Bang a Gong – It’s Thursday

02.04.20 – Darrell Priestley

The Netflix fantasy has yet to happen at our house. You may be more fortunate. Incarcerated chez nous ten days and counting, we have so far seen less than five hours of non Covid-19 TV. By the time I sit in a chair to wind down after a long day at the computer, I am already nodding off to sleep. The TV goes on mostly at meal times, when we catch up on news develpoments from around the world, though under current circumstances I think it’s good to limit that kind of thing; then it’s back to work, which is somewhat better.

Eileen and I are missing our grandchildren, of course. While isolation feels safe, we are all missing out on family, and get-togethers that would recently have seemed routine are just not happening. Fortunately, this is the age of the videolink, and our three year old grandson is far from camera shy, while his six month old sister has a winning smile that lights up the small screen. They are totally isolating at present, but can come out to shop again in less than a week, perhaps something of a mixed blessing since lately every shopping expedition feels like running the gauntlet. Meanwhile, we make goo goo eyes at the children and do funny poses (at least, they think they are funny) through the window when we drop off the shopping at their front door.

Today being Thursday, there is an 8.00pm call to assemble at the front of the house with pots and pans, wooden spoons, and anything else that can make a din, and applaud our wonderful NHS and care staff, who bravely put in long shifts on the front line. But it’s a long front line, and it extends into the food shops and pharmacies, care homes and social care, and to the people who keep our public trasnsport moving. So when you cheer tonight and bang that gong, shout loud and shout wide, because as we are starting to realise, there are a lot of brave and selfless people helping to hold our world together right now.