anotherbanana

This memory comes from a few years ago when weekly strikes of one day seemed the norm. But we are at that time of year again. Hatred of Sundays contradicted Normally I hate Sundays with a passion but not this year. Sunday round here is usually like the grave, depressing, still, silent. Apart from the hunters’ guns which crack occasionally somewhere in the distance or too close. Even cars seem not to move, as if some Higher Power flattened their batteries by divine Prote- or Catho- laying on of hands, for 24 hours. The only real sound is the neighbour going down to the village to fetch bread on his trial bike which he never uses at any other time. And if you go out you almost feel you're breaking some unwritten Shabbat law about doing stuff on a Sunday. People seem to look you a bit oddly, a cold judgemental stare. What people do with the day is unclear. No one seems to go out, garden, do anything, though occasionally odd strolling groups can be spotted round the lake or wandering gently along the nature paths, rather like those flocks of fat geese that crash land here for a few days on the way somewhere else and stumble round the fields feeding and flapping their wings, just being social, catching up with the feathery news. My theory is that the locals get up late, eat lunch, then snooze all afternoon, get up, eat, watch the film on TV then go to bed. Without speaking. But this year is definitely different. I positively prayed for Sunday, couldn't wait for the silence to fall. Which is partly the fault of the strikers (it doesn’t matter which as someone is always on strike here!) and partly the fault of the calendar as the day, the great day fell on a Friday, thus between the strike day, Thursday, and Saturday. No, not the first day of Spring, welcome though it was, but another much more significant day, always marked in the community as a day of rictual and effort and noise. It was, of course, as everyone knows, Grasscut Day, that great annual rictual of the First Cut, when every mower for miles around is dragged out, kicked, fuelled and started, hopefully. Then the man of the house pushes it round every inch of the green sward, smoking, protesting, striking stones, killing any live creature in its way. And woebetide any mower that fails to start for it is sworn at, kicked again, disassembled, and more often than not, replaced by the latest FI lookalike. All that sir needs is a helmet. And sir, rolls of flat wobbling from winter indulgence when the teashirt shrunk by at least one size, jeans too low and unbuttoned, hunter's boots shiny clean, sir waddles round getting sweatier and sweatier, swearing because the grassbox clogs up, sticks his hand in to clear it and collects a dry dog turd. Madame usually bends herself over a flowerbed and pfaffs around, her even larger derrière stuck up in the air, revealing the top of a string, and sickly pink, mottled, winter flesh. But this year, the fest lasted not one day, which is quite acceptable, but three; on the first day, the strikers (plus skivers) cut their grass, on the second, the 35 hour weekers and the laid off and finally, on Saturday, those who really work a full week, which means workers in the private sector or those who work for themselves. Which meant three days of a minimum of eight mowers at a time, all day, even unto dusk, shattering the peace, stinking out the place, in a cacophony of a Briggs and Stratton symphony. Unfortunately, this hell coincided with two other days of note; Brushcutter Day and Chopitalldown Day, each with their stinking high pitched motors, competing to add a new section to the mower orchestra. We, the dogs, and I, took refuge at the beach, with a substantial picnic. And prayed for Sunday.

France has been giving it to the 75s and over plus those in homes and certain high risk groups and medical workers.

Dont push it albf. I have met Chancer. He is a decent guy, so no personal attacks svp. No comments abouts pots and kettles anyone!??

Ken, some of the threads are very old. Better to start a new discussion in many cases or check the dates before replying.

Not noticed any shortages here apart from at the beginning of the first shutdown and then only for a short time. My village mayor had the brilliant idea of starting a small market for the village and those around. Brilliant, can get all the basics weekly and have a chat with loads of folk. But back home and shut down by 1800hrs.

For ipad, impregnated glasses cleaners, often several. The screen has a clear cover so it doesnt get scratched, unlike my glasses.

Are you alleging that Nimt is really Tinkabelle???‍♀️

Nothing extra to pay but it was an item under £20 all, properly declared etc.

That, nomoss, is a first for ALBF, I suspect. Better not flatter him or he will become the soul of reason!

Noisette, to reply, minimal potager largely grow beans and pumpkin type things but good fruit bushes; the freezer is groaning with raspberries and gooseberries. A few apples but the trees are only two or so years old so, hopefully, more to come. All types of flowers, particularly dahlias but I lift them late autumn. Wallflowers, roses, sweetpeas do exceptionally well. The soil here is very rich, as the moles have found, because the previous owners but one ran it as a small holding and self sufficiency plot. The biggest problem is drought in the summer. I have five good sized waterbutts but they are never enough. Thinking of pumping from the nearest stream. This winter has done damage as the ground was frozen hard quite deeply so we shall see what has survived. I am worried about pot plants of which I have far too many and loads of heucheras, largely as border plants. They all look very sad now but I shall start singing to them soon which will frighten them into growing!

Sounds like your Valentine came up Trumps! Winter blues over?

Lori, is youse a Southern gal?

Two articles, one a small package from Amazon UK the other home packed magazines( from UK) posted on the 13th Feb. in the letter box this morning. Whereas another Amazon package, identical in size to the UK one ordered on the same day, at the same time, from Amazon Germany has yet to arrive. Looks as if some things are getting back to normal.

Dont you believe it, Nimty; if they can find a reason to go slow, muck up, prevaricate they will.!?

Yes, but what is needed is a vaccine that evolves with the changing threat, which is single dose and easy to administer and cheap. It will come. Plus vigilance against other sources of these bugs.

Coz yew iz richhhhh, filfy reeech!?

Let's keep it cool guys and gels, svp.

Half a loaf for everyone is better than a full loaf for the few?

It seems (if you believe the Connexion) that the Astra Zeneca vaccine jabs will be available through pharmacies later this week for the 65s and under. Will you be having it? Which leaves many of us stuffed (between 65 and 75) with neither vaccine being available for us. If I could pop to Dover or Folkestone I would try to get it done there but it aint possible, damn it.

Well, some hospitals are well beyond full so we shall see. If they could up the vaccination rate and confine while it is done it would maybe satisfy folk but it wpuld put huge pressure on the ststem to get the job done.

Difficult to say, ALBF. I suspect the city dwelling middle classes might see the advantage of staying in but rural dwellers might not. Plus the disaffected NF voters, of course. What does your extended and apparently very grumpy French family feel?

Given the current mood in France and the unpopularity of Macron I was wondering if the Right of Rights will put Frexit on the table at the next Presidential election next year? It might garner quite a few votes as things stand.

Hang on ducky, the British Govt paid for the research at Oxford, costs to be recuperated by lower purchase costs so not blackmailed by the drug company. And if UK paid more for Pfizer it is because the quantity needed is much much lower than the EU, so the cost is higher. As to only giving one dose to everyone and delaying the second, look at the numbers falling,compared to EU countries. It is like using MASH units in wartime, best to get some treatment as close to the front line then sending the wounded to a real hospital. It saves lives. So, Guardian, be ashamed.

Everything I ordered before Xmas got here in good time. Since then, we shall see as I ordered something from the UK the other day.

Why do people do it??