CHRISTMAS ELEVENSES

Christmas morning 2020. Very quiet. No frost but extremely cold north wind when I took the dog for her morning walk at about 8.00am.

No visitors either that day to cater for, so no traditional lunch for us to worry about. Mrs Avus was cosily ensconced in an armchair engrossed in a crossword (what's new) so I decided on a Christmas morning bike ride.

The temperature meant that I did not intend to go far and since no cafes are open I decided on a route that would bring me home in about two hours with an elevenses break halfway. That would mean somewhere to sit off the bike and that would mean looking for a churchyard on the route. They are usually equipped with a seat somewhere for weary pilgrims.

An ebike means that I am still able to continue cycling, thank God, at 82, post stroke. However I don't manage to work up any body heat since the electric genie does most of the work. However the fact that my arthritic legs revolve on the pedals helps to keep them from seizing them up! But with the temperature at 5C and the chill north wind it was going to seem like below freezing.

So layers of clothing were needed. A Damart thermolactyl long sleeve vest (top grade 5), heavy shirt, fleece sweat shirt and then a Corrine Dennis waterproof/windproof cycling jacket (in fluorescent yellow - I like to be seen). Legs were taken care of with knee length merino wool socks and full length woollen legwarmers, topped with a pair of Hebden Cord traditional cycling trousers, a make long gone. (the fact that these I have worn for 20 years and are only the third pair in my 65 years cycling shows why the firm went under. They are too well made and Lycra, which I abhor, has taken over).

I put on a silk balaclava under my cycling helmet, donned a pair of golfing mitts and was ready to go.

By golly it was cold, but the northerly was behind me and I reached Bilsington church for elevenses, a mince pie and whiskey laced coffee.

Here is the view in the opposite direction the close up blur is because with cold fingers I couldn't be bothered to go for a larger "f stop"! I think it was colder sitting there than actually riding along.

So it was a case of finishing off the flask of coffee then back on the bike to dive down the escarpment and circulate a bit of Romney Marsh before heading for home. Into that north wind,

Only about 13 miles home but even with all those layers I felt close to hypothermia when I got there! My feet were like solid blocks.

GOOD WISHES TO ALL OF YOU

A Christmas Card to wish all my fellow bloggers good health and happiness over this curious Christmas and for 2021 which I hope will be better for us all.

It is by one of my favourite artists, Anna Dillon and depicts Whitefield Hill, Wiltshire in February. I suppose she could claim copyright, but it is a good introduction to her work if you don't know of her.

2020 has been a poor year for Mrs Avus and me. My heart attack in June led to me being infected by Covid whilst in hospital, which I then gave to her as well. Soon after we emerged from that (fortunately mild) she turned yellow and stopped eating and was eventually diagnosed with a small tumour on her pancreas.This was successfully removed by a "Whipple Procedure" .

But I expect you all have encountered enough doom and gloom this year. So who would have thought that our best, joint Christmas present  was a phone call from our doctor inviting us two 82 year olds in for the first of the two anti-covid jabs tomorrow. Hurrah! Grey skies clear and angels sing Noël!

Try to keep safe and well, folks.

 

ODE AN DIE FREUDE

Fellow blogger RR caused me to recall a beloved  school master who taught us German and music. 

Sadly he died before his time, many years ago, but  THIS is to his memory

It brings chills to the spine and tears to the eyes. Well done Ludwig! (and Schiller, of course)

LAST OF A LONG LINE

 Over some 63 years I have owned various motorcycles (56 actually) some together, others singly. As life has gone by I have adapted. My first, a small BSA Bantam 150cc, I bought from necessity when doing my National Service to get to and from the army camp. It was the start of a lifelong involvement with and enjoyment in motorcycles of all kinds. you can see most of the story in a previous blog post.

Now I am 81 and neuropathy in my left leg/foot (result of a stroke about 5 years ago) has made it increasingly difficult and painful to operate the left foot gear change on a conventional bike. "Why not get an older machine with a right foot gearchange ?" you ask. Well, that would mean no electric starter and I cannot contemplate jumping up and down on a kick start any more!

I have had a number of "twist and go" automatic scooters (a shame that no motorcycles are made that way) that require no input from the feet at all. It has not been a good year for me (heart attack and hospital-acquired Covid whilst being treated) so I thought about a little treat. 

I already had such a "twist and go" (see a couple of posts back). But it was made in 2011 and had no prop stand so I needed to get off, balance on one foot and lift the scooter onto its centre stand - not easy with a dicky left leg. I tried fitting an after market prop, but to no avail. So I decided to get Honda's latest model SH125 with its updated engine and a prop stand which I could just kick down as I came to a halt. I specified all the bells and whistles - screen, hand guards and heated handlebar grips (I have poor hand circulation so these last will be useful in winter). I did consider the more powerful and faster 300cc model, but the sort of riding I do these days on country main roads and lanes and no motorways did not warrant the extra expense and weight as this 125cc can maintain an easy 60 mph if necessary and only weighs 135 kgs.

The lot came to a trifle under £4000, but the dealer, eager for sales after lockdown, allowed me £1000 on my old one. Being new it comes with a full Honda 2 year warranty, which will probably last me with it until I eventually have to give up motorcycling for good. Then I shall sell it for a good price as a recent model with a very low mileage.

So, my 57th "motorcycle" and last of the line. I would it was still my old BMW 1000cc, but one has to make necessary adjustments for age and health if one needs to keep the glass half full.

(And I will still have and enjoy riding my pedal ebike)

OUT CYCLING ONCE MORE

As mentioned in my previous post I had a heart attack and contracted Covid-19 in hospital whilst being treated. Consequently June 2020 is practically a lost month to me and my poor wife who was infected by me on return home. So we only really surfaced again in July.

July was a month of careful rehabilitation - Covid, even mildly as ours, takes in out of you. But August has seen me out and about on the ebike once more, although some days were far too hot for cycling.

So a cheery photo of an exceptional encounter whilst cycling alongside one of the many dykes on Romney Marsh. Mum and Dad Swan leading a flight of eight cygnets whom they have successfully preserved from the predations of Marsh foxes.

Truly a"resurgam" moment both for them and my spirits!

LIFE'S LITTLE PROBLEMS....

About three weeks ago I had a heart attack. I had been feeling a bit uncomfortable but decided, as usual that a ride out on the ebike would take me through it. It didn't. Towards the end of the ride I wondered if I would make it home, with left shoulder pain, running up into left cheek and jaw. But I got there, slung the bike in the garage and went in to flop out in a chair for the rest of the day.

Next morning I emailed my GP who told me he was writing a letter for me to take to A&E and my wife should drive me there. On arrival I was immediately tested for Covid-19 and admitted to the cardiac unit for an Angiogram next day. This was performed and a stent fitted as part of the procedure and I was discharged next day. Job done.

However, I had further symptoms so got readmitted three days later - again tested for Covid. But the next day I was in isolation since I was now Covid positive! I had been nowhere since the previous hospital visit so presumably I caught "it" during that first stay. Then I was sent home again where, of course, I infected my wife.

So we were now both in self isolation (what's new - we have been religiously self isolating since a month before lockdown began),  Not a happy situation with me recovering from the heart attack and my poor wife going down with the plague too. But we have shared lives for over 60 years - and illnesses, so another step along the road together.

Fortunately the Covid was not a serious infection and did not go "respiratory" - just as well since my wife has a very poor immune system due to rheumatoid arthritis drugs.

We are slowly resurfacing, but riding a bike, even the "e" variety is out at present. I miss it - so does my skeleton which is seizing up from lack of use - even the dog is missing her short walks.

RETREAT AND INVASION

Dunkirk and the subsequent D Day invasions of WW II have been in the news just recently. But little has been mentioned of our great naval planner for both these events - the rout of the British army and then the triumphant allied invasion that led to victory.

He was Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsey KCB KCE who served in WW I and was recalled from retirement at the outbreak of war in 1939. His statue stands overlooking the cliffs at Dover Castle where he planned and executed both Operation Dynamo (the Dunkirk evacuation) and Operation Overlord (the D Day invasions) from the operation rooms deep below in the cliff tunnels.

Underneath this  verse appears

A great man, highly intelligent and self effacing. One of  our little known commanders. A separate display explains his part in it all

And is followed by this verse of Masefield's

Today's problems are put into perspective. We could use his skills now.

JOURNAL OF THE PLAGUE YEAR (3)

In my wanderings around the Fifth Quarter of the World - "The World, according to the best geographers, is divided into Europe, Asia, Africa, America and Romney Marsh" (Rev. Richard Barham) I tend to avoid the coast around Dymchurch during the holiday period, from Easter until late August. This is because the little town, or large village, is the magnet for daily  and seasonal holidaymakers. The first because it is so accessible from the towns of East Kent and the second because there is a number of large residential caravan parks in the vicinity.

However, during this Easter week I decided to cycle the 15 miles down to it to see how the "lockdown" was affecting it.

The lanes I cycled on the way were absolutely deserted by the usual traffic, making my journey pleasantly quiet and brought back memories of my early cycling days in the 1950s. But, on reaching Dymchurch I found it a ghost town, with all shops closed and shuttered and very little traffic in a High Street, which at this time of year, is usually quite difficult to cross.

Of course my usual cafe was amongst all those closures, but I had allowed for this and packed a raspberry jam sandwich and banana (the ultimate in naturally self-packaged cycling snacks) along with a flask of coffee, laced, as usual, with whiskey.

I rode up onto the sea wall to sit and eat my elevenses and viewed the sands which in Easter week would normally be teeming with holidaymakers. I could just make out one man and his dog.

 The sea wall is usually a favourite promenade, but this year, no one

Quite eery, really. I felt alone in a deserted world and it is not something I would ever wish for again, in spite of being a solitary and natural avoider of noisy crowds.

Coronavirus USA..............

I see the current deaths from Coronavirus in USA at running at about 30,000...................

JOURNAL OF THE PLAGUE YEAR (2) The kindness of neighbours

We live in a large close of 48 houses, subdivided into a number of smaller, five house closes.Being on the entrance corner we have a good view of all that passes in and out.

A number of inhabitants, us included, are old and retired, some are widows/widowers. 

We have tended to nucleate with neighbours immediately surrounding us and our neighbour on the opposite side of the road came up with the idea of all keeping in touch during these unusual, self isolated times. He (and others) is using the "Whatsapp" smartphone app to do this, but some of us old Luddites do not have smartphones. 

So we have all have initiated a system whereby, if OK and in good health, a green paper is displayed in a window. If needing help with anything one changes this to a red paper and a passing neighbour will get in contact.

It takes me back to the village where I was a boy. Everyone knew everybody else and if you needed anything you stood in the doorway to hail a passer by. Since there were only 10 cars in the village (mostly owned by farmers) everybody walked past to get to the one shop.

Fortunately no "red cards" have been displayed yet in our close...........

ALL FOOLS DAY 2020

JOURNAL OF THE PLAGUE YEAR

The first Sunday morning ride since the lockdown and I met with my 80 year old cycling buddy, also an ebike user due to health problems. We usually meet on a Sunday either at a cafe in Hamstreet or one in Appledore and, after coffee and toast, ride out together over Romney Marsh. At a convenient place we split up he returning to New Romney and I to Ashford.

Cafes are now a no-no, but we still met at Hamstreet and sat on a bench (at each end, to preserve "social distancing") by the village green, having each brought a flask and food. Munching a banana/jam sandwich it was just like "elevenses" breaks in the old Cyclists' Touring Club (we are both life members) club run days of some 65 years ago.

Luckily it was dry, but we would not have been out anyway if it was raining. Whilst we so sat a woman, who we both recognised as a regular Cosy Kettle Cafe customer walked over the green, holding a takeout cup of coffee and sat at a nearby bench. She also recognised us and on greeting said, "the cafe is still open for takeaways if you want a cup of coffee and a slice of cake". We said we were a self preservation society, thank you. "I need to get out amongst others since my husband died a while ago, so it is good to be able to still go the the cafe, even if I can't sit there and chat to people", she said - from a safe distance.

The cold wind began to make itself apparent on our backs after a while so we shouted our goodbyes and "Marsh meandered" away. Around Hamstreet (which is just off the Marsh) primroses were absolutely prolific, but it is a known phenomenon that once below the Royal Military Canal and on the Marsh proper all wild primroses disappear completely.

COVID-19 CORONA VIRUS

My wife and I are both 81. She is in the high risk group as she has a  low immune system due to rheumatoid arthritis, so we are both going into voluntary isolation, since I do not want to get the virus and infect her.

But this does not mean not getting out into the fresh air. I can take her for drives and I shall still continue to cycle. But I shall do it alone and won't call into cafes.  It will be like my youth when I couldn't afford to buy food in cafes and took my own flask and sandwiches when out cycling. But my heart goes out to those small, intimate cafes. They are going to experience a large drop in clientele, as will many others. It looks like the big hitters like airlines will be government subsidised (from us, the tax payer, ). But these small, often one man/woman businesses which try to make their way will be thrown to the wolves.

Our government's latest announcement suggests that anyone over 70 should put themselves into 4 months quarantine, regardless. Hell! I was very busily working until I was 75 until a stroke told me that I was, perhaps too busy. Even now, at 81, I need to get out for 30 mile rides, albeit on an e-bike. If I was really "confined to barracks" I should get stir crazy.

Hopefully we can get food delivered from our local supermarket, although they are experiencing difficulties with over subscription at present, so planning ahead will be vital.

But I am just reading Hilary Mantel's last volume in her "Cromwell" trilogy and the 16th century's matter-of-fact attitude to the mortal "Sweating Sickness" (gay at breakfast, dead by evening) and the Black Death puts these current tribulations into better focus.

I hope we all have a long, hot summer, which apparently kills the virus and will give a chance to find a vaccine.