So yesterday we decided to clean out the larder. Partly because it needed doing and partly to see what weird assortment of food we might be eating in coming weeks. Excavating the larder’s recesses is always an interesting exercise and an opportunity to jettison anything that is seriously out of date or capable of meaningful independent life. I am pleased to report that nothing older than ‘best before 2006’ was found. That was an achievement. I admit a few things like the six year old cream crackers (tasted and edible) which would normally have been fed to the birds have gone back in the cupboard, ‘We might be glad of those in a few weeks.’ For one non-drinker and one very occasional (like about once a year) drinker, there is a surprising amount of alcohol, mostly raffle prizes waiting to be recycled. We are hanging on to that in the hope that we can use it as hand sanitiser, barter it for toilet paper when ours runs out, or for potatoes and onions, both of which are unlikely to last until our supermarket delivery is due in two weeks’ time (and judging by others’ comments they may not come then).

The virtual piano lesson went well. I am currently stumbling my way through Streets of London, Hallelujah and Let it Be. Encouragingly, my playing is showing slight signs of improvement but I was starting from a very low base. Martha and I have had a Skype recital between us. My author’s group will still be meeting, via Skype but whilst attempting to establish contact with each other, some of us have been waving at a random stranger who happens to have the same name as one of our group, oops!

Today it is beautifully sunny, so we went for a car ride to see the sea. Strictly not getting out of the car and actually (and thankfully) we saw few people in cars or on foot. Mind you, I think there may be more folk out and about this afternoon. STAY AWAY FROM EACH OTHER OR STAY AT HOME – no compromise however young/invincible you think you are. It is not only your own health that you are risking. We went in a ‘new to Chris’ car, which has an inbuilt voice-activated Sat Nav. Well, that was a challenge. Let’s just say we were nearly forced to drive to Hartland Road in Camden, instead of Hartland. I think we’ve sussed it now and it seems it does recognise a Devonshire accent.