Who Needs Abroad? 

(Lary the Lamb)

 I started writing this blog in January 2016 when I was first diagnosed with T2 Throat Cancer. At the time I didn’t know what the outcome would be, I certainly didn’t know that we’d have far more holidays in a five year period than we’d had in the previous 30 odd years. So far we’ve been to Corfu twice, Fuerteventura four times, Gran Canaria twice and numerous long weekends in Cornwall. Back in January of this year I made the rash promise to the kids that we’d get down to Cornwall for a long weekend and that they could bring their respective partners, Tom and Laura. Along came COVID 19 and our plans looked to be scuppered.

We were very lucky that when the lockdown restrictions were lifted I was able to book a mobile home we’d used a couple of times before, it’s near to St Merryn so a bit further away from Porthcothan than we’d like, but it’s a lovely van. 7 days booked, can’t remember the last time we had a whole week in Cornwall. I was slightly concerned that 6 adults plus a medium sized dog might be a tight squeeze in the van, but we were fine.

What followed was probably one of the best holiday’s we’ve had for some considerable time. We weren’t in each other’s pockets, we did our own thing. One day Carol and I met up with Bob and Cyd who are the Assistants to Nev’s Dad, Matti. His grandad, great grandad and a couple of his aunties were also there! Kromis Overload J Max and Laura had gone off to Port Issac to meet some friends. Anna and Tom made two trips to Watergate Bay (They’d forgotten they’d got the keys to the van!) Another day Carol and I arranged to meet up with Kevin and Sharon who we’ve known for a couple of years on Facebook. They have two dogs, Rosie and the beautifully named Pasty. Pasty had had a horrible life before being rescued by Kevin and Sharon. She’d been used as a breeding dog and had never seen the daylight. To follow her progress on FB as she’s developed from a timid lady with white marks around her eyes to the beautiful chocolate Lab she is now has been quite emotional, it was lovely to meet her in the flesh, such a gentle soul. Kevin and Sharon are pretty nice too J A lovely walk from Trevose Head, around Booby’s and back again in a lovely light finished the day off.

Through the power of Facebook we’ve made a few friends in the area where we stayed, it’s always great to put a face to the people you’ve been chatting to for a couple of years.

The only arranged date for the week was lunch for six (& a medium sized dog) at St Petrocs Bistro in Padstow. We’ve been to St Petroc’s a few time in previous visits, it’s one of Rick Steins places. He gets a lot of stick for Padstein which I think is unjustified due to the employment he brings to the town, but that is perhaps for another blog. We’d seen signs saying that if you wanted a car park space you needed to be in town by 10.30am at the latest as the overflow carparks weren’t operating. So, we duly rocked up at around 10am, parked in the upper carpark and made our way down to the town with the idea of getting a leisurely coffee. Oh dear, the place was packed. I had a bit of a panic attack. Since March I’ve avoided crowds, but walking through Padstow there was no option. Folk were bumping into me, stopping for no apparent reason, or staring at their phones and ignoring who was coming towards them. The Padstow area has a finite amount of accommodation, reduced this year as a lot of campsites haven’t been taking touring or camping bookings, so why was the town so busy? My theory is that it was probably no busier than you’d expect, but people were trying (and failing) to Social Distance, meaning there was less space for everyone. We made a rapid escape up to the estuary where it was much quieter and enjoyed a lovely deserted stone skimming competition on St George’s Cove before making our way back to the town. I stuck my head down, took a deep breath and made my way to the restaurant, throwing women and children behind be. Sanctuary was found! Arriving at St Petroc’s was the calm after the storm. We were shown into our own little room with our own waiter, Nathan, who looked after us for the afternoon. It was like being in our own Private Dining experience. A chance for us to chat and laugh together. Nev was in his element, he ate his lunch, drank a large amount of water and nibbled the small bit of my sea bass without any complaint. This was probably the most enjoyable meal I’ve ever had. Even Laura, who doesn’t like fish, had a mackerel starter, a few mussels, bit of tuna and some sea bass, I suspect she does actually like fish.  

 

This year instead of just turning up at pubs we made sure we booked ahead. We ate at the Farmers Arms, Tredrea Inn and the Cornish Arms, all of which had great social distancing measures in place, as well as Track and Trace. Different levels of food, but all pretty darn good. The Fajita’s at the Farmers Arms would have fed an army, the ham, eggs and chips at the Tredrea were superb, and the scallops at the Cornish Arms were to die for.  

 

Other than the experience in Padstow (where perhaps I may have overreacted) we found the social distancing to be fine. Walking the cliffs one party would invariably step to the side, a couple of the shops had a “No Mask, No Admittance” policy which I fully endorsed. If you can’t wear a mask for 10 minutes whilst visiting a local store then perhaps you shouldn’t be going into the store? One evening we decided to get fish and chips from Friar Tucks in St Merryn, we rocked up straight from the beach to be confronted by a pretty large queue. I expected to be in the car for at least half an hour whilst Carol queued up. Less than 10 minutes later she was back with the freshly cooked supper. The organisation was apparently perfect and two people who’d “Forgotten” their masks were turned away. I really wish most shops would take this stance.

The last couple of times we’ve been down I’ve been lucky enough to join Kate Whiston for a photography walk. When I left Santander my colleagues chipped in and bought me another walk with Kate, this time we were joined by Anna’s partner Tom, he was using my old Canon EOS20d and my “nifty 50” lens. Anyone who’s seen my photography will know I like to be wide open with a fast shutter speed, landscape is so far out of my comfort zone. Kate is great at setting the agenda to the skill set of her subjects. Tom is a pretty accomplished photographer, but like me, he rarely uses an f Stop much above 4.5. What followed was four hours of photography, chatting and shooting the breeze, the results were simply stunning. Kate has the knack / knowledge to point out the obvious shot, which then produces a stunning image. Many years ago I was told by Gareth Jones that a photographer can’t come home without having dirty knees, Kate concurred with that thought. I did struggle the next day, but I put that down to my age, not sure what Tom’s excuse was J Over the week Tom and I took probably in excess of 1,000 photos between us, neither of us could resist the scenery. 

 

We were very conscious that the people of Cornwall and any holiday resort has really suffered throughout the current pandemic. Pictures from places like Bournemouth, albeit massively distorted by the lens, were shocking. Stories of people littering and other even worse crimes in the dunes made us sick to the stomach. We promised ourselves that the only thing we’d leave on the beaches would be our foot prints.

 The only thing we’d take away would be memories, and a car full of sand from our shoes! I’d like to think that we also left a fair few £’s behind for the local business’s we visited. At no time were we made to feel unwelcome, a balance appears to have been drawn. 

I’ve no idea what will happen to foreign travel in the short to medium term, but having seen the joy that Neville had playing on the beach with the big brother Sidney makes me think that we’ll be staying in the UK for the foreseeable future. I’m not sure I could bare to leave him behind whilst we jetted of to the sunshine. There’s lots of beautiful places to explore in the UK without needing to get on to an aircraft. Lake District, Peak District, Scotland, even Wales has some nice beaches I’ve been told J Maybe we’ll buy a camper van and do a World Tour of the UK.

Anyway, time to find a job.

As always, thanks for reading.

To be continued………

#Shoulder2Shoulder

 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

 

Raw Meat 

 

I’ve never been an eater of massive meals. Prior to being diagnosed with cancer in December 2015 I was a regular smoker, which acts as an appetite suppresser as well as a great way to get throat cancer. I enjoyed food, just in medium sized portions. After my initial treatment by Radiotherapy and Chemo I totally lost my sense of taste for about three months. I was also feeling the after effects of the RT on my throat so largely lived off homemade soups (no tomatoes as they reacted with my throat), and the good old Ensure drinks supplied on prescription. I’m not exactly heavily built at the best of times, but dropping down to the low 60’s kg wasn’t healthy. Slowly my taste buds returned, albeit with some foods tasting totally different to how they’d tasted prior to treatment. Marmite became a different spread, but still oh so lovely, and bread tastes a bit like cardboard at times, but generally things got back to some sort of normality. My weight gradually came back and we were probably eating a much healthier diet than pre cancer. No canned sauces, all homemade, lots of fish and pasta, along with a healthy dose of red meat.

Then came June 2017 and my introduction to being a Lary.

 For 10 days in the Churchill Hospital, post op, I was fed through a tube, then once I was considered “Watertight” I was allowed pureed “Food”, which was frankly god awful. I would take myself off to the hospital canteen and buy myself an English breakfast. Carol and I escaped one day and went to Sainsbury’s restaurant and had a simple but delicious lasagne. Anything to get away from hospital food. Once the tunnel was finished and I escaped for good I found that being a Lary and eating meals was going to be a challenge. A Lary means that the Oesophagus is now much narrower than it was before. This means it takes me much longer to eat a meal than it used to, which in turn means I lose my appetite way before I’ve finished most meals. I vividly remember the first time we ate out properly after I got home. Surprisingly enough we went to Nino’s, I wanted to go somewhere where I was “Mr Clark” and not some freak with a hole in his neck. I can’t recall what I ordered, but I can recall that I ate about ½ of what was on the plate.

Over the last three years I’ve largely managed my eating. At home I do almost all the cooking, so I can serve myself a smaller portion and get away with it. If we go out I’m pretty quick to spot what’s likely to be easy to eat. This is one of the reasons I love going to the Canaries as I can order tapas and manage the portion size.

Over the last three or four months I’ve noticed a change in my eating abilities. I’m really struggling with red meat, I love the taste, but it’s taking so long to eat that I then get a bit upset with myself for wasting food (of course Nev gets most of it subject to it not being covered in sauces). Anyone who sees my FB or Insta posts will see that I’ve been doing a lot of BBQ’s, mainly with magnificent meat from The Caversham Butchers. I take a huge amount of pleasure in thinking up dishes to cook, prepping them, cooking them and photographing them (I know, we need rugby back), but I’m struggling to enjoy the eating so much. I’m ok with processed meat in Spag Bols, Lasagne or Chilli’s. I can still eat fish by the kilo, and chicken seems ok. Maybe it’s time to revaluate the food I’m eating and to leave red meats for extra special occasions.

The last time Carol and I ate out was on 14^th March in Oscars Tapas bar in Corralejo.

Raw Meat On Thursday evening Nino’s is opening for the first time since lockdown. We’ve a table booked at 8.15, any slight nerves about eating out are outweighed by the fact we know Nino has taken every single step possible to make dining out safe for his customers.

As always, thanks for reading.

(Probably) to be continued…….

#Shoulder2Shoulder

PS – I now weigh pushing 90kg.

It’s the COVID 19 Lockdown Blues

100 Days of Lockdown

 

Anyone remember Brexit?

Oh how the world has changed in the 4 months since Carol and I got back from out sun soaked and gin soaked holiday in the Canaries. Arriving back to find that buying a toilet roll was worthy of a post on Social Media was a bit of a shock. Initially the impact of COVID 19 wasn’t really felt at home, but slowly we became aware that this wasn’t just a case of a bad dose of the flu. Nev and I were still going out for our two walks a day, ramping up somewhere around 13,000 steps whilst we were at it. We were dropping into Mad Hatters morning and afternoon for our coffee and ear rubs, it was Nev getting the ear rubs, I wasn’t that lucky. Then they went to takeaway only, then came the lock down. Nev couldn’t understand why we walked past the closed up shop, so we changed our afternoon walk to avoid the shop. 

Having all bar food shops closed didn’t really impact us that much either. Food was still available if you queued, the one walk a day was ok as the weather was decent and Nev could play in the garden. The combination of Chemo which shags your immunity and being a neck breather meant I needed to keep a low profile for a while. I was still taking Nev out for an hour a day as Carol was working and it wasn’t fair to keep him indoors, but we’d go out early and avoid any form of contact with other people. A bit like a normal day for me J

Who’d have thought that all this would come around just because Mrs Lau of Wuhan went to the market and thought “Hmmm, what to have for dinner tonight? Wow, that bat looks good.”

Carol has worked all the way through at the hospital, luckily after being asked to go front line her managers decided that the risk was too high so she was initially working at maintaining the CPAP machines that are vital in the treatment of Covid patients. As a highly quailed Respiratory Staff Nurse Carol’s experience is vital to the NHS in the current crisis. She’s working long hours, making sure she gets changed out of her scrubs before she comes home and is taking emails from colleagues into the evening. Way beyond the call, but exactly what you’d expect from someone with 40 years experience of the NHS. Now that things are slightly more normal she’s back doing what she knows best, treating patients with respiratory problems.

I actually think that we were in a pretty good position. We had food in the fridge, wine in the garage and we’ve still got each other to talk to. Max has been Southampton with Laura for the duration. Anna and Tom were due to come down to us for Easter, but obviously stayed in Leeds. I really felt for anyone who was living by themselves with no open space of their own. I had real moments of going “Stir Crazy” but I could always step into the garden, take in some fresh air and throw a ball in the vague hope that Nev will bring it back again. I’ve really missed the rugby club, the photography involved and the people involved too. It will be back, eventually. To take my mind off the rugby I’ve been photographing the Red Kites, flowers and food, shows how desperate I’d become J  

My biggest worry about lockdown was what would happen if my valve started to leak. Sure enough on Good Friday the first small leak started and by Easter Monday it was like a sieve. I mailed the Speech and Language team on Tuesday and was advised that my Therapist would call me on Thursday to discuss the options. By Thursday the leak was as bad as it’s ever been. I couldn’t get any fluid down without coughing heavily. I’d been given a valve plug to use for these situations and by lunchtimes I’ve had to use the plug to be able to eat and drink. The downside to the plug is that whilst it’s in place I can’t make any voice at all. My Therapist called late on Thursday evening, I’d got the plug in so Carol had to take the call. It wasn’t good news. Valve changes now need to be done by a qualified member of the ENT staff, wearing full protective gear as the process will usually involve me coughing up gunk whilst they poke around. It looked like the earliest date would have been in another two weeks from the phone call, a total of three weeks of leaking. By far the longest period since I became a Lary. The other bad news is that if the valve was to fail completely then the current advice is to remove it and let the tract heal over. That would mean no voice at all until such time as safe surgery can be carried out, sometime in the future.

Whilst the leak continued and fluid was getting into my lungs there was more of a chance of developing a chest infection along with a temperature, neither of which I wanted as that will delay the replacement of the valve even further. It was quite a difficult balancing act as I understand fully the pressures the NHS are under and perhaps the ability to talk isn’t top of the priorities list. We’re all going through a pile of pooh at the moment, hopefully once this is over, and it won’t be anytime soon, the world will be a better place.

In the end it was a further five weeks until the valve was eventually changed. Five weeks of coughing and spluttering before plugging around lunchtime and being silent for the rest of the day. That was really the lowest time of Lockdown. Whilst all this was going on I was also advised by the hospital that my scheduled follow up appointment in July was being cancelled and wouldn’t be being rescheduled. I was really shocked by this news. In effect my reviews were being pulled after only 2 ½ years of the scheduled five years. I was low due to the leaking valve and felt that I was being cast adrift by the NHS that had looked after me so well. I tweeted about the issue and was contacted by my mate Victoria Derbyshire from the BBC asking if I’d take part in a Skype interview the next day to highlight the issue of treatments being binned on the back of COVID 19. Of course I agreed as Victoria has been great with me over the times I’ve been on her show. The next day I was on BBC2 live from about 10.30am for around 10 minutes discussing what it’s like to have your voice taken away and to feel like no one cared. Victoria’s advice was to keep shouting, loudly. So I did.

 I mailed my SALT weekly with an update that I was COVID free but going down in spirals from a mental health perspective. I felt guilty as I knew it wasn’t Caroline’s fault, it was someone much higher up the paygrade who couldn’t see beyond COVID. I hate to think of how many needless deaths will have been caused by withdrawing treatment to cancer suffers. COVID 19 is truly horrible. Cancer isn’t a walk in the park.

Eventually a date was agreed on for the valve to be changed. I turned up at the hospital and was directed to a distant part of the ENT Dept. where Caroline and an unknown Dr. were waiting for me. Both fully PPE’d up with masks, air and full length rubber capes, I’m sure I’ve seen that video J The process took about 10 minutes and I was on my way, no longer Leaky McLeak Face. To add to my admiration of our NHS my CNS contacted me after Carol had emailed her to say how upset I was being binned from reviews without any consultation as to how I was feeling. She told me that it was a plan that was being discussed going forward post COVID but she wasn’t aware that letter had been sent out to patients. The long and short is that a telephone consultation was booked in for yesterday. The call went really well. We discussed my concerns as to the length of time that my last valve change had taken. I was pleased to hear that the Dept. is now more geared up to getting procedures completed in a more timely manner, however as the valve change has high risk of airborne transmission of COVID, precautions need to be taken to prevent the risk to both the SALT Team and me. We discussed my concerns over my Lymphoma which has massively increased since my appointments at Sue Ryder had to be binned. I’ve tried the massage myself, as has Carol, but not being trained in drainage means we’re only scratching the surface. There’s no real answer to this problem as Lymphoma massages are likely to be right at the bottom of the pile of treatment that will be reintroduced. Finally, we talked about the letter I’d received cancelling my future consultations. The Dr. confirmed that the letters should never have been sent out in the first instance and that it was really a knee jerk reaction to COVID. I’ve agreed to go onto what’s known as Patient Initiated Follow Up. So, if I feel I need to see a Consultant I contact my CNS and they’ll arrange and appointment. Three years in and I know my body pretty well. The yardstick is if I feel there’s a problem for more than 10 days then I should yell…………. LOUDLY! I can expect a call in the next few days about some specific issues I questioned, ‘tis Saul Goodman.

Is It Contagious?  https://www.facebook.com/iicOscar/

On the subject of cancer treatments and the effect COVID has had on them, for a while now I’ve been following the progress of Oscar on the Is it Contagious FB page. Oscar is a teenager who was diagnosed with cancer when he was 10 years old. The first thing he asked his consultant when he was given the news was “Is it contagious?” In the past five years Oscar has undergone many treatments, including various doses of Chemo which have taken away his hair, but not his smile. His latest Chemo took place during lockdown which was difficult for Oscar and his loving family. Whilst the Chemo had the effect of slowing down “Beastie” as he calls his cancer, it didn’t take it away. The only option left was very invasive surgery which Oscar underwent on 23^rd June. It’s still very early days, but the news coming out of the hospital daily is for far more upsides against the odd downside. All to be expected for the surgery performed. Before being diagnosed Oscar was a member at Chipping Norton RFC and his whole family are big fans of the game. Rams RFC kindly sent Oscar a hoodie to wear, apparently the surgeons had to remove the hoodie as well as “Beastie” as it’s hardly been off his back. I hope that when Oscar is well enough, and rugby returns that we can welcome him and his family to OBR for lunch and one of the 1^st XV Matches #Ramily.

I was thinking today of all the words and phrases that are now in everyday use, that weren’t in March :

·         Lockdown (Usually used in the hope of the pub staying open)

·         Key Worker (Hmmm)

·         Face Masks (Usually used by bank robbers or swingers!)

·         One way systems (You’ve got to hope that a lot of the people in shops don’t have driving licenses)

·         Daily Briefing (Gave up after a week or so as the Journalists were too interested in scoring points)

·         Social Distancing. (Similar to One Way Systems in that a lot of people don’t understand what it means)

·         COVID Hair Style (Invested in clippers, No.1 all over)

·         Air Bridges (Nope, not a clue)

·         R Rate (A friend of R Kelly perhaps?)

·         Prof Chris Whitty (A true hero!)

·         Clapping for Carers (Did the job)

·         Zoom (I thought this was 1980s song by Fat Larry’s band – no relation to Leaking Larys Band)

·         New Normal (I wasn’t sure what the old one was)

·         Second Spike (Henderson or Chandler?)

 

On the subject of Zoom, I’d never heard of it prior to Lock Down, but it became a staple of the weekly diet for a while. It was a great way of keeping in contact with the kids whilst we weren’t able to travel. I also used it for weekly chats with guys from the rugby club that I’ve known for a while. An hour or so of chit chat would break up to week. I was often in a position where I had no idea what day of the week it was, let alone what month! Tuesday Zoom calls were a godsend. I even took part in a couple of Zoom’s whilst I had no voice, going through a pack of Post It notes both times J

Slowly but surely the lock down is easing, I’ve managed to have a few socially distanced walks along the banks of the Thames with Jools, Annie and Shaun, not forgetting Remy and Monty who kept Nev company. Also a pleasant ramble in the woods with Mr Cook and two bottles of Doombar! Friends have come round for Socially Distanced drinks and nibbles in the garden and we’ve returned the favour. Max has been home a couple of times for Socially Distanced lunches in the garden.

We’ve been lucky that the weather has been pretty decent. I don’t think I’ve worn long trousers since the beginning of April J

Business’s and shops are beginning to open up. Mad Hatters now opens from 8.30am to 2pm six days a week. It’s still takeaway only, but it’s lovely to wander in most mornings with Nev and to get our coffee whilst having a chat. Places like The Caversham Butchers have been open for the duration, supplying superb meat, pastries and pies, delivering where necessary. Anna sent me a pack from the butchers for Fathers Day, darn it was good!

Nino’s has continued to supply fresh goods to whoever needs them and has fortified us with Pizza’s a couple of evenings when I didn’t fancy cooking. It’s important that we remember our local traders when things return to the new normal. Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Tesco’s etc are great and will always be needed, but it’s good to support the little man where possible. I’ve made a couple of visits to the supermarkets of late, but only to buy a few bits and pieces for whatever it is I’m cooking that night. I’ve been shocked by the total disregard for the one way system from a lot of people. I was verbally abused by a young girl in Tesco’s this week when I pointed out she was going the wrong way down an aisle. It did make me laugh when she took off her mask to use some choice Anglo Saxon phrases at me and berated me for not wearing a mask. I was going to explain about being a neck breather, but there didn’t seem a lot of point if she struggled with arrows. 

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

At the time of publishing we’re a day away from the latest lifting of the Lock Down. As of Saturday Bars, Pubs, Restaurants and other establishments can open up with strict guidelines to follow. Hotels and holiday lets can reopen, again under strict guidelines. Following the scenes from some beaches over the lockdown period when the weather has been good I’m quite pleased that the forecast isn’t great for this weekend. A slow return to the new normal would be better I think than a headlong rush into 10 pints and a curry. I’m in no rush to get back to a pub, but am really missing restaurants, especially Nino’s. I hope that the predicted “Second Spike” isn’t as vicious as the newspapers are speculating it'll be, however with the English population’s ability to be total and utter selfish twats I’m not too hopeful. The economy is going to take a real battering for many years to come to pay for the effects of COVID. I’m close to the end of my working life, but I feel so sorry for the kids who’ll be paying probably for the rest of their lives. On the subject of jobs, I was originally planning on looking for some sort of employment again once we’d got back from the Canaries, COVID put paid to that whilst I was having to be careful. I’m still classed as at risk purely down to the Chemo and RT, but I need to find something to bring in a few quid and to alleviate the boredom that can arrive. Carol leaves for work at around 7.30am and is rarely home before 6pm. That’s a long time to be by yourself. I really think I’d have gone totally nuts if it hadn’t been for Neville and his company, even Penny has started to be a bit more sociable.

This Saturday we’ll be going up to OBR for a Socially Distanced pint and to see loads of friends who’ve we’ve missed so much since February. I’ve had to set the postcode into the Sat Nav as it’s so long since I’ve been there, probably the longest break in 17 years. Then on Sunday we’re driving up to Cambridge to Carol sisters (Evil Twin from those who remember the early blogs), Anna is driving down from Leeds to meet half way. Nev is very likely to wet himself in delight at seeing Helen, Stuart and Anna again J Tom is staying up in God Own County as he’s got work over the weekend, a sign perhaps of more normality as he works in advertising.

Way before we’d heard of COVID I’d promised the kids that we’d all go down to Cornwall together at some point this year. I really didn’t think it would happen, but with the lifting of Lock Down I’ve managed to book a six berth caravan in St Merryn for the first week of September. We’re probably not going to go into Padstow as the streets are so narrow, but we will walk on the beaches, we will walk along the cliffs, we will have the odd pub meal and we’re booked into Rick’s for lunch, hopefully with a medium sized dog with us too. The only thing we’ll take away will be memories, the only this we’ll leave behind will be foot prints. The people of Cornwall are rightly nervous about the return of tourists, we can only hope that by September the tourists will have remembered how to be tourists. Please let the weather be decent, as six of us and a medium sized dog stuck in the caravan could be interesting if it chucks it down sideways. I’ve spoken to Kate who does the guided photography walks and we’ll meet up at some point that week for me to gain some more insight into landscape photography.

As always, thanks for reading.

(Probably) to be continued………

#Shoulder2Shoulder

Welcome to the Mad Hatters Tea Party

“Wouldn’t it be great, if just for one moment, everything was alright!” – Tom Petty, Mystic Eyes

I know I’d said that the Blog was over. However I didn’t know at the time that the World would be facing extraordinary times. Let me start by saying, as this is a blog that started about my fun ‘n games with cancer that it isn’t back. I haven’t got a raging temperature, cough or aching bones. I’ve got a sore throat, but that’s been a given since June 2017.

Carol and I had booked a holiday to the Barcelo Hotel in Corralejo, Fuerteventura where we’d stayed four times before and flew out on 6^th March when everything was alright………… unless you count having to change planes, luckily not mid-flight, and then wait for a new crew to arrive. At this point whilst the news about Coronavirus was on the radar, it wasn’t overly worrying. We had a cracking 10 days without really keeping up with the news from the UK until the last couple of days. The Supermarkets were fully stocked, we saw no signs of panic buying, the sun was shining, the wine was flowing, the hot tub was hot.

It was on our final Saturday that we heard that flights from Jet2 were being turned around mid-flight, and that the Island was likely to be going onto lockdown. That night there was a strange atmosphere in the town. The restaurant we were in was packed, mainly with local Spanish people who were out for a last hurrah, but the rest of the town was pretty deserted. We retreated back to the hotel and the comfort of the hot tub and bottle of Spanish brandy fairly early.

The next day we traveled for our scheduled flight back to the UK which departed an hour late due to a lack of Air Traffic Controllers, but we got home ok.

It was when sitting in the comfort of my own home that the reality of a lockdown really hit me. Whilst we’d been away we’d frequented the same bars and restaurants as previous years, with one notable and welcomed exception. These people probably don’t have deep pockets and a close down of business will no doubt have a major impact on them. Here are the guys that we visited and we’re worried about. 

Obviously the whole of the resort will be impacted and we can but hope that when things turn around, and they will, there will still be holiday resorts around the world and in the UK to visit. I follow a number of Cornish pages on Facebook, the locals there are urging holiday makers to stay away for the time being as the infrastructure just couldn't cope with a mass outbreak, I truly hope folk heed this request. Holiday's will happen again, lets just get through this crap first. 

Tapas Oscars

We’ve been going to Oscars Tapas for the last few visits to the Island. The food is authentic Spanish, from tapas to suckling pig and goat. Often we were the only non-local Spanish people in the restaurant. The staff were great, one advantage of being a Lary is that you’re usually recognised quite quickly. The young lady in the photo served us each time we visited, by the second time she was reaching for the bottle of Rioja as we were looking at the menu, and not giving us the pudding menu and just delivering us the milk rice infused with orange, she’d then share a honey rum with us before we made our merry way home to the hot tub and brandy. 

Alegria Cocktail Bar

We’d used the cocktail bar once the last time we’d been, however this year it was our place of choice each evening before deciding where to go for dinner. Now, I’m a big fan of the TV series Mad Men. One of the main characters was Don Draper who drank something called “Old Fashioned” so when I saw it on the menu I thought I’d give it a go, blimey it was good. Here’s the recipe –

·         50ml bourbon or rye whiskey

·         ice

·         5ml 2:1 sugar syrup

·         2 dashes Angostura bitters

·         orange

 or lemon zest to garnish (lemon for rye whiskey, orange for bourbon)

The service was never rushed in the bar (or even quick), but it was attentive and small plates of tapas were brought out to enjoy whilst waiting for the drinks to arrive. It’s a lovely bar to “people watch” from. What really stood out for both of us was the different attire folk were wearing. The holiday makers were generally in shorts and T-Shirts, the local in puffa jackets and scarves!

By the final night of our holiday, when the news of closure had broken the barman was taking no risks whilst shaking 

Dehesa de Salamanca (No relation to Hector)

Now for the newly discovered place for us, that was a real hidden gem. Situated on the corner between Oscars and Alegria was a restaurant that neither Carol nor I could remember seeing before. It was almost like a Mr Ben moment where a building appeared where one had never existed before J A lot of the restaurants employ people outside to try and get customers in. Instead of the usual “Hi Guys, table for two? Best steak on the Island” we heard a “Hello, would you like to try some of our cheese and salami? If you like it perhaps you’ll come back one night.” To my dismay I can’t remember the name of the chap, he was Greek and the name had for more letters in it that a normal Anglo Saxon can handle. We stopped, had some cheese which was delicious and said we’d be back the next night (Wednesday). Dimitri (Not his name) explained that Wednesday was the night they were closed, but he’d love to see us on Thursday. This non pushy sales pitch persuaded us to change our minds and take a table for two that night. Earlier in the holiday I’d had perhaps the worst meal out for a number of years. Pork ribs which were so tough they were inedible. I was slightly dismayed to see that Dehesa de Salamanca specialised in pork dishes. However my fears were unfounded. I ordered pork cheeks on the promise that they’d be tender…………… melt in the mouth would have been a better description, one of the best meals I’ve had in five visits to Corralejo.

We returned three more times and each time the food and service were top notch. There was no pudding menu, they made fresh each day what they felt like. Perhaps slightly more expensive than some of the other restaurants, but worth every Euro.

Barcelo Corralejo Bay Hotel

The forth time we’ve stayed at Barcelo, the seventh time at the group. It’s a lovely hotel. Adults only so it’s quiet and pretty sophisticated, unlike me I guess, but they let me in anyway. From check in, with a glass of bubbly, to the cava and fruit delivered to our room, to Fredico the barman who remember our drinks after one night and was almost in tears on our last night, to the Receptionist who wished us a safe flight home despite being clearly concerned for her own future.

The Beer Shack

When we arrived we hired bikes for the week. The intention was to cycle into the sand dunes to get some vitamin Sea each day, then cycle back for a leisurely lunch. Carol would then go to the hotel spa whilst I cycled a bit further in the afternoon.

Most days (Ok, every day) I stopped at a beer hut which was situated on the harbour, about half way on my ride. The hut was run by a lady who was called Africa (I think) she vaguely recognised me from previous visits, and by the third day she was pouring my beer as I was dismounting. Her English wasn’t great, and my Spanish is fairly limited however we managed to have a good chat whilst I was downing my beer. One day she was coughing quite heavily, she said “Too much smoking” I pointed at my stoma and said “Si, too much smoking” By the forth day she was pouring two honey rums for us to down as I left. The wheels got a bit more wobbly for the rest of my ride. Africa has lived a life. She looks after and feeds to the local stray cats, she’s obviously a friend of the local fishermen too who frequented her shack to have a drink, an argument and a back slap. I hope she and the other friends we made will still be there when we go back, and we will go back. 

Those were the people we interacted with and made friends with. Those, and many more, are the people who’ll probably now be living hand to mouth until this pandemic is resolved. There are people all around the world in the same position, it’s horrible what we’re going through at the moment. As soon as things get back to normal, whatever that may mean, we’ll be trying to go back to Corralejo, Padstow and Porthcothan to support the people who make our holidays so special.

Now for the final “Retail” thank you to more local businesses . Probably six or seven times a week Nev and I will pop into Mad Hatters in Tilehurst village. They serve great coffee and act as a community hub for a lot of people in the area. I see the same people in the cafe each time I visit. The welcome is always warm and friendly, they know my preference and Nev enjoys the ear rubs and dog biscuits. Due to the ongoing bollox they’ve taken the decision to only offer takeaway service, but the welcome is still the same, warm and friendly. The younger staff are dancing to the music being played, and Arron (?) came out with the most millennial statement of all time by saying he doesn't know how to use a clock. Regular readers will know we frequent Nino’s in Pangbourne whenever we can, again he’s decided that takeaway is the only way forward, but he’s going above and beyond. Nino’s has offered to do local deliveries, not just of his wonderful food, but also of staples for those who are having to Self Isolate. The community is pulling together………………. For now.

As of Monday Carol will be back working on the hospital wards for the first time in probably 25 years. As a highly experienced Respiratory Nurse it’s likely she’ll be thrown straight into the high risk areas and will be exposed to the virus. Due to Chemo and being a neck breather I’m classed as high risk so it could well be we don’t see that much of each other for a while. Luckily we’ve two bathrooms and spare bedrooms, unless the kids decide to visit. I’m self isolating as much as I can at the moment. I’m avoiding people when out walking with Nev, I’m at least two metres away from the guys in Mad Hatters when they serve me. I’ve never been the most social person anyway, but I’d imagine after a couple of weeks I’ll be climbing the walls, especially as there is no sport to photograph.

I know of three people who’ve probably had a dose of the virus, they’ve been sensible and stayed at home. If I start to show symptoms then I’ll do the same. Anyone who treats this like a case of flu needs their heads testing as they’re being so irresponsible.

Be nice to everyone. Especially your nurse, the person who serves you in the supermarket, the person who delivers your Amazon parcel, your postman, the local shopkeepers who are keeping the wheels turning.

As always, thanks for reading.

Stay safe.

Don't panic buy. 

Look after your loved ones. 

It's OK to be scared. 

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