Whatever next

 Whatever Next

December 16th. London is now in tier 3. East Sussex may be next due to rising infection rates across the country, although in rural Lewes we are still "low". Rumours that our Christmas 5 day window of limited relaxations were to be cancelled have finally came to nothing after two days of dithering and a lecture masquerading as a press conference from No 10 today.

"A smaller Christmas is going to be safer Christmas and a shorter Christmas is a safer Christmas" proclaimed Boris Johnson. Once he'd ruled out actual changes, who cares.  Data show 57% of the public have no faith in this Government to deal with the pandemic. Personally, I have 0%. I have more faith in my own ability to keep myself safe than in this corrupt, inefficient, Government. 

In all honesty trying to reverse Christmas at this late stage would have been like trying to stop a juggernaut.  Wait until everyone has done their shopping, fighting through crowds , queuing, I don't think so. Break the hearts of an already beleaguered nation still  further. I don't think so/

Wales and Scotland are pulling away though, with Wales planning a full lockdown from Dec 28th and a two household not three rule. There are still suggestions Bojo might pull a few last minute knockouts as his ability to do a U turn is legendary.

Yes , there is undeniably a crisis coronavirus wise. The situation has deteriorated. No doubt. November "lockdown" did nothing to stem the steady increase of cases and deaths. Keeping the schools, colleges and universities open did the damage anyway. There is a new virulent virus variant at work, not surprisingly. Viruses mutate.  Plus too many people simply doing what people have done since the start of time. Mingling.   

We are social beings. Since March everyone has been forced to live in varying degrees of isolation and there is a distinct air of rebellion everywhere. Homes have become prisons. Hospitality is no longer hospitable. Exercise is no longer escapism given the winter nightmare of rain/wind/frost. 

There is no good news. Vaccine distribution is a shambles. In Lewes elderly and vulnerable, those 'lucky' few, were forced to wait for hours in the rain and biting wind for a precious first dose.  Promises of a bright future within sight have disappeared beneath concern about logistics of delivering a vaccine designed to be kept at -70 degrees. 

Matt Hancock's false 'tears' as he was filmed watching the first ever vaccine earlier this week was so cringe worthy words fail me. Disgusting. Shameful that this joke of a man is our Health Minister

And as for Brexit. No news. Both sides eye the wire nervously, refusing to be the first to pull back. Boris tried to slip in a patriotic rallying call to today's press conference. Disgusting. Shameful that this joke of a man is our Prime Minister 

I cherish the memories of those few snatched hours on the beach with my little ones in Norfolk last weekend as it could be many weeks until I see my family up there again. I hope and pray to see the little ones at this end of the country somewhere outside this weekend if the weather holds, even if just for an hour 🤞. 

Normally at this time of year I plan my travels and look forward to Xmas. This year I walk in the rain, in the wind, in the cold. And wonder what on earth is coming next.  Bad days, good days, days of nothingness, where I simply feel numb. 

Christmas Day is less than a fortnight away. In theory I will be with my family and two of my grandchildren. In practice it is tempting fate to even consider getting excited. 

One high temperature, one cough, in households already under siege from paranoia flooding in from scientists and doctors and Christmas is off. Christmas shopping is a leap of faith, a triumph of hope over experience,  I am doing it online (not least as Lewes is now a wasteland of empty shopfronts) with my heart in my mouth that I will still be looking at a stash of brightly wrapped gifts long into 2021. 

Whatever next. Who knows. As I type we await new tier revisions. Businesses still open have their heart in their mouth for a tier 3 verdict, shutting down hospitality for all but take away. The week before Xmas. 

Tier 3 will barely touch me. As a non taxpayer, not old enough to be mightily vulnerable, not young enough to be fine, I am an irrelevance. 

People like me do not feature in graphs. We have no role. We are invisible. No voice. No presence. The silent majority. My Christmas plans are out of my control. My life is out of my control. I have never felt so helpless or so hopeless.