The David Parr House

G & M gave me a fab present during the pandemic of a trip to the David Parr house in Cambridge when things looked better, and we went today. The house is the smaller terrace on the right, the house of the left is a visitor centre downstairs and a rented out flat upstairs. It was home until a few years ago to  David Parr’s granddaughter. The secret unseen to passers by is the very ornate decoration inside done by David Parr over a 40 year period. He was a ‘art-workman’ for F Leach & Sons who undertook commissions for William Morris, decorating the houses of socialites, politicians and churches. You couldn’t take pictures inside, but here’s a link to their website https://davidparrhouse.org/. A really lovely day, a wonderful story and thanks also to M for doing all the driving. 

Day 784 / Day 75 of no Legal Covid Requirements in England (for my record only)
The Chair of the UK’s Covid enquiry is recommending that the terms of reference are expanded after a 4 week public consultation to include:
- Children and young people, including the impact on health, wellbeing and social care, education and early years’ provision;
- Impacts on mental health and wellbeing of the UK population;
- Collaboration between central government, devolved administrations, regional and local authorities and the voluntary and community sector.
She also recommended that the TOR are reframed to put possible inequalities at its forefront, that there’s a sharper focus on care in the home, regulatory control, support for victims of domestic abuse and first contacts with the NHS, including 111 and 999 services. 

Tim Spector of the Zoe Covid Study said the nation was now seeing ‘worrying levels’ of mutations from the virus. Tinnitus and a loss of smell were two symptoms that need to be taken ‘really seriously’ as they might suggest other parts of the body might be being affected. Joe Biden said today that 1m Americans have now died from coronavirus. A study has found that over 50% of people hospitalised with the virus suffer with at least one symptom 2 years after falling ill. There is concern as Omicron has reached North Korea, which doesn’t appear to have given any vaccinations.