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| OUR CAPTAIN TURNED GARDENER |
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| GOOD TO SEE ROB AND FAMILY ARE WELL |
From Bob
Crow
Doris,
I read the emails posted on the web site and thought I would share our
experiences since mid March. I seems really strange now that we played a texas
scramble on the 11th, started to think about the virus and problems it might
cause, but only a couple of days later, as cowboys used to say in the
westerns it was ' head for the border'.
We were fairly relaxed until France too, announced a lockdown and border
restrictions. At that point it became a bit of a dash to pack the car, close up
the apartment and drive the 500 or so miles to catch the last ferry from Bilbao
to Portsmouth on Thursday 19th. Service stations were open for fuel only, no food,
or drink and some no toilets, and a fairly obvious police presence, with road
blocks. All polite but firm.
We had been lucky to get a ferry booking, must have been a cancellation,
but it was complete lockdown in an inside cabin, and if the captain hadn't
announced our arrival at Portsmouth, we would never have known where we were.
Brittany Ferries, staff and packed lunch service delivered to our cabin door
were far better than we were expecting. UK border agency less so, as there were
no health checks at entry and we dived into the usual Friday evening motorway
traffic.
So here we sit, on top of the Chilterns, miles of countryside and
woodland, lovely spring weather. This morning Sunday papers and chocolate
croissants from our local shop. Golf club subscriptions, due in many clubs
around now, are a subject of conversation as all courses are closed indefinitely, but need maintenance. As
incentive to pay up my club is giving £100 off future bar bills, and a pro rata
credit against next year’s subs for any period the course remains closed.
Hope everyone stays safe and well, and we expect to return to finish our winter holiday as soon as restrictions allow us to do so
Cheers Bob
Another Poem from our Resident Poet Keith
Hi All.
To what end the time I spend
On rhyming all these verses
But it engages my mind and some comments are kind
And I cannot hear any of the curses.
This second verse could be even worse
But I hope it brings a smile
Life has to go on or the virus has won
For the end we must wait quite a while
So this is part two and nothing is new
What’s more it really is weird
Despite what P’s said and nearly banned from my bed
I’m still sporting that terrible beard
It looks like a rug and I sit there all smug
Stroking it ever so calmly
I’m not superstitious it seems quite propitious
Though P thinks I’m really just barmy
So, as and when I rise about ten
I look in the mirror to see
If it improved in the night to a far better sight
And hope I can see the real me
I daren’t give it up I haven’t the pluck
To renege on the boast I have made
This virus is rough we’re having it tough
But for the virus to end I would trade
To the Gods that are there it’s driving us spare
Please listen to that which we need
An end to the strife and loss of much life
To return to our ways with all speed.
That Boris is well and no sound of a bell
Was news that helps drive us on
For the comments were loud and I hope all around
Are able to say. “Well Done my Jolly Old Son.
It’s out there you know to strike you down low
You’ll never know when you are bitten
You must stay tight indoors so those lethal old spores
Can’t tell where you’ve bloody well hidden!
Cheers Take Care
KP
