The flu queue

 

 I have been in the flu queue again. My short-sleeved shirt has come in useful even in the cold weather. I covered it with a woollen jumper and off I went to the chemist for my seasonal Covid jab. But I could see all was not well as soon as I went through the front door. Instead of an orderly queue there was a huddle of worried looking people shuffling about. Then I read the hastily written notice. ‘Covid jabs cancelled’.

Our dismay turned to consternation when we learnt that the pharmacist had been taken ill and an ambulance had been called. No one knew what to do. I had booked my appointment on-line and of course the workers at the chemist had no access to the pharmacist website.

I rang 119.

‘If you are calling from England, please press 1…

For vaccination booking service press 1…’

And so, it went on until I stopped pressing and got a person so I could explain. In the end it was no problem much to my relief. If you do not turn up the service online resets and I was able to book again, at a different venue the next day. That is the trouble with computers you cannot talk to them.

I was in a shop in town the other day and was talking to another shopper She had been buying online but found that size 12 did not always fit. Sometimes it was a small size 12 and sometimes it was a big size 10 that fitted. She had to come to the shop to find out. We got chatting about her sister who had Alzheimer’s. She decided on a scarf for a present, but did not know which to choose. I thought one of those loop scarves would be good as it would not fall off. I liked them so much I bought one for myself.

On the way home I saw our Man in the Van, tucked away down a side road. He had been at the end of our lane for weeks selling his wooden carved animals with his little wooden caravan on the grass. Then one night he left as silently as he came leaving only his ‘Open’ sign on a post to show he had ever been. But here he was again, seemingly safe and sound after his disappearance from our lane. I hope our pharmacist fares as well.

Have you noticed the crows this autumn? Standing on our lane at dusk I saw a silent swooping of these huge black birds coming to roost in the bare dark ash branches, just above the little wooden post from our Van Man.

(Taken from my column in the Shropshire Star)