March | 2020 | Not Just a Granny

Archive for March, 2020

A Covid party for one

Posted in around the UK, It's my life, walk 1000 miles 2020, tagged Coronavirus, Covid 19, Ramsgate Harbour, sunset, walk 1000 miles on March 22, 2020| 3 Comments »

Last night, sitting in the tiny little room I currently call ‘home’ (no, not really a home; I hate this room but it has a bed and electricity) getting more and more claustrophobic, so took myself out for a sunset walk to the harbour.

Its really weird walking through the deserted streets, most of the shops and stores are shuttered. The wind blowing a gale and rubbish swirled around like drunken dervishes.

Passing other walkers, they hurriedly lift their scarves to their eyes and scurry by…I guess it’s a bit like it was at the height of WW2. Otherworldly and covert….who’s the enemy? Them, me or Covid-19!!

The view of Ramsgate from the harbour arm is always lovely but I didn’t tarry since I was getting blown off my feet. I think I walked back quicker with the wind at my back pushing me along.

Ramsgate from the end or the harbour arm

Looking out to sea….so windy I could barely stand up

On my way I stopped off at Peter’s Fish Shop and bought a box of hot chips and fish gougons, then into ASDA for tartare sauce and a bottle of Gallo Rose. Again, it’s totally weird to see the empty shelves…something we were expecting with Brexit on the horizon, but Covid-19 has knocked that out the water.

Fish gougons and chips, washed down with a good rose and the sultry tones of Kenny Rogers

Back in the room I put on some Kenny Rogers (may he rest in peace) and had a party for one….

Overall I got in just over 3.6kms (slightly over 2 miles), and although I’m not doing as much boots-on walking as 2017 and 2018, the miles are slowly adding up.

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Over 70s stay at home..

Posted in around the UK, family and relationships, tagged Coronavirus, elderly on March 21, 2020| Leave a Comment »

As per Government recommendations, the over 70s should be staying at home and avoiding contact with the general public.

Hah!!

Tell that to any number of oldies out and about. Every time I go out, I see more elderly than youngsters.

Clearly a good time to be out since there’s hardly anyone else on the streets.

My daughter’s mother-in-law, soon to be 80, is totally defying both the government and her family, and goes out every day….even the threat of not being able to see her youngest grandson or death is not acting as a deterrent.

Foolhardy? Or feisty?

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Goodbye my trusted friends….

Posted in around the UK, Camino 2017, Fun Stuff, long distance walks - solo, The Pilgrim's Way; Winchester to Canterbury, walk 1000 miles 2017, walk 1000 miles 2018, walk 1000 miles 2019, walk 1000 miles 2020, tagged walk 1000 miles, walking poles on March 9, 2020| Leave a Comment »

And so it came to pass, the time has come to part ways 😥😥😥 unbelievably I left my trusty companions behind on the Isle of Wight….seriously unbelievable. I walked past them at least 20 times since yesterday’s walk and again on my way out the door today at the start of my journey home. As I sat down on the ferry I suddenly realised I’d forgotten to pack them. Sigh. 🤪🤪 my daughter always tells me I’m unobservant…understatement. what??!!

We’ve travelled well over 3000 miles together in the last 4 years and I feel quite bereft that our parting has come about so abruptly. However, that said, they were wearing out (much like me) and I had planned to buy a new pair next month before completing The Pilgrim’s Way. Perhaps they knew that and decided to hide in the corner and sulk 😂😂😂

So goodbye my trusted friends, we’ve known each other through thick and thin, over hills (too many) and many a dale (mostly at the bottom of the next hill)….you’ve provided support through some tough times, helped me balance across rivers and streams, kept me from falling flat on my face when exhausted, and been there with me every step of the way. We were that close I even named them; Gemini, the twins.

Hmmmm. Actually, now that I’ve just written their obituary….I miss them already and I’ve changed my mind….I had said to the family to drop them off at a charity shop but suddenly that feels rather churlish, so change of plan…I’ll ask them to post them to me. 🤔🤔🙄 You can’t just discard old friends in such a cold-hearted way…..

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Sulphur & White

Posted in around the UK, It's my life, seaside towns of Britain, tagged broadstairs, Dougray Scott, filming in Broadstairs, Sulphur and White on March 9, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Dougray Scott was in Broadstairs!!! How did I not know??? Be still my beating heart 💓💓💓

https://theisleofthanetnews.com/2020/03/06/starring-role-for-broadstairs-in-feature-film-released-in-cinemas-today/

Broadstairs and various other locations on the Isle of Thanet often feature in films and my daughter and I were lucky enough to have seen Maggie Smith during filming of The Lady in the Van a few years ago (when we still lived there).

I spotted the article about the film Sulphur and White in the Thanet News, and I am devastated 😥😥 broken hearted 💔💔 etc etc…..how did I miss this?

Now seriously, I do wish these film companies would give us advance notice of who will be in the area BEFORE filming, not after. For sure I would have rescheduled all my jobs…..😂😂😂

On balance, I’d rather have seen Dougray Scott than Maggie Smith…no offence to Maggie of course, but Dougray would have been pleasing to the eye. Oh well, some you win, some you lose 🤪🤪 I guess I shall have to go see the film.

Not yet too old to have a heart-throb 💓💓💓💘.

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The Isle of Wight take two

Posted in around the UK, seaside towns of Britain, Uncategorized, walk 1000 miles 2020, tagged isle of wight, the solent, walk 1000 miles, winter weather on March 8, 2020| Leave a Comment »

I’m just coming to the end of my 2nd stay on the Isle of Wight, and I can confirm that the north west of the island is not as dramatic or pretty as the north east side. Okay so it has Cowes, which as a town is quite pretty, but the coastal walk is a bit boring between West Cowes and Gurnard, which is where I am located.

Some of the houses in Cowes The weather has been wet wet wet and I haven’t managed very many walks, as well as which, with age, I seem to be less enthusiastic about walking in the rain than I used to be 🤔🤔🙄🙄

Besides West Cowes, there really is bugger all to see except the sea, and I saw a lot of that, along with dozens of craft, of all shapes and sizes. The Solent is a very stretch busy of waterway and you can see boats from small rowing boats up to humongous tankers heading for Southampton.

Dramatic clouds. I got back to the house just before the rain came down

Across the water are the chimneys of what looks like a refinery….really unattractive….whereas from the Ryde side 😉 you can at least see the Spinnaker in Portsmouth.

So yeah, uggy weather aside, its been a tough assignment that I have not enjoyed one little bit and not much walking to compensate. On my first day on the island I walked all the way into West Cowes, and on other days I walked to the bouy on Egyptian Esplanade However, I did get in a lot of sleep and read about 4 books….all by Mary Wesley; light, easy reading. Mind you I’m chomping at the bit for a good nail-biting thriller. Next week maybe while on holiday in Sidmouth….or perhaps not since we have about 4 road trips planned.

One really interesting thing I did find is this house….imagine if she’d said no!! Or they hadn’t met at all.

Awesome history..imagine if they hadn’t met!!

I managed to get out for a quick walk this evening at sunset….hoorah.

Now that the coronavirus has reached the Isle of Wight, I’m grateful to be leaving tomorrow before the authorities shut down anything except essential travel. I could not imagine anything worse than being confined to the island.

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Manufacturing in Britain

Posted in around the UK, news from around the world, tagged Brexit, British manufacturing, Coronavirus on March 3, 2020| Leave a Comment »

The Brexit campaign promised that Britain could survive and thrive without the EU, that we could manufacture and produce what we needed.

Now that the coronavirus has raised its ugly head, suddenly supplies from chin are starting to dry up.

What now then Brexiteers? Will our Brexit PM encourage and provide the means for British manufacturing to kick in and start making items that we import from China?

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Flick the switch

Posted in idiot category, memories of days gone by, tagged baby boomers, getting older on March 3, 2020| Leave a Comment »

One of the most irksome aspects of getting ‘older’ is….you get forgetful ..like forgetting a word you know you know, but…it sits on your tongue and when you no longer need it, it pops into your head. 🤪🤪🤪 How often do you say “where are my keys, or phone? – usually it’s in your hand 😂😂😂 or going into a room and forgetting why you’re there. Annoying, to put it mildly.

But one of the things that annoys me the most……I forget to flick the switch. My phone battery usually lasts much the whole day depending on my activity. But now and then I have to charge it up to last till bedtime. So I plug it in and carry on with my day. A few hours later I go to unplug it and continue my use. Except….

Except when I look at the battery it hasn’t charged. I curse the phone; bloody rubbish they make these days….and then I realise 🙄🙄🙄 I forgot to flick the switch. Urgh

How often does that happen to you?

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