Aug 20: Coronavirus 13 August - 12 Sept

Thursday 13 August

Day 150

Over to Buxton to meet up with the schoolies. Great catch up.

No death figures published today.

France added to list of quarantined countries so no camping trip abroad for Ema and family who were leaving tomorrow.

40% of A level results were downgraded from the predicted grades supplied by teachers. Lot of unhappy students. Algorithm based on area was applied with poorer/deprived areas losing out.

Friday 14 August

Day 151

Went to Boundary Mill then on to Foulridge for a walk by the canal.

Pendle hill in the background.

More countries added to the quarantine list.

Cv cases up in Pendle - where we were today!

Eira's grandson Harry has testicular cancer and David's Chris has rectal cancer. His op on Tuesday 18 and hers on Tuesday 25th.

Ema and family decided to go camping anyway. They are fine if they just drive through France - and decided they'd head for Croatia instead.

Luisa meanwhile was on her minimoon in Lytham.

Saturday 15 August

Day 152

Ema now in Germany.

Met Pete for lunch at the Vic.

Quiz in the evening which we won for a change - despite getting three questions wrong. Capital of Hungary - forgot. Budapest. Been there. Smallest city - forgot. Vatican city. Been there. Capital of Malta - forgot. Valetta. Been there! Very funny.

3 deaths recorded.  41,361 total.

Took some decorated stones down to add to the Totty Snake.

Luisa and co had fun with mini golf, train and trampoline and had a message from Ema and co to say they were in Austria and staying there for the night.

Sunday 16 August

Day 153

Ema and co had a four hour journey through Slovenia to reach their campsite in Croatia.

Couple of days in West Tanfield near Ripon. Lovely leisurely drive across even though it was a bit cloudy and misty.

A wander round Ripon and a tapas meal.

A level appeals were suspended by the government.hours after Ofqual put the information on its website. Chaos!

Monday 17 August

Day 154

Day out to Mount Grand Priory via Rievaulx Abbey which we couldn't get tickets for.

Then on to Mount Grand Priory, Thirsk, Ripon and back for an evening meal.

Croatia, Greece and Turkey could join the UK quarantine list due to rising cv cases.

Humiliating U turn by government on A level results to bring it in line with rest of UK on using teacher predicted grades. Great for the students!

Epic rainstorm in the evening - a river running past the pub from three directions down to the river!

Tuesday 18 August

Day 155

Visit to Himalayan Sculpture park.

Afternoon trip to Fountains Abbey then home.

Public Health England scapegoated for problems with track and trace etc over the past months.

10% of workers to be sacked at M and S.

Depression amongst adults has increased 100% from 10% to 20% of the population.

12 deaths. 41,381 total.

Wednesday 19 August

Day 156

Had Luca round and was able to hug him for the first time in over five months. 

16 deaths.

Thursday 20 August

Day 157

GCSE results out - still based on teacher assessment so happy students!

Croatia now added to the quarantine list. Austria and Slovenia also added Croatia to their quarantine list too but ok to just drive through.

6 deaths. 41,403 total.

Friday 21 August

Day 158

Ema and co packed up and drove through Slovenia to Austria (also on the list!) to safe haven Germany to find somewhere to stay for the night. €150 fine at the Austrian border for not having a travel permit for travel in Slovenia but at least they got through!!

Saturday 22 August

Day 159

Ema and all back in UK. Quite an adventure but totally unfazed by it all and want to do it again!

Luca helped his dad with a bit of DIY.

Bright fancy dress for quiz theme. We won (on the tie break, would have been Julie and Ian otherwise!) No Robin, on holiday or Thomas and Christie, babysitting. Or Ema, still on way back from holidays. So good odds on winning really.. 🤣

Sunday 23 August

Day 160

Medical officers say children suffer more from being out of school and chances of them catching covid are very small so they are better back in school.

Trying out the baby bouncer.

6lbs blackberries picked on our walk. All boiled ready for sugar and jammin'.

Monday 24 August

Day 161

'Eat out to help out' lunch at the Eagle and Child. Set off to walk there at noon. Ate then walked back past Nuttall Park and picked another 4lbs of blackberries and arrived home at 5.30. Big walk!

Trump trying to rush through our Oxford vaccine. Election is looming 🙄.  Still not been properly tested.

Over 3m cv cases in India.

Tuesday 25 August

Day 162

Met Luisa for breakfast.

Sunny day yesterday but now back to storms and torrential rain. Flooded garage - worst it's been and third time already this year.

Man came round to look at the washing machine which had stopped working. First person in the house since 11 March!! Wasn't broken just unbalanced load. 

Trump Jr's belittling of Biden by referencing the Loch Ness Monster did not go down well with US presidential critics! It does not live in a swamp, does that make Biden mythical etc. Funny.

Face masks mandatory for students in areas of extra measures in England but still at the discretion of the headteacher in other areas.

12 deaths.

Wednesday 26 August

Day 163

Luca round for the day. Went for a walk to feed the ducks then back via Callum's Secret Path - his first walk down there.

Made Monday club tea - lemon and garlic chicken with fancy cous cous and blackberry crumbles and pies.

Afternoon tea at the Red Hall with Luisa, Ema, Molly, Lola and Luca.

DfE minister sacked today over A level fiasco. Fifth top figure to go in the last six months. Labour says it's all blame culture to shift focus away from Tory mistakes.

26 deaths. Total 41,465.

Thursday 27 August

Day 164

Ema's birthday. Quiet day in the hot tub which JP had ordered as a surprise.

Bury has 13th highest cv rate in England.  The figures per neighbourhood are: Bury North 15 cases (infection rate 35.0); Bury East: 12 cases (32.9); Bury West (includes Radcliffe): 11 cases (24.2); Whitefield: 16 cases (53.3); Prestwich: 13 cases (37.0);

Bury is now the exception in Greater Manchester as an area where cases are not only higher than they were at the start of local lockdown, but they are also going up.

More countries added to the quarantine list from Saturday 4am - Switzerland, Jamaica and the Czech republic.

More blackberries picked on our walk - another 7lbs.

Friday 28 August

Day 165

Woke up from a vivid dream convinced that Luisa's baby would be a girl 😲 

Even more blackberries picked! Nearly 7lbs again - takes the total to 24lbs!! Used in jam, pies, crumbles, juice frozen to use later - need to get gin now for bramble gin.

9 deaths. 41,486.

Restrictions in some parts of Greater Manchester lifted - but not Bury.

Saturday 29 August

Day 166

Another walk, another 7lbs of blackberries picked. More added to the bramble gin, créme de mûre started along with lavender bramble jam and elderberry bramble jam.

Family quiz in the evening.

Sunday 30 August

Day 167

Global covid cases pass 25m.

1 UK deaths. Total 41,499.

India now the epicentre with the highest number of deaths per day.

Moved all the gravel at the front to clear out the weeds. Backbreaking! Will get someone to do it next time - looks good though!

Monday 31 August

Day 168

Had a good sort out and clear up in the back yard - all looking a lot tidier now.

Made lavender and elderflower bramble jams.

Family (distanced!) lunch at the Red Hall. Last day of Eat Out to Help Out.  Some places going to continue a similar scheme as it has been good for business.

Tuesday 1 September

Day 169

Homemade jams are well stocked up now.

... and we have a ripening tomato! Just one 🍅

Schools starting back after 6 months. Seems that children are ok to go back in full classrooms but MPs still distancing in parliament and Boris chaired a distanced meeting 🙄

The furlough scheme changed today and will finish completely at the end of October.

Sharp rise in cv rates in Bolton.

Wednesday 2 September

Day 170

Bolton (second highest rate of cv cases in UK) came out of local lockdown - only to be put back in 12 hours later. Chaos!

Over to Lola's for a distanced picnic in the park. Started well but got cold, windy and rainy so we called it a day. A nice little adventure though and they enjoyed it.

Looks like the schoolies had a good day in Retford.

Thursday 3 September

Day 171

Another try at a park day with Lola and Luca. Weather ok in Bury but cold and drizzly in Waterfoot so we didn't bother.

Delivered a McDonald's to Lola - she was happy with that! - and went home where Luca helped to harvest the green tomatoes.

13 deaths. Total 41,527.

Rawtenstall now has third highest number of cv cases but not back in lockdown though some with less numbers (us!) still in local lockdown.

Friday 4 September

Day 172

Blackberry picking with Lesley. Picked 3.5lbs and Mike picked the same in sloes. Over 34lbs of blackberries picked now.

Huge confusion as very different holiday lockdown rules between England and Scotland and Wales.

Bury figures...

Bolton has highest infection rate in the country.

Saturday 5 September

Day 173

Cakes made for drop in regulars. Did a work shadow 🤣 with Luisa to see her delivery route. Luca drove round in my car and kept waving bye to his mum - very funny.

Family quiz in the evening - theme of hair bows. We won!

Sunday 6 September

Day 174

Another walk and blackberry pick - about 3.5lbs today. 38lbs picked now - we really don't need any more!

Mike also picked over 1lb of elderberries.

Luca in Southport with mum and dad in the sunshine -  and his belated quiz hair ribbon.

Highest number of cv cases in UK since 22 May.

Monday 7 September

Day 175

Cooked Monday club meal.

Hancock said it was youngsters who are driving the figures up.

Greek islands added to the quarantine restrictions list.

Sue's mum in hospital.

Tuesday 8 September

Day 176

Statistics...

Greater Manchester local lockdown rules relaxed allowing indoor places (play areas, casinos etc) to reopen. Still can't meet in houses or gardens though in Bury.

Tighter restrictions for Bolton.

Wednesday 9 September

Day 177

People now being told off for getting tested when they don't have symptoms. Hancock said they shouldn't be going for tests. Well unless you are an MP where it has been mooted that they should be tested daily. 🙄 

Countrywide surge rather than just the hotspots have expedited national changes.

Working from home day for Luca and Miguel.

Vaccine trials halted after a volunteer fell ill.

Had Luca overnight. Practising for baby arrival emergencies.

Thursday 10 September

Day 178

Luca didn't want to go home. Cuppa tea cheers in bed with grandad.

14 deaths. 41,608 total.

Totals doubled in Bolton. 

Bedtime reading.

Diana Rigg died.

Friday 11 September

Day 179

R number above 1 - between 1 and 1.2 - for the first time since March. More areas placed in lockdown.

Ema said numbers are shooting up again at her hospital. Starting to make more hearts.

Sue at a & e with her tooth. Spoke to Alex - her gran deteriorating.

Saturday 12 September

Day 18

Another 4.5lbs of blackberries picked on our walk. 42.5lbs picked now..

Family quiz. No Carol - on holiday. Robin joined us right at the end for the tie break question - which Christie won (on her own, Thomas working!) therefore winning the quiz!