While we all try to keep things together I have been walking a bit around by our canal which like most things is a little different than what it normal would be in late May thanks to you know what.
This was something taken five years ago on my Olympus OM20 film camera which is on reason it does look a bit more natural with its fixed length 35mm lens focused by hand a third in and converted in lab to digital.
It's quite likely that with some restrictions narrowboats (aka "Barges") will be allowed to operate along the inland waterway network soon so long as they are not too close to the side of any property that has people "self isolating" in them
That said here only the Post Office and General store, Bargain Booze and the Chinese Takeaway are currently open as the two Public Houses and Hairdressers were ordered to close back in March when all this crazy stuff kicked off.
Paws crossed.
This week as we're a little more able in England to get about and we're into the Summer that staple of childhoods not least when you were away on vacation comes around, the comic Summer Special.
For of us who have been around a bit, the Summer Special had a bigger print size, was printed on luxurious glossy and was often in full colour so it was the thing you bought first after arriving into the town you were spending that time as a child.
For me it was the Beano although I did get the Dandy too because that was the main weekly comic I had so you knew the characters and the sorts of things that might happen within them.
As has been the case with most recent editions, the Beano one is set in Beanotown, where all the characters from the individual comic strips live and this one takes one plot that involves all the main cartoon strips.
The plot this year revolves around the Ban by the Mayor of Beanotown, who is Walter the softies Dad on Pranking following an incident at the launch of Beano Bucks, the towns new currency and the attempt to overturn it by Beanotown's children.
This has been well put together so the plot runs seamlessly across each separate cartoon strip and a few joint panels.
The Summer Special is rooted in the current comic so while featuring such staples as Dennis The Menace, Minnie The Minx and Rodger The Dodger that many of us recall it also includes Bananaman and Rubi, JJ and Pie face which is about as PC as it gets with a female wheelchair user, and Afro-carribean character included.
The older series are as I think I have said before are more toned down and the Demon Whacker absent and the Bash Street Schools teacher doesn't even carry a cane never mind threaten to use it reflect the regular comic as it is in 2020!
All in all I would say as much as I am a Beano traditionalist, this years Summer Special is really well put together with quizzes, games and stickers to keep the young and the young at heart happy this summer which is what matters.
By way of contrast this years Dandy Summer Special is aimed more at those who grew up on the regular comic that was discontinued in December 2012 with choice high quality reprints but with a few brand new strips of the old favourites to keep us amused.
Continuing the fast forward to the past theme, I recent acquired this 2006 cd of the 1972 T. Rex The Slider album which was one those things together with the summer specials I remember quite well having the lp which featured the hit singles Metal Guru and Telegram Sam.
This weekend saw the commemoration of Victory in Europe Day when on May 8th 1945, the War in Europe had ended.
Thanks to Covid-19 arrangements to mark it wear messed up but soon a bit of ingenuity and true grit of the British people we found ways of marking it from broadcasters filming segments that were stitched together with those involved such as Prime Minister and Queen together with armed services.
Also we decided it would be possible to hold street parties so long as we remained in our own gardens, keeping social distance.
The Red Arrows flew over as did a few other flights to mark the day.
Our street party went well with people talking over gardens and roadsides as everyone eat food and enjoyed drinks and children played with bubble mixture which I guess also was another reason we wanted it to happen.
Having been locked down for a good while people wanted to have fun together in a safe way and it provided a place for it. I for one was glad of it.
Hi. Today is May Day, which normally is a "bank holiday" but because the groan ups decided they wanted to mark V.E. Day which was seventy-five years ago instead decided to cancel May Day bank holiday and make Friday the V.E. Day a bank holiday in its place.
They were somewhat late in doing so so many diaries and calendars are not actually correct and not as much of was planned for that is actually going ahead anyway.
From my point of view then I'm running with what we'd normally do such as holding events in town or village greens and schools such as Maypole dancing which I loved for the music and dancing spectacular it is as illustrated here by the girls in lovely blue dresses.
Unfortunately like with most things this year Covid-19 has been a party pooper spoiling to such events so in many places we've not been able to do this but I insist on holding to the tradition and the memories.
While I was out exercising under the current restrictions this weekend I came by this lovely specimen and captured it with my Sony compact camera with the air much cleaner than usual so I could hear and smell the countryside rather than car fumes and the roar of the motorway nearby.
I was pleased to see the return of Holly Hobbie on CBBC in the second series last Tuesday following the story of the teen schoolgirl country singer her friends and trying to "be the change" in her small country town.
The series has a good heart, does raise some interesting ethical points along the way but above all is entertaining with well drawn good characters avoiding stereotypes.
I seldom watch groan up television cos it does nothing for me .
