Page 4 - HGS Suburb News 142 - Spring 2020

Contending with Covid

Oh what fun it is to be a lady over 70!
Or perhaps some decades on: you wonder where the years have gone.
TONY BRAND

Living now is not much fun so I’m waiting for the sun
To shine benignly on us. We cannot catch the H2 bus
Which regularly passes by, but few passengers do I spy
How long will all this last? I wonder, as all our plans are cast asunder.

Inside the house we eat and sleep and tidy up and try to keep
The rooms in some degree of order, because we cannot now afford a
Cleaning lady coming in, as we don’t know where she’s been
To other houses, and by bus – we know this is not good for us.

A new vocabulary has come to teach us, (as we are so dumb
And maybe deaf too, now we’re old). Listen well to what we’re told.
Coronavirus is the King, evil and most worrying.
Lockdown is another word that never before has been heard.
Social distance is quite new, which means to keep away from you.
Self-isolate’s another phrase – you have to live alone for days.

Wildlife flourishes under lockdown So one way to survive, I think, is to forget this nasty link
And look upon the bright side.
This lovely picture of a baby eating hedges and flowers, whilst result of lockdown. Two weeks experiment. Just walk around the It makes you miserable to fear you might pick up this illness here
squirrel was taken by Tony Brand in central London the sound of after the nationwide lockdown Suburb to see how it is working. Let wisdom be your guide.
who came across it whilst walking birds is now audible and if a was implemented the Nitrogen Enjoy the lack of cars, feel
in Northway Gardens. It was nightingale decided to sing in Dioxide levels in some cities fell the butterflies fluttering around This virus has been very kind to leave the winter far behind
young (or fearless) enough to Berkeley Square you would by as much as 60% compared to you and admire the spectacular And settle down in spring.
accept the nut that Tony offered. probably hear it. This is almost the same period in 2019. wisterias. You may even encounter ‘tis so well-timed the plants have climbed
Kashmiri goats have been like the beginning of a Disney In a sense we are conducting a bold little squirrel. As fast as anything.

roaming the streets of Llandudno film but, in reality, it is the the largest ever global air pollution MARIE-CHRISTINE O’CALLAGHAN Look at the trees – the blossoms here add scent into the atmosphere.
My greengage tree is clothed in white, to watch it is a pure delight.
Arif’s Pakora parcels David Cronshaw But if there is a night-time frost, it will all die – the crop is lost.

Nature is a wondrous cure for any fear you might endure.
A pakora is a fried snack originating show of solidarity and wonderful on the lockdown But best of all are singing birds – I wish I understood their words -
from the Indian subcontinent community spirit. Who sing all day, at dusk and dawn from highest boughs or on the lawn.
where it is served in restaurants • I am sure your pakoras have In all this gloom, I am trying to months now), Woodpeckers And if you walk along our streets you’ll now hear the birds’ trills and tweets.

and sold by street vendors. brightened the day for so many of focus on the positive. and two Pigeons hoovering up So now that we have so much time, make sure you spend it well -
But recently it made a very us in HGS. Thanks again for your My partially disabled wife, the bits falling/knocked from Take up new skills, phone up your friends. Improve your sense of smell
welcome appearance in the time and generosity. on her little buggy, and I went the feeders. These pigeons are For now the air is petrol free, much healthier in future will we be!
Suburb when one of our residents, Another wonderful example out on Hampstead Heath quite protective of their ‘territory’
Arif Hussein, made a batch and of HGS community spirit. yesterday in the sunshine by as they raise themselves to full Judith Samson
kindly offered to deliver them the Highgate Ponds and around stretch to drive away the Magpies
(twice!) to Suburb residents. and onto the top of Parliament – but not the occasional Crows!
The pakoras were greatly Hill. Considerable avian activity We do watch TV a lot but do
appreciated and here is just a on the ponds – signs of spring! not subscribe to Sky, Netflix,
sample of the reactions from In our garden, daffodils Amazon, Disney or BT – we just
several grateful recipients: predominate but other flowers haven’t got the time. Yes, I use
• Thank you SOOOO much, Arif. I are appearing. Bird feeders the Internet and have a smart-
couldn’t wait to eat them and they diminishing rapidly – all types phone but I also have some ‘real’
were utterly delicious. of Tits, Chaffinch, Robins, books still unread after, in a
• We can thoroughly recommend Blackbirds (one distinctive one couple of cases, several months
your absolutely delicious pakoras. with a single pure white tail- ownership. Time to catch up!
The whole venture is a magnificent feather resident for several DAVID CRONSHAW Nightingale

History repeats itself

The Spanish flu started in January while the British troops referred true extent of the problem. The It is estimated that about
1918. It was the British Medical to it as ‘Flanders grippe’. press declared it ‘was not a 500 million people became
Journal that first referred to it as Scientists are still debating matter for alarm’. The Times infected with Spanish flu – one
the ‘Spanish flu’ because it was the origins of the Spanish flu. even suggesting the illness was third of the world’s then
originally reported in Spain. One recent study suggested it probably a result of ‘the general population. One hundred years
During the Great War, Spain originated in China. Others weakness of nerve-power known on there are many similarities
was neutral and did not censor concluded that its epicentre as war-weariness’. This attitude with how various governments
its press. The UK, France and was a military camp either in left the door wide open for quack and the public are dealing with
the US – all of which had the Kansas or Northern France. It remedies such as eating raw onions COVID-19, the biggest pandemic
Spanish flu before Spain – kept it has been claimed by some that to keep ‘the dreaded scourge at since the Spanish flu. The Spanish
out of the newspapers to avoid mustard gas and battlefield bay’ or Dr Williams’ Pink Pills flu eventually did end and it is,
damaging morale. Spain was fumes were responsible, while for Pale People and even led of course, a great comfort to
offended by the slander and others maintained that it was a doctors in Manchester to prescribe know we are in a much better
named it the ‘Naples soldier’. German biological weapon. an age-old tonic: whisky. place than we were then. For a
The German army called it Whatever its origins, there In San Francisco, however, the start, here in the UK, we have a
‘Blitzkatarrh’ (lightening catarrh) is little doubt that a large factor city mayor made masks mandatory much better health care system
in its worldwide occurrence was in public. Songs were written – which is why we choose to
increased travel, with soldiers about mask wearing featuring applaud our NHS.
returning home after the war. lyrics such as Obey the laws, and MARIE-CHRISTINE O’CALLAGHAN
Another was the authorities’ wear the gauze. Protect your jaws
reluctance to acknowledge the from septic paws.
Welcome to

St Jude’s

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Alan Walker
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SAINT JUDE-ON-THE-HILL • THE PARISH CHURCH OF HAMPSTEAD GARDEN SUBURB
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