Days of Isolation – ‘Month One’

It is April Fools Day

Wednesday April 1st

BBC News carries this story – basically saying that countries around the world were not going to be amused at the possibility of people basing April Fools’ Day pranks on the virus. Quite rightly so, but Wikipedia tells me that whilst the origin of this tradition is obscure; it quite clearly dates back to Medieval Europe, and not a ‘Hello Kitty’ tradition upheld in Taiwan. Below a Taiwanese Ministry post using a cat [edible?] to get the message across.

A month ago I was at Wembley watching the League Cup Final amongst 82,000 pumped-up fans. The whole affair was surreal, as I’m sure the jostling crowds were in some way cognisant of things to come. But were the authorities cognisant? Should there have been a ‘go ahead’ for 35 thousand odd Brummies and 35 thousand odd Mancs to train it down to the capital for an afternoon that meant a beer-swilling get together?

This, and the Cheltenhm Festival, were the last 2 big crowd pullers before the country shutdown. Gone was all ball-kicking-throwing-whacking sport. No snooker, no golf, no tennis. All in a month. And this was amidst a plethora of cancellations of events to come – everywhere in the world. Gone was Glastonbury [200,000]; Formula 1 [150,000+], Champions League; The French Open; England Cricket in Sri Lanka.

It took until April Fools’ Day for the UK authorities to announce that Wimbledon was off and there was no chance of the Edinburgh Festival in August. We are all becoming jaded by the endless list – but not surprised. All sports [and events] news now seems to revolve around the financial viability of what has been left behind.

The livlihoods of all the workers, organisers, caterers etc., in the massive supply chains that make everything – every event, happen. And no-one to blame. It took until the end of March for murmerings of financial disaster for football clubs and cricket counties; but it was inevitable As it is across every sector that relies on revenue from the paying public. Who should get a reduced pay-packet out of all of this?

Below is my take on the BBC’s coverage of absolutely nothing in these barren times. Inevitably its ‘coverage’ has switched from highlights, through to imaginary ‘Best Teams of All Time’ or banal chats amongst former players who dissect the minutiae of what its like to bowl at the Radcliffe Road End [for example], or walk up the 18th at St Andrews. I suppose descriptions like these could make the source of a new quiz:

‘Playing towards the Holte’; ‘2nd time at Beecher’s’; ‘The Bounce at the WACA’; ‘Passing the Cutty Sark at half way’; ‘Yachts on the bend at Monaco’; ‘Facing the Haka’; ‘Defying the Hahnenkamm’ – I suppose the list could go on for a long time.

My site page is a ‘Spoof’…

My hour’s Photoshop creating a new site for BBC Sport

[FYI – the answers to above in order are: Villa Park; Grand National; Test Cricket in Perth Australia; London Marathon; Monaco Grand Prix; All Black Rugby; Skiing probably the fastest and most dangerous Alpine downhill’]

Now the biggest gathering is 2.

Below: Later in the week – Vet consultation whilst the ‘client’ stays out of contact in their car.

The results from Dolly’s ear samples made bad news and she was taken to the vet for an operation to remove the nasty growth on her ear. Visiting the vet was different as we weren’t allowed access and had to leave the dog tethered outside

Now social distancing is the norm – but we Brits all knew how to queue anyway, so adjusting to the 2 metres ‘rule’ has proved a doddle. Even if you’re being put into storage in Bournemouth airport.

Elsewhere in the world pictures are now flooding into media sites cataloguing the hardships of isolation, disease and fear.

Above: Photographs from photographers. Proper photographers who have a sense of timing, subtlety, composition and understanding of their kit. An understanding that’s often missing from the hasty ‘journalistic’ coverage daubed all over the tabloid coverage… I’d love to have given it a try but since there’s no chance of getting there yourself…

Elsewhere the realities of ‘Distancing’ brings home homespun problems when the distance isn’t right

A few short weeks ago this all seemed impossible, implausible, the plotting of a subversive alien force – a draft for a lo-budget sci-fi movie. Now no-one out on the loose, no economic activity and people confined to quarters for the forseeable. Just over a month ago Caroline Henry and I were in a busy Blackpool arcade; skiing amongst thousands in Scotland; and queuing to get into Edinburgh Castle.