Monday 6th September – suspicious locals
We staying in a cottage in Cornwall, which seemed a world away from Leicestershire. Normally a trip to Cornwall would be a chance to unwind, to forget the cares of home, where the locals are chilled, the atmosphere relaxed, with a warm welcome to all. But we were visiting just three weeks after the Boardmasters music festival in nearby Newquay, which, despite a requirement that attendees have been double Covid vaccinated and can either produce evidence of a negative Covid test, or immunity, the festival seems to have resulted in a significant local peak of cases. There are double the number of cases than in our home patch in Leicestershire, which itself has significantly more cases than that the national average. In consequence the Cornish locals are nervous of incomers.
Thursday 9th September – Made welcome
Almost all shops in tourist-Cornwall required that a mask be worn inside, most pubs and cafes insist that masks be worn at the bar or counter, and many restrict customers to table service. “No mask? No service!” is a common sign at entrance doors. The use of hand sanitiser before entering is often more of a command than request. It felt as if we were going back by several months, as far as Covid precautions were concerned. However, we were absolutely happy with the restrictions, which actually made us feel more relaxed than was the case when we visited a busy Whitby, North Yorkshire, in May. After a few hours in busy Whitby we felt vulnerable, and vowed not to return during our holiday. In busy Padstow, with its self-imposed restrictions, the atmosphere was relaxed, we felt safe, and we were happy to return again after our first visit.
Once masked and sanitised we were welcomed with open arms and a smile wherever we went – after all the area relies on tourism, as demonstrated by the number of holiday homes in Padstow, each identifiable by a key-safe located beside the front door. Two locals told us about the difficulty in finding affordable rented accommodation, let alone a reasonably priced home to buy. Apparently, the only locals actually living in Padstow are those who have inherited a house from their family.
Friday 10th September – Eventually welcomed
In only two places have we found a slightly less than warm welcome. At a tea room today we followed instructions, waiting to be seated at an outdoor table, but gave up after a few minutes and sat at a vacant table. The place was staffed by fierce ladies, and we were told off, since the table had not been sanitised – understandable I suppose, and the ladies were fine once our order had been placed.
The other occasion was another slightly frazzled lady behind a pub bar, who, it transpired, was working extra shifts, constantly reminding relaxed holidaymakers that masks were obligatory at the bar, while ensuring tables were sanitised, and managing orders given in person and via an App. I told her how well “her” trade was doing, managing under the current circumstances, an opinion that I have expressed previously in this blog. She was instantly full of smiles and a welcome. Sometimes it just needs a bit of appreciation.
Tuesday 14th September 2021 – Office camaraderie
Attitudes to Covid precautions have continued to relax, at least as far as visible measures are concerned. Apart from in large supermarkets, mask-wearing is less prevalent, and social distancing seems pretty much to be ignored. Even in our poorly-ventilated office we have been allowed a 50% increase in occupancy. OK, so in practice that means that just one additional workstation can be occupied, but a significant relaxation all the same. Today, thanks to someone popping in briefly to collect some equipment, and another colleague joining us from another room, there were, for a while, five of is in residence, a significant part of the Team. We remained socially distanced, more by habit than intention, but just having a relaxed chat about work and families was surprisingly uplifting, a reminder of how much we are missing the team camaraderie.
Wednesday 15th September 2021 – Dental appointment
A visit to the dentist for treatment. Under normal circumstances the waiting room seats about a dozen patients, but this has been reduced to five chairs for social distancing purposes, insufficient to cope with any delays, when arriving patients may overlap with those still awaiting their turn on The Chair. I was seated indoors, but two patients had to remain outside in the mild sunshine.
Tuesday 28th September 2021 – Left outside in the cold
A second visit to the dental surgery today, because my dentist wanted a second opinion. During my first appointment I was seated indoors, but today I was not so lucky. The restricted socially-distanced seating in the waiting room was all occupied, and I spent 15 minutes outside in a cold wind, trying to position myself in a sheltered corner of a walled yard, in a small patch of feeble morning sunshine. My next appointment is in November. I hope that the surgery will be running to schedule.
Wednesday 29th September 2021 – Funeral etiquette
We attended a the covid-controlled funeral in a small village church. Masks were mandatory, as would be the case in my own church in the event that the church is fully occupied, and everyone sanitised on entry and exit. We were shown to our pews, couples and families distanced until seated. For the first time I sang hymns while wearing a mask, not a problem for slow and gentle funereal hymns, but the rousing finale of “Thine Be The Glory” left me somewhat breathless through my fabric mask.
Despite all of the precautions, I have a sneaking suspicion that the funeral, in an ancient church with only natural ventilation, and precious little of that, surrounded closely on all sides by folk that I don’t know, all expelling droplets as they sang, resulted in a higher risk of Covid infection than the various pubs that we have visited over the last few weeks.
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Life in the UK changed for everyone in March 2020