Find the vaccination centre nightmare

The crab apples that I picked yesterday needed to be de-stalked and cut up before cooking. Over two kilo's worth, and a long fiddly job. After a morning walk around Thompson's Park, I finished what Clare had started, both before and after cooking lunch, with just the last mugful to finish off when we got back from our booster jab appointment.

Our appointments were at the Bay vaccination centre and we left in good time, following Google Maps instructions to the post code in the Sports Village area. We reached the road in question, but there was no signage to indicate where the centre is. There was just a wide open entrance gate to the site with a large No Parking notice, and traffic cones along the entry verges. From this vantage point the large warehouse in use wasn't visible. We'd learned earlier that the warehouse housed the 'Toys 'r Us' store which closed several  years ago, but no signage remained to offer a clue to the identity of the place. And there was nobody about to ask. For anyone as unfamiliar with this part of Cardiff as we are, the total lack of signage was utterly reprehensible.

I concluded that we'd not found the right place and drove around through an area of anonymous blocks of buildings searching. In desperation, Clare phoned a friend who lives locally and had her booster jab earlier this week. It was easier to come and show us rather than instruct us, she said, and drove to meet us at the Morrison's supermarket filling station to guide us there. She too experienced the same difficulty finding the place, and thought instructions would make no sense to anyone unfamiliar with the area. It was so kind of her to come and show us the way. She led us back to the entrance where the sat-nav guided us and drove in, round a blind corner into a huge parking lot next to the huge warehouse that was our destination.

There was a short queue to register. It didn't matter that we were twenty minutes late. It seems delays and queues are normal, as people are being encouraged just to turn up, even if they don't have an appointment. Uptake of the booster jab hasn't been as fast as hoped for. The vaccination booths are numbered up to fifty and not all of them were in use when we were there. There was a waiting area with chairs to accommodate up to sixty at a time, with twenty people waiting. After just ten minutes, we were ushered into a cubicle together and interrogated by a recently retired doctor, a chatty Irishman. In twenty minutes we'd both been jabbed with the Pfizer booster vaccine and sent to the recovery zone beyond the waiting area. With seats facing the exit, and facing a wall clock, so we'd know when the required fifteen minutes wait before departure was over. 

Everybody at the centre was friendly and helpful, but the total lack of signage utterly reprehensible. How many more people had the same difficulty finding the place as we did? The address and post code on the six pages of literature from NHS Wales couldn't have been clearer, perhaps an outline map graphic on one of the information sheets would have helped, but no road signs? An A-board with a chalk notice on it would have sufficed. How many people have been deterred from getting the jab by this totally avoidable omission? On reflection, a 999 call to the emergency services might have been effective, but a nuisance for them.

When we returned home I did the last mugful of crab apples and but them on the stove to stew for a few hours. Then after supper, Clare got out the straining bag and loaded with stewed fruits into it, and between us we hung the loaded bag from an upside down stool, dripping precious liquid into a bowl overnight. Then we settled down to watch a telly version of a P D James' novel in a new series called 'Dalgliesh' on Channel 5 - he's the detective who features in her stories. It's set in the mid seventies, making it a recent history drama. And so to bed.

Deadly selfishness

After breakfast, I completed next Sunday's sermon, then walked for an hour before cooking lunch. It was good to  hear on the news that 75% of the UK population are now doubly vaccinated. The government is proposing booster jabs for the most vulnerable, to be delivered in tandem with 'flu jabs this autumn. 

This has come in for serious criticism from vaccinologists who state that it's a strategic error to think this will make a great difference, without evidence of the value. Surplus vaccines should be sent to places where the need is greatest in the world. Huge numbers of lives will be lost with even bigger consequences for poorer nations, and there's serious risk that vaccine poverty could help nurture another mutant strain even more deadly and contagious than are already known. It's not in the UK's best long term interests to refrain from being generous, in such circumstances. Self centred political ambition is capable of reaping deadly rewards in this case

Another deadly plague virus related to ebola has now been reported in West Africa. Early warning is leading to early action in a region which has learned from dire experience the importance of an urgent response. Yet again it's a development connected with environmental degradation and the effect of climate change unbalancing natural processes that mitigate the spread of most viral mutants.

Clare had an osteo-myology appointment with Kay in Newport mid-afternoon. I drove her there and went for a walk with my DSLR in nearby Beechwood Park while I waited for her. I remember doing this once before, but couldn't remember when. I hunted for the photo file in my archive containing pictures taken last time, but couldn't find it. Even worse, I had no idea of how long ago it was. I searched this blog and was amazed to discover my last visit was in the autumn ten years ago. My memory of taking photos there was quite clear. With a rough idea of the date, I searched through old hard drive archives, and found a folder labelled 'Newport', containing ten photos taken back then. Now I have all the photos in one file.

After supper, I watched an episode of a Sky Arts photographer of the year competition, interestingly set with six contenders in a multi-cultural inner city district of Rome. The photography task was to tell a story about the place through portraits of inhabitants. I can't imagine myself doing something like that, as I feel shy about engaging with people just in order to take pictures of them. I'm not sure I'd have the right words to say. It's a social skill I've never developed. I'm wary of intruding on people's privacy, and am well aware of that when I take family photos, I'm hesitant behind the lens, which makes them annoyed with me.

Then, I remembered that I had my Morning Prayer video reflection for Thursday to complete, and spent an hour on it, before printing off the material I need for tomorrow's funeral.

Drug abuse - the other deadly plague

Another long night of good sleep, and with my mind a little fresher, I spent the morning writing a couple of sermons for next Sunday before lunch. The surgery phoned with an appointment for blood tests in ten days time, then I went there to collect my three monthly prescription and get it dispensed. 

I finalised the eulogy for Carole's funeral and emailed to her nieces, hoping that I hadn't omitted anything. Within the hour I had a favourable response from both.

It's good to hear that the delta variant covid daily infection rate continues to drop. Although restrictions have been lifted, it seems a significant number of people haven't abandoned mask wearing indoors, and and continuing to be careful about socialising, and that is thought to make a difference to transmission. 

It doesn't mean the covid death rate is diminishing again yet, although it's low now compared to before vaccination began, and covid hospital admissions seem to be reducing. It looks as if the government's liberalisation strategy is paying off at the moment, but to my mind it's still a gamble we could end up regretting. I hope I am proved wrong.

Just as worrying is the high number of drug related deaths in Britain, the worst in Europe, ten times more than in Portugal, which has decriminalised hard drugs and developed a 'public health' policy which allows addicts to inject freely in a safe hygienic environment, where they can get counselling and social support with the goal of rehabilitating people from drug abuse altogether. When will governments in the UK wake up and follow Portugal's example?

There was a broadcast on S4C this evening of highlights from this yesr's on-line Welsh National Eisteddfod, which Clare watched with interest, as it featured the novel writing prizewinner, and some young competitors reading their own wotk, I think. I wish my grasp of Welsh was good enough to make sense of what I see. Shamefully my minimal linguistic effort remains focussed on Spanish exercises. I don't find enough time to read.

At nine I walkes for an hour, down to the Taff and back in the twilight, very peaceful. And then up to bed.

V-2 day

A lovely bright sunny morning for our car journey to Cardiff's football stadium grounds for our second covid inoculation. In contrast to the wintry grey overcast morning of out first jab visit. On the Today programme we heard from Professor Sarah Walker of the national covid infection survey research project. She reported on findings from people tested after vaccination, illustrating how mass vaccination is paying off in the population in terms of sustained high antibody levels after single and double doses. Along with continuing precautions, restrictions, test and trace, this is fast driving down infection and death rates. 

And on this day of good cheer, excellent news of the development of a much more potent anti-malarial vaccine. Roughly half to three quarters of a million people have died of malaria annually for decades, if a more effective vaccine is rolled out globally, it will transform the health and economy of many poor tropical countries.

The speed and efficiency of the UK vaccine roll-out has helped enormously. But she also presented facts that warn us against complacency. Once vaccinated you can still get covid infected a second time, albeit a milder dose, which might still make you a carrier of contagion if you're unaware of being infected. It may be a one in fifty chance of this occurring instead of one in five let's say, but this could trigger off another spike in infections if not nipped in the bud. 

The epidemic may be on its way out, but the virus will still be endemic; i.e. not totally eliminated, and therefore some level of on-going precaution will be required. like mask wearing and social distancing in enclosed public spaces. In many South East Asian countries this became habitual in any case decades ago, during the SARS pandemic, and helps to explain why their covid infection rates have been low in comparison to others. The 'new normal' is going to include mask wearing, like it or not.

We shared in cooking a pizza for an early lunch, which turned out superbly thanks to perfect dough made by Clare. Then I drove to Thornhill for the funeral at which I was to officiate. The hearse arrived just in time, instead of being ten to fifteen minutes early, which is normal - due to sporadic traffic congestion as a result of city centre restrictions on all but public transport along Castle Street. Both my journeys today, at the same time as on Wednesday this week, were un-delayed, unlike Wednesday. It's not sol easy to predict and plan journeys around the city as it was previously.

When I got home afterwards, I went for my daily walk. Kath called me and we chatted for half an hour. Then I settled down to catch up on writing emails to people from whom I have heard recently, but been too busy to respond to. After supper, another episode of 'New Amsterdam', more photos to upload and edit, and then bed.

Dydd gwyl Dewi Sant

My Dewi Sant video reflection uploaded and displayed as hoped for without hassle just after I wok up at eight today. June my sister rang at nine expressing delight and enthusiasm for an outdoor production of Puccini's 'Turandot' by Sydney Opera, live streamed on Sky Arts, starting at seven this morning. She set her alarm to get up early enough to watch it. This is one of series of brilliantly staged outdoor operas the company has staged this year apparently. I think the Aussies have weather on their side, plus plenty of wide open spaces.

The house gas supply is being switched off today to upgrade the piping from street to meter, Clare got up early and raised the thermostat to warm the house through as much as possible before shut down. It's overcast again today but mild, so the house will cool down slower than at night. The gas went off at ten and work was done first at the house gas meter end, then along the supply path. The gas supply was on again at two, pretty good going.

Interesting, a couple of days ago the new said that Ghana would be the first West African country to get a supply of vaccines. This morning's first day vaccination report was from the Ivory Coast. Then in the evening new the vaccination launch in Ghana was reported. It makes me wonder how much guesswork and how much co-ordination is going on in the news reporting editorial office. 

Trump has spoken publicly for the first time since leaving office, to a Republican convention, talking about a re-election bid in 2024. A golden image of him adorned the stage before he arrived in person. What do his biblical fundamentalist fans make of this I wonder? Some commentators reckon this self trumpeting behaviour will end up being counter-productive and drive moderate Republican support away to the Democrats. We'll see.

Before I went out for my walk of the day after lunch, I sat down for a while with my Olympus camera and started to explore the 'settings' dial. For the most part, I used the camera the lazy way, leaving the camera set to 'Auto'. When setting it up at the outset, I realised it had a complex set of menus. I found out in the 'Art' menu how to use a black and white photo pre-set but that was all. I was more interested in seeing how well it handled, how easy it was to use, and what sort of photos it gave, treating it like a simple point and shoot device. I felt it was time to get to know its settings better.

I turned its main top left dial to the SCN setting, and was surprised to discover a collection of sub menus that would suit portrait, landscape, night shots etc, but also some unexpected pre-sets, one is for 'macro' shots, very close up to small objects. Another pre-set was labelled 'wide angle'. This really surprised me. The all purpose short telephoto lens I mostly use isn't especially wide angled, but selecting the pre-set makes the field of view far wider. Likewise with the telephoto lens. And I'd been thinking that when the camera shops re-open my first purchase should be a wider angled lens! I've no idea how this works but the pre-set seems to change the aperture width, although there's no physical change to the lens. When I go looking for a new lens (most likely a long telephoto) I'll ask if anyone can explain this to me.

My walk took me up to Western Avenue and the down the west bank Taffside footpath, now dried out at last and no longer treacherous. I stopped to take a photo of the river, and while I was switching on, a Kingfisher emerged from the riverbank below me and flew upstream in full view at close quarters. It was too quick for me to raise and point my camera, but an ephemeral moment of delight. The last time I got a clear, if not so close look at a Kingfisher was in Corsica fourteen years ago. One day I'll get a photo!

Confirmation today of a funeral I was asked about before the weekend, and a request to do another. Both are next week, and I have one this week. It'll keep me busy. Glad to help out my colleagues too. There are still a lot of extra deaths, many of them pandemic related. I called the next of kin about this week's twice delayed funeral, and learned that not only was it a covid death, but that the care home in which it happened was closed down and is subject to police investigation of criminal neglect of residents. This help to explain the double delay. Covid has really exposed the inadequacies of social care for the elderly, disabled and vulnerable, accumulated over decades of under-investment and poor regulation. Sadly, much responsibility for this state of affairs stems from government policy. Reform is overdue. Will it happen as the country recovers from this pandemic, I wonder? 

Dewi Sant portrayed afresh

News of 147 South African covid variant infections identified so far, with suspicion there are many more due to rapid symptomless transmission. It seems that the Oxford AZ vaccine isn't quite as effective in stopping mild infection in the younger age bracket (and therefore contagion) as hoped for, although still highly protective against serious and fatal illness, which should help reduce hospitalizations. It's the result of a small scale study (2000 people) yet to be peer reviewed. It gives an early heads up from the experts to not to stop social distancing and mask wearing, whether you've been vaccinated or not. I do wish this was repeated more frequently every time this comes up as a news item, so that people are reminded it's not just a mere inconsequential statistic. The mews media are great at raising anxiety and not so good at reminding their audience of what is vital and live-saving.

The chill easterly wind continues to blow relentlessly, bringing a scattering of stinging icy particles but no snow. Despite a hat, ski jacket, gloves, normal jacket, two pullovers, shirt and woolen vest, I was still cold during my first invigorating walk of the day. Perhaps because I no longer have as much surplus body fat as I used to. I caught sight of a blue jay feeding on the ground at the edge of Pontcanna Fields and for just the second time in ten years of trying was able to photograph it. I got half a dozen useful pictures, though not quite as good as I'd liked. All in focus but not quite sharp enough, due to poor lighting not giving as fast a shutter speed as necessary to minimise motion blur totally. Pleased nevertheless.

This afternoon our icon painting friend Fran was in touch with Clare, sending photos of her finished icon of St David, which Clare commissioned for Cardiff Steiner School. It's a beautiful, original and unique in its use of iconographic form, symbolism and colour to portray Dewi Sant. She has created a work of art, that owes much to the ethos of both Byzantine and Western medieval sacred painting. It's a tradition which seems come from past religious history, and yet is very much alive today. Eventually, I'll post a photo here, so you can understand what I'm saying. 

The next step is to devise a suitable way of blessing and dedicating this icon, whose home will be in a secular pluralist school environment, reminding pupils, teachers and visitors alike that they live in Wales whose culture is inspired of a humble hospitable holy man, at home in nature, whose life was attentive to the presence of God in Christ, revealed in all things great and small alike  

Sweet sleep

We had a long lie-in and our usual late Saturday pancake breakfast this morning. Clare was awake and up in the night feeling feverish, in reaction to the vaccine. I slept dreamlessly and deep in between waking up every two hours, with no obvious symptoms until lunchtime when I noticed soreness in and around my right jaw muscle, as I do when developing a sore throat and a cold. My weak spot I suppose. Living in relative social isolation means I've not had a cold for the past twelve months and for that I'm grateful.

Eleven million people vaccinated now and there's talk of everyone vulnerable and all under fifty will be vaccinated by May. Public debate about when restrictions will be eased and whether foreign holidays are going to be possible this summer is now heating up, even though it's too early to say anything with real confidence as long as virus mutations continue and a coherent strategy to prevent them spreading and an further immunisation plan to address new developments is worked out. In the face of rapid contagion due to ever more aggressive virus strains, caution is essential. Media cheerleaders and political pundits aren't too happy about this, and there's much futile speculation about the resumption of normal activities. Nature is giving us a master class in the need for patience. I think of this when I spot a heron watching the waters looking for prey.

Walking by the Taff for an hour before returning and cooking lunch, I saw a yellow wagtail perched on a branch on the river bank. Mostly we see pied wagtails and occasionally grey ones, swooping across the water, perching on stones and on the banks. It's good we have the variety, right in the heart of the city.

It was two o'clock before we sat down to eat, having started the day so late. Then my fit bit needed charging before going out again - it takes about half an hour - so I plugged it in at my bedside, and lay down to relax. It was two hours later when I woke up from a beautiful refreshing sleep. That means I've slept eleven hours since having the jab yesterday! Well, that's fine when there's nothing scheduled in my diary. It's like being on holiday.

In the evening, there was nothing I was interested in on live TV, so I watched the first three episodes of a French crime drama on More Four called 'A deadly union', which is essentially about a family stricken by tragedies made far worse through cover-up deceit and lies. Shot on the Cote d'Azur it makes great use of the Mediterranean coast east of Marseilles as its setting. 

V-day

After breakfast this morning we walked in good time over to Cardiff City Football Stadium for our covid vaccines. We had a shock when we arrived at the the check-in booth to be told that we couldn't proceed to the vaccination point because we weren't in a car. That was how we discovered that the vaccination centre is 'drive-in only'. 

When we were contacted and given an appointment I said that I was pleased it was near enough for us to walk there together for our vaccination. The practice receptionist said was we wouldn't be able to go in together, and I said that waiting ten minutes outside wouldn't be a problem. It didn't occur to me that this centre was exclusively for recipients on wheels. 

Truth to tell, I know nothing about drive-in facilities anywhere. The only one I can identify in Cardiff is an add-on to a fast food joint. The idea of a drive-in food outlet appals me, an offence against food, un-necessarily adding to pollution and carbon footprint.. Yes, I am deeply prejudiced against the concept, and had difficulty conceiving of a stand alone drive-in outlet without a separate pedestrian facility.

They checked and confirmed that we were listed, and reassured us that the schedule had plenty of slack in it, as people were arriving early and being dealt with speedily. I called a taxi, which arrived in ten minutes and drove us through the facility and then took us home. On schedule!

I've had no reaction, Clare isn't sure if she had a reaction from the vaccine or whether it was just the shock of the unexpected. We wait not until 23rd April for jab number two. Next time we're go by car for sure.

It's may be just an odd coincidence, but when I spoke to Ashley later in the day, he interrogated me in detail after I told him the story. He too had initially been offered a vaccination booking at the stadium by someone who didn't mention to him that it was drive-in only. He declined as the date didn't suit him, and will got to his GP surgery for his next week. I knew it was drive-in, but the decisive word here everyone needs to know is 'only'. I would have been happy to drive there if I'd known, although I walk everywhere or use public transport to get around town as a matter of principle.

Vaccination centres are portrayed in the news all the time. It's presumed that what's self evident to some is obvious to everyone. The dominant news image of such a centre in my mind is of a big sports centre with scores of walk-in vaccination points. If there has been footage of people being vaccinated in their cars I haven't seen it. In may be written down somewhere in the various sheets of A4 bilingual information churned out by the health authority, too much to read without losing attention, too many words for a small but precise piece of information. What about people with poor literacy skills, whose first language is neither English nor Welsh, as poor at processing information as I am, but for different reasons?

Anyway, disaster was avoided. We're somewhat less vulnerable to covid now, but are still obliged to keep the safety rules as strictly as ever, as there is a one in twenty chance of the vaccine not being effective and a one in three chance of being contagious if infected accidentally, especially over the next three weeks in which immunity gradually develops. For now the vaccine takes the edge of the inevitable anxiety which is the shared experience of so many at this time.

I cooked lunch and walked around the park down to Blackweir bridge. The vandalised barrier has been repaired, but how long will it stay like that? After supper we started to watch a classic comedy movie 'No Sex Please We're British' It's a fast moving 1960s farce translated from stage to film, but the humour in it is so dated it became broing to watch, so we gave up. Clare decided to read, I watched 'New Amsterdam' and 'Rebecka Martinson, one after the other, and that was it for a thought provoking day.

Welcome appointments

Another dull routine day of mild damp weather, with spells of rain while walking walks before lunch. The cloud layer was thin enough for the sun to shine through bright enough to make the hedgerows glisten with raindrops. Enchanting. 

Just before I went out, I had a phone call from our GP practice mid morning giving us both vaccination appointments for this Friday morning at the Cardiff City Football Stadium. I'm so pleased it happened this way hearing the familiar voice of one of the receptionists, rather than the voice of someone at a call centre somewhere else. Ours is a big practice working out of cramped outdated premises, but they're so good at organising routine checks and winter 'flu jabs and giving telephone consultations when there's no need or too long to wait for a visit to the surgery. .

Talking of telephone appointments, I had a letter booking me for a chat with surgeon Mrs Cornish in the post this morning in mid March. That's a result of me writing to her ten days ago after a few painful days when the suture's free end stuck into me several times, and I didn't know what to do.. It's not happened again recently, as I discovered that I could avoid this happening by changing the way I dress the wound. I wonder if she's reviewed the MRI scan yet? I don't imagine I'll get the suture removal op for several months more in the present state of crisis, but I'm less worried now. I know I can live with it, confident that slowly, small improvements in the wound condition are happening.

I watched a few episodes of the second series of 'The Mallorca Files' in the evening. It's as disappointing as the first series was. An interesting idea expat detectives in a beautiful stylish exotic location, spoiled by poor acting and garbled dialogue. Many Mallorcans will be English speakers, but to have them all speaking English with Spanish accents, and never a subtitle in sight is like rolling the clock back to post war B movies. Some of the plots don't quite hang together, unless it's a case of shoddy editing leaving plot connections half inferred rather than joined up. The island's scenic beauty offers a great dramatic platform, but it could be so much better. It's meant to be entertaining, but ends up being irritating, but that is not unusual. 

I've noticed how many archaeology, history and science programmes take basically interesting reportage and flog it to death by telling the story in a way that involves far too many repeats. What aims to be 'dramatic reveal' ends up making interesting facts boring. It's not so much dumbing down as dulling down. It's reflected in many newspaper articles I read, even in 'posh' papers, so badly edited that almost all of the informative opening few paragraphs of a report are repeated later in the same article, Articles and telly programmes could all be shorter if time was spent editing them properly to deliver a coherent not a tedious message. 

Vaccine and virus news - reassurance and uncertainty

Another mild damp day with splashes of sunshine through the cloud. I walked for two hours before lunch, up to Western Avenue over the Taff, down through Bute Park, over the Millennium Bridge and back in time to share in cooking lunch. On the Bute Park side of Blackweir Bridge, I noticed that since yesterday there's been a incident of breaking and entering. Both ends of the bridge are boarded with ugly scaffolding and long planks. It's been out of use for a whole year now. Being narrow, it's a H&S risk. A low door built into both ends allows access for inspection. The Bute Park side is padlocked but the padlock mounting has been prised off with lock attached to open the door and the panel at the far end, kicked in. 

I photographed the scene and tweeted it to Cardiff Council straightaway, and had an acknowledgement within a hour. I do hope it's fixed quickly before other mischief can be indulged in. My walk around Bute Park from home was just under 10km, but when the bridge is open it's 6km. Cyclists and pedestrians coming from Gabalfa to Pontcanna, on the most direct route, many of them students, or hospital workers have to make a detour of up to three kilometres due to the bridge closure. It's surprising this hasn't been broken into before. Or if it has, it was fixed before making the local news.

Two Wales and West Utilities engineers' workshop vans were parked in the street when I left for my walk. They're preparing to replace the street's entire gas main system, right up to the gas meter in each property. Last week the project manager visited each house to brief us on how the job will be done. It'll mean that cars parked in the street will have to be parked elsewhere in phases, while the pavement under which the trunk main runs is dug up. 

A large coil of yellow heavy duty plastic tubing has appeared in their work enclosure, to replace the old one underground. From what the manager said I think, in part at least new narrower piping will fed in stages through the old wider bore main piping but that remains to be seen. It takes me back to the time when new gas mains were installed during the city centre redevelopment, and this necessitated replacing sections of older mains pipes right down Westgate Street. It was well managed, but traffic congestion was inevitable for months on end.

The death of Captain Sir Tom Moore was announced today from covid19, though it seems he was being treated for pneumonia prior to entering hospital, and for that reason had been unable to be vaccinated. His example of positivity and persistence in turning his daily hundred paces garden walk into a modest fundraising effort for NHS charities caught the world's imagination and ended raising over thirty million pounds instead of his thousand pound target. For people of all ages he became an inspirational figure in a time of great trial since World War Two. 

I was surprised to learn that he was a Burma veteran, one of worst theatres of war in terms of lives lost and long term damage to health of combatants. To survive at all was an achievement, and to live to be a hundred even more remarkable. In his quiet good humoured stoical way he gave an example of what's needed to get through this crisis and not lose ourselves. In his last year of life he achieved so much and showed the light of  encouragement and hope to the world. Dying at Candlemass give special meaning to Simeon's Song, at the heart of this day's liturgy 'Lord now lettest thou they servant depart in peace ...'

There's been news of more developments on the vaccine front today, with statistics on the Oxford/AZ vaccine showing that it's just as effective after twelve weeks as hoped for and gambled upon in delaying application of the second dose in an effort to reach as many people as soon as possible. Some experts weren't happy about the risk without the proper evidence, but now it's there. 

The Russian Sputnik V (for victory, we were told) is now demonstrating 92% effectiveness, and shown to work with surprising effectiveness as a booster second jab. Being able to mix different vaccines without losing efficacy or putting the patient at risk is quite an advantage in the chain of demand and supply. There's also the first reports of evidence showing that two thirds of vaccinated people, if reinfected, don't transmit the virus they are immune to. This really can have an impact on infection rates as numbers vaccinated spread.

That's a lot of good news for one day, much needed, given that more cases of spontaneous virus mutations similar to South African and Brazilian strains have been detected (13 in Wales), in people not in contact with anyone from abroad. A variant of the Kent strain which has been largely responsible for the massive surge of deadly infection experienced in the past two months has just been identified, and the rush is on to do mass testing and map the spread in order to impose localised containment measures to curb contagion while the vaccination roll-out is going on. It seems vaccine immunity does give a high degree of protection against the new strains, albeit slightly reduced. 

There's talk about schools resuming after Easter if not before, depending on regular testing being in place, and staff vaccinated as much as anything else. We've now booked a four day family holiday break at the Oxwich Bay Hotel static van site, like last summer, it'll be possible to repeat. Foreign holidays are being booked in hope by many, but we've no idea how control of new variants or overall suppression of the virus will happen once the mass movement of people starts again. I'd be surprised if things return to any approximation of normality until next year, seeing how viciously innovative coronavirus is turning out to be. And there's no magic bullet solution.

Virus hunting in the sewers

Although I had another long night's sleep, it didn't take me quite so long to wake up and get active, so I walked for an hour before and and hour after lunch today, as I have done several times lately. It seems to work well. I went to Thompsons Park and spotted a single coot on the pond among the scores of warring mallard drakes, alternating between chasing off mating rivals and pursuing the smaller number of ducks. Conflict and courtship look much the same to an untrained eye. Mallards make a display posture, standing out of the water with wings a flutter in a controlled pose which doesn't lead to them taking off. Drakes do it most often, but also the ducks from time to time. When I tried to photograph this behaviour, it was as if they all went on strike and refused to display for the benefit of the camera.

I was glad to l earn this morning that interviews are finally taking place for the post of Chaplain in Ibiza, after two year wait, what with pandemic disruption and the new hurdles of managing appointments and employing a British, if not another expat with post brexit regulations now effective. A great deal of persistence and prayer has been invested in keeping church fellowship going there, not least seven months without even a visit from locum priest. I'd like to think that kind of spiritual determination is being showed elsewhere, not only in the diocese in Europe but in those parts of the Church in Wales feeling the impact of clergy shortages and parochial rationalisation.

It's good to hear that covid infection and hospitalisation rates are starting to slow, a little quicker in Wales than in England, perhaps because the earlier Welsh lock-down offered a head start. Now there's a new worry however, as the South African covid variant has been identified in eight different postcode areas of England in routine testing, perhaps a hundred cases in all. Most worrying is that eleven infected people had no contact with anyone coming in from South Africa. They may have acquired it from an unknown third party - so called 'community transmission' of the virus. The entire population in an area now has to be tested to identify whoever carries the virus without symptoms and is infecting others. It's an unending nightmare for public health officials. 

It was very interesting to hear a passing mention of testing sewage water for covid, being employed to identify areas where the new variants have or haven't taken hold. It's public health procedure that's been used to trace many kinds of toxins over the years. When the West was getting hysterical at the onset of the pandemic this time last year and wanting to blame Wuhan exclusively for the covid19 outbreak, sewage testing revealed that the covid19 strain had been found in the waters of certain municipalities in Europe and other parts of the world dating back three months before the Wuhan outbreak. A fact so conveniently ignored by Trump's non-diplomacy. 

It's not necessarily the case that a fast spreading virus mutation comes to life exclusively in one location. Or at least, the multiple origin factor must be disproved. Ecosystem breakdown all over the planet is thought to be a contributory factor to viruses crossing the special barrier to humans and then evolving. A healthy biosphere normally neutralises this possibility in its complex interaction with many such toxins, but biosphere failures aren't unique to one place if the same conditions persist in different places, due to pollution and global warming. I think we'll be hearing a lot more about sewage testing as part of an early warning system for new virus variants in the coming months. Thank heavens there are now five different successfully proven vaccines in the global mass production line. We need them all.

Ashley called to tell me he'd been offered a vaccine shot, through his GP practice in Riverside. I'm four months older than he is, so it may not be long before we hear from our GPs. It all depends on how each post code age category is organised I guess. Clare rang up to find out if there was a stand-by list we could get our names on, but it seems that what happened to Diana and Pete last week was a one-off, as there was a batch of Pfizer vaccines which needed to be used up more rapidly than had been scheduled for, and this was already finished. More than eight million vaccinations done to date. The pace is pick up from day to day as the distribution and workflow improves. An impressive feat indeed.

No telly tonight, just for a change.

A small creative milestone

Today's early news announced that three households can meet from 24th to 27th December to celebrate Christmas together, all over the UK. Given that restrictions on indoor home meetings seem to be a key factor in curbing infection rates, according to epidemiologists, this is something of a risk. In the other hand, the Oxford research group has produced a vaccine which is 70-90% effective, according to how it is administered. It's easier to produce in volume, and distribution can begin one regulatory approval has been granted, possibly as early as next month. Is this part of the Christmas risk assessment I wonder? Everyone is desperate for some sign of hope that his plague can be brought under control. 

Having kept an eye on all scientific developments in the news since the outset of the pandemic, I thought early on that instead of taking several years to roll out a new vaccine, we'd see first signs of progress by the end of this year, but the pace of research and development leading to roll out of effective products, and several of them, has amazed and delighted me. If only the world's political leaders could collaborate as effectively as its scientific leaders!

After Radio 4's 'Thought for the Day', I uploaded to What'sApp the first of my daily reflections to the Parish daily prayer group. Image and text must be added separately. The first time I got it wrong and had to delete and start again. Luckily I started on time because I remembered. The daily notification I put on my phone last night didn't materialise and I had to add it again. I have no idea why this happened. It's reassuring to think that at least some of the time, my brain is more reliable than my phone.

I cooked lunch again and went for a walk into town again. A lot of work is being done on new footpaths in and around the SWALEC stadium, Sports Centre next door and the temporary Sophia Gardens coach station site. Whilst it's a good idea to improve safety with by separating vehicles and pedestrians in the public realm, it does mean tarmac covering more soil, less surface area to soak up torrential rain, with the prospect of run-of adding to flood water levels in the Taff. Surely there must be a better way?

 I took more photos in town, especially of the bus station construction site. A huge high rise building is rising above the entire ground level area given for a new bus and coach terminal, apartments and offices apparently. It'll be much bigger than I thought, overshadowing the BCC Cymru HQ next door, now in use at last, and totally dwarfing the main railway station, dating from Brunel's day. It was called 'Cardiff General' when I was growing up, but re-branded 'Cardiff Central' by British Rail in 1973. Prefer 'Cardiff General', as it's more distinctive, but that's not a name Brunel would have known as it wasn't changed until 1924. Before that it was simply 'Cardiff'. 

In the evening, we watched a fascinating programme on BBC Four in the 'Britain's Lost Masterpieces' series, showing how cleaning and restoration work on a painting in Derby's museum revealed that a landscape without provenance was an authentic painting by eighteenth century English painter Joseph Wright, whose portrait and narrative paintings are considered on a par with that of Rubens. More great detective work, and for once, nothing to do with crime!

Before turning in for the night I decided to work on the end of my novel. Half an hour turned into an hour and a half, but when I had written the final sentence at half part midnight, and re-read it, I realised it brought the story to the end which had been eluding me for some time. At last it's possible to discern a shape to the entire narrative. It will need much revising and re-ordering in due course, but this was an important moment for me, as if a weight had been lifted off my mind. 

I've done a lot of writing in my life and still enjoy it enormously. I have a one work of Christian apologetic, written and revised up to publication stander over fifteen years, for which I couldn't find a publisher, some children's stories not revised to publication standard, and several other unfinished projects which never completely took shape. To have reached a point where the novel has a shape which I can recognise is good place to be, even if it requires a lot more work and may never find a publisher.

Tentative cause for optimism

Eight days after the op, and I'm feeling the benefit of the surgical work done, even if it wasn't the hoped for final round. I slept comfortably enough to wake up only twice in the night; three spells of two and a half hours sleep instead of five or six spells of up to an hour and a half to go to the toilet. Relaxed, like being on holiday, and waking up feeling fresh!

A morning of clouds and sunshine, and a walk to St John's for the midweek Eucharist. There were eight of us today. Just after I got back the heavens opened and Clare had to rush out and rescue a life full of damp towels before they got soaked through. It didn't last long, and she was able to put them out again to dry under a bright blue almost cloudless sky. Even so, it's been cold all day, five degrees C after sunset. Walking in the chill clear air after lunch was very invigorating, I had the energy to walk further than my daily quota but decided not to over-stretch myself. It'll take time to build up lasting stamina.

It's pleasing to hear that the third covid-19 vaccine, developed in Oxford not only has a 95% success rate but is as effective in people our age as it is with people half our age. The experts are still entertaining us guesses about how long it'll take to vaccinate most of the planet's population of neediest people, and how family Christmas gatherings are going to be possible without dramatically increasing infection rates, as it will be the middle of next year before vaccination will impact on the statistics.

After supper I worked on the last chapter of my novel for an hour. I've had to wait a week for inspiration to propel me nearer to closure. Still not there, but satisfied with what I wrote. Then Clare and I watched the second half of 1948 rom-com movie musical 'Easter Parade' starring Freda Astaire and Judy Garland with music by Irving Berlin, part of a classic season of old movies on BBC Four this autumn.

Much of the movie is set on a vaudeville stage with spectacular solo and ensemble dance set pieces with artistically crafted stage backdrops, a Technicolour feast for the eyes in every sense. It had songs in it that I half remembered from hearing them in childhood. Lots of fun, cheerful escapist nostalgia for a chilly night in covid times, and not a face mask in sight anywhere on screen with all that dancing cheek to cheek,

More covid news

When I opened the bedroom curtains at sunrise, the sky was pale blue, dotted with pale yellowy-pink clouds high up, very beautiful. It didn't last long, however. By breakfast time a layer or low lying rain cloud moved in, and it rained as long as it was daylight before the sky turned clear again.

We used a portion of Clare's sourdough bread dough from yesterday to make two pizza bases, and I cooked different veggie toppings with vegan cheese for both of us for lunch. A tasty result again.

It rained throughout my afternoon walk and again my rain jacket but also my shoes got soaked through, this time it was my new rain jacket, whose seams aren't waterproof, I discovered. The majority of trees in the parks around have now lost their leaves, although there are still some trees which seem to have lost hardly any and others whose leaf cover is thinning out very slowly. It would be interesting to know the reason for these differences.

In the evening a most interesting documentary programme on Sky Arts channel, a biography of French Impressionist painter Edgar Degas, as he's known. In a brief glimpse of the family tomb in which he was buried, the inscription on the lintel stated that the family name was 'de Gas'. Joining the two like that is improper. I believe that the use of 'De' instead of 'de'- the so-called 'nobiliary particle' - isn't French. The joining of particle to surname and use of a capital 'D' is, however, found in Italy eg Dicaprio, Dinozzo. Now that's something new I found out today. The paintings shown in the programme, and sometimes the detail within them were very beautiful. They look better on TV than in reproduction postcards and prints and that's not something I often say about colour TV imaging, which often seem to be too bright and over-saturated, slightly unreal.

News today of a second covid-19 vaccine reported as being even more effective than the first announced last week. It's a different type of vaccine two that interacts with the body in another way. The greater the variety of efficacious vaccines, the better will inoculation programmes be able to reach a wider range of ages and ethnicity. Meanwhile, Boris Johnston is back in quarantine up stairs in number ten, as one of the MPs he had a meeting with last week has since tested positive for the virus. 

The Prime Minister's official residence is claimed to be a 'covid safe' zone, so how come this happened. Nobody in an official press photo of the meeting with half a dozen others was wearing a mask. It's as bad as the White House in Washington. The likelihood of Boris being reinfected is quite low, but he still has to self-quarantine, and set a good example. Who knows what'll happen downstairs while he's tucked away for a fortnight. 

Staycation round two, day fourteen

A text message from the Spire hospital this morning, with a link to questionnaire cum declaration about quarantine compliance, and other preliminaries to admission tomorrow. All straightforward, except for a question which referred to whether or not the respondent was an 'in-patient' or a chemo patient. All the NHS correspondence refers to the recipient as an 'out-patient' or a 'day-patient'. A private hospital is entitled to build its own strict disciplines and develop its own vocabulary, but such a simple thing when dealing with NHS outsourced patients has the ability to sow confusion. I sent a message to the Spire to ask for clarification. 

I didn't receive an email response to my question, but later on the hospital phoned to asked if I could be there an hour earlier. I agreed we could, and then spoke about the web page ambiguity to the person who called, and asked if she could pass the feedback on. Whether it'll get reported or not is anybody's guess.

The weather was overcast, and I completed my day's walk outdoors early afternoon in a spell between showers. Before and after supper I spent on writing that elusive last chapter of my novel, a couple of thousand words, but the time I finished just before be, but still not finished, I'm full of questions about all that I've written. For the most part the story seemed to tell itself, slowly unfolding with all its twists and turns as I wrote. It's the story of an extraordinary person who lives an ordinary life, never becoming famous or rich, but enriching others nevertheless, with their creativity. Writing an end of life scenario is relatively simple compared to that of writing a brief account of the impact of one such life on others. That, I guess, is what I'm finding difficult to imagine. It's not coming naturally.

Good news about vaccine trial success. The media are reacting with great great excitement about the prospect of a return to some kind of normality next spring. It's foolish to be over-optimistic and to under-estimate the complexity of the mass manufacturing, distribution and application of the billions of vaccine doses required to made a substantial difference to the world's population. First there are priority health workers and most vulnerable people, working down to those who least need it. And there's still to be determined, how long the vaccine protects people in different age groups, and whether it will curb the ability of unwitting super-spreader victims to infect others. We've seen a superb breakthrough in getting a useable vaccine made in record time, thanks to international scientific collaboration on a scale hitherto unimagined, but there's still a long way to go yet, perhaps longer than we want to think. 

Self isolation - together

Yesterday was a day of intermittent rain and windy dry spells, and still rather mild. In the morning, I had a chest examination at our GP surgery, to confirm my cold is really on its way out. Very little coughing now and the doctor said that I'd be OK to spend the next two weeks waiting in self isolation for operation number four. I was also given a 'flu vaccine injection. Clare also had hers later in the day, having booked one at the pharmacy so we're both covered for the winter now. 

After lunch I had a call from the surgeon's secretary to check that all is as hoped for, and that I know what's happening. She told me I'm listed for a morning operation, That means checking it at the Spire hospital for seven o'clock, leaving at a quarter past six to be sure to arrive in good time. It's like that necessary flight departure time - you may hate the sleep disruption to get there as required, but there's no alternative but to put up with it..

The Taff water level was a little lower than yesterday so much of the island of stones in the middle of the river was visible again, Unusually, there were a pair of cormorants and a heron keeping vigil over the waves, hoping to spy and catch a fish. Owing to the gusty wind, there were scores of gulls and crows grounded on the sodden grass. 

We again spent the evening watching another three episodes of 'The Shtisels' It's entertaining but gives a lot to ponder on, about power and control, love and freedom in an extended family striving to do their best to keep their conservative traditional faith and lifestyle. With nothing in the diary for either of us in the next two weeks of lock-down, we can work our way through our collection of videos we've never got around to watching.

Today was the first day of quarantine, wearing a face mask out in the street on the way to the park and keeping at least five metres from anyone passing. And, not touching anything with hands, i.e. opening gates, or pressing the button at the zebra crossing. No visits to shops etc. It's stricter than usual, but not too far from how I am habitually. I spent many weeks on my own with next to no social contact and no physical contact with others or the environment outside the house and grounds, so I'm used to it.

Walking along the river path this afternoon, I saw a flock of crows grounded and a young heron walking about among them, without conflict or disruption. An older heron was keeping vigil on the island of stones in the river, a hundred metres away. It's rare for me to see two in the same vicinity like that.

This evening we watched two more episodes of 'The Shtisels', and decided that we'd keep the final one in the box set for tomorrow night, both of us being rather tired. Yesterday's 'flu jabs seem to have had more of an impact on us this year than previously. Is it just that we're getting old?