaths are 397 the total for the week is now sadly 2984.

Well, just as I was getting into my stride it’s the end of another week, let’s pray that the figure’s get better next week.

It’s been emotional!