The Guernsey self-isolation club

The Guernsey self-isolation club. A play on “The Guernsey Literary Society and Potato Peel Pie Club” (or whatever it was called) but brought up to date and totally different. The outbreak of covid cases in Guernsey is apparently the result of a dance festival held on the island. My mind thinks sweaty packed dance floors aka nightclubs of old. Why would they have such a festival in these dangerous times. Note I say nightclubs of old because it has been decades since I’ve been to a night club. They might still be like that, or at least up until recent legally permissible times. I might be totally wrong and the Guernsey Dance Festival was nothing like my description. Probs.

Hilton Valentine was his real name. I just looked it up as I figured it just have been a stage name. Why would you want a stage name when your real name is Hilton Valentine? I’d want to use my own name as well. Are the days of stage names over? Dunno. I hadn’t heard of Hilton Valentine before he died but I had heard his music.

In other sad news a friend of mine Tom Avern died. I only just found out. He had suffered from cancer for some time, been through many phases of treatment and knew that there was nothing that could be done. I only found out because the notice of his funeral popped up in my timeline. He was Australian and had contributed to philosopherontap under the pseudonym tavernau. 

http://www.philosopherontap.com/author/tavernau/

Shaken out of my reverie just now as The Archers theme tune polluted the airwaves and reached the front room from the kitchen. This had the instant result of me jumping up with a jolt to switch it off. At the same time I could see that the gammon had just come to its first boil and needed the water replacing (got to get rid of that scum) so that is now sorted.

Today is a day for making progress with jobs. We are optimistic that the photos may get put back up on the wall in the library having discussed and agreed on a way to do it that doesn’t involve gluing onto a batten. Velcro is the answer. Using velcro means we (I) can screw the baton to the wall and completely cover it up with picture frames. The gluing option meant needing a bit of baton sticking out at the end. Everyone is now happy. Well she will be when the job finally gets done 🙂

If that goes well the next job will be to grout the tiles on Anne’s little outdoor table. This is the longest outstanding job on my list and as such it almost seems a pity to get it done. The table won’t get used before spring but that will be here before we know it.

This pm we are off for walk – down to the new bypass, along to where you branch on a footpath to the quarry near the Carlton Estate and then home. Never been to that quarry and I’ve lived in Lincoln since 1984!

Finally it’s Liverpeul on the telly before roast gammon dinner. That’s the day ahead.

Ciao amigos.

Good walk with Anne and John. They are faster than me so had to occasionally stop for me to catch up. We walked down to the bypass and around the Greetwell Hollow quarry and home. The OS map wasn’t quite right as they are building more houses on part of the route I had in mind and have put heras fencing across the track. Did 3.81 miles and was quite stiff when I got home. Not doing enough walking but trying to sort that out.

Need to properly explore Greetwell Hollow. It is a SSSI and now run by the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust. Looks like much of the quarry is inaccessible but it would make a great place to take the Defender for a bit of offroading. Ain’t gonna happen. On the way home I noticed that the Calor gas depot behind Tesco had closed permanently. Don’t know the whole story but a shame if this is a covid effect.

Now watching the ‘Peul play the Hammers with John in the shed. Still light at 16.42.

Had a shower after the walk and washed my hair. It’s a strange experience washing hair that can no longer be considered “short”. You find yourself lathering hair in your hand. Some of you will probs be thinking wosseeonabout? You will of course be right.

Oddly the washing the hair bit made me think about who I am. Or who I think I am or want to be. Have you ever really looked at yourself in the mirror and asked that question? What do you see? The mirror doesn’t lie.

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