I, for one, would be happy for a government of national unity. It would hold all our elected members accountable and might stop the, “I spoke to a Doctor in my constituency” drivel that the BBC seems to be gorging on. It was interesting to see a Professor from Oxford giving the response that the presenter didn’t want today, I don’t want to add to the alarm, I don’t want to cause confusion, which unfortunately was not what the BBC was wanting and expecting. Enough.

All is well here in Somerset, a tadge cool, but otherwise okay. I need warm dry weather as I have to do work in the garage as we redistribute items from the house. Jun is happy, her 43 inch TV was delivered today, I have to watch it from bath, not in the bath, but Bath 17 miles away. I just need to activate the connection that allows the link to iPads and Jun will be satisfied. We seem to have everything else she wants for, so happy all round.

Yesterday was our weekly shoppex and I managed, despite a comprehensive list to forget something, social conscience forbids me going out to get it until next week. It was encouraging to see that our local Tesco had sensible plans in place for shoppers and despite the disappearance of some lines a good range of essentials. They still seem keen to offload the glut of plants leftover from Mother’s Day.

Through the Suez Canal and that long haul down the Red Sea and up the coast of Oman. For centuries a place of danger, pirates and ne’er do wells. (I will come back to pirates in a later blog). We are now into the routine of routine meals alternating with something exotic. Tonight’s delight came from my traditional Arab Cookbook. ‘Take a 25kg lamb, well okay, but I need to get the calculator for the division of spices as I have half a kilo. Anyway end result a satisfying meal of rice, lamb and buttered Naan breads as a substitute for the real thing. It filled the vacuum, reached the spot or whatever expression you wish to use. What is enjoyable is that most of the recipes are simple, by necessity in some cases. Anyway the house was filled with a mixture of lamb odour and sweet spice as it boiled away on the hob for a couple of hours this afternoon.

Back in the real world, I have made a jump from enthusiastic volunteer to committee member with our local volunteer group, I am approaching it with that sanguine air of Sergeant Wilson in Dads Army, “would you awfully mind if I asked you to…….”

The Chief Executive has written to all County Council Staff asking if we would be happy to work in emergency care homes being set up within the county, it brings the reality of the situation home to you.

So as you can see that went well didn’t it?

Anyway a couple of photographs as I went into the dressing up box.

For those of you with only black and white

Finally, having discover my treasure trove of shemaghs I have lost the ones with tassels.

A shout out to Stephen our journalist neighbour who is sitting this out in the Plague Pit that is South London. Stay safe and wash your hands!

Today’s useful link is to Travel Zoo and lots of places you can virtually visit, as we do daily.

As always, stay safe and well

Geoffrey