Heart attack

Thursday, March 12, 2020

Coronavirus Panic, Camphill and Television Viewing

Just been watching the penultimate episode of the latest season of 'Doctor Who,' and I have to say it's really rather good. It would appear they've thrown everything into this story, with better special effects and generally a better story and all the assistants had plenty to do. I still don't understand the second story, presumably set in Ireland. Then (spoiler alert!) a central enemy of the Doctor appears in the closing moments and there's the finale episode of the season still to be seen . . .

(Tuesday) I've now seen the final episode of he season and it's good! But there's rumours that some of the actors who play the assistants are leaving, notably Bradley Walsh, due to other work commitments.

(Saturday) Today would be my lovely Carol's 56th birthday. I'm upset and I miss her, but I know she wouldn't want me to dwell on things and I'm getting on with my life. It's ironic to think that, had I not been driving to Willen Hospice to see Carol when she was there and going past the entrance to Camphill, I might not have thought to become a volunteer there and make so many friends with the group of residents in the drama workshop. I'm sure she'd be so pleased to think I'm doing something I enjoy and using what skills I have to benefit that group of people.

(Sunday) It's bright and sunny. There was a fairly strong wind blowing when I took Alfie out and we walked partially around Oldbrook Boulevard, but it was still chilly.

(Tuesday) Only at Camphill until 12 o'clock because they were having training and then community assembly. We did a line-run of 'Stranger Danger.' It's getting better and stronger each time the guys perform it. Every line very clear and you could hear each word spoken. I again was a 'Little Piggy,' because one of the residents, who never seems to appear before midday, wasn't with us. Then we watched part of 'The Sound of Music.' Another film I remember going to see when it was originally released, probably around 1965, and going with my father instead of my grandmother, and all he did was complain about the cost of the cinema seats, no doubt shown at the Granada cinema in St Peters Street, now demolished and the site now a branch of Lidl. Great pity. At one point it had the second largest cinema screen after the Odeon Marble Arch in London. Just one question I have to ask about the 'Sound of Music.' How come Captain Von Trapp (played by Christopher Plummer) is a sea captain, because if the film is set in Austria, which has no coastline, how come they had a navy? Or did they? Which navy was he a sea captain of? Then we did an improvisation, based loosely on the scene where the children march out when the Captain blows his whistle. I'm not sure it worked but we will need to rehearse it some more before it's perfect.

The residents at Camphill have done some sort of training since the coronavirus outbreak. They mustn't shake hands but touch elbows. Although i'm not sure that isn't as bad as hand-shaking as it's still touching. Wearing of face masks, which we see a lot of on television news since this epidemic began, somewhere in China, because these things are mean't to be worn once and then only for a shot time and then, if you touch them on the outside when you take them off, that would spread the virus, so in that case they are pointless.

(Wednesday) I've been shopping in Sainsbury's this morning and I saw the aisle where the toilet rolls are and a lot of shelf space is empty, due,  no doubt, to total panic buying. I can't see why particularly toilet rolls. Pasta as well, apparently. No doubt some crazy item in one of the more reactionary newspapers, such as the Daily Mail or Express. It's a sort of siege mentality.

It's nowhere near as blustery and cold today. Do I get a sense of it being almost spring-like, or is that being a bit too optimistic?

I've discovered that there's going to be an 'Alice In Wonderland' exhibition to be staged at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, starting in June. I am something of an 'Alice' fanatic and read it avidly when I was a child and it has really fascinated me even as an adult, so it's a must for me to visit an exhibition which is going to have some of the original artwork which was done by the illustrator Sir John Tenniel as well as preliminary artwork for the 1950's Walt Disney animated cartoon as well as a good deal more, so I will have to get my ticket on-line, which is the only way it would seem you can get to see the exhibition, timed-ticket only. I only found out about this exhibition whilst listening to Classic FM which I had on when I was driving to Camphill the other day, so thanks to them and whoever was the presenter, I think probably John Suchet. I think I may wait until the coronavirus situation is under control before deciding whether I go to this exhibition. I don't fancy going into London and putting myself at risk of catching the thing. I don't want to, but it makes sense.

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