A bit of a rant!

I find myself getting indignant about things. 

Why, for example, have people been putting Remembrance Day pictures of themselves on social media, pictures adorned with poppies and a “Lest we forget” slogan? Poppies and the slogan I can understand but why a picture of yourself in the middle of all that. But then, a number of politicians have used wreath laying as a photo opportunity. Surely they didn’t need to put photos of themselves looking solemn next to a war memorial. It must be something about the “me-me-me!” times we live in. 

Then there are the hundreds of protesters who gathered in the centre of Manchester yesterday to protest about the national lockdown. Some of them even came in a charabanc from Cumbria. I ask you: with the high rate of infection in Manchester at the moment, who goes on a coach trip to stand in close proximity to a load of people, almost certainly not wearing face masks, in the centre of that fair city? If you feel so strongly about it bombard your MP with correspondence to that effect but don’t contribute to the spreading of the virus! Oh, of course, I forgot, those crazy people don’t think we need to worry about that aspect of things! I’m surprised there were only four arrests!

In Italy, I read in a news report the other day, tiny villages, places like Roccafiorita, with 187 inhabitants the smallest village in southern Italy, are scared stiff of coronavirus being detected there. Such places have an ageing population and could be wiped out altogether if the virus struck. Young people have mostly moved away to seek work in bigger places. And so they risk becoming ghost villages or places full of holiday residences. 

Here come some statistics: 

“Of Italy’s 8,000 villages, towns and cities, almost 70% have fewer than 5,000 inhabitants. Two thousand have fewer than 1,000 inhabitants, and in some places the birth of a baby is so rare that the village bells toll to celebrate the news. Dozens of these villages have been declared coronavirus “red zones” – meaning the risk of infection is particularly high and people cannot leave or enter.”

And it’s not just Italy of course. There are many tiny places in Spain that are probably undergoing the same kind of thing. And such work as there is in those places, tourism related naturally, is disappearing this year as we are all restricted in our travels. Oh, boy!

The oldest resident of Roccafiorita, by the way is a gentleman by the name of Salvatore Occhino, born and raised in Roccafiorita. Salvatore Occhino is a living monument in the town, not only because at 93 he is its oldest person, but above all because despite his age, he continues to tend to his fields. It would be nice if he could see the end of the pandemic. “I’m worried,” he said. “If Covid strikes hard, there will be no one left in Roccafiorita. My heart cries out when I think of all the sacrifices we’ve made to keep this village alive. Now we can only place ourselves in the Lord’s hands.”

There are concerns that Coronavirus might be trumping fighting climate change as well. Before all this started, moves were afoot to reduce car use and to encourage people to opt for public transport, thus reducing our carbon footprint. Now, it seems, people are understandably reluctant to use public transport. The car feels,like a nice safe place to travel around in. A little bubble all your own!

Government figures show that in October car use was up to around 90% of pre-pandemic levels, and that’s with many people still working from home. Cycle trips, the government stats say fell significantly below pre-pandemic levels in that month. I can’t say I am surprised as October was such a wet and miserable month. All those who gladly got their bikes out of the shed or garage, or even bought new bikes, when the weather was better and the days were longer would feel little inclination to continue to cycle around and arrive soaking wet at their destination. Only the likes of me continue to do so I suspect. And even I have my limits!

Things got really bad though in the few days prior to Lockdown #2 beginning on Thursday. There was a mini boom in shopping, Christmas shopping (understandable, I suppose, at a pinch!) and stockpiling foodstuffs and household stuff (less understandable as the supermarkets are staying open!), and dining out, of course!

“Meal reservations for Sunday night, the day after Boris Johnson announced England was going back into lockdown, were 11% higher than on the same day in 2019, according to the online reservations hub OpenTable. By Wednesday night bookings were 70% higher, according to the company’s data, which is based on a sample of 20,000 restaurants.” 

Because what more sensible thing can you do when told to stay home and prevent the spread of the virus than dash out and be with crowds of people for one last fling?!?

Okay! I’ve got that off my chest now. 

 

It’s a beautiful day. 

 

The sky is blue again and the sun was shining on the Donkey Line when I went out for a run earlier this morning.

Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone.