WEEK 12 OF LONDON LOCKDOWN

WEEK 12 OF LONDON LOCKDOWN

This is all still very surreal. Sometimes it’s easy to forget momentarily about the global pandemic for a minute as we slowly open up, but that’s only until you get glared at by a fellow walker or someone in the supermarket wearing a mask and angry eyes.  Someone literally ran past me with their arms wide open expecting me to dive into the bushes.  Ridiculous.

Early moves to ease lockdown have thankfully shown little impact so far on the Covid 19 infection rates and there is a steady reduction in daily cases, but rumours of a second wave remain. Sadly Beijing is now bracing for a second wave as the city shuts down another food market, which is alarming news.

Life in the UK continues to slowly return to some semblance of our new abnormal as we have been released from our homes to sit in gardens with up to six people.  We are allowed to use someone else’s downstairs loo if required, but until they open up all the public loos in the country people will continue flooding to the seaside for their daily excursion, because at least you can do a sneaky pee in the sea.

Shops are opening tomorrow and the retail industry will be waiting with baited breath to see how that goes. Surely the government are going to have to relax the 2m rule ASAP in order to help the catastrophic collapse in the economy shudder back to life? The high street was in trouble before the pandemic, so I imagine we will continue to see the collapse of a number of other brands in the next few months. Hopefully there will be a lot of people desperate to get back in the shops, although I don’t think I’m one of them. Don’t really fancy the process of queuing, masks and distancing, but perhaps I should make more effort, they will need our support. The same applies to restaurants when they finally open again. It’s the ambience and the staring at other people that I’m interested in, so not sure the sanitised version is going to work. Will it feel like we’re sitting in a dentist’s waiting room?

Additionally single people have been allowed to form a bubble with another family. The young things seem to be a little bit more expansive with their bubbles – more like a bubble bath really as they dive in and out of bloody bubbles.

Understandably, Boris is taking a bit of a battering and the government approach is still erratic to say the least. However, the blame game is futile and until we are a year or so down the line we won’t be able to comment on their tactics and what went wrong/right.

What will happen with house prices? There seems to be a burst of activity at the moment, but that is probably just another bubble (I’m getting bored with “bubbles” as a description for practically everything at the moment, like “green shoots” we need to find some new descriptions). First time buyers are going to be hit very badly as there are no low-deposit home loan deals available. However, perhaps London house prices will collapse and they will be able to afford them again.

Still enjoying the deer with their velvety antlers:-

Deer in Richmond Park

My daughter watched the sunrise in the park this morning  – how beautiful:-

Sunrise in Richmond Park

Not all good though, a tree fell down and squashed a car just near the park, thankfully at night so there was no one in the car:-

Crushed car

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, we’ve got a bit bored of baking, so nothing to show off this week. Instead we’re just drinking even more, experimenting with pretending-your-on-holiday drinks (well I am anyway).  We have had a few get togethers with friends, which makes everything feel a little bit brighter:-

Apperol spritz

Our Family Friday night, whereby it is confirmed that I have officially shrunk during lockdown:-

Me and the kids. I’m so small!

Sparkling Sunday today!  HOORAY.  Can’t wait.  Celebrating another week of official alcoholism and staying almost sane.

Sparkling Sunday