Twelve Months on That Boarding School Girl 2021 edition

It is the day before the new year so we're having a bit of a look at things from the last year on this blog

One reason this blog continues to exist is the need to have a space for more middle or even grown up things at times having deliberated at times the need to keep it going with having the littles one.

We normally publish a kind of review but as I have said before this year has been in such a state of flux it's been no sooner than I had a planned and at least partially written blog ready then it's been all change so of necessity it is different than the planned one.

The year has been very much the year of the virus from us feeling towards the end of twenty twenty that the worst of it was with those of us who had been more or less shielding coming out of the woodwork as I visited Sandbach a few  times before we went back into reverse.

It is kind of hard to underestimate how it feels to be think you can be out more, even perhaps staying with friends only to have it dashed in the new year but that's how it was with the Delta variant.

Because of all of that inevitably a fair bit of blog coverage was devoted to the ups and downs this virus and our battle with it.

The one saving grace of the year was the Vaccination program that had got away around December 19th the previous year and was ramped up across the year getting the overwhelming majority of adults vaccinated which although we needed to have second vaccinations and in the last two and bit months boosters to deal with both the inevitable drop in protection over time and the Omicron variant that appears to date to be faster at spreading if less severe.

So far in after a dismal few months in the Winter and Spring we have had less restrictions in England for a longer period than pre March twenty twenty, able with caution to have christmas with families and even celebrate new year because that linkage between cases that are very high and people in hospital have been decimated and some for good measure.

That was a massive achievement.

Vaccination is working although we remain to stay cautious and be sensible about mixing with people especially large groups.

Education got back to class although I remain concerned about the long term developmental and psychological impact of this whole period on children's welfare missing schooling, social learning and mental health it has been bad enough for many adults part from underscoring inequalities.

I did read more comics and listen to music in part to keep the continual dripping of anxiety from covid heavy news reports and speculation under some control, avoiding being a news junkie and spending more time out of doors.

I managed to get to one of our littles meets which helped no end with recovering from the stresses and strains of the last fifteen months and we had a Halloween party too.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed our next meet is able to happen in a few months time.

Christmas day edition 2021

On the ball or not this has been hastily put together by the blog team as a syncropost tm  as we are able to do a bit more than last and so we will have a few visitors today.

Christmas here is very much a repeat of how things were cos I haven't change any so a staple is annuals connected to comics so we have this years Beano Annual which my of caught up with the Spotty as Scotty renaming in the Bash Street Kids or not but will have the two new classmates in.

We don't have a Dandy no more outside of the Summer Special but we do have an all new annual to look forward to.

Recently there has been themed compilations of classic cartoon strips from the Dandy and Beano from the past and this years looks at stories featuring characters doing art and drawing within the comic.

 

 Although I am familiar with the aria's from it I hadn't a copy of the full Madama Butterfly opera by the Italian composer Puccini and in the christmas stocking is a new acclaimed recording and a disc of Woodwind music by Vivaldi.

 Spinning at 33 1/3rd, I had the limited edition Dusty Springfield Atlantic singles set from 1968 thru 1971 on ruby red vinyl that uses the original mono singles mixes.

Also I had the November 24 limited edition 2 lp mono set of the Best Of The Red Bird and Mercury Shangri La's  album with retro disc labels.

I also had some money I can take with me once we are clearer how the start of next year is likely to be.

Christmas paws

While there are other things around one constant of this blog has been that we do take a bit of break around this time and given normal publication next week is Christmas Eve there will be plenty of necessary stuff to be helping out with.

It's been a roller coaster of a year, thank goodness not as bad as last and indeed for many of us we'll be able to have Christmas with a bit of care a tad more like normal than last.

Christmas here is unapologetically both of the past and very much a child-like thing so without going into things that belong on the other blog it'll be and feel more like one from the past with Mary and Joseph out, a tree, decorations and yes an Advent calendar a child would love. 

We're recreating that magic with our rituals.

 

Wishing you all a Happy Christmas and all the best for Twenty Twenty-Two.

Seasonal preparations

 

In the normal course of events we'd be seeing a variety of things going on in our towns and cities across the Christmas period although of course people do observe other religious seasons as they overlap.

A common thing would be a fair with rides, some kind of accompanying music such as a fairground organ or a public address system that plays music.

You'd have a festive market selling things like Christmas trees, wreaths, cards and hats outside all adding to the atmosphere with posters for various pantomimes and other performances.

Some areas have scaled things down thinking people remain reluctant to mix after last years of necessity strict rules while others are going ahead although talk about this newest variant seems to produce more uncertainty with everything being clouded with "what if..."  as experts share differing views.

Outside of just taking precautions when very close or indoors following the renewed guidance for using face masks I'd just go enjoy things as it's all time we can't get back and as thousands can still attend sports events in similar settings I see little difference.

Deja vu and Can Christmas be saved?

We're into Advent here having nom'd a bit of the Paddington Bear calendar and guess what's returning rather like a boomerang?

Things had seemed fairly stable until last week as we appeared to be managing a reasonable balance between playing wac-a-mole with Covid and having a functioning economy and society.

Then late on in the week people started talking of a variant discovered in and around South Africa with a few returnees in the Netherlands showing signs and by Monday it was apparent it has crossed our shores.

The Omicron variant seems to had evolved the protein structure to get past any existing defences although so far in for most it doesn't appear to be any more dangerous of itself  but  clearly we need both more time to find out how it fits in with existing control measures and raise protections sooner rather than later.

That lead to a Press Conference where it was announced the rules around mask wearing in public settings were returning and caution needed to be taken.

 It was announced that the current booster program would both be extended to under forties and the delay between having had a second inoculation and the booster would be reduced from six months to three.

As well children over 12 would be offered a second vaccination, the aim of all being to reduce the likelihood of serious illness from Omicron and up the overall protection as we get into colder more damp part of Winter  and keep cases down.

In general I agree with this and feel the return of mask rules in England are overdue as really they do help reduce transmission and protect the most vulnerable on public transport and in the shops.

Many of us hope this will save a meaningful family Christmas for most of us.