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17th June.2020

Tescos barrier inside the Swan Centre was not open. I caught it open on Monday but it was not actually in use.
Today I used a bus for a short journey to Boyatt Wood. I had to wear a face-mask. Many of the seats were partly taped off to allow social distancing. Eastleigh was very quiet - not many people about.

Continuation

The pedestrianisation of the Town Centre to began on Monday June 15th 2020 and was to last until Wednesday 21st April 2021 or such time as local distancing measures were no longer considered necessary, whichever was the sooner.

15th June 2020

Roads in the Town Centre have been closed to vehicular Traffic to facilitate Social Distancing of 2 metres.
High Street from Leigh Road to Wells Place.
Market Street from Leigh Road to Wells Place.
The rest of the notice is confusing(to me) but probably allows deliveries to shops along the back roads.
I did not notice any great rush to the shops on the first day they have re-opened. I did not notice which shops had actually re-opened, but I am not out all day. Tesco's entrance inside the Swan Centre reopened.

Effects

It has been noted that people are noticing remembering more dreams since lockdown.
I think that this is true. I always have disturbed nights since caring for my mother when I had to get up to move and tend her during the night, but I think I am dreaming more now. I would not describe them as nightmares as the only bothering thing about them is that they are irrational.
I quite like the exploring dreams where I try to go somewhere somewhere and see places which look vaguely familiar but not quite right and then try to get back home. As I can levitate and fly and glide rather than walk it is a dream-type that is repeated with different types of location I have had these for years. To get home I decide to wake up. I have even experimented to see if I can see great detail or colour. I can.

The most frustrating dream I had recently, was doing a crossword with no list of clues and no pattern to fit the answer into. It was very perplexing.

Although the restrictions caused by the the Virus have only changed my routine, they has reduced my motives for going anywhere.

My hospital visit this week has very sensibly been replaced by a telephone call, something I have advocated for some years. However I am disappointed to no longer have a motive to walk to Southampton in the summer time. I need a reason to go that far.

I have noticed that some shops in Eastleigh seem to have closed permanently. I was waiting for Itchen Stationers on Station Hill to re-open but they have moved to Bishops Waltham. I have walked there and back but not for over twenty years.

I seem to be getting very bored with the lockdown. I Will need a facemask in order to use public transport eventually, but cannot buy cotton or elastic as shops in Eastleigh do not sell these things any more and the Market did not open on Thursday. I have little experience of using a sewing machine, but I suppose I will have to try.

Clap for Carers

Each Thursday at 8pm many people in my road come out into their front gardens and 'clap for carers'. Today is apparently the last day that this will be done (28/0/2020). I like to see us all acting in concert.

Apparently it has become too political - I assume that the elite support the National Health Service as a QUANGO but the hoi-poloi support all carers and those who work for the National Health Service who risk their lives on behalf of the people.

I stopped contributing to this blog because I do not really know how to use it and photographs cannot be added. I have not seen the Job-centre rabbits for a long time and I have had to stop wearing my wrist-watch weeks ago because a new battery is needed and is unobtainable during lockdown. I gave myself two and a half hours to walk to the General Hospital for my last appointment and arrived in time. I think I was quicker than that getting home afterwards. I had ignored the three months self-imposed imprisonment which was recommended in an official government communication. I am due back there in a couple of weeks but wonder whether it is safe to enter the main building. There is no point asking yet because no one will know. They could carry out the appointment by telephone if they had any sense as it is only to tell me if I am still alive.

The politicians and journalists are getting tired of the Virus news, long after everyone else. The dubious statistics and repetitious pleadings to 'wash your hands' would be
a joke, were it not for the grim truth which is played down.

Friday 10th April

Long queues at food shops formed early. Delayed shopping. Did Crossword and Computer work. Went out after lunch and saw rabbit at Unemployment Office again. Bought some small carrots for it. Still unable to photograph it. Queued for shopping as all shops will be closed on Sunday.

Thursday 9th

Went shopping early. No queue. Came home. Did crossword. Then a lot of computer work and emails. Had a light lunch and strolled over to Bitterne, exploring part of the Itchen Way I had bypassed previously and photographing some QR codes. I do not know what these do, but I expect everyone else does. There were a lot of people between Mansbridge and Bitterne but keeping their distances. Black swans still there. On the way back, a black Labrador dog that had been playing with a yellow tennis ball, was running along the river-bank following his ball which was in the water and being washed down-stream. In the end it jumped in and retrieved the ball but could not get up the river bank. I went to assist, but was so slow trying to bend down that the owner took over and carried out the rescue. Spoke to a Support Officer (at a distance)who seemed pleased to find someone to talk to. He seemed to think that taking exercise was sensible.
Saw the rabbit again, {mentioned in a previous blog which seems to have vanished)grazing in front of the job centre, but it bounded away before I could get my camera out. Short queue at Sainsburys and a long one at Tescos and Iceland so no more shopping.

This week so far

The Shops are gradually honing their response to the virus. Sainsburys use only their back entrance so that their policeperson can stay in the warm to let people in one at a time.
Tesco have plastic screens over the checkout counters to protect staff and have a one way system which everyone ignores.
The Swan Centre shuts early and is really only open for the Post Office and Chemist.
People are very good at keeping their distance, but since the government threatened to ban opening parks if anyone did not stay indoors or congregated the volume of traffic has increased.
Most ordinary shops are closed so only one pound shop opens,
Most people carry on same as usual and do not walk far, so I usually encounter no-one during my exercise.

Introduction

We are living during a significant event during Eastleigh's history. It would be nice to have a record about life in Eastleigh during the Coronavirus epidemic.
How are people managing? Are shops open? Are people managing to obtain food deliveries?

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