Monday 9th March . . .

. . . 2020

These two photos, blipped five years ago, tell a story, one that is being played out around the UK this weekend - Covid-19 Day of Reflection. 

On Monday 9th March 2020 we were at Words by the Water in Keswick, where we listened to four speakers through the day. We had no idea what was just round the corner. Of course there were hints and rumours, but the idea of washing hands and social distancing were largely seen as a bit of a joke. The next day we were in Penrith and the next in Newcastle, where we attended a talk about rock art. 

By Friday we had heard enough to know that ‘social distancing’ was serious. We decided not to go to Keswick for talks I had booked and go to somewhere where there was unlikely to be anyone else - we found the rock art at Long Meg that had been referred to in the Newcastle talk.

By Saturday the idea of ‘isolation’ was taking hold and things were getting cancelled - Gordon had a day without Rugby or Football - he didn’t know what to do with himself. 

Then suddenly we were in Lockdown, everything cancelled, there was a shortage of flour, our daughter and son-in-law were trapped in Cornwall, the grandchildren were home-schooling . . . 


. . . and then there was Zoom. We had our village book group by Zoom. One person organised it but the rest of us had no idea. We soon learned though and had an excellent online meeting - we were all so excited and thought it magical . . . 

Isn’t Blip wonderful for tracing history.