The AllGriffs Review 2020

Well, where does one start reviewing the story of a year like that? We had just got through Kate’s fourth eye operation in January and had celebrated Felicity’s 97^th birthday in March when the shutters came down. We all had to find new ways of living.

For us, lockdown was a time of quiet, calm introspection and companionship. Only a few of the long-delayed projects – sorting out the loft and the photo collection, writing our life stories, learning new skills, researching our family history – moved very far forward. Somehow, life was still full. The garden got weeded like never before and, once we managed to get some paint, we could paint the outside of the house. 

The great joy of May and June was the wonderful warm weather, the empty roads and the peace. Even without travelling, we could still walk from home around our glorious countryside: and we did. The birds seemed to be singing extra-loud and the wildflowers to be glowing in profusion. We learned about Zoom, sourdough baking and online quizzes.

As the restrictions lifted, we were able to visit Truro and talk to Felicity through a window. We could venture on new walks and, at one point, found ourselves in an almost deserted cove: ‘coincidentally’ another branch of the family was collecting cowries on the same beach. 

We could also play boats. Some pallets were turned into a raft for the creek’s silly swans who insist on building their nest below the tideline. Sadly they were not interested. We re-structured part of the fleet, saying goodbye to our dayboat Curlew, replacing her with an oyster punt (Oystercatcher) and later a Wayfarer (Sandpiper); oh, and we so needed another topper (Professor Plum).

By August, we felt bold enough to have a family holiday in Prussia Cove, a short drive away. This did us all some good and hinted at a return to normality. The sun shone, the mackerel were biting, the boats held water and no one drowned. It was like old times again. We had so missed our regular visits from the non-Cornwall-based members of the family this year.

Come September we were brave enough to go in search of some tidal swimming pools constructed in the late C18 and to find a wonderful C20 pleasure ground which had been completely overgrown.

To keep the grandchildren entertained, Jonathan constructed the long-awaited tree house, complete with zipwire. No one has yet broken any bones, though the noise levels have risen.

Kate then had her fifth (and final?) eye operation. It has been a long haul for her but we hope that we have reached the end and that her sight can settle down to a new near-monocular reality.

Just as everyone’s hopes were rising, lockdown 2 kicked-in and we reached for the paint pots again, for the inside of the house this time. Then things looked worrying in Truro and we found ourselves making daily visits to see Felicity who was going rapidly downhill. She eventually died peacefullyat the beginning of December, worn out by age and enforced seclusion. It has been wonderful to have her with us in Cornwall for the last six years and we will naturally miss her immensely. She joins many other close friends that we have lost this year, none from covid. We mourn them all.

Looking back through previous Reviews, we always try to be positive about the coming year, finding something that will make it look better than the last. Given the government’s mis-management of the pandemic and the nonsense of Brexit, the auguries do not look good but roll on the jab so that we can cross the Tamar for the first time in over a year. Then we can come and see you.