Regular rants from Lockdown

Dominic Raab took part in the ITV Coronavirus Q&A yesterday evening.  I can't be sure but it looked like he was standing in the street ! They're all at it, Rishi and Boris, Gove, now Raab ? What's wrong with them ? Do they think it makes them look dynamic, important ? Is their alternative venue  (kitchen, lounge) strewn with washing up and drying underwear (like mine) ? Stay home ! Protect the NHS, Save Lives. P.S. Apparently Dominic Raab is the designated survivor. Is it me or does that sound scary ?

It's just been announced that Dominic Cummings, advisor to the Prime Minister, has developed Coronavirus type symptoms over the weekend. He's self isolating. Get well soon. He was shown running away from No.10 on the same day that Boris Johnson declared he'd tested positive. So Dom, it seems that retrospective social distancing doesn't work . But well done for thinking it might, we need those kind of quirky, left field ideas at the heart of Government.

Today we had the pleasure of Michael Gove on the telly.  So he stands there, telling us how important it is to stay at home while standing on the pavement with people walking past, a woman with a dog and a man carrying a toddler - two metres away ? Nope.  You couldn't make it up - but I saw it with my own eyes this morning on the Andrew Marr show. It's there on iPlayer, The Andrew Marr show 29/3/2020, see for yourself. The words of Professor Powis at the Saturday No.10 press conference must still have been ringing in his ears:  “If we do reduce the deaths below what we initially thought, I want to be absolutely clear, that won’t be because we are somehow lucky. It won’t be because somehow the virus is acting in this country differently from any other country,  it will be because every citizen in this country, the British public, have complied with the instructions the Government has given  based on the best scientific evidence to reduce the transmission of the disease.&

Yesterday's shock news that Matt Hancock has tested positive and Chris Whitty has symptoms compatible with the virus, following soon after we heard that Boris Johnson has tested positive. Get well soon. Boris, from isolation yesterday, appealed to us to follow the guidelines. Stay at home, protect the NHS, Save lives. It's by no means clear if that advice is being followed by the people who are giving it. A photo published on newspaper websites today (Daily Mail, Times, etc.) apparently taken on March 12th shows Johnson, Hancock, Whitty accompanied by Sir Patrick Vallance trooping down the stairs in No.10. Looks like the four of them might measure two metres end to end. I think this was the day where Boris held a press conference and announced moving to the delay phase in the fight against the virus. A room full of journalists, closely packed together, Boris flanked at about a metre by Whitty and Vallance. How things have changed ?

I've just heard that our Prime Minister has the virus. I really hope no-one is harmed from this - but he caught it from someone and he may have spread it. One infection typically leads to two to three others. Each of those to two or three others and so on. It soon gets to thousands. I saw him and Rishi Sunak standing outside No. 10 last night showing their admiration and respect for the NHS. They were a good two metres apart, on the pavement. Yes on the pavement. Not on the doorstep, balcony or in a window as the organisers had sensibly  suggested. No they were on the pavement. In the photo below Boris has come out of No. 10 skipped down the two doorsteps (you know, the ones he should have stood on) and stood on the pavement. By pure chance Rishi enters stage left and stands two metres away from Boris. What timing. So is this another case of do what I say, not what I do ? As we know: Strict Rules have been placed on people's personal movement to limit the spread of co

On the 22nd March Harpers Bazaar reported "Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla have left London amid Coronavirus outbreak". Seemingly, like mum,  they were ignoring the Government advice not to self isolate in second homes, their travel (non-essential according to the government) was courtesy of the RAF.  Looks like Charles & Camilla have managed to hunker down in a house in the grounds of Balmoral Castle in the Scottish Highlands, presumably with their normal entourage of toothpaste squeezers, gin pourers, etc.  Also on the 22nd the Inverness Courier reported  the daily Scottish Government press conference where First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said it was "understandable" that people might want to self-isolate in remote areas, but that it risks increasing the pressure on local health services. Yesterday (the 25th) we heard that Prince Charles has been diagnosed with the Covid-19 virus. Glad to hear he's not too poorly with it.  Seems he was tested jus

It was great to hear the Queen telling us, a week ago, that she and her family stand ready to play their part during this crisis. Maybe I've got this wrong but they seem to be just looking after themselves so far.  On the 19th March on the Royal Family Twitter feed the Queen announced that she'd arrived at Windsor with Philip. It seems they got there by helicopter. Nice. Guidance from the Government - issued on Sunday (22nd March) - says: “Essential travel does not include visits to second homes, camp sites, caravan parks or similar, whether for isolation purposes or holidays. “People should remain in their primary residence. Not taking these steps puts additional pressure on communities and services that are already at risk.” Non essential travel to a second home ? Sounds like it. Maybe got the nod before shutters came down ? Or maybe Windsor isn't their second home, perhaps number six or nine ?  Standing ready though, all of them. P.S. Bad news for Philip th

Twelve weeks - First week - what shall I do ? I'll start a list: 1.  Learn to play the guitar ? 2. Tidy up my garden ? 3. Read books. 4. Try and write a blog 5. Make some soup. 6. Invent something. 7. Look out of the window.

I'm locked down for twelve weeks, thought I'd have a go at a blog.  I've got the time, can't go anywhere, so here goes. Best wishes to everyone who has been touched by this terrible pandemic and  my deepest sympathy to those who have lost loved ones. Follow the advice and stay safe.