Your year 2020 - 2021

[Barclaybasher]

Mine began in 2020 with one of my motorhomes in Spain I needed to get it back to the UK for an MOT.

I flew out to Spain in February 2020, knowing that (even then!) lockdown might be coming

I was in Vitoria Gasteiz when someone on here posted that there had been an outbreak of Covid in nearby Haro

I loaded toilet rolls, UHT milk and wine and headed for the ferry - nobody in that Spanish supermarket was 'panic buying'

Got back to the UK, everyone 'crapping themselves'........as I did for a few weeks...............

Since then I have tried to keep my family 'safe' which includes SD and other 'precautions'................... but also 'contact'

I see my family on a regular and 'illegal' basis................ I do what I have to, saw my mother days before she died in the last lockdown aged 99...... no mask, no PPE

You all have families .....make your own minds up what to do !

 

[glenn2926]

Started with a couple of nights at our regular spring trip Northumberland we were meant to go to Scotland after that but Queen Nicola put a stop to that. So straight south to the Isle of Wight. A week there there meeting up with daughter son in law and grant children. Along the south coast and across the channel by train. Lovely meal at le clusier at Gravelines. Onward to visit son at Chamonix for a week or so. Whilst in Chamonix the 14 quarantine came in. Hmm, what now? I know Germany. If we have a couple of weeks there we can get home via the tunnel. This we did. Germany was fantastic and we can’t wait to return. We did mange to get home in 10 minutes over 24 hours Germany to home.
July, normally a motorbike trip around Scotland with 8 other mates. Again queen Nicola stopped that, never mind back to Northumberland. Two nights booked in sea houses. Great trip, we’ll do that again.
Now this year, 2020, I would be 60. A motorcycle trip with my son and my brother was organised to Sardinia in April. Well guess what? It didn’t happen. So we postponed until September. This did happen. My brother and I flew to Milan met my lad (he drove down from Chamonix) and from there to Sardinia. A week of great hotels great bikes and fantastic riding followed.
So all in all, for me it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.
I did not get to walk the Dales way, didn’t do the three peaks but they’ll be there for this year.

 

[glenn2926]

No body else?

 

[ManTheVan]

No body else?

There’s too much to list. Trying really hard to focus on the good bits but so much other yuk keeps coming to the fore, so I’ll leave it I think.

 

[DiggerJon]

I don't think anybody would be interested in my 2 nights spent on my sister's drive as she has no spare bedroom for guests at my BIL's 70th birthday, nor about the 5 holidays which had to be cancelled because of something called Covid19; a relation of R2D2 from Star wars maybe??
I'm just hoping in 2021 I might be able to get away in the MH but I have that horrid feeling that unless a site is booked long in advance, they will be creaking at the seams and costing a ******** fortune. Rather spoils the fun of freewheeling around and pitching up and moving on as the spirit takes you. Ah well, strange times we live in!

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[ChrisSue]

Furloughed in March but back in June due to excessive sickness by one of those kept on. Emergency gall bladder removal in December, off work for a month. Back in January. Worked two weeks and furloughed again. Called back last week as the other person kept on has been let go due to excessive sickness. Now waiting for another operation to remove a stone in the bladder. I have never worked so few weeks in a twelve month!
On the upside we did buy a newer van in September!

 

[Odd-no-more]

I started the year as my first retired, although I retired a couple of years ago I had returned to work on the winter, I didn't intend to do it last winter but someone let them down at my old firm so I agreed to work up to Christmas. I did a morning at work in January and a few half days but I stopped when lockdown came and I won't go back. This is not how I thought my retirement would be. We did manage 5 local trips a total of 25 nights away. I'm hoping for a better year this year

 

[EdwardFT]

In November 2019 I was travelling on a long trip round China. When some new virus started going round, I eventually figured it was probably going to be quite serious (understatement of the century) so I flew back at the start of February, with the Beijing metro already empty and a flight back to Europe with everyone masked all the way. After a couple of weeks back in Paris I still wanted to travel so I got a flight to Buenos Aires, with my hiking gear, to go on multi-day hikes in Patagonia. But in Buenos Aires I started getting severe abdominal pain after every time I ate a steak, which in Argentina tends to be quite often. I got a scan at the Hospital Britanico (big plaque at the entrance dedicated to the British Community in Buenos Aires) and they found my gallbladder full of stones. I flew back to Paris to get that seen to, but a week later I developed Jaundice. I went in immediately for a checkup and they did a few scans and found a tumour in the bile duct. 9 days later I had a major operation to remove it (the French government have screwed up the vaccines, but the French health service has fortunately not stopped doing cancer operations even in lockdown).

The rest of the year has been quite uneventful.

 

[Bustup15]

We have been more fortunate than most in 2020.

January - a week in Lanzarote, sun, drink and relaxing.

22nd Feb - headed to the Eurotunnel

Belgium to meet friends who live there that we met on a previous trip then onward travel
Germany - to supplying dealer for minor works.
Luxembourg
France finishing on the south coast.
Returned
16th March just orior to lockdown

After lockdown, rejoined local golf club.

For some reason Google timeline stops here, can't work iut why as the settimgs say it is turned on?

We did however leave UK 6th September and spent 8 weeks in Germany returning 31st.October just prior to the second lockdown.

Like most we can't wait to get back abroad but as I said, we have had it a lot better than others.

 

[Just smiffy]

2020...? Was there a year then..? I can’t recall it, thought it was a leap year..

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[Tony50]

Furloughed in March but back in June due to excessive sickness by one of those kept on. Emergency gall bladder removal in December, off work for a month. Back in January. Worked two weeks and furloughed again. Called back last week as the other person kept on has been let go due to excessive sickness. Now waiting for another operation to remove a stone in the bladder. I have never worked so few weeks in a twelve month!
On the upside we did buy a newer van in September!

To remove a Stone from my Bladder they stuck a camera and a basket up my Penis and fished stone out , put me out for that !! so didnt feel a thing , when I came round tried to pass water couldnt for a start , when I did it was like passing glass but after a few pain wears off , hope this cheers you up , I sincerely hope all goes well

 

[Tony50]

In November 2019 I was travelling on a long trip round China. When some new virus started going round, I eventually figured it was probably going to be quite serious (understatement of the century) so I flew back at the start of February, with the Beijing metro already empty and a flight back to Europe with everyone masked all the way. After a couple of weeks back in Paris I still wanted to travel so I got a flight to Buenos Aires, with my hiking gear, to go on multi-day hikes in Patagonia. But in Buenos Aires I started getting severe abdominal pain after every time I ate a steak, which in Argentina tends to be quite often. I got a scan at the Hospital Britanico (big plaque at the entrance dedicated to the British Community in Buenos Aires) and they found my gallbladder full of stones. I flew back to Paris to get that seen to, but a week later I developed Jaundice. I went in immediately for a checkup and they did a few scans and found a tumour in the bile duct. 9 days later I had a major operation to remove it (the French government have screwed up the vaccines, but the French health service has fortunately not stopped doing cancer operations even in lockdown).Goodness me

The rest of the year has been quite uneventful.

Goodness me , I wish you well for the future stay safe.

 

[ChrisSue]

To remove a Stone from my Bladder they stuck a camera and a basket up my Penis and fished stone out , put me out for that !! so didnt feel a thing , when I came round tried to pass water couldnt for a start , when I did it was like passing glass but after a few pain wears off , hope this cheers you up , I sincerely hope all goes well

Thank you...... I think

 

[Tony50]

Thank you...... I think

Luckily for me the Toilet tank was way above pan so i could grip the down pipe !! you will be relieved when it's out. look at it this way you will be a Stone lighter !!

 

[nicholsong]

Since then I have tried to keep my family 'safe' which includes SD and other 'precautions'................... but also 'contact'

I see my family on a regular and 'illegal' basis................ I do what I have to, saw my mother days before she died in the last lockdown aged 99...... no mask, no PPE

You all have families .....make your own minds up what to do !

I try to keep everyone here safe especially for the sake of Basia's Mother who will be 99 in May. Unfortunately the rest of the family do not share my view, for example Basia's Son and DiL had several children round at the w/e, OK so children do not show symptoms, but they can be carriers and who knows what people those children and their parents had been in contact with.

Geoff

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[ChrisSue]

Luckily for me the Toilet tank was way above pan so i could grip the down pipe !! you will be relieved when it's out. look at it this way you will be a Stone lighter !!

I lost two after the gall bladder! I'll be a mere shadow of myself. Who needs faddy diets?

 

[Guerrilla]

Flew to Trinidad and Tobago to spend part of winter in the sun with family. 1st flight from Gatwick cancelled due to storm. Flew via New York on rearranged flight. Arrived in T & T without our luggage (medications in baggage). Fortunately arrived the next morning it time for our scheduled flight to Tobago. This was in February. News of the virus was just starting to get people worried. Spent a night at hotel before we flew and will never forget holding my breath for dear life when 3 Chinese guys got in the lift I used!
Carnival spent in Trinidad a few days later. Thousands from all over the world jumping up and having a ball!
Stayed till 14th March. People there just starting to realise how bad things were starting to get around the world. Flight back scary. People being very careful but no masks etc. Arrived back at Gatwick and though we had train tickets to get home we got a taxi - cost about £80 I think. We locked ourselves down immediately. Took the govt another week to do the same -23rd March.
Once we were able to travel more than immediate area we drove motorhome for 3 days out - to Shoeburyness, Canvey Island and Hoo peninsula on beautiful sunny days. Great having your own toilet as public ones were still closed.
6th July, Able to stay overnight elsewhere. Here we go! Few days in Canterbury. Few days in Ramsgate. Few days in West Wittering. All in wonderful weather. Early September realised we were not going to head down to south of France as usual so did road trip for 14 days along the south coast. Again very lucky with the weather and walk lots of the coastal path. Ended up in East Devon and able to meet up with some family there.
Rest of the year downhill and of course continues to be so. Trying to stay safe and luckier than most in that we are retired and able to keep to ourselves. Miss our children terribly but what can you do? We just have to ride it out. Waiting for vaccine - hopefully before the end of Feb.
Having the motorhome enabled us to safely do so much more than we anticipated and we had a ball!
Roll on Freedom!

 

[Guerrilla]

BTW - T & T shut down the airport and their borders 2 days after we left. They are still closed. Population 1.2 million or thereabouts. 7500 cases, 134 deaths. Multiply by say 60 equating to UK - 8000. I think they did the right thing at the right time unlike many others. Could the Govt really not have done better here?

 

[Otter Spotter]

Ok 2020, we were on a site near Kirkubright the weekend it was announced that full lockdown was to start on the Monday, we travelled home on the Sunday afternoon. Denise retired into Lockdown I carried working but from home using Zoom and telephon. At the end of Lockdown I decided to retire happy to have found a quality replacement Financial adviser for my clients.
We hot footed in the van to Norfolk to see Dee‘s Family and visit Cley and other wildlife sites, then moved over the to the New Forrest and met up with our daughter and grandkids.
A week later we headed home via Chard and Wales.
Medical stuff held us at home until September when we then travelled to Dumfries and Galloway before heading up country via Newcastleton, Dunbar, Cromarty, Elgin and Crieff before coming home in early October just before the new restrictions started, since then treaded water until the Christmas break when we visited Daughter and grandkids again in Chard.
Now we just await being permitted to travel again and when we can We will be heading up to Shetland first as there are Otters who want their portraits taken and Dee wants me to chase Gannets with my camera too. Not sure now whether we will manage to get to the Outer Hebrides this year as we may just hire a cottage or flat in Shetland for the winter. It depends on Wee Krankie Sturgeon if she hasn’t been sacked.