We’re at the end of January, still locked down and likely to stay that way for a number of weeks yet. Boris Johnson’s statement on Wednesday was uncharacteristically lacking his usual (generally misplaced) optimism. Good in one sense – at least he’s being realistic – but the reality is getting harder to live with. However there is some good news on the vaccine front. Yay! We now have three vaccines approved: BioNTech/Pfizer, Oxford/AstraZeneca and Moderna and two more that look likely to be approved very soon: Novanax and Janssen/Johnson & Johnson.

Here, courtesy of the i newspaper, is what February will bring:

Today was our 45th virtual meeting. It’s really hard to believe that we’ve been doing this for so long. On the knitting front today: May has finished a lovely jumper for 7 year old Lola and Linda has knitted more shawls. On the general chat front: a conversation about prolific car theft in the Heatons. The AA has some advice on how to protect your vehicle although the thieves are often very brazen and not easily put off.

We also chatted about friendships made in childhood. Moving away from the area you were brought up in and generally moving around makes the maintenance of such friendships very difficult. One of us met her husband at school when they were in their teens, married him and is still with him some hrrghmmmmm years later. Another one of us has managed to keep a friendship going for nearly 60 years!

We had three quiz champions this week: Catherine, Perveen and me. I was so pleased with myself for coming joint first that I forgot to ask who the runners up were! I think Agnes having to leave early and missing the quiz may have had something to do with who came first 🙂

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