COVID-19 UPDATE FROM SOLIHULL: 15th MAY 2020...

COVID-19 UPDATE FROM SOLIHULL, 15th MAY 2020...

So, we will have no post delivered on Saturdays. No worries… However, when I saw the postman (a great bloke) last Monday, 4th May in another road, he told me that there would be post on, er, Wednesday 6th. The post was delivered on Thursday 7th. 

There has been no post since. Quite pleased no-one in the house has a birthday yet… Although, I understand a ‘friendly’ delivery chap did rummage through the awaiting, amassing post for one local road and rescued birthday cards due this week… Fair play if you have the, er, cheek, to ask…

However, yesterday was the long awaited ‘garden-garbage-green-bin collection day’, despite warnings that the refuse might not be taken away at all if the chunky bins were too full, or, the gods forbid, if they were too heavy. Or even if the wagon was too full by the time it reached my road… Really? 

However, with that in mind, on Wednesday morning 40% of the garden waste was removed from my bin and dumped into a strong garden bag. This trash would be placed in the emptied bin yesterday (should it have been considered an acceptable weight and not overfilled), ready for the next, less than full, rather lightweight collection in a couple of weeks… 

It was emptied, however but I was then informed that one neighbour stepped outside and smiled at the collectors, resulting in that green bin, full, heavy and compacted being emptied. I now have a 40% full bin awaiting the next available collection. I’m an idiot… 

On Monday morning, I was due to have a blood test, which I need every eight weeks, the appointment having been made, er, eight weeks ago. I still have the confirmation of the appointment on my iPhone, although I didn’t receive the usual reminder about it during the days leading up to the week-end. 

Hence I strolled to the surgery in Tanworth Lane for 8.45am, only to find that it was, of course, closed. I rang the number advertised on the door above a barrier and the pleasant receptionist I spoke to told me that there was no record of my appointment at all. I told her it was on my phone, right in front of me… She was amazed but kindly offered me an appointment at another surgery for the same morning, which was fine by me. 

The blood was taken and I have the bruising to prove it… So, claps last night for the receptionist, none for the appointments system… I say claps but what I mean is loud blasts on a coaching horn… It’s what I do…

On Wednesday, for the first time, we drove a car to find a quiet place to walk and ended up at Yarningale Common, where we saw only a few folks, even along the canal there. 

Bluebells were out and thriving, the sun struggled to show itself but it was just so good to find an alternative venue to the local roads, or ‘the fields’, frequented by too many dog-walkers, perspiring joggers and cyclists who have mistaken pavements for roads. 

Actually did walk across ‘the fields’ and along Bills Lane during the afternoon yesterday, making sure we didn’t look at the two supermarket trolleys lying in the pool there. Odd how they remain, with nobody claiming any responsibility for them. Me neither, I guess…

Last night, the 8pm applause and other noise for the NHS and other 'key workers’ was well supported in the road here, despite the fact that the old coaching horn I wielded struggled to make more of a tuneful note than a flatulent bloke, following a meal of baked beans…

Ah, well, it’ll be the camel-bongers next week… 

The Mowdog…