Life has continued on with a few changes since my April 23 2020 post on Life Under Covid-19.
My painting continued as I had a deadline to meet. I finished painting my bedroom and front verandah in late May, 2020. The high sections were completed by my handyman, as my neurosurgeon, Ali would not be happy that I was standing on a ladder! And on June 3 , 2020 i could finally say goodbye to most of my venetian blinds, as my plantation shutters were installed. These shutters are so much more flexible by allowing much more light into the room . The bottom can be closed and the top half opened to allow light in; alternatively all the shutters can be opened.
Gardening has continued to take some of my time during the pandemic. I grew up in Newcastle; my father loved gardening and we had extensive vegetable and flower gardens. When i was on my coach tour in Scotland in October 2019, i sat with a recently retired Director of Horticulture from Mansfield in Ohio, USA. We both enjoyed seeing some wonderful Scottish gardens, and also talked about our own gardens.
Swimming pools re-opened in late July; however the change rooms are still closed. I do not like the idea of swimming and then wearing wet clothes home. In lieu of no swimming, i have had massages every 2 to 3 weeks. A lymphatic massage works wonders. These alternative massages focus on detoxifying the body by manually moving fluid around and boosting circulation. These techniques are not new, but have surged in popularity in recent times.
My exercise teacher , Judy obtained a permit from Sutherland Shire Council, and so we started classes out in the open, in mid-May , at Sylvania Athletics Track. We now meet in a Church Hall, and it is wonderful to again have intense one hour exercise once a week, albeit at a distance! It is good to give the Lorna Jane exercise wear a workout as well ……… It will be some time before Council -owned buildings again allow such activities.
On June 14 2020, I was to fly to Perth, Western Australia to take a trip to Monkey Mia with a school friend, Anne, who has lived in Perth for maybe 15 years. I had last visited Monkey Mia with Harold in January 1994, and we had a great time. (I had made a promise to myself, in early March 1975, when flying over the beautiful Western Australian coastline, on my flight from London to Bombay then Perth, to return one day and to drive up the coast).
Anne has never seen the dolphins, so we decided to take the 1000kms road trip from Perth to Monkey Mia. Alas, the Western Australian border had been closed by the Premier so that was the end of this trip. We have now rescheduled to 2021; however, it is uncertain as to how long the Western Australian border will be closed. Many people have had to cancel /postpone vacations –it is part of the norm during this pandemic.
On June 22 2020, Jenny, a former teaching colleague, and I had lunch in a Sans Souci café. However, after 1.1/4 hours we were asked to vacate the table so that other people could eat. We did not have time to have a coffee! Some cafes in the local area organised to do take away meals , which proved to be very popular. I have lunched or had dinner in a number of local cafes/ restaurants over the past few months. All have stringently adhered to COVID-19 protocol. Numbers are limited to people who are allowed to eat in a café / restaurant, and social distancing must apply. Telephone contact details are provided to the business in case someone eating in the venue has the virus –there is then a means of quickly informing you of the situation. You are advised to have a Covid test and to self –isolate for two weeks.
July 14 2020 was the 4th anniversary of my Moorefield Racecourse Kogarah (1888-1951) book launch . Much has happened since then. Bob and i launched our two hour CD on Moorefield Racecourse at a soft launch on January 23 2019 and the official launch on April 27 2019. Some of these interviews were put on You Tube in April 2020. Information has continued to come to light from a number of sources over the past few months. On May 18 2020, i received the presentation board of the Peter Moore Cup , January 6 1940 at Moorefield- an e-bay purchase. Over the past months well- read articles on my website are Australian Jockeys Riding in Ceylon, India and Pakistan –Updated Information, along with an article on the Selvaratram family from Ceylon and Australian Jockeys. This is a part of our racing history which has been long neglected.
On July 22 2020, i cancelled a planned trip, with Lillian, to attend the 2020 Melbourne Cup, and to also catch up with my Melbourne relatives. (I last attended the Cup in 1988 with my late father, and in 2010 with a girlfriend, Margaret). The Victorian Premier has in early August, imposed a strict lockdown in Melbourne. Melbourne residents must wear masks. Lillian and i expected this situation, as the virus numbers were increasing. We decided that the best thing to do was to cancel our trip. The airline provided a voucher on our airfares, and the accommodation monies have been kept with the travel company, which will go towards a future trip. Travel within NSW has now become the destination for NSW travellers, as most other State borders remain closed.
The Melbourne Cup will no doubt be still run on November 3 2020 , but without anyone to watch other than trainers, strappers and possibly some owners. Each year, for many years, we have had many overseas horses run – this year the Cup could again almost be an all – Australian affair. New Zealand horses? The racing industry has these strict protocols in place for the benefit of the industry. It is because of this, that horse racing has continued around Australia, and has kept many people employed. I spoke recently to a young jockey, who rides now in Queensland. Bob, my video producer, wants to give him a USB of an interview he did with his late father , also a jockey . John Marshall won the 1999 Melbourne Cup on Rogan Josh, and Bob asked him to recreate the race for him in the interview.
On August 1 2020, I attended the races at Randwick Racecourse, Sydney. A male friend, Jon and i drove to Randwick and parked in the nominated car park. We had already registered with the Australian Turf Club, and had to pick up our tickets upon arrival. Our temperatures were taken, drivers licences produced and bingo we were finally into the Members Stand. We had nominated the third floor. So up the escalators to the third floor. Again, drivers licences and our tickets were shown to the staff member. We were each given a colour -coded wrist band and were permitted only to buy food / drink, have a bet, and use the bathrooms . Plastic had to be used for meals and drinks .Tables and seating were well -spaced. Bets were accepted with cash. Sadly, we could not visit the stables or the mounting yard or have a wander. I enjoy seeing the horses in the stables and paying a visit to the betting ring. On leaving the Members Stand, we had to scan our ticket, collect the car and leave.
There was no lively atmosphere, except for the race finish when shown on the screens in the Members Stand, but it was great to be back on course again. The ATC had however allowed 8 bookmakers on course that day for the first time.
My beautiful Harry is 11 on August 14, 2020; in human terms, this is 77 years of age. He has not been well of late, and has had a few visits to the vet. Heart problems are common to the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breed and my Harry has this problem. I can only continue to love him, comfort him and be with him. Harry enjoys many home comforts. As he is an older dog, it is likely that he has some arthritis, so he sleeps on a cotton quilt and has two baby rugs over him to keep him warm on these cold nights. The pandemic has brought us closer to our animals as they are largely with us 24/7.
A visit last Friday, to a friend from a local financial institution , was informative in respect of the current situation . She expected that the bank moratorium on home loans would continue for some time into next year. Bank clients, who worked at Sydney Airport in the travel sector and in the terminals, are now out of work and struggling financially. She also indicated that last year some elderly people had transferred funds into shares, and these shares are now not returning dividends, or are returning only small dividends. People who invested in property also have income difficulties, if tenants are not be able afford to pay their rent. There are over 3 million properties that are rented or available for rent today in Australia.
The economic impact of COVID 19 has been significant, and it will take maybe 30 years to repay the Government debt, which has helped the nation through this difficult and stressful time. Business will take some time to recover; some may however never recover. JobKeeper and JobSeeker have fortunately been extended by the Federal Government beyond September. They will provide businesses and individuals with a very much needed financial lifeline.
Covid 19 has impacted on all of us, some more than others. It has impacted all aspects of our daily lives ; the manner in which our work is carried out , social contacts , our mental state, connections to family and friends, sporting activities, shopping, education and many other things.
We have no idea as to how long the virus is going to be with us. We must stay safe and also connected by phone /technology to family and friends.
Anne
Kogarah, Sydney August 13 2020.
Email: ko77582@bigpond.net.au
Websites
annefield.net.au
and
annefieldauthor .com You tubes: Anne’s Adventure (2013) Rockdale Wetlands (2019) Moorefield Racecourse (2020)
