Unintended consequences

Another early morning the the promise of sunshine, descending into wind driven showers by the time I went out for some fresh air before lunch. I curtailed my walk rather than get wet, returned and cooked lunch. By the time we'd eaten and cleared up, the sun was out again, but this time I went out carrying my light rain trousers in my big jacket pocket. And it didn't rain! The Taff is running high again, though not as high as last week. In the coming week we're promised the return of cold weather and snow, although the air temperature will continue to fluctuate from day to day between two and ten degrees, like this week. In the park, not only are daffodils and snowdrops out but also early crocuses. It's like we're having someone else's weather.

Clare and Kath between them have organised another four day stay in the Oxwich Bay Hotel caravan park in the last week of July. Two caravans for the six of us again. We were lucky to get the booking, as every UK holiday destination is experiencing high demand, as travel outside of the UK is unforeseeable in the light of new quarantine restrictions, let alone restrictions on flights. Stricter measures are imposed almost daily across Europe at the moment, as infection rates continue to rise. The EU lags behind Britain in the distribution of vaccines, there are major practical problems with the demand outstripping the supply, not to mention the conflictual politics of distribution. 

The European Commission made a  poor judgement call at the outset, and is now trying to compensate for it with strong-arm tactics, thinking it can get its own way by throwing its weight around. This is deeply disappointing and serves only to justify the brexiteers case, even though in just a few weeks it is proving disastrous for the flow of trade. If only Britain had stayed in the EU and put more effort into reforming the Commission, given that many European partners are also unhappy with the way it has habitually worked, and generated problems for members states.

News today of a fourth vaccine, an American one, about to be authorised for use in the UK. Batches of this one have also been ordered and should in use later in the spring. Nearly seven million people in Britain have been vaccinated, but it'll be a while before this has an impact on rising numbers of infections and deaths. It seems that infection clusters are being noticed in some offices where people are working together, even when correct H&S restrictions are in place, also in family groups, more so than in supermarkets and schools. Apparently, eighty percent of cases are now of the new coronavirus mutation, a measure of how much more contagious it is than the earlier version.

This afternoon, after completing my walk for the day, I watched this week's episode of 'New Amsterdam' on More Four catch-up. The programme has been re-scheduled from ten o'clock on Thursday evening to one thirty Friday morning, which is most annoying. I can't find any explanation for which it has occurred.

Later I watched the latest episode in the 'Rebecka Martinson Arctic Murders' series - this week portraying drug dealing way up in the north of Sweden, where drug trafficking happens across borders and involves Finnish and Russian drug gangs. and something akin to the 'County Lines' distribution networks operating in Britain. Two police officers' family members are involved, and so far there's been one accidental death by ketamine overdose and a drug distributor murdered. It's a two parter, so next week will reveal whether ot not this gets resolved without more fatalities. It's only story telling, I know, but it's not a big city or even a suburban crimmie for once, but rather a back-country tale strongly resembling the big city - and why? Due to the ubiquity of mobile phones and social networks. The internet has, indeed, abolished distance,