Covid-19 Shielding Diary

A blow by blow account Month 6 -Continues from Month5

DayDateAction
18718/9Lazy morning then decided to return home inleisure rather than rush round in the morning. Smooth journey home, garden has survived.
18617/9Early start to the day as we went to Martham to pick up a pic nic boat for the day. First stop was to be Horsey wind pump but it was very crowded with boats that had overnighted. Executed a clumsy three point to and got out of there causing alarm to the precious boaters. Nest to Potter Heigham where we moored up and had our pic nic. Went ashore to explore, got a couple of cheap paint brushes in Lathams the biggest store of everything ever seen! Set of for Martham but noticed M was still on bank! Went back for her and then to Martham without further incident. Fish and chips for dinner from the local Bacton fish shop.
18516/9Visited Wroxham/Hoveton a very busy centre of the broads, parking in “Roys”. Lucky to find a spot in a waterside cafe for lunch. Returned to the cottage for afternoon tea and then took friends to Cromer to rendezvouz with their daughter. Explored the coast as we returned.
18415/9Explored the surroundings, sandy local beach, a bit windy. Our friends arrived in the late afternoon. Mousaka and home grown beans for dinner.
18314/9Dentist appointment, prescribed antibiotics, then home to pack the car and set up auto watering for the plants we don’t want to risk why we are away. Afternoon drive to Bacton in Norfolk was uneventful. Cottage turned out to be rather large with three bedrooms, bathroom and large lounge upstairs, a kitchen diner, sun room and utility space downstairs.
18213/9 Preparations continued for our break. Cleaned car inside and out and topped up a couple of tyres. M did the packing. Finished my work on Titles by emailing all entrants with the pre-event information and extracting the track and trace details. Watched the Tour and cricket during day. Looks like Ineos were wrong to favour Bernal over Froome/Evans! England beat Australia in the one day thanks to the strength of their tail hitting a pile of runs for the 9th wicket and then bowling brilliantly for Ozzies to be all out 24 runs short. Watched another episode of Wallander which seems to be getting more complex rather than resolving!
18112/9Spoke to dentists and can see me first thing Monday before we go away. Big shop to get supplies for our cottage trip. Set up some more watering system to supply pot plants next week. Completed clearing the bean patch and harvested about 0.5Kg. Picked and watered raspberries. In the evening started watching Young Wallander on Netflix.
18011/9Morning was spent finalising entries for the Titles Weekend while M took her mum for her Flu jab. However this was futile as her appointment was for the next day! Onstead we took her for lunch to the Wharf Pub – nicely refurbished and well distanced. The tooth niggle now really painful but failed to get through to the dentist.
17910/9In the morning took M to Ebbsfleet for her trip to the RA her first visit to London since we started avoiding Covid. Then spent a long morning painting panel 15 of the mural. Home for a late lunch and then collect M from Greenhithe station. Sport England have clarified the position of organised sport events following the new restrictions so the Titles Championships are still on. Quick trip to GRFC to hand over the PE equipment. Bit concerned at some sudden teeth sensitvity.
1789/9After breakfast a trip to Bromley first to Waitrose for some groceries and then to the Big Yellow storage to retrieve items needed for the Titles events. On the way home to Ebbsfleet station to buy M a ticket for the next day. Flurry of emails on PE response to the new Covie-19 restrictions due to enforce next Monday. In the evening to GRFC for a petanque match, Kent League summer cup consolage v Lordswood. 4-0 to us.
1778/9Today had a replacement window panel fitted in one side of the conservatory because of etching by the sun. Then popped to Swanscombe for a haircut. Worked on validating the entries for the Petanque Titles weekend and in the garden started to clear the bean plants that are exhausted. To the club in the evening to complete the lettering on panels 12 and 13 and to draw up panel 15.
1767/9Did shopping for the next few days and then an afternoon painting panel 14. Evening working on final details of the Titles weekend – the draft letter to players with the detailed Covid driven arrangements
1756/9M baked a cake, I gardened and after a late brunch we set out for Cambridge to meet family for a late lunch and then back to their for the cake as dessert. It was good to see them and Max gave us some rhubarb he had grown. Home in the evening. The new up lighter had arrived so assembled it. Very stylish.
1745/9Prepared the Title Weekend playing rules in the morning. Afternoon inspection of panel 13 resulted in it being overpainted with cream background. Work started on Panel 14.
1734/9Some domestic chores and work on the entries for the Petanque Titles weekend and then M dropped me off at the club at midday as she had a lunch out. Spent the afternoon finishing panel 13 but fear that the team picture will fail QC.
1723/9Morning visit to John Lewis to look for a new uplighter lamp was unsuccessful but helped define needs for an online order that M made. Watered in garden and picked beans. Afternoon at GRFC painting panel 13. Evening working on Titles events entry validation.
1712/9A morning of errands, petrol, post office, M&S. Afternoon spent on planning for the National Petanque Title Events. Then in the evening to Ryarsh to play a petanque match in the Kent League Summer plate. Won 1 lost one but lost the match. On to the consolage!
1701/9In the morning a grocery shop to Sainsbury and then after an early lunch to Gravesend for a Dentist appointment, two molar implants needed, booked for November. Over to the club in the evening to draw up panel 14. Home in time to see Pakistan win their last game of their summer tour.
16931/8Some cleaning and regular work in the garden then in the afternoon to the club to start the paint of panel 13 and finish the facial features of panel 12. Celebrated bank holiday with our second Cote Home dinner of the weekend.
16830/8Early breakfast and then to Gravesend to pick up M’s mum to take her part way to Wales. Met M’s brother at a nice pub, the Golden Retriever near Sandhurst for lunch and to effect the handover. In the evening to the club to draw up the second half of panel 13.
16729/8Waited in for the Cote delivery, dinner for today and Monday. In the afternoon to the club to find that the heavy rain had caused some runs and damage so spent the afternoon on remediation.
16628/8Prepared for the return of national petanque events in with the setting up of the online entry forms in the membership system. Raspberries are nearly done but the beans seem to be getting a second wind in this cooler weather.
16527/8Did some petanque admin and the home accounts while M did her art zoom meeting. Then, took M to the dentist, followed by a grocery shop. An excellent salmon risotto for dinner by M and then to the club to do some drawing but torrential rain before I could start so abandoned and came home when the rain eased.
16426/8Breakfast with “More or Less” then made a loaf of bread using a mix. Lovely at lunch! Early evening to the club to complete the wording on panels 11 and 12 and then drew up panels 13 and 14.
16325/8A mostly wet day doing indoor chores. Fitted a new made to measure blind on the stairs window. The day was enlivened by a meal out thanks to the government eat out to help out scheme, dinner at Browns, Bluewater with two friends.
16224/8Some shopping this morning, some petanque admin and then an early lunch before going to the GRFC club. Finished painting panels 11 and 12 except for the wording. Rain prevented our evening walk.
16123/8Big admin morning doing minutes of the Petanque Events group from the Zoom recording and then our home accounts. Followed the cricket test match and then did the garden, harvest of raspberries and beans, Basil for tomato and mozarela salad with steak and chips and green beans. Noticed on our evening walk that nearly all the House Martins have left, just 2 seen today.
16022/8Big cleaning morning then to Sainsbury and Argos to get a new projection clock. After noon spent 2 hours at the club varnishing panels 8,9,10 and starting the painting of panel 11. Home made chicken and potato curry for dinner.
15921/8Ran a beep test for Max then after an early lunch set off for Stansted services to reunite boys with their mum. Heavy traffic at the Dartford crossing and M11 join caused us to be 30 minutes late, almost like a Friday of old! Home via grocery shopping. In the evening to the club to finish the lettering on panel 6 and 10 and draw up panel 12.
15820/8End of our few days at the coast. Returned Home. Garden plants have survived, good crop of raspberries to pick and my automated watering of the tomato grow bag worked OK. Final evening with the boys so took them for a walk into the marshes, picked blackberries and then back along the river, collected some seaweed for the compost bin.
15719/8Cloudy sort of morning so after breakfast we visited Dover castle. Most of it was open with some distancing and masks required inside. Even on this murky day France was clear on the horizon. Afternoon we spent looking at the refurbed Dover harbour marina and saw the cruise ship Disney Magic that is holed up there. It started to rain so did a driving tour of notable Dover landmarks, i.e. the house where M once lived!
15618/8Sunny morning, breakfast on the deck. Drove to the White Cliffs Country park at Dover where we had early elevenses and bought sandwiches for lunch. Then the boys Max, Sam and I set of on the cliff walk to South Foreland while M took the car to meet us at St Margaret’s Bay beach. We took 20 min turns with the back pack.

Evening meal at the Zetland Arms at tables on the beach as limited indoor use due to covid.
15517/8A morning of preparation for our trip away. Picked raspberries, watered everything, Max washed car. Unpacked all painting equipment, M to hairdresser with covid rules. After lunch we packed car up and all went to JL food hall (masked) to get food for dinner then headed straight off to Kingswood, holiday park near Deal. Our new home for 3 days is a small chalet but well equipped, even decent wifi.
15416/8Good Sunday morning breakfast with the boys followed by a visit to Bluewater so they could spend some of their holiday money at JD Sports! To the Rugby club in the afternoon and with Max’s help managed to get all the remaining boards’ backgrounds painted. There was enough paint! Set up a watering system for the tomato grow bag while we take a few days away. In the evening a long Transformers film.