They’re laughing at us …

let’s start with some stubby tulips

You should move along, Roland. It was twelve months ago. It’s the Westminster bubble. Nobody cares. There are other things which are much more important.

Indeed. All those things are true. And it’s not that a party (very likely parties) took place on 18 December last year in No 10, when Boris Johnson was up in his flat (who has a party in their house and doesn’t get invited?). It’s not that Johnson has continuously lied about it. He’s apologised for the video … in which his press secretary, Allegra Stratton, jokes about the party (for which she’s resigned), but not for the party having taken place. It’s not that he’s asked minister after minister to go on TV and defend his position – that no party took place and the covid rules were followed. It’s … well … it’s the guttural ache which I get reading the comments from decent people who obeyed the rules last December. Who weren’t able to visit loved ones as they died in hospital. Who spent Christmas alone. Who did as they were asked.

And, and this makes me mad, what of the the students who were fined £10,000 for holding a similar bash at the same time? Police are still prosecuting breaches of the law in this area as I write this, so it’s not too late.

It all stinks of entitlement. And it’s all very wrong.

Worst of all, as the new variant explodes in society, those who don’t want to follow the rules which will ensure we all remain relatively safe, now have very good reasons not to follow government advice. And who can blame them?

Of course, for me, this is atop all of the nonsense of the past few years. Brexit, of which I can still see no benefit, the treatment of refugees in the Channel, the failure to publish and pursue the Russian Report, the whole PPE scandal, Barnard Castle, the purposefully slow reaction to the first three covid surges, the first of which may have taken my brother’s life, the police bill which restricts freedom of protest. And the team: Johnson, Patel, Raab, Hancock (originally), Dorries, Rees-Mogg, and Truss. I am a natural Tory … although every day I feel more and more left leaning. But this bunch. I don’t get it.

Anyhow.

slowly getting the covers changed

I am (yippee) one scene away from finishing book 8. It’s a biggee, at 135,000 words. I hope to complete it over the weekend. That’s a first draft in just two months, which smashes any previous record. And we are waiting for ACX to release the audiobook of Unsuspecting Hero. No news, I hope, may be good news.

On Monday we travelled up to Gloucester so Jen and I could work on the ebook and wrap-round cover for Unsuspecting Hero. And we also took some photos for the new cover of Fuelling the Fire. We had a laugh practising how to fire a pistol. Apparently, according to C, I still have it. That’s good news, come the revolution.

trust me, we changed trousers!

Off to Mary’s today for her birthday party, which should be a scream. We are both sensitive to covid – if we catch it, we will need to isolate. And that would mean missing Bex, Henry and Steven, who come home next weekend. So everyone is taking a test before they come. Hopefully we’ll be ok.

Stay safe everyone. Just a few sleeps until Christmas.