Lies, damned lies

So, on top of PHE lying about the Covid death figures, it's recently emerged, after a SAGE investigation, that the NHS has been lying about the number of hospital admissions for Covid. It just gets better and better.

Does anything about this supposed pandemic hang together? It all lies, lies and more lies.

Every parent will recognise the situation we're in right now. When children are in trouble they'll lie repeatedly in the hope they can talk themselves out of it - despite knowing, having been told by their parents on numerous occasions, that they're digging themselves in deeper and their lies will always come back to bite them.

It seems that our esteemed Govt has reverted to childhood and turned into a bunch of lying teenagers. Great... just what we bloody need.

On to less stressful matters, I think. Govt shenanigans are not good for my blood pressure. Deep breaths...

It's been a plummy sort of week - after making jam last weekend, I've since made six kilos of compote (frozen in batches ready to have with porridge in the months to come) plus eight jars of chutney using not only our own plums but also apples and onions from the garden, too. It's been quite a production line. All the plums are off the tree now but I've kept a few back at Mr S-V's request. He's on a promise... of a plum crumble! It's only a small tree but it's done us proud this year.

After stripping the plum tree, we pulled all the onions - they're drying out on top of the soil before being strung up in the shed. It's all starting to feel quite autumnal... it's really noticeable now that the nights are drawing in.

As well as our little veg plot, the farmer's fields are also starting to look a bit denuded - he's taken the haulm off the top of the potatoes in preparation for harvesting in the next few days. He's clearing his fields at the other side of the village at the moment, so his tractor is back and forth past our house like a fiddler's elbow.

I'm still going nowhere near any High St shops (bloody masks!) so have just ordered boots, a pair of trousers and a winter coat online. If any of it fits, I'll be amazed...