It looks like I’ll be having a surprise holiday by the end of the week, as the Blonde Buffoon has just announced a month of lockdown. It gives a whole new lease of life to words like vacillating, wobble and dithering, which will surely be in great demand over the next few days.
I hadn’t actually expected this, as the government hasn’t shown much inclination to take action or spend money on keeping us safe. It probably won’t be as much fun as the first lot as it’s winter, but I do have an adequate supply of pasta and toilet paper this time. The slide from Level 2 to Level 3 to Level 3+ to lockdown has not taken long. It’s also, as far as I can see, been accompanied by no recognisable plan
Julia is unlikely to be closed down this time, but at least she won’t need to use public transport because I will be available for taxi duties. It’s a small gesture, but as mask-wearing is poorly enforced on both the trams and buses, it’s quite a useful thing to do. Whether it’s up there with buying jewellery and cooking steak as a romantic gesture is debatable, but in these peculiar times you do what you can.
This is one of those posts that seems to drag on forever as I struggle to find inspiration. A month cooped up on my own at home in November is not going to be as much fun as three months of summer with my beloved. However, it will give me time to declutter.
On with the dance! Let Joy be unconfined, as Byron put it. He was, of course, a Nottinghamshire man, and probably the second best poet from the county. Modesty prevents me mentioning who is the best…
Expect a raft of exemptions from the lockdown as the special interests get Cumming’s ear.
Was the best Nottingham poet Robert Millhouse, poet, stocking weaver and bank clerk perchance or did you have someone different in mind?
To be honest, I had to Google him, having spent the last 30 years in ignorance. Thank you for opening my eyes to that.
I was, of course, referring to Philip Callow, who was Nottingham based for some of his career. (I am, of course biased, as he was Julia’s uncle).
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/c/philip-callow/
I had to follow your link to correct my ignorance of the great man. He had a considerable output.
He was part of a documentary on Radio 4 once – he was well regarded by his peers but none of the novels made money. It was only when he started writing the biographies that he made money from writing.
Let joy be unconfined….
🙂 Oh yes, indeed!
May we all adapt and survive
I hope it doesn’t last long. I’m in one of the states that hasn’t gone completely COVID, but the numbers are trending upward. Just can’t wait for the election…
I had read you were going into lockdown. As Lavinia mentioned, it probably won’t be long before many places are going into lockdown here. And for a poet, a lockdown presents many opportunities.
All things are opportunities if you keep your eyes and mind open. In a way I’m looking forward to it, though we will probably keep eBay going this time.
I don’t think we are far from some sort of lockdown here. These are strange and interesting times. You are right, it is a good time to declutter.
It’s an even better time to live in a bubble on a remote tropical island. 🙂
Lockdown is an inexact solution to the problem, but hopefully will hold Covid at bay until we get a vaccine.