Sunday August 2nd 2020

10:30 Our elder daughter Alison arrives from Haslemere, together with Ed and their 3 children, Josie (13), Rosalind (12) and Isaac (10).

They are not allowed to come in our house, other than to use the loo, and wash dishes, things like that. We have dedicated the downstairs loo to them today, and Lois and I will use the upstairs one. The weather is fairly kind – a few spots of rain this morning, but it brightens up later on.

This is a big event for us – we haven’t seen them since Christmas because of the lockdown.

Also to have the company of 5 extra people for 5 hours, talking non-stop, is a real change from our usual lockdown day, where it’s just Lois and me spending the whole day together, and then Lois and me all night together, and it’s usually so quiet and peaceful with just us two old crows – yikes, so today is quite a shock to the system, to put it mildly!!!

Ali and Ed, and Sika, their Danish dog, with Lois

(left to right) Isaac, Rosalind and Josie

Our other daughter, Sarah, in Perth, Australia, calls us on whatsapp during the visit: not the best timing as we are just sitting down to lunch when she calls, but we do our best – it’s a rare opportunity for the two families, including our 2 sons-in-law and all our 5 grandchildren, to talk together.

It’s midwinter over in Australia, but the temperature is still marginally higher over there than it is in England, where it’s the so-called “high summer” – my goodness, what a crazy world we live in!!!!

our crazy world - "summer" in England

but winter in Australia - what madness!!!!

14:00 After lunch on the patio, we talk to Isaac about yesterday’s big football match, the FA Cup Final between Chelsea and Arsenal, which Lois and I had watched with the specific purpose of being able to talk to him about it today. As always, Isaac’s comments on the game were thoughtful and insightful, and we urge him to put down his views on the big game in his football blog, at footballwiki.co.uk . He reminds us about what a busy guy he is, but he will try to post his views over the next 24 or 48 hours or so, which is nice, and something to look forward to.

I also point out to Isaac that while Lois was watching the game yesterday, she came out with some really original ideas about how both teams could be playing better:

1.      Get a move on, stop wasting time, the game is only on for 90 minutes!

2.      Move the ball forwards towards the goal you are aiming at, and stop messing around in your own half, passing the ball between you and your team-mates!

3.      Try more shots at goal, and above all try to be more on target – even if a shot has only a 5% chance of going in: as long as you try that kind of shot, say, 20 times, you’re likely to score a goal as long as you keep trying!

4.      If you pass the ball, make sure it goes to one of your team-mates and doesn't at all costs end up going to somebody from the opposing team!

plus other pieces of advice in the same vein.

These "wrinkles" of Lois's could revolutionise tactics in the sport, Lois and I feel. And Isaac urges her to start her own football blog, “Granny’s Wrinkles”.co. uk. We wonder if there might even be a career for Lois in football management – who knows! But it's too early to say. It's something the jury is still out on – we’ll just have to see.

a typical error by Chelsea: Chelsea defenders (in blue) waste time

by passing the ball repeatedly to each other, instead of moving forward to score a

goal in their opponents’ half. Lois points out the folly of it,

and suddenly her striking new “take” on the sport seems blindingly obvious –

but it’s fascinating to speculate how her approach could revolutionise the game!!!!

15:30 It's been so much fun,  I can't tell you! But now it's time to say goodbye. The family start off on their 2-hour journey back to Haslemere, and Lois and I collapse in a heap on the sofa. We’re getting old, no doubt about that.

20:00 We are on our own again – the patio is quiet and deserted, and it’s just Lois and me on the sofa again -  sob, sob!

We spend the evening listening to the radio, an old edition of Desert Island Discs, where celebrities are asked to choose the 8 “gramophone records” they would want to have with them if marooned on a desert island, a bit of a lockdown style situation. Tonight’s celebrity is comedienne Dawn French.

Celebrities are also allowed to have one luxury with them on their island and Dawn chooses her daughter’s gigantic teddy bear. It will remind her of her daughter because it smells of her – and also it makes an excellent pillow to rest her head on at night, she says. Her daughter will be furious, she adds. 

Poor Dawns-daughter !!!!!

And poor giant teddy bear!!!!!!

22:00 We go to bed – zzzzzzzzz!!!