
January
Along with everyone else we entered the New Year in lockdown. For the first few months, therefore, we reverted to generally keeping ourselves to ourselves and relying on grocery deliveries and mail order. We did, however, receive our first Astra-Zenica vaccinations on 5th February, and our second ones on 10th April.
Pat decided that the time had come for a hearing test. Specsavers checked her hearing, prescribed aids for minor hearing loss, dispensed and fitted them all in one visit. Impressive! No more turning up the volume on the TV to roaring.
February
We’d been missing our live folk music so were pleased to sign up for a Zoom concert from old friend Bob Fox. Watching Bob play in his house didn’t have quite the atmosphere of the old Davy Lamp but we did enjoy it.
Zoom has proved valuable throughout the lockdown; Colin has had Zoom NAM discussions and Pat has had allotment committee meetings.
March
The cataracts that had been slowly developing on Pat’s eyes, requiring ever stronger prescriptions, started to become a real nuisance, interfering with peripheral vision and making her reluctant to drive. The optician agreed that the time was ripe and arranged a referral to Spa Medica in Middlesbrough.
April
Easter came and went without notice (other than potato planting on Good Friday).
May
Pat had an outing with sister Liz and cousin Linda to Salts Mill. They had a good walk around the town and neighbouring countryside and enjoyed a trip on a canal boat. They did not, unfortunately, visit the mill buildings because it turned out that they were closed most days due to the pandemic. They hadn’t thought to mention this on their website.
With lighter nights upon us, Step This Way decided to resume weekly dances but outdoors. Most weeks the weather cooperated and Colin enjoyed playing for them again.
We started to feel more more comfortable about going out. Pat braved the hairdresser for the first time after trimming her own fringe for a year and a bit and we both met NAM members at the Drift Café on the Northumberland coast.
Later in the month, our 15-year-old VW Golf started making ominous noises from within its door locks. More and more things had started to go wrong with it over the years. It had never broken down or failed to start but we thought, rather than live on borrowed time, we’d look to change cars. We’d need something almost new, with the possibility that it would last the rest of our driving days, and relatively eco-friendly.
June
And so we collected our new car – an 18-month-old Toyota Prius Plugin. Cheap overnight 13A electricity (costing 40p for the night) gives it a 35 mile range, enough for most local journeys, and once the petrol engine cuts in it manages around 80mpg normal driving, and 65mpg storming down motorways. And it’s quite posh!
In the depths of Northumberland, we visited the luthier Stefan Sobell who was going to tweak Colin’s Sobell mandolin before it went to its new owner, Jochen Ross, in Germany. Coming back through Slaley we dared to make our first visit to a pub in over a year, albeit only outdoors!
Liz & Mike called in for a final lunch in the garden before their move down south to a new house in Sussex, near to their daughter Sally and her family. An open day at Whalton Manor Garden saw us out and about again. There was lots to see and of course we had to buy a shrub to bring home for the garden. A bonus surprise was to find Pat’s cloggie friend Sue working there.
Colin took on a new Associate to train for his IAM test.
July
The en-suite shower had sprung an alarming leak and so had been out of use for some time. We arranged a visit from a recommended plumber, with the upshot that the whole room was to be refitted. We agreed to the estimate and were told that the next available date would be in January!

August
Time to tackle the cataracts. This involved two visits to Middlesbrough: first the pre-op appointment and then the operation itself. Colin drove there but wasn’t allowed inside because of Covid restrictions. He found some good walks and a small shopping centre to keep him amused. Between these two visits and the second eye op a couple of months later, he got to know the area quite well. The operations went smoothly, no complications, and Pat was amazed and delighted with the improvement in her vision.
The Carricks took a short holiday on the Northumberland coast so we enjoyed garden visits with them en route, both coming and going. We were also visited by biking friends Nick and Linda on their way to a nearby Round Britain Rally landmark.
Highlight of the month was Ellen’s 21st birthday pizza party in a Durham hotel …in the conservatory with doors and windows open. It was lovely to see all the family after so long and we were able to meet Ellen’s boyfriend Cuan and his parents too.
September
Pat resumed her duties as motorbike pillion for the first time in nearly two years. We took the opportunity to have a nice ride through Northumberland to St Mary’s Loch. We do live in a nice place!
Finally it was time for a trip down to Gloucestershire for Will & Nicola’s much-delayed and several-times postponed wedding. We booked three nights in a Premier Inn and a night with Mike and Patsy at Bredon on the way back.The wedding was delightful, with much of the day spent outdoors, and we felt quite comfortable the whole time. We’d not visited Gloucester itself before and had a couple of pleasant walks along the canal and river there, exploring the old canal basin, an important port in its time. The area with its old warehouse buildings is being restored, providing some very attractive housing.
We also found time to explore the countryside around Upton-upon-Severn where Colin was particularly pleased with the Pudding Shop.
October
NAM had resumed its monthly programme of rideouts, and Colin led one through the Dales. He carefully chose rest halts with public toilets for those who didn’t want to enter cafes!
October brought Pat’s second eye operation as well as our booster jabs. Then it was time to head to Bedford for a big family reunion. This was for all the Irvines descended from Colin’s grandfather. Colin had set the ball rolling with the first such reunion four years ago, tired of the fact that we only seemed to meet up at weddings and funerals, with very little chance to chat. The next one was supposed to have been held last year, but covid put a stop to it. This year, covid precautions reduced the turnout slightly, but it was still a great success. To be repeated in another three years!
On the way home we called in for coffee in Kate’s and Iain’s garden, calling at the Hotel Chocolat outlet on the way. Well, pregnant ladies should have what treats they crave.
On Tom’s birthday we popped down to Leeds and took the family out to their favourite Italian.
November
Pat’s cousin Margaret dropped in for a rare but welcome visit.
Our sofa and chairs were worn out. We’d been planning to replace them for a long time, but were having to time visits to furniture shops in the light of different covid infection rates. Finally, however, a new sofa and two armchairs were chosen, and would be delivered just in time for Christmas.
December
Christmas itself was nearly back to normal. The Carricks and Slaters had been distancing as far as possible, and doing regular LFTs, so we all felt comfortable with the Carricks staying a few nights and visits from the Slaters for proper family meals. This was the first opportunity in ages for sisters and cousins to spend time together and everyone made the most of it. For Kate and Iain we had to be content with a Skype call.
New Year’s Eve, however, and we passed on the usual trip to Newcastle for fireworks and a meal out. The two of us stayed in with suitable provisions – safe, comfortable, full and a wee bit tipsy!
