Thursday 2nd April 2020

 

 

Wednesday 1st April 2020

The number of coronavirus patients who have died in UK hospitals has reached 2,352 , in the biggest daily rise since the outbreak began.

 

Tuesday 31st March 2020

And Dream Of Sheep

Kate Bush

Little light shining,
Little light will guide them to me.
My face is all lit up,
My face is all lit up.
If they find me racing white horses,
They’ll not take me for a buoy.

Let me be weak,
Let me sleep
And dream of sheep.

“Attention shipping information in sea areas…Bell Rock, Tiree,
Cromaty, gale east…Malin, Sellafield…”

“Come here with me now.”

Oh, I’ll wake up
To any sound of engines,
Ev’ry gull a seeking craft.
I can’t keep my eyes open–
Wish I had my radio.

I tune in to some friendly voices
Talking ’bout stupid things.
I can’t be left to my imagination.

Let me be weak,
Let me sleep
And dream of sheep.

Ooh, their breath is warm
And they smell like sleep,
And they say they take me home.
Like poppies heavy with seed
They take me deeper and deeper.

Fixing A Hole

The Beatles

I’m fixing a hole where the rain gets in
And stops my mind from wandering
Where it will go

I’m filling the cracks that ran through the door
And kept my mind from wandering
Where it will go

And it really doesn’t matter if
I’m wrong I’m right
Where I belong I’m right
Where I belong
See the people standing there
Who disagree and never win
And wonder why they don’t get in my door

I’m painting my room in the colourful way
And when my mind is wandering
There I will go
Ooh ooh ooh ah ah
Hey, hey, hey, hey

And it really doesn’t matter if
I’m wrong I’m right
Where I belong I’m right
Where I belong
Silly people run around
They worry me and never ask me
Why they don’t get past my door

I’m taking the time for a number of things
That weren’t important yesterday
And I still go
Ooh ooh ooh ah ah

I’m fixing a hole where the rain gets in
Stops my mind from wandering
Where it will go oh
Where it will go oh

I’m fixing a hole where the rain gets in
And stops my mind from wandering
Where it will go

 

Monday 30th March 2020

 

Sunday 29th March 2020

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has written to the UK to outline the government’s current plan for the containment of coronavirus and the measures that the public can take to stay safe.

I am writing to you to update you on the steps we are taking to combat coronavirus.

In just a few short weeks, everyday life in this country has changed dramatically. We all feel the profound impact of coronavirus not just on ourselves, but on our loved ones and our communities.

I understand completely the difficulties this disruption has caused to your lives, businesses and jobs. But the action we have taken is absolutely necessary, for one very simple reason.

If too many people become seriously unwell at one time, the NHS will be unable to cope. This will cost lives. We must slow the spread of the disease, and reduce the number of people needing hospital treatment in order to save as many lives as possible.

That is why we are giving one simple instruction – you must stay at home.

You should not meet friends or relatives who do not live in your home. You may only leave your home for very limited purposes, such as buying food and medicine, exercising once a day and seeking medical attention. You can travel to and from work but should work from home if you can.

When you do have to leave your home, you should ensure, wherever possible, that you are two metres apart from anyone outside of your household.

These rules must be observed. So, if people break the rules, the police will issue fines and disperse gatherings.

I know many of you will be deeply worried about the financial impact on you and your family. The Government will do whatever it takes to help you make ends meet and put food on the table.

The enclosed leaflet sets out more detail about the support available and the rules you need to follow. You can also find the latest advice at gov.uk/coronavirus

From the start, we have sought to put in the right measures at the right time. We will not hesitate to go further if that is what the scientific and medical advice tells us we must do.

It’s important for me to level with you – we know things will get worse before they get better. But we are making the right preparations, and the more we all follow the rules, the fewer lives will be lost and the sooner life can return to normal.

I want to thank everyone who is working flat out to beat the virus, in particular the staff in our fantastic NHS and care sector across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It has been truly inspirational to see our doctors, nurses and other carers rise magnificently to the needs of the hour.

Thousands of retired doctors and nurses are returning to the NHS – and hundreds of thousands of citizens are volunteering to help the most vulnerable. It is with that great British spirit that we will beat coronavirus and we will beat it together.

That is why, at this moment of national emergency, I urge you, please, to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.

Boris Johnson

 

Saturday 28th March 2020

fossils fell off!

British Summer Time

The heady days of spring,  an illusion of summer
Cloudless skies, a sway of yellow daffodils
This feeling of normality all too soon came to an end
Something had changed. An aberrant situation was now here
Those days of sunlight
Those false fleeting, cruel and teasing days had disappeared
The cold north wind brought a sober feeling of emptiness
What had appeared as a list of numbers?
A list of don’t do’s
A kind of misinformation
A game of hide and hide some more
A simple truth took hold
This is really happening
The approaching summer brought a chill to me
The machines droned on and on and on
News broadcasts showed me that the world beyond my shed
Was no longer a place to go?
For real now it played a real hand
So very strange
To know it’s real
So very strange
People say it’s like a movie
It’s like a nightmare
I’m not sure when we will wake up from this
It became real today for me
10,000 dead in Italy
20,000 dead if we are lucky here
What the hell just happened?
What the hell just happened?
Dreams take on a weird reality
And reality takes on the weirdness of a dream
When you awake tomorrow one hour ahead
Hold on to those thoughts our John
It will still be happening
You are in it
You are a part of this
It’s not a silly dream
It’s not a dream
It’s not if only it was

J Bish 28th March 2020

Mother what’ll I do now

George Formby 

Mother you give good advice
Always you mean well
Now I need it more than ever
I’m inside this cell

I’m behind a prison wall
The bed’s so hard and much too small
There’s no pyjamas here at all
Oh, Mother what’ll I do now

They told me they would treat me swell
Tucked inside my little cell
But up to now it’s been like h…!
Mother what’ll I do now

We’re parted from each other
And that’s too bad
You’re my favourite Mother
Oh, the best I ever had

Tonight I’ve got a date, you see
But they won’t let me have a key
And the warder’s won’t wait up for me
Oh, Mother what’ll I do now

It’s hard to pass the time away
I’m in a dangerous mood, I say
I’ve smoked two cigarettes today
Oh, Mother what’ll I do now

First I stand and then I sit
Then I sit and stand a bit
But I can’t stand much more of it
Oh, Mother what’ll I do now

We’re parted from each other
And that’s too bad
You’re my favourite Mother
Oh, the best I ever had

I got such an awful shock
I asked the time, for there’s no clock
And the warder said, “Six months Old Cock”
Oh, Mother what’ll I do now

I ordered lunch from soup to sweet
But they forgot the fish and meat
And since the soup there’s nowt to eat
Oh, Mother what’ll I do now

I’ve had such a tummy ache
All night long I’ve been awake
Some castor oil they made me take
Oh, Mother what’ll I do now

We’re parted from each other
And that’s too bad
You’re my favourite Mother
Oh, the best I ever had

I’ve played Peter-fly-away-Paul
I’ve played tiddlywinks and all
I’ve written rude words upon the wall
Oh, Mother what’ll I do now

Friday 27th March 2020

Gone Fishing

Chris Rea

I’m going fishing
I got me a line
Nothin’ I do’s gonna’ make the difference
So I’m taking the time

And you ain’t never gonna’ be happy
Anyhow, anyway
So I’m going fishing
And I’m going today

I’m going fishing
Sounds crasy I know
I know nothing about fishing
But just watch me go

And when my time has come
I will look back and see
Peace on the shoreline
That could have been me

You can waste whole lifetime
Trying to be
What you think is expected of you
But you’ll never be free

May as well go fishing