I wrote this in 2020, when Covid first started to affect all our lives. I thought I may restart my blog with tips on the 100s of new hobbies I've started since covid and found this in drafts.
Sadly Covid got my dad, not the actual virus but the effects of lockdown. He went from being a super active, very social 90 year old to an old 93 year old sat in a chair with less and less mobility every day. He died December 2023.
In tribute to my dad 1930-2023
My dad rings me every day and he has a chat. He's a very happy, chatty person so all I have to do is listen. I umm and ahh and make noises, he doesn't need me to talk. Since my mum died eight years ago, he just needs someone to listen.
He'll be ninety this year. He is a very socially active person and the lockdown is really hitting him hard. He has lots of friends, mostly women half his age, he's a sweet talker and all those his age have one by one passed away.
When lockdown was first suggested, and over 70s asked to stay at home for TWELVE WEEKS he was not impressed. He thought "they" were all "idiots" and "it wasn't this bad during the Blitz" (he grew up in London) but luckily a few friends, and one in particular, said they were self isolating and he eventually came round to the idea. Well his version of it.
Like many older people he had a routine - dancing on Mondays, art lessons on Tuesdays, volunteering, shopping Wednesday mornings at Tesco where he meets two elderly women to chat. They help him with shopping decisions, recipes and so on, and he gets things from the higher shelves for them. He knows the manager of Tescos and all the staff, he talks to them all.
He meets old school friends who live near, and goes every Saturday to the football. Tottenham is his team but the prices are too high so he has a season ticket to the local team, the team that couldn't kick a ball if they tried and all the refs are biased.
He loves his quiz night on a Sunday, and visits to the theatre, cinema and holidays with one of his best friends, a very old friend who lost her husband. He delights in telling everyone who will listen that she is twenty five years younger. They are friends, and that's how they like it, they holiday together and dance together. They go to shows and generally have a fun time.
While some of the activities had fallen by the wayside, he still dances and gets out and about every day, so you can imagine how hard it has been for him to stay in. I live almost two hundred miles away so can't just pop over and chat through a window. My brother used to visit every day but he is in the at risk group so has had to stop visiting.
Onto the conversations;
Dad; Hi, everyone OK?
Me; Yes we're all fine. How's your day been?
Dad; It's like a morgue here, no-one out, haven't seen anyone out for days.
Me; So you've been stuck in all day?
Dad; Only been in the garden, cut the grass. *chats about something* I went to the insert here one of the following
a) Butchers, only me there and one other person
b) Paper shop, to pay for my papers, it's empty, no-one there
c) Bank, to pay for my holiday/credit card etc
d) Corner shop, to buy milk (milk that he has delivered or something else essential)
e) Post Office, to buy stamps
f) Tesco, (old timers hour on a Wednesday, highlight of his week)
g) Off Licence, to buy dry ginger (which Tesco didn't have but likes it in his evening whiskey)
Me; So you did get out then.
Dad; I did some work in the garden but I can't do that all day
Me; Thank goodness it's spring not winter.
Dad; That would be awful, at least I can get out into the garden to break up the day.
Me; Don't over do it.
Dad; I won't. insert here one or all of the following. Names changed.
I saw Bert today - we kept our distance, he's not been out in weeks - then Flora popped in, couldn't wait for her to go, she's a know it all. We kept our distance, two metres all the time.
Mike, you know fixes my car, he was fixing someones wing mirror. He's well, and family too. Told me not to worry about the MOT, it's been extended.
I bought Maltesers for Beryl as they are her favourites. I'll leave them on her doorstep.
Petunia next door is home, had a chat over the hedge
Robert (the other side) is not looking so well, he said he hasn't been out for ages either
Me; So you had a good day then? At least you had someone to talk to
Dad; It's not the same. We stay two meters apart and I wear gloves (my mind boggles, but it really is best not to ask)
It's dead around here, I see no-one at all.
Me; (still thinking about gloves)
Dad; Saw the vicar today, told him I was keeping an eye on the place and would ring him if I saw anything suspicious.
Saw Penny in Tesco, we couldn't talk because you have to go one way... I had to go all the way around as I'd missed something, it's a pain especially as there are so many going the wrong way.
Me; Was it busy then?
Dad; It was empty. The checkout queues were long as they didn't have enough tills open, so I managed to have a chat with Penny then.
Me; (I have to ask) Gloves dad? What gloves?
Dad; My black ones, to push the trolley.
Me; *visions of dad thinking gloves will protect him from the virus* Be careful taking your gloves off
Dad; I only use them for shopping and wash my hands when I get home
Me; Ahh, that's good dad.
Dad; Nothing on the telly again (by which he means no sport or Strictly). I'll watch The Chase Special after I've rung Pugh, Pugh, Barney Magrew, Cuthbert, Dibble, Grub*.
Me; Ok then, nite
Dad; Nite
Me; I'll speak to you tomorrow. Bye
I read in the papers someone saying that their mum "has a list of underground hairdressers that will come to your house". Maybe it's not the teenagers racing around on their dirt bikes or push bikes, or those having a game of football in the park we should be moaning about.
Stay Home. Stay Safe.
He'll be ninety this year. He is a very socially active person and the lockdown is really hitting him hard. He has lots of friends, mostly women half his age, he's a sweet talker and all those his age have one by one passed away.
When lockdown was first suggested, and over 70s asked to stay at home for TWELVE WEEKS he was not impressed. He thought "they" were all "idiots" and "it wasn't this bad during the Blitz" (he grew up in London) but luckily a few friends, and one in particular, said they were self isolating and he eventually came round to the idea. Well his version of it.
Like many older people he had a routine - dancing on Mondays, art lessons on Tuesdays, volunteering, shopping Wednesday mornings at Tesco where he meets two elderly women to chat. They help him with shopping decisions, recipes and so on, and he gets things from the higher shelves for them. He knows the manager of Tescos and all the staff, he talks to them all.
He meets old school friends who live near, and goes every Saturday to the football. Tottenham is his team but the prices are too high so he has a season ticket to the local team, the team that couldn't kick a ball if they tried and all the refs are biased.
He loves his quiz night on a Sunday, and visits to the theatre, cinema and holidays with one of his best friends, a very old friend who lost her husband. He delights in telling everyone who will listen that she is twenty five years younger. They are friends, and that's how they like it, they holiday together and dance together. They go to shows and generally have a fun time.
While some of the activities had fallen by the wayside, he still dances and gets out and about every day, so you can imagine how hard it has been for him to stay in. I live almost two hundred miles away so can't just pop over and chat through a window. My brother used to visit every day but he is in the at risk group so has had to stop visiting.
Onto the conversations;
Dad; Hi, everyone OK?
Me; Yes we're all fine. How's your day been?
Dad; It's like a morgue here, no-one out, haven't seen anyone out for days.
Me; So you've been stuck in all day?
Dad; Only been in the garden, cut the grass. *chats about something* I went to the insert here one of the following
a) Butchers, only me there and one other person
b) Paper shop, to pay for my papers, it's empty, no-one there
c) Bank, to pay for my holiday/credit card etc
d) Corner shop, to buy milk (milk that he has delivered or something else essential)
e) Post Office, to buy stamps
f) Tesco, (old timers hour on a Wednesday, highlight of his week)
g) Off Licence, to buy dry ginger (which Tesco didn't have but likes it in his evening whiskey)
Me; So you did get out then.
Dad; I did some work in the garden but I can't do that all day
Me; Thank goodness it's spring not winter.
Dad; That would be awful, at least I can get out into the garden to break up the day.
Me; Don't over do it.
Dad; I won't. insert here one or all of the following. Names changed.
I saw Bert today - we kept our distance, he's not been out in weeks - then Flora popped in, couldn't wait for her to go, she's a know it all. We kept our distance, two metres all the time.
Mike, you know fixes my car, he was fixing someones wing mirror. He's well, and family too. Told me not to worry about the MOT, it's been extended.
I bought Maltesers for Beryl as they are her favourites. I'll leave them on her doorstep.
Petunia next door is home, had a chat over the hedge
Robert (the other side) is not looking so well, he said he hasn't been out for ages either
Me; So you had a good day then? At least you had someone to talk to
Dad; It's not the same. We stay two meters apart and I wear gloves (my mind boggles, but it really is best not to ask)
It's dead around here, I see no-one at all.
Me; (still thinking about gloves)
Dad; Saw the vicar today, told him I was keeping an eye on the place and would ring him if I saw anything suspicious.
Saw Penny in Tesco, we couldn't talk because you have to go one way... I had to go all the way around as I'd missed something, it's a pain especially as there are so many going the wrong way.
Me; Was it busy then?
Dad; It was empty. The checkout queues were long as they didn't have enough tills open, so I managed to have a chat with Penny then.
Me; (I have to ask) Gloves dad? What gloves?
Dad; My black ones, to push the trolley.
Me; *visions of dad thinking gloves will protect him from the virus* Be careful taking your gloves off
Dad; I only use them for shopping and wash my hands when I get home
Me; Ahh, that's good dad.
Dad; Nothing on the telly again (by which he means no sport or Strictly). I'll watch The Chase Special after I've rung Pugh, Pugh, Barney Magrew, Cuthbert, Dibble, Grub*.
Me; Ok then, nite
Dad; Nite
Me; I'll speak to you tomorrow. Bye
I read in the papers someone saying that their mum "has a list of underground hairdressers that will come to your house". Maybe it's not the teenagers racing around on their dirt bikes or push bikes, or those having a game of football in the park we should be moaning about.
Stay Home. Stay Safe.
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