Woodlands walk

Another grey day but markedly warmer than yesterday. I ran over 5.5 miles yesterday and timed it to coincide with the worst of the rain which ended up soaking me to the skin with a breeze blowing it into my face at times. It was almost impossible to warm up again the rest of the day, even after a shower.

Today I cooked at lunchtime as Alison and I were home alone with Maria for the day, no need for a tea for additional visitors. Alison was getting the weekly groceries and Maria was storming through her home learning. That meant a free afternoon during which I ran 3.5 miles and went for a walk with Alison, another 3 miles which took us to Remedy Oak golf course, out towards the view to Horton where you may see the tower on the horizon and back round to the equestrain centre and the village green. We heard a lot of bird song and came across a lovely kestrel, such elegant birds. 

After the walk back along the main road I got down to editing my novel which I have now got over halfway through and am enjoying it. Once again, that isn't intended to be boastful, just that I don't feel embarrassed by it as I feared I might. It is at least readable. There are also emerging ideas for a follow up.

One thing to remark upon, the milestone of 100,000 deaths attributable to Covid based on the measure most commonly referenced in the media. There are thousands more which have been recorded the ONS which will feed into the final tally when a public inquiry is held. These are staggering figures and way above the hoped for maximum of 20,000 spoken about a year ago.

It is, in my view, a figure which can be in many ways laid at the door of this Govt and the PM we have been cursed with at this unprecedented time. The prevarications and U-Turns, humiliations and squandering of billions, are as much to blame as the fact that any people with responsibility would have struggled. No one is saying it was easy, that all or even most of these deaths could have been avoided. However, there have been errors in timing, in judgement, in playing to the extremists in the Con Party who have downplayed the realities of the virus and called for more freedoms when lockdowns have demonstrably helped control the spread. 

It is sadly all too easy to believe what I have seen several times over the past day or so. 

Now is not the time to look for answers in an inquiry. That must wait until we have the pandemic under control.

I cannot possibly comment whilst the inquiry is going on.

Now is not the time for recrimination but a time for looking forward and building back better.

No one, absolutely no one will resign or be removed from office because of their incompetence. No one will have the honour to do the right thing and take responsibility. Johnson will bow his head and, like Tigger, bounce onto new ventures where he can be Mr Populist, can gainsay the doomsters and naysayers, be the bundle of fun he always wants to be. So many tragic losses because of big calls which were wrong and called out as wrong at the time, and no one will pay the political price.