Life in Bengeo in Covid-19 Times, Part 2

 

Horse chestnut tree on lower path in Ware Park, 6th May 2020

Geoff Cordingley

 

Horse chestnut tree on lower path through Ware Park, 6th May 2020

Geoff Cordingley

 

Path through Ware Park Arboretum, 11th May 2020

Geoff Cordingley

 

Horse chestnut tree on lower path through Ware Park.

Geoff Cordingley

 

Horse chestnut tree on the lower Ware Park path

Geoff Cordingley

 

A much greener path up the hill in Ware Park

Geoff Cordingley

 

A line of lime trees with a couple on the other side of the path in Ware Park. Perhaps originally planted as a lime tree walk?

Geoff Cordingley

 

Another view of a line of lime trees with a couple on the other side of the path in Ware Park. Perhaps originally planted as a lime tree walk?

Geoff Cordingley

 

Part of old lime tree walk in Ware Park?

Geoff Cordingley

 

Redwood tree in arboretum at Ware Park

Geoff Cordingley

 

A second redwood tree in the arboretum at Ware Park.

Geoff Cordingley

We are now into our eight week and constraints have been reduced slightly from today.

People who can do so, should continue to work from home.  Those who need travel to work should do so if their work place is open.  This particularly applies to those who work in food production, construction and manufacturing.  Work places should keep staff safe by using such measures as frequent cleaning of surfaces and machinery, staggering arrival and departure times, holding meetings remotely. Hot desking is banned.

Those who require to enter someone else’s home, e.g. plumbers, electricians, cleaners, should not enter if someone is self isolating unless there is a direct risk to the household.  Otherwise social distancing should be maintained.

Two people from separate households can meet in an outdoor setting, e.g. parks, as long as they maintain a 2m distance.  The Government has said it will increase the fines for breaking social distancing regulations, but to what?

People can now exercise outdoors for an unlimited time rather than for just one hour.

People can now take part in Individual sports such as golf, tennis and fishing as long as it is with people from their own household or one other person from a separate household, in which case tennis has to be singles only.

People can now drive to other parts of England to exercise.  They are not allowed to drive to Wales or Scotland.  These countries are maintaining the lockdown.  This is causing confusion, e.g. people who live in England but have a caravan in Wales are upset.

Moving and viewing houses/flats etc. can now be resumed.

Child minders and nannies can resume caring for children from one household only.

Air travel should still only be undertaken if absolutely necessary.  Those arriving in the UK will have to provide an address where they can self-isolate for 14 days or they will have to stay for this length of time at an address provided by the Government.  This does not apply to those arriving from Republic of Ireland or France which seems to make any forced isolation pointless.

It seems surreal that all this is going on with minimum effect on me and my family.  We know of only one person who has contracted the virus.  He is a smoker and was very ill but thanks to careful nursing in an NHS hospital he has now recovered.

So there are some advantages to being retired.  I can carry on my daily walks in Ware Park; collect my shopping once a week from our older son’s house and at the same time see our grandchildren if only from a distance; and play some on-line bridge for an hour or so three times  a week,  A much more relaxed life than many others at this time!