21st December

What a mess.

What a complete and utter mess the UK is in.

Saturday we saw the inevitable roll back of freedoms granted by Boris Johnson at the beginning of the month. He announced in early December that we could have 5 days of getting together with up to three households over the Christmas period.

It was after thinking about the practicalities and probable impact of this that led us as a family to decide it wasn't safe to do so. I'm so glad we did.

Others have made all sorts of plans which have had to be scuppered... but the worst part is the huge rise in rates  over 35,000  new cases yesterday.

We now have Tier This is like a proper lockdown, London and the southeast as far as Bedford are now all Tier 4 and no-one should travel.

The result? A stampede for the trains on Saturday evening... and more anger and distress for everyone.

I read part of a letter written by someone to the Guradian (I think...) and it summed up for me exactly what Boris Johnson does.

When faced with taking a course of action he delays...he delays until things are completely out of hand and then, because his hand is forced he says he ,didn't have a choice'. In other words - it is not his fault.

It is a total abnegation of responsibility and leadership.

He has never, right from the very beginning, made a decision in a timely way to protect us. It has always been two or three weeks too late... and then, of course he has had no choice so poor him.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I had no regard for him whatsoever... I think he should pass on the job to someone who is willing to take difficult decisions at the right time... how much illness and how many deaths could have been avoided is heart-breaking to consider... and it all happened on his dithering watch.

On top of that, I woke to hear about France stopping all travel from uk, several other countries joined that ban... we  are in such a total mess, and what we hear from Government is how wonderful we are and world beating we are.  it is sickening.

I wrote the above yesterday... today 1500 lorries waiting on the road to Dover... and 40 countries stopping UK travel...

18th Dec Catch up

 18th Dec Catch up!

Well I never! The time has flown and I never did get round to completing the second part of my last blog. Never mind!

Now we are here - 18th Dec and the decorations are up!

I am sitting in my extension in the semi dark! It is about 9.15 am but outside it is pouring with rain, it beats against the windows and I am glad I have no reason to venture out today!

The lockdown that we were in until the 2nd December was hardly different from how things were... except there was no golf... and no meeting up with other folk in their houses.

Since then Cornwall has been in Tier 1 which means that we can meet up in groups up to 6 and from different households... and can also do that inside too. That meant the ladies who felt comfortable to do so could have a Christmas lunch  at the golf club ... and it was lovely!

We sat in groups up to four and stayed at our tables... quite difficult when we are usually such a sociable lot but even with the restrictions it was very enjoyable...

The whole week, from Sunday through to the Christmas lunch on Saturday, I had been celebrating!

Brandi and Phil were married on Friday ...early morning our time, and it was lovely to feel a part of it all. Tim did a brilliant job of sending photos...

Setting off!

What a fabulous happy thing to celebrate... and what celebrations we have had... and will have when we finally get together!

Lots of the ladies at Golf joined in the celebrations because they know Phil from the bike ride and  three of them have met Brandi too.

Anyway - all in all it is wonderful and has been a fabulous week.

It took us away for a while, away from the grimness of our country and awful impact of Covid.

We, as a family, decided that we would not risk getting together for Christmas and it was a relief to me. The thought of Bridgie and Keith... and Tim trying to travel safely in a short window of time was worrying.

We asked ourselves the question... would we be thinking of meeting up if it wasn't Christmas... and the answer was a resounding no! Infection rates are high 25,000 new cases yesterday and over 500 deaths!

There is no way we would consider it (unless an outstanding need) so in many ways it was an easy decision to make. It would be different if we all lived near each other.

So we will zoom a lot (if the internet is strong enough!) and will celebrate together in person one day if all is well.

A catch up...  being back on the golf course with everyone is great.

Some brightness among the green!

And our Coop has reopened. Much bigger and such a useful place to have close by!

and of course, we've had some beautiful sunsets!

4th - 15th November part 1

 4th - 15th November

I did get out for a final round of golf... the course was full which was wonderful. We started about 1.20 and managed (just) to get 18 holes in which was brilliant. 

It had turned chilly by the end and the sun went down as we left the club. It was great!

It was also good because it gave us the chance to test out the new handicap system and I was able to upload our scores afterwards into the system. 

Our next opportunity will be December if the course opens again then and if the weather allows!

As with the first Lockdown the weather put on a show. I looked out of my bedroom window and decided to walk over to Carn Kenidjack.

It was glorious.

I decided  to head back a different way and set off past the big mast.

The views were terrific and I even managed to spot the golf course!

There were a few folk out but not too many.

As I headed towards Carnyorth I thought I might find a path which avoided the main road so headed around the base of the Carn but it took me all the way back towards my usual way... so I turned round and explored another way.

    It took me to someone's back garden but there was a sort of path in the dead                  bracken/gorse/brambles so off I went.

It was waste high and VERY scratchy! It reminded me of a walk with Jeannie and Alastair but this one was prickly. I waded through the last of it and eventually got back on the path. It was a great walk and I had a few scratches to show for it!

The next day I just had a quick walk  down at Cape... see how lovely the course looks!

The low sun gives richness to colour - another simply beautiful day

The main change for me in Lockdown is no golf - so instead I walk :-)

 I feel so fortunate to have places like this to walk and air so fresh even though at times it is thick with fog!

Sunday brought another family zoom!

It's so lovely to see everyone and be able to catch up.

In the midst of this of course there was the US election and the infantile Trump.

Toys and prams come to mind... and still today (15th) he is not conceding. What a disaster he is and how difficult it will be if he doesn't at some point accept the result as valid. 

Grey drizzly stuff can be off-putting but I packed up some coffee and a snack on Monday morning and set off for Nanjulian

The bridge over the stream

It was very grey and I needed over-trousers but it was great to be out.

 I stopped at Nanjulian for coffee and some of my snack. At this point the sun came out albeit briefly, but it was lovely. Altogether beautiful.

I rather fancied going further and thought I'd see if I could make it to Aire Point

Land's End in the distance

At times it is a proper scramble!

The far side of Aire point looking at Gwynver I chose my second coffee spot.

I climbed up above the path a little and  put on an extra layer. An odd ray of sunshine was followed by drizzle and proper rain!

Heading home by wonderful waves, I needed my rain gear!

I stopped one more time to finish off my coffee. 

Instead of walking back round the cliff to Cot Valley i headed inland to the farm at Letch - it is a shorter route and being a little wet by this point I was glad to spot the Carn and home in the distance.

It had been a great walk, I had to spread all my stuff out afterwards to dry, the only dry thing was my feet!!!

A fabulous walk - one to re-align the mind from all the troubles of this world.

24th October - 3rd November

 Here we go again...

Well, here we go again... another lockdown begins on Thursday... last day of 'freedom' tomorrow so I'm going to make the most of the last chance to play golf for a while.

I don't need to tell you how I feel about this government... Sage recommended a brief lockdown on 17th September as they could see what was coming... but Boris Johnson decided against... and now says we have no choice and it will be for a minimum of 4 weeks. The regard in which I hold him and his cronies is the lowest it could possibly be.

Anyway... we will all need to look out for each other again and hopefully together we will get through this.

Going back to where I left off... here's a closer look at my new curtains - warm and soft to the touch.

On Sunday mornings we have a family zoom... awful pic but we are all there!

Afterwards, if the weather is good I head out for a walk

We have had such windy weather there has been a good swell running.

Golf admin has taken up a bit of time as the new World Handicap System has been put in place. Each Handicap authority like the R&A in UK, USGA in America... etc (I think there were 6 versions round the world) have joined forces for this World System.

It has meant masses of behind the scenes work but it was finally launched yesterday.

A player's  handicap is now based on the best 8 rounds of their last twenty. As they play a new round the one 'at the bottom' drops off etc.

In theory it should be more accurate and it gives the great advantage of adjusting a handicap according to the difficulty of the course being played.

More gales meant no golf and the sea gradually got bigger!

High tide brought  waves of about 15' though they never look big in the photos!

On the Thursday it was still windy but also a bit grey and damp so I was the only one who played golf! Still it was good to be out in the fresh air.

This is why we are all concerned

Friday I had been looking forward to all week!

It was a Peter Gorton 7 course tasting menu... and it was absolutely fabulous!

Butternut squash soup with truffle oil

Slow roast Duck on apple salad and quince dressing

Sea Bass on a tomato and ginger sauce and crab croquette

Pea risotto 

Pineapple gazpacho and mint granita

Venison with a mushroom sauce

Ameretti tart and cappuccino  parfait

Chefs talking to us afterwards

It was a breathtakingly wonderful evening, delicate flavours perfectly balanced, absolutely amazing!

The wind in the night blew the chairs around and the top off my little shed on the patio!

A panorama view of Porth Nanven... this was Sunday morning, I'd woken feeling cross about the government cock-up... so quickly got up and walked fast down the Cot Valley.

It was beautiful! It was a bit damp and after I got home it began to rain.

Finally, on Sunday lunchtime I went to Trengwainton, it was extremely damp and the recent winds had stripped a lot of the autumn leaves away but it was still beautiful,

I loved these below, don't know their name... from this side they look green...

and from the other side they're red!

They also had a gingko!

And that brings us just about up to date, I went into Penzance for a couple of things from the supermarket and as brother Tim says there was a feeling of urgency around - he had gone in to Truro for the first time since early March!

Tomorrow is our final chance to play golf till who knows when, so several of us are going to play. I shall miss everything it brings, not just the golf itself but the lovely banter we have.

I'm sure we'll support each other on line instead - but it is not the same.