Robin's COVID19 Blog page - to hold stuff that was on Covid19 page

Updated 1035 BST UK Time ( 0935z GMT/UT/GPS Time ) or later Monday 3rd May 2021

From Robin Lovelock: This "Covid19 Blog" page was started, on 1st May 2021, by copying the "Covid19" page. Hopefully it will make sense to a few of you :-)

Sometimes there are important connections between topics that may seem unconnected.

I'll still start with this picture from Enrico in Sicily, from March 2020 :-)

From Robin in June 2020: to the family of Dame Vera Lynn, who has passed away, aged 103. BBC News on 18th June 2020 . I hope the video above causes a smile rather than hurt.

From Robin on Tuesday 13th April 2021: to the Queen, her family, and friends, after Prince Philip passed away at Windsor Castle, aged 99. The same: I hope the video above causes a smile rather than hurt. But I will put more here soon. Like millions of others across the World, I loved the guy, and may add more links to relevant information. e.g. Tap or click on Phillip for the Wiki article. But as Philip said, "I want no fuss".

Today's graph shows what we expected: the graph of total deaths well below the average. This is because it is the sad fact of life that, these guys would probably have passed away soon anyway. They have simply "gone to meet their maker" a little earlier. My words here may seem insensitive, and out of place, but, as has been said before, losing loved ones, "goes with the territory" of growing old.

Guys reading this of different faiths and races, and most importantly, age, may cope with sorrow with "Army Humour". The Royal children and grandchildren, like Charles, Anne, Andrew, Edward, and many around them, will have understanding and/or experienced this, including in war zones. The same humour is often applied to sickness - to "keep one's sanity".

I see it every day in my many friends and family. For those using automatic translation, here are a few expressions, that may, or may not translate well, to mean "die": "pass away", "shuffle off this mortal coil", "go to meet one's maker", "snuff it", "peg out", "kick the bucket", and many more. Hence the term "Bucket List" - things I want to do, before I die.

I am reminded of my late French friend George Gourier, on other pages, and his Parrot. Also of the Monty Python dead parrot sketch. Some time I may add our personal memories of the Royal Family, but some of this is addressed on my Frimley Park (Military) Hospital page.

Some of us will feel that Phillip may be smiling and looking down on this. Sleep Well Phillip.

Saturday 17th April 2021: The Day of Prince Phillip's Funderal. "Action Stations" will be played, as his coffin is lowered into the grave. Wry smiles. These words and pictures are being inserted as events unfold here, in Sunninghill, Ascot, England, UK. Most people may not understand what may seem to be unconnected topics, but some will: here in Sunninghill , and many in over 150 countries. There may be mistakes, to be corrected in due course. I listened to the BBC Radio 4 News, as June and Samantha got up to play tennis, at The Royal Ascot Tennis Club. I noted coincidences, like HMS Calypso Click on picture to visit Wiki link. e.g. history of the Royal Navy ship, and it's role in bringing 18 month old Prince Phillipo, and Greek Royal Family, to safety in UK, and to live, just across the road from us, at Kings Beeches. Yesterday, June and I checked out Campers , and one was called Calypso. Today Samantha has her first Covid19 jab, and June will be taking her to the vaccination centre at Heathrow Airport. Closed for security reasons ? Samantha got her reminder yesterday.

Sunday: I liked this concise Al Jazeera video, and it being on Youtube. Tap or Click on it to play. You can use the automatically translated subtitles, and can obviously skip any adverts - not added by me ! I have 1.25 hours of raw video from yesterday, and lots of photos, but not the time to put them up publicly, yet. I may also slowly add other photos and videos, as time permits. e.g. June visited the Bansals this morning, and Paul from Chobham may visit again.

Please forgive my choices of material: it is all relevant - even though you may need to ask. Text will go up after the pictures and/or videos :-)

I'm adding a few pictures for now, and you can click on them to enlarge, or visit a relevant page. When time permits, I'll make retained pictures smaller and faster ( JPG to GIF ). Maybe move the material elsewhere. It was already looking too much like a Blog, rather than a newspaper or magazine article :-)

June wants us to get a Camper , so we can use it for Holidays . We started looking on Friday 16th April 2021 in Bracknell. Suitable for Snoopy too ? :-) More changes here in due course. e.g. add pictures from Saturday; faster images JPG to GIF; relevant videos; but other things have priority :-)

Here is an extract from my 2014 Christmas Newsletter ...

Robin set up a new "Grumpy Old Man" page, after curiosity got the better of him. You may find some of it "Quite Interesting".

June took this picture of the rememberance poppies, at the Tower of London, when she and Samantha went to the O2 to watch tennis ...

Robin does not usually talk of those who passed away, in these Christmas newsletters, other than, of course, close family. However, this year, he had to mention George Gourier, the Frenchman, who died this year, aged 75. There are many friends and family who are loved and respected, but, of all the people Robin has known, George is the person he admires the most. George was able to maintain a cheerful spirit, and mischievous sense of humour, despite the pain and frustration of poor health, including first losing one leg, then the other, and then one eye due to a stroke. Robin first met George in the 1990s, when he was in the next hospital bed to Robin's dad. George was a well known character in Bracknell, on his mobility scooter, and had an amazing life story, some of which he would share. He ran away from home as a boy in France, and went to sea. His career included serving in the French Foreign Legion, a mercenary, many years in the French merchant navy, until he eventually came to the UK. There he married his lovely wife Lesley, and he had jobs which included being a policeman based at Bracknell. He never lost his strong French accent, which sometimes made him difficult to understand. Bracknell Police Station would get George to make 'phone calls to Wokingham Station - few would believe he was a copper. He must have been "as tough as nails", but you might not have thought it, from his gentle manner, and humour. Robin remembers a 'phone call from hospital by George, soon after he had his second leg amputated: "Robin, it was all my fault...". "Why?", I replied, "You should have seen the doctor earlier?". "No", replied George, "I should have known how much English surgeons love frogs legs". Robin would occasionally drop in to George and Lesley, for coffee and a chat. It had to be a Monday, because the rest of the week, George was whizzing around Bracknell on his mobility scooter, swapping banter with the other old boys. There is much more that could be said here, but maybe this is not the place to say it. Thank you for inspiration, George.

Covid19, Prince Phillip, Greta Thunberg, James Lovelock, and Global Warming - from Robin Lovelock's Point of View, on Wednesday 21st April 2021.

Thursday 22nd April 2021: Robin was pleased with the job done yesterday by Louis of Apache Forestry, who then went round to 19a to speak to Chris Michaels, who also wanted some work done. There was some brief banter with Chris, about visitors might have the gates shut on them, and Robin's retort like, "Ahh Yes - the Australian Defence Strategey - Come on in !" :-)

Robin got the OK to take photos, and went round the back, for a brief chat with Mrs Michaels. Years ago, she had gone into labour with Chris on a flight to Greece. The 'plane was diverted back to Heathrow. Princess Anne were among the important people who visited them in West Middlesex hospital, and it was all over the Press. Maybe not just because of the drama of the flight. King Constantine of Greece lived for a while at the nice place down the road, opposite Charters School, and part of the Kings Beeches Estate. BTW. The Arab Billionaire now has permission to build his palace there :-)

June has been to 19a for coffee with Mrs Michaels. Robin was shown newspaper pictures by Mrs Michaels, years ago. He was AMRA Chairman, at the time of the (alleged) amusing incident on Christmas, where there was a confrontation between Mr Michaels and Robert at 18 AC. Little toddler Francesca Watson was trying out her new bicycle, and it went on the pavement outside the front gate. This is the property of 19a. It seems that Mrs Michaels leant out of an upper story window, pointing a shotgun, and shouted something like, "If you touch my husband, I'll blow you head off !" :-) Robin recalls having to deal with this, as Chairman, at the AMRA AGM, held not long after, at the Charters School Amenity area. Not a closed area - and interesting when this subject was raised by the audience.

Robin has always felt a bit guilty that the sign on the gate into the Amenity Area did not make ownership of the pavement clear. His excuse was not his drinking a glass of wine at the regular AMRA Committee Meetings :-) Robin was also busy with his day job at EASAMS . Robin looks forward to adding more here, according to the wishes of the Michaels Family, and any new occupants of 19a :-)

Any occupants of 19a, will have to contend with living adjacent to the Mad ex-NATO Scientist of Sunninghill, who worked at SHAPE Technical Centre, in Holland . When June and Robin returned from Holland in late 1980, with their young family, they remember "The Wood" behind them, with the noisy swimming pool on summer evenings :-) Not long after, new houses were built in Murray Court, including that behind us, and also 19a, before the Michaels Family moved in.

Other residents, and guys who live in Sunninghill may have stories to tell. But there may be some benifits: for some strange reason, petty criminals tend to steer clear of our end of Armitage Court. Is it the CCTV and Web Cams ? Or maybe those "water" squirters ? :-) Or maybe the fact that 22AC has been used for training of Thames Valley Police, and, in more recent years, a firing range for modern smart muniitions ?

Tap or Click on pictures to expand, or play videos, such as a demonstration given to the Bansal Costcutter family - if you dare :-)

Who has visited this page ?

From Robin: It's very convenient for me, that there are so few visitors to this page: just those given the link. See map and words near end of my Home page ;-)

The visit counters may give a rough indication on who else is visiting, or has visited, this page. I don't hide or disguise my visits, but they may appear as "Ascot", or miles away, like "Godalming, England" (on my Study PC), or "Redhill, England" ( on the Lounge PC). Positions may not be accurate, but times are. These may change at any time, without control by me. e.g. if we have a power cut, or I reboot a router. So, you may see if I'm "working" in the Study, or "playing" in Lounge :-)

Not all visits are seen, and some browsers hide location, but you may find Revolvermaps livestats for COVID19 page interesting.

The video on the right shows several guys visiting at the same time, after I posted the link on the Microtransat forum :-)

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