For Christmas I was given a pile of books and a hot water bottle with a cover depicting Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Exactly what you need for a winter lockdown.
One of those books is by the brilliant Sandi Toksvig and is called “Toksvig’s Almanac – an eclectic meander through the historical year”. I’m going to enjoy that one and it has given me an idea for my blog. Why don’t I, once every month, sum up the world as I see it from our house in rural Warwickshire? I’m starting with a piece for January 2021. Here goes.
The UK has just experienced its highest daily death rate from Covid-19 since the pestilence began. Some hospitals are approaching full capacity and our doctors and nurses are exhausted so I’m taking the opportunity to say “Thank you Thank you! Thank you!” to them and all the keyworkers who keep us afloat. “Please keep going. We love you and need you. In my head I’m still banging my saucepan in the street as we did when all of this started”.
At the turn of the year Jingoistic Johnson jumped for joy when his team managed to finalise trade negotiations with the EU a year after leaving Europe. Ridiculous Rees-Mogg told the House that our fish are happier now because they are once again British fish. I would ask him to tell that to the people of the fishing communities of Scotland and Cornwall because I don’t think they are as happy as his anthropomorphic fish.In the US a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building and blood was shed. We watched as one of the greatest democracies in the world began to look like a third world country trying to install a tyrant. Nancy Pelosi, close to tears, signed an article of impeachment, for the second time.
This is not a good start to 2021 so I would like to turn now to the business of trying to cheer ourselves up a bit and alleviate the drastic doom and gut-wrenching gloom. I’ve got all those books to get through which is good but with theatres and cinemas firmly closed we need visual entertainment as well. Like many people worldwide we have turned more frequently to the TV and the computer to keep us sane, informed and entertained.
At this house we haven’t turned yet to the boxed sets on the shelves because we’ve been making good use of BBC i-Player and ITV Hub and I am going to recommend two series that we have watched recently.In “The Planets” Brian Cox takes you out of this world on a journey through the solar system to learn more than we ever knew before about our nearest neighbours in space. He uses awesome graphics as well as photography to take you up close and personal. You almost feel that you could touch the surfaces of those strange and wonderful worlds. His measured commentary gives you time to take it all in while his obvious excitement and enthusiasm never take him over the top.
My second pick is “Gone Fishing” in which the lovable and delightfully wacky Bob Mortimer is learning how to fish with his experienced friend, the cool, pitch-perfect Paul Whitehouse. For me, this programme replaces the much loved “Last of the Summer Wine” with its eccentric humour and lovable characters who wander through some of the loveliest countryside in England. “Gone Fishing” also showcases some of the most beautiful fishing venues in Scotland and Wales.
Here’s hoping that all those places that we love and all those activities that keep us sane will be accessible again before long!
