I’m a bit cold today as I write this. Despite it almost being April, it’s only about 6 degrees C outside (42F) and I am a bit nippy especially as the windows have been ajar since 7am to let some fresh air in and I generally only have the house heated to about 17 degrees or 54F.
It’s a bit colder than usual today as part of the works my new house is undergoing is to have the old fireplace restored and work is paused at its most inconvenient stage allowing cold to flood in. I kind of like it in the evening though as when there is a gentle breeze a sound comes down the chimney that sounds like a sleeping dragon.
One of the things people are meant to be doing during Social Distancing and Self-Isolation is communicating in other ways. I’m sure it was meant to be emails and videos, WordPress blogs!! etc but the one that piqued my interest today was that of little 7 year old Josephine from a small place called Stubbington in Hampshire. She wrote to the Prime Minister Boris Johnson understandably a bit sad and distressed as she has twice had to cancel her 7th birthday party and wondering what could be done to stop people from dying and to look after the hospitals.
Mr Johnson sent her back a hand written note, telling her she was “setting a great example.” It’s quite cute really even if it was mostly done for PR purposes, the principle of being able to directly lobby and meet your politicians is incredibly important in the U.K. and cherished. Even American politicians I have taken on tours have admitted there isn’t the same direct and easy access where they live.
I’m pretty ok with Boris, a little mad as he might be despite his government currently on a course to bankrupt me. I know it can’t be easy unexpectedly having to try and save millions of lives and many more livelihoods. A lot of people who didn’t vote for him at the last election or for other big issues often cast him to be authoritarian but whatever else, it seems clear he is trying his best to not to rush in to draconian measures like other places and to offer unprecedented financial support to much of society. I myself would have actually acted like China did in Wuhan at the first outbreak and immediately stop all flights and travel… but then thats my Taliban tendencies coming to the fore plus if I get the virus I might die. However there is more to think about than just myself!
The letter seems very Boris, high energy with exclamation marks and a bit of education showing through with a colon! In the far distant past I wrote about Calligraphy: The Art of writing or why I bought a Fountain Pen , it’s nice to see the Prime Minister is also into writing by hand. Never mind its the closest thing we’ve seen to the end of the world. at least our leader follows the When two (spaces) are better than one rule!
Keep in touch with comments or letters 🙂
Stephen Liddell 
Boris is considered mad by Italians because of his ‘herd immunisation’ theory. In Italy only one person is allowed in a supermarket at any one time on pain of fine or three months imprisonment. I have heard from friends that supermarkets in the UK are still full of people and that number of items are still not limited per person. That’s the difference in the legislation of two very different prime ministers. Let’s see what happens in the UK in the next two weeks.
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And this is why I ‘hate’ people and supermarkets lol. In reality though I do need to eat, I have no family, I have just moved to a new place and the population density of somewhere like Watford is even higher than many parts of London. I’ve heard in other places, things are relatively calm and sensible and London itself is relatively deserted. A law has been issued in preparation that people could face £1,000 fines etc for going out unnecessarily. I’m not sure why but there seems in the media to be some sort of race between Italy and the UK as opposed to any other Euro nations even though the French and Spanish are currently suffering badly and the first UK confirmed case was only 1 day after the first Italian. On a brighter note, I hope you’re enjoying Sri Lanka! My friend at SOAS was the daughter of the then Foreign Minister of the country and I had a long-standing free of all costs invite to Kandy which sadly I was never able to take up. I know its beautiful and I hope the temperature keeps the virus away. I’ve been reading that the UK is in the perfect zone for a high mortality rate as the virus seems to be most deadly within a band of temperature and humidity which most places above Cornwall and below Edinburgh fall into. I will just try to stay out of trouble and hope I am both alive and not bankrupt at the end of it!
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I think you said schools are still open there! They all are closed here! I read one doctor said since children aren’t as susceptible to getting corona, they should still go to school rather than being home with parents and maybe around other adults such as older grandparents who may get the virus! I kind of agree with that!! I think I like Boris!!
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Schools just closed generally on Friday for Easter and many will remain closed. Boris thinks though that if all the schools close then parents of children who work as doctors and nurses and delivery truck drivers will also have to stay at home so he has started a policy of keyworkers whose children go to school so that the rest of the vital parts of society can continue. It makes sense to me given the situation this very day.
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UK does seem to be going against the general tide by not CLAMPING DOWN. I guess time will tell which was the more effective strategy.
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Yes, if it were me I would have clamped down immediately and no allow anyone in who had been to China… and then not allow anyone in from any other nation who had it, Italy, Iran or wherever. The schools in my village actually went on skiing trips to Italy during the February week holiday which seemed crazy to me then even though the schools and parents were ok and indeed the Italians. I guess it is natural if one is prone to a disease to be more cautious than everyone else. But it might have resulted in 2 weeks of chaos and a handful of deaths rather than 6 months or chaos and countless deaths.
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