New Government rules requiring customers to wear face coverings in shops came into effect today – 24th July. Some shops had added reminders in the window. The gov.uk webpage has the full details.
From about 30% of people wearing face coverings in shops yesterday in Abingdon it looked like everybody had one today, and many people were not taking them off between shops, or were leaving them dangling round their necks.
If you breath or cough near them and have Covid-19 and are asymptomatic, the face covering protects others.
The covering should also provide some protection from the Coronavirus in the air, but anybody wearing it round their neck can contaminate the inside of the covering. The warm moist space inside must then be a breeding ground.
On any other late May Bank Holiday Monday the sunny weather could not have been more perfect.
We went out fairly early for a walk – before the bank holiday crowds arrived in Abingdon-on-Thames.
In any normal year the Open Air Pool would have been open by this bank holiday weekend and people queuing to get in.
At the weir and elsewhere coloured origami boats had been hung.
A message said Covid-19 has changed our lives. What would people like to carry forward into their lives post lockdown? Write it on a boat!
There were some cannoists at the weir but not a lot of surf. On a normal bank holiday people could have stood on the path over the weir to watch them. This year I took a quick picture and hurried across because people might be waiting to come across from the far side.
We saw swans with cygnets like other years.
At Swift Ditch there were balloons.
The lockdown was recently eased by the government. Now we can drive to take our walks and even relax in the sun. Rye Farm car park was filling up as people headed for the sunny wide open spaces near the river banks in Abingdon.
Bank Holiday Motorbikes roared through town, and people watched with their takeaway coffees.
And here is a video of Abingdon late in the evening with a walking talking commentary about night life during the shutdown.
Mental Health Awareness Week was from 18-24th May 2020. The Mind centre in Abingdon is currently closed but Mind in Oxfordshire has online advice about coronavirus and your wellbeing. They also had a virtual tour in Santorini
Here is my own virtual tour of St Ethelwolds House in East St Helen Street.
There were five other people there: a mother and child playing on the lawn; two ladies talking at a table, and somebody working on some repairs. Nobody was making much noise and the birds were singing.
Many people are affected emotionally and psychologically by the everyday challenges and worries that the pandemic brings, whether the illness itself, financial worries, living in lockdown, or being asked to go back to work. The Citizen’s Advice at Coronavirus – what it means for you/ includes advice for people worried about going back to work.
Mark’s wildflower meadow at St Ethelwold’s is named after a young man with Mental Health problems who died tragically after having his benefits cut. Mark loved nature and the garden.
Some of us have found during the lockdown that being in nature can boost our mental wellbeing and ease stress.
St Ethelwold’s House is a welcoming spiritual centre offering a place of sanctuary and quiet to all.
There is also a sanctuary room used by a variety of groups. In this virtual tour you could imagine going in there and being still.
Thankyou to Hester for this update …
Yesterday – a month after we started – the AbiMeds team delivered their 1000th package of medications. We are also delighted to announce that Tesco Pharmacy have agreed to join the scheme, so we are now covering all the Abingdon pharmacies.
Many people don’t realise that this service is available to anyone, not just those shielding or self-isolating: the aim is to reduce the risk, not just to those queuing, but also to pharmacy staff. So 1000 less people queuing will have made a real difference.
Feedback from people using the service has been excellent, they are amazed by the speed and delighted by the professional but friendly manner of our volunteers. We hope that they will spread the word so that we can help even more people in the next month.
The number to ring to book a delivery is 01865 818351 (open Monday-Saturday 09.00-16.00). For more information see https://abimeds.org/
On today’s exercise walk, we set off through the Brewery Development in Abingdon where there is a sculpture called Barrel – seen here darkened against the clouds.
We walked up Conduit Road – where the Plane trees are growing back after being pruned last year.
The pavements have been decorated like a school playground in one place.
In Albert Park there are many trees.
Prince Albert stands above them all.
He must have noticed a difference in recent weeks. There has been blue sky and clouds but no jet trails.
There have also been fewer cars and no school students. People are not going to church. There are no weddings.
No bells. Everything has slowed down. The economy has gone into recession.
Today was the day when the government started to ease the lockdown rules to restart the economy. People are using the phrase ‘the New Normal‘ and wondering what the New Normal will be. New Normal was a term that referred to the financial conditions following the 2008 banking crisis.
We went on an early morning walk – heading in the direction of Culham along the Thames Path. On the gates were notices to warn dog walkers that dogs need to be kept under control because birds and waterfowl are nesting.
We saw some swans that looked quite juvenile and too young to be nesting.
By the edge of the Thames were Yellow Flag Irises. There was a mix of sunshine and cloud. Temperatures have dropped from last week.
There were lots of other plants growing in the margin between the path and the river. Beyond the margin and river is Abingdon School Boathouse.
The Prime Minister has announced a relaxation of the lockdown rules. We are now allowed to ‘use outdoor sports courts or facilities, such as a tennis or basketball court, or golf course – with members of your household’. I would guess that could also allow some forms of boating, even if that is just two people in an boat intended for eight.
Our walk took us out beyond Abingdon via Sutton Courtenay and back. People are using the Sustrans Cycle Path, even though work has not been completed at the far end. So be aware, it could be barricaded again. We too might have to go back to lockdown if R (the rate of Covid-19 transmission) increases too much.
Near home we saw an alert looking squirrel in St Helen’s Churchyard. The government’s slogan has changed from Stay Home to Stay Alert.
I then drove to Didcot Civic Centre to have a Covid-19 test. I have no symptoms but, at work, we are being encouraged to get tested to minimise the risk of unknowingly passing on the virus to the people we support – some of whom are at high risk.
The test was run by soldiers. I was given a test kit and instructions through the open car window. I had watched the video (above) and knew what to do – touching the swap to the tonsil area for 10 seconds made me gag a bit, but otherwise it was OK. I’ll get the results in 2 days. What did surprise me was the soldiers wore less PPE than we wear at work, and they were talking to people, who had symptoms, through open car windows.
The Office of National Statistics has a website that allows us to check the number of Covid-19 deaths in our areas. Janet has already quoted this in comments. The statistics include Covid-19 deaths registered before the 18th April:
Abingdon Town & West – 12 confirmed deaths (this area includes most of the care homes and the Community Hospital).
Abingdon South – 5 confirmed deaths
Abingdon North – 2 confirmed deaths
Abingdon seems hit harder than most places around. I cannot see any deaths in Didcot.
Some trend setters in Abingdon have started to wear masks in public – a practice long established in Asia. I read somewhere that it was begun in Japan in 1918 during the influenza pandemic.
At the Abingdon Market the fruit and veg stall was extended into one long stall. This is to help social distancing.
Finishing Touch in Stert Street have been making some colourful rainbows to add to their shop window while the shop is closed. Prices Stationers will take orders by email. They supply the raw materials for making all kinds of Art, including rainbows for the window, and VE Day bunting.
VE Day 75 is still planned for Friday 8th May. Many events will have been cancelled because of the lockdown but Abingdon-on-Thames Town Council have details of their plans for virtual events.
It is Saturday night. No pubs or restaurants are open, apart from takeaways. I noticed Sami’s Kebab Van on Abingdon Market Place for the first time in the lockdown.
Our short health walk today took us near the Abingdon Wellbeing Centre where I saw this Bee Happy rainbow.
Wallingford School have hundreds of face shields which their DT department have made and they would like to distribute to Key workers. They have worked in Wallingford and are wondering if any care homes etc in Abingdon would like some.
Waitrose were handing out umbrellas for people in the queue. At the very end of April, the month is trying to make up for all the missing April Showers with one downpour .
With the shopping I got an Abingdon Herald. On page 22 is a message from the editor.The Herald has been hit hard by the lockdown in sales and advertising revenue. During the next six weeks they offer free delivery.
For May Morning (Friday, 1st May), Rotary Abingdon planned to have a choir singing on top of the Abingdon County Hall and a May Pole in the Market Place. This is postponed until 2021.
The large event in Oxford, that attracts thousand of people, has also been cancelled. However Oxford are having a virtual May Morning. People can join in by tagging their own social media posts with #MayMorning .
From 6am on May Morning you can see a Virtual May Morning live stream featuring: The Choir of Magdalen College, Oxford Horns of Plenty, Oxford University Morris Dancers, John Otway, and many more. The Choir of Magdalen College have recorded their parts individually, and through modern technology will be singing together. I don’t know how the Morris Dancers will dance together while apart.
In Abingdon, there are two nature reserves looked after by the Earth Trust: Radley Lakes, and Abbey Fishponds.
For our daily walk we went along the Radley Road, then through the Abbey Fishponds.
Volunteers have laid wood chip over the path at one end.
They have also cut back the reeds. From the wetland fresh reeds grow.
At the cross paths, near the centre, we saw a gentleman coming the other way, and using the choreography learned during the lockdown, we walked up the earthwork, while he took the low path, and said hello as we passed.
We crossed Audlett Drive and then went round the Leisure Centre. It was closed but the side area was open. Some dog walkers were on the green, and one young person was using the skate park.
There is a narrow path to Barton Lane. My wife took this picture of me taking a picture through the tunnel of leaves. She liked the colours.
We then walked by Sophos and Penlon. I had a word with somebody at a distance at Penlon about their activities, and I am hoping they will send me something for a future blog post. But they do have more important things to do.
Outside the businesses on Barton Mill corner, on Audlett Drive, there was a rainbow.
Back through the Abbey Grounds my wife got this picture. The thrush had been hopping about tapping the ground, and this is the moment the thrush got the worm.
