Fandango and Ragtag together on a sunny Tuesday, time for reflection, somehow. And also a B&W Tuesday tagged for good measure, a crane on Diglis Island, Worcester.

This, at best, morally ambivalent government has issued a wrongly (in my opinion) call to a gradual return to work, to a change in the lock down situation, when the only real change in the Covid situation is a reduction in Daily Deaths. In its self this is the trend we hope to see, and even the atheists or agnostics among us probably will admit to whispering under their breath “Please stop this awfulness” to no one in particular.

The reduction in deaths proves one thing; the success in social isolating and staying at home. If we stay at home the virus can not spread, and as less people are infected so the R rate reduces. What we all want is for the virus to peter out into single figures of infected and then disappear. Leaving behind in its wake a feeling of mistrust and interaction paranoia, a “Ready Brek” style social isolationist glow, saying, “Keep away”.

We have been asked to go back to work, carefully at first, making sure to wear our newly supplied PPE, gloves, masks and hand sanitiser. The gloves, random sizes, the masks; no idea of the lifespan, no instructions or paperwork of any kind. I’m nervous of getting back into it, having taken a walk down the Severn in Worcester on Sunday (my daughter fancied a change of scenery) I was struck at how the groups of folk tensed up, as they approached us and how we closed our mouths, holding our breath as they passed us. No smiles, even nervous smiles. It seems to me the public have been told they can run free, but do not believe they should be, and like a animal being released back into the wild, have no idea how to react. That’s my opinion and whilst my company has told us that if we do not feel comfortable going back out then we don’t have to, however, sooner or later we’ll probably be expected to. I’m hoping the Government sits tight for a couple of weeks until we can see if a second peak will manifest itself due to the street parties and VE celebrations of a week or so ago. Like most of us, I hope there is no peak, but my gut tells me otherwise, from following events on Twitter and the telly.

The government has no strategy, it seems, and now we are top of the Diabolical league of Deaths due to the virus in Europe, they seem not to know which way to turn, apart from handing over the reins of responsibility to the general public, trying to piece together  the new instructions written with fridge magnets shuffled about on the fridge door, inconclusive to say the least.

And to boot i’m finding myself getting used to this semi-retirement, offering a glimpse into the distant future (19 years for me under present circumstances), look what I could have won. And to be fair I think I could get used to it, certainly from where i’m sitting in my comfy chair in my record room, I feel secure, cocooned and safe from harm.