Category: Uncategorized

Apparently it’s the weekend. This is going to be the most difficult thing to get used to, though as a school teacher you’d think it wouldn’t be so hard with 36 years of practice in Summer holidays.

A beautiful day today, lovely and sunny, though a little cold with a bit of a wind. First job was to get out into the garden and prune the roses as per Monty’s orders last night. I was worried I had left it too late as the roses were already in leaf. Fingers crossed 🤞.

Then off to get essential supplies.

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Back home for lunch. Egg sandwiches – no beer at lunchtime. More gardening, one flower bed weeded and edged in – yes, edged in Sarah!

Then off for our constitutional. Today we decided to visit the Ridgeway, starting from Streatley. Basically uphill then back down, like the Grand Old Duke of York.

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Cut the grass on return.

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Time for a beer.

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And finally…

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Oscar loves it!😺

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I imagine you’re beginning to see a pattern.

First this

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Then this

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Something for Tom Hanks!

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In the car I’m mainly listening to this…

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Around this a lot of remote working including a union meeting with Keith and Simon by video conference call! I’m feeling so modern! Actually all this remote working is really quite exhausting. I find it very difficult to stick to one job and constantly flit between WhatsApp, emails, Google docs, text messages, and Show My Homework. I need to get more efficient and single minded.

Then another walk to visit Old Father Thames at the Little Stoke Ferry.

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And then to the Grave of Dame Clara Butt at North Stoke Church.

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Back home to the blog and

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First pint of the week. More later…

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And Gardeners’ World is back – hurrah!

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Album of the day – Mrs Henderson’s choice and a very good one. 👍

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I can’t really get the hang of this WordPress thing so I seem only to be able to publish one day at a time. Anyway, if I had been able to do it properly you would know that the blog is called “Isolation”

Here’s me writing my blog.

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Woke at 5.15 am for no reason and got up at 7.30 am. Still thinking about the poor Year 11s and read a dose of common sense from Mandy Winters. And the rain’s back!

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I did break the social distancing a bit and popped into school to finish off the last of my musicians’ NEAs (exercising extreme care) in case the exam boards want some evidence. Also nice to see Tony Lyons and Mark Bassett.

Then for our afternoon constitutional. A quick mile round the block, dodging pot holes.

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Here’s Wallingford in the mists…

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And more lovely flowers.

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Getting the pattern?…

So to the album of the day. A wonderful romp. Also, a really great cover. I remember seeing The Pogues in 1988 and Shane McGowan drank a whole bottle of Cinzano Bianco during the set. And asked in interview if he drank too much, he replied, “no, I drink just the right amount”!

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What have I learnt today? I really want a drink.

Good night.

I can’t begin to express how sad I feel for all the students who have had their exams cancelled. They must be devastated. My heart goes out especially to our Langtree students and my musicians in particular.

Got up at 6.15 am today having been woken at 5.15 am by a ginger cat scratching and crying at the bedroom window!

Then a busy morning. Travelled into Reading to deliver essential supplies (lellow biddits and bananas) to this family.

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Then back across the Whitchurch Toll Bridge where the bridge trolls are still collecting their gold with surgical gloves on. Heaven forfend that they might waive the toll!

Then up to The Holies for a good walk.

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Some beautiful primroses and violets.

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Back home for lunch, an afternoon of worrying, setting school work, fighting off the urge to drink and an award-retaining spaghetti bolognese cooked by Mrs Henderson.

Listened to this album tonight (Mrs H’s choice). Much better than I remember, a really good album – Oh England My Lionheart!

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Very proud of my grandson for getting hisSuper Swim Pup badge. Well done Jonah!

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Big shout out to Mr “Music Man” Blower for covering my music lessons today. 🤗

What have I learned today? We do drink a lot of cups of tea and coffee!

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So yesterday the Government changed its advice and it turned out that we would have to ‘social distance’ because of the coronavirus. (I can’t call it Covid-19.) This was a real shock. I felt rather upset at the thought of not seeing colleagues for who knows how long.

We have decided that we’re going to have to be pretty disciplined. So alarm at 6.30 am as usual.

I went into school to sort a couple of things out and then home to set the cover for the day. And change the bulb in the outside light.

It is going to be important to get out, get fresh air and exercise so we went for a walk up Wittenham Clumps. Thames still flooded.

As Caroline said for some real isolation.

Charlie Brown woz ere

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Listened to Born To Run on LP all the way through for the first time for years. Bit jazzier than I remember but Jungleland is a great track. Title track a classic obviously.

So Day 1 nearly done. And what have I learnt? It’s a long day and it would seem that schools should probably close.