And a merry, if slightly premature, Christmas to one and all!
Yes, it is indeed the season. That time of year we customarily spend weeks, if not months, preparing for and which will all too quickly become another memory. One more Xmas to add to the collection. One more day of eating too much, drinking too much, and spending too much. All of which are bound to give rise to some small regrets later down the line.
Yeah, you’re right. That was a touch cynical.
For some, Christmas is a magical time. A time of Santa, reindeer, the laughter of children, the gathering of friends and family and all the rest of it. There are even some, I’m led to believe, who hold the occasion to have some religious significance (and not just the various Christian sects, either).
This year, however; well this year is going to be a little different.
All Change
We live in interesting times. I don’t think there can be much argument about that. Heralding from the sunlit uplands of the U.K. I find myself sitting in the centre of a storm of rule changes. A week ago, Xmas was to be unlocked. The government announced up to three separate households had the green light to meet up over a five-day period for as much left over turkey, and Quality Street (probably the blue coconut ones) as the human body can take. Hugs were back on the menu, perhaps even cuddles, but of course all that has changed.
No Change
It’s meant we have had to make little to no changes to our plans. The only real difficulty we’ve discovered was finding a slot to ‘click-and-collect’ the food and drink for the day. Eight days seemed to be enough to time to allow us to find one, one hour slot to do this, but three different supermarkets seemed to think otherwise. The fourth managed to accommodate our needs, although a 30 mile round trip at 10pm was a little less than ideal (it was still preferable to actual shopping, mind you).
So, yes, that will be Xmas for us. A quiet affair in which most contact will be remote. My parents, who’s new-year getaway, have unfortunately fallen foul of Britain becoming an island in more than the geographical sense as country after country shuts its doors to us (quite rightly in my opinion), will be popping over on Xmas eve. This will be a suitably distanced visit. We’ll probably wave to each other from either end of the drive and maybe throw a few presents at each other (I knew I shouldn't have asked for a boomerang and a hand-grenade).
After that, it’s dinner for three and whatever television has to offer us (The Play That Went Wrong, perhaps?). A million miles away from any year I can remember, but we’ll make the best of it and take comfort in the fact that the vaccine seems to be on the way (if conspiracy theorists and the chronically uninformed don’t get their way) and normal service should hopefully be resumed by this time next year.
*+
A New Normal
I hope, wherever you are, and whoever you are able to spend Christmas is, that you are able to enjoy this special time of year. I wish each and everyone a merry Christmas, and a New Year filled with hope, health, and with a little luck, normality.
We live in interesting times. I don’t think there can be much argument about that. Heralding from the sunlit uplands of the U.K. I find myself sitting in the centre of a storm of rule changes. A week ago, Xmas was to be unlocked. The government announced up to three separate households had the green light to meet up over a five-day period for as much left over turkey, and Quality Street (probably the blue coconut ones) as the human body can take. Hugs were back on the menu, perhaps even cuddles, but of course all that has changed.
The sudden announcement that a new strain of covid, one which is more infectious, is circulating the population came just a few days ago, although some reports indicate it was known about as far back as September. It has meant a lightning fast change of direction, and for thousands, if not millions, a last-minute change of plans.
This Year, To Save Me From Tiers
The announcement was accompanied by a change in rules. Now, in most areas, instead of five days, mixing can occur on just one. In London and swathes of the south-east of the country, Tier-4 has been enacted, leaving people to celebrate with their own households alone. It is not known if, or more likely when, other areas of the country will be moved up a tier or how many tiers there may eventually be (now, isn’t that a festive thought).
On a personal note, little has changed for myself and my wife, Tina. We were planning a quiet Christmas anyway, although we will be having Gwen, my mother-in-law, for the big day (I pushed for turkey, but what do I know). As Tina is currently recuperating from some unforeseen surgery, anything bigger would probably have been more than we could handle, anyway. Add in my ramshackle immune system and a cosy affair was always going to be the way to go.
This Year, To Save Me From Tiers
The announcement was accompanied by a change in rules. Now, in most areas, instead of five days, mixing can occur on just one. In London and swathes of the south-east of the country, Tier-4 has been enacted, leaving people to celebrate with their own households alone. It is not known if, or more likely when, other areas of the country will be moved up a tier or how many tiers there may eventually be (now, isn’t that a festive thought).
On a personal note, little has changed for myself and my wife, Tina. We were planning a quiet Christmas anyway, although we will be having Gwen, my mother-in-law, for the big day (I pushed for turkey, but what do I know). As Tina is currently recuperating from some unforeseen surgery, anything bigger would probably have been more than we could handle, anyway. Add in my ramshackle immune system and a cosy affair was always going to be the way to go.
It’s meant we have had to make little to no changes to our plans. The only real difficulty we’ve discovered was finding a slot to ‘click-and-collect’ the food and drink for the day. Eight days seemed to be enough to time to allow us to find one, one hour slot to do this, but three different supermarkets seemed to think otherwise. The fourth managed to accommodate our needs, although a 30 mile round trip at 10pm was a little less than ideal (it was still preferable to actual shopping, mind you).
So, yes, that will be Xmas for us. A quiet affair in which most contact will be remote. My parents, who’s new-year getaway, have unfortunately fallen foul of Britain becoming an island in more than the geographical sense as country after country shuts its doors to us (quite rightly in my opinion), will be popping over on Xmas eve. This will be a suitably distanced visit. We’ll probably wave to each other from either end of the drive and maybe throw a few presents at each other (I knew I shouldn't have asked for a boomerang and a hand-grenade).
After that, it’s dinner for three and whatever television has to offer us (The Play That Went Wrong, perhaps?). A million miles away from any year I can remember, but we’ll make the best of it and take comfort in the fact that the vaccine seems to be on the way (if conspiracy theorists and the chronically uninformed don’t get their way) and normal service should hopefully be resumed by this time next year.
*+I hope, wherever you are, and whoever you are able to spend Christmas is, that you are able to enjoy this special time of year. I wish each and everyone a merry Christmas, and a New Year filled with hope, health, and with a little luck, normality.
Merry Xmas....
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