When you don’t watch the news on tv, or listen on the radio, or read it in the papers, then inevitably you are going to be a bit behind on what is happening in the world. I mean, I do speak to people in other countries and get snippets and updates from the likes of Italy, Portugal, Argentina and California. It’s a bit like having a short wave radio and picking up transmissions from other planets and other universes ( is that a word? ) They fade in and out and you never really know what is going on, as you pick up the odd word or even the odd sentence in a foreign language. Is Italy really open for business? Are the beaches in Tel Aviv totally rammed ? Are there side-walk cafes up and running in Barcelona? As I say, looking out of my window seeing the odd solitary dog-walker or jogger, they all might as well be a million light years away.
Better to get back to the news I know. Or maybe not, as on careful checking it’s actually 102 years old. Now, even for me that’s a bit behind, but that’s where I am. By the by the novel I am writing is set in South Africa from about 1940-1967 so I spend a fair amount of time there, but this century old bit of news is, for me, hot off the presses. We’ve heard an awful lot ( or at least I seem to have heard a lot) about the wartime spirit, the stiff upper lip, the Bulldog breed ( who remembers Bulldog Drummond, by the way? Isabella, I bet you do ) He was a sort of detective in a series of books written by, I think, Sapper ( assume that was a nom-de-plume and will check it out later as am in full flow now and can’t pause for a moment lest I lose my thread ) In fact will have to pause in 15 minutes as have a zoom call in to Jim and June in Thailand. This is in place of our annual lunch. They’ve never used zoom before. Zoom virgins, not a lot of them around. So, will let you know how that goes. Jim will be one step ahead of the rest of you and I may tell him not to bother to read today’s edition as he will already know the contents.
Actually, on reflection, he won’t because I wasn’t intending writing about Zoom calls, or South Africa or indeed cafes in Barcelona. Although I was going to write a bit about somethings Spanish, No, not an omelet, nor a bullfight, nor tapas, nor rioja , but about Spanish Flu. How does he know anything about that, I hear you ask when the man is about as well-informed as his fifteen month old grand-daughter? She’s walking by the way, which is very exciting. Got a video this morning where she falls at the very last. Bit like most of the horses I back really.
So, “ The Cricketer “ magazine ( don’t switch off sports-haters because this isn’t really about cricket ) gave me my 102 year old news and told me that there was a strong possibility that the Spanish Flu virus mutated from birds to pigs in the First World War British hospital camp in Etaples, south of Boulogne. At the mouth of the Canche River, Etaples was the main transit point for British troops. It was notoriously grim and over-crowded with 100,000 soldiers passing through each day. It was also where the victims of chemical attacks on the Western Front were treated. It had a piggery where poultry was brought in, from surrounding villages to feed the troops.
And it all led to the outbreak of Spanish Flu. But, I hear you ask, why Spanish if the outbreak emanated from France. The answer is that although there was strict censorship amongst the combatants, Spain was neutral and could freely report on the virus so when its then King, Alfonso XIII caught it badly, report the Flu it did and its reward for honesty was that everybody thought it was also responsible for the outbreak and was the epicentre, Hence, Spanish Flu. Hence 220, 000 victims in the UK alone. So, don’t think for a minute that we’ve not been there before or that The Big V is the worst thing that’s ever happened in our Sceptered Isles. Because it’s not.
But, what was really interesting was that throughout the Great War and throughout the Spanish Flu epidemic people carried on playing cricket. An RAF Squadron had a match arranged against a local Norfolk Club. They flew their mission and lost two planes. They still played the match and called in two replacements for the players who had been lost. I am not sure who won ( I mean I know England won the war, just not sure who won the cricket match )
Siegfried Sassoon wrote a short poem called, “ Dreamers “
I see them in foul dug-outs gnawed by rats
And in the ruined trenches, lashed with rain
Dreaming of things they did with balls and bats
And mocked by hopeless longing to regain
Bank-holidays and picture shows and spats
And going to the office in the train.
Remind you of anything? The only thing is that we don’t have any live cricket.
So, the call with Jim and June. That went really well. I learned a lot as I always do when I have a chat with them. I did say that as the NHS have said I can’t go out till the end of June that if Jim were to kill her then that would mean I was free. I think they knew I was only joking or at least I hope so.
The story from Thailand where they have been for months now, is fascinating. There is a military junta there and they just closed everything down . Hotels were requisitioned with no questions asked and one can actually buy 5 star VIP quarantine there so if you show symptoms you can choose to stay in hotels like the Hyatt. But, the fact is that very few people have needed to be hospitalised and even fewer have died. Everybody has to wear face masks or face huge fines. There’s no alcohol for sale and even though the restaurants are open you can’t buy a bottle of wine to have with your meal. No flights in and no flights out. Maybe we needed the military in charge here. Maybe , that may yet come to pass if BoJo doesn’t get a grip on things. I quite liked the idea of the Thai police arresting civilians who weren’t wearing face masks and slapping the handcuffs on them until they paid the 200, 000 Bhat fine ( maybe a bit tricky if they are in handcuffs. ) But, anyway, those police, they certainly are The Thais That Bind.
So, well done Jim and June for losing your zoom virginity. Worked like a treat. We saw their swimming pool. They saw our front room. There’s lock-down and there’s lock down I guess.
Lovely chatting to them, but it’s got me way behind with my blog and mowing the lawn. Still at least my neighbours ( including The Noisy People ) won’t have their Sunday morning disturbed for a while longer.
I was attending the on-line morning service with the Rabbi this morning when I realized I was running late and right at the end I began typing this blog. He announced that there is a 50’s/60’s music thing being organized at 3pm this afternoon. I said it clashed with the Bundesliege. ( Dortmund won again yesterday so have finally found a successful team to support and am looking for a Borussia Dortmund mug and shirt on line to wear and drink out of on match days ) Anyway, one of the other congregants said my hammering away at the key-board had clashed with the service. Who knew I had been unmuted?
Anyway, I hope you think the effort was worth it. Stay safe and if we are spared I will see you all tomorrow.