Christmas 2021 was a controversial event. The new Omicron variant of COVID had been tearing through the population but the powers that be were divided on what action to take. On one hand, there were loud calls from some for another stringent lockdown. On the other, there was a lot of evidence that the new variant was relatively benign. The result was a combination of confusion and apathy from the general public. The nations of the UK were divided in their approach, which didn’t help with the confusion. Luckily for me, restrictions in England were ruled out before the New Year. Dire warnings were issued by those who disagreed — hospitals would be overwhelmed — millions would die — it would all be the government’s fault. Hyperbole was flying around like Christmas tinsel. As for me, my Christmas morning was spent at Southampton parkrun.
Commando even dressed up for the event. My own, slightly bah humbug concession to the date was a red tartan hat and a very purposeful avoidance of anyone holding a camera. I think I pulled off both things rather well. At least no incriminating photographs have surfaced to date. Of course, my lack of dressing up put me in the minority. Southampton Common had the look of a Santa convention, despite the dull, drizzly weather. The big upside to getting up at an ungodly hour and going out in the cold, was an abundance of sweets.
By normal standards, it was a small, but very colourful turnout. The dismal weather may have played a part, along with all the COVID scare stories. As all the Santas, elves, and other assorted beings gathered for the start, I did my normal trick of sloping off across the very muddy grass to the Old Cemetery.
Wandering around a cemetery on a drizzly Christmas morning might not be everyone’s idea of fun. It doesn’t immediately conjure up an image of festive cheer. You’d be surprised at what a pleasant walk it makes though, and it’s certainly better than standing around on a cold damp field waiting for the runners to return.
There were, of course, Christmas decorations to look at, although I’d already seen what the cemetery fairies had been up to on previous walks. It was also blissfully empty. I suppose most normal people were at home, either opening presents, or trying to avoid catching Omicron. Given that Commando and I had decided that presents were pointless (what do you get for the man who already has everything, and what do I want that I don’t already have spring to mind), and catching Omicron didn’t seem especially worrying from the tales those who’d caught it told, the Common seemed like a lovely idea.
There is something decidedly gothic and macabre about an empty cemetery on a dull morning. Personally, I don’t mind a touch of eeriness, although the crows perched on the gravestones did give the walk a slightly horror film feel. The only real downside was that frozen, wet fingers put me off taking many photos.
Rather than risk making a fool of myself by slipping up on the slippery grass, I decided to walk the long way back, down Cemetery Lane and back up past the Hawthorn’s cafe (sadly still closed). As it happened, I reached the corner marshal at almost the exact same time as Commando.
Of course, Christmas is also a time for reflection. My stroll through the cemetery had given me ample time for that. For all the furore about Omicron, I was becoming more and more convinced that the pandemic was slowly burning itself out with a whimper rather than a bang. Given my recent preoccupation with the previous pandemic, I couldn’t help wondering what the people of 1918 would have made of all our restrictions. They carried on without lockdowns, mask mandates, vaccinations or modern medicine, after all. Of course they died in far greater numbers, but was this because of a lack of government action and a lack of medical knowhow, or was it because Spanish Flu was far worse than COVID? Who can say?
Another thing on my mind as I wandered through the cemetery was my mother. She is always on my mind on Christmas Day, because it was her birthday. Had she still been alive, this would have been her 101st birthday. What she’d have made of the modern world and the modern pandemic is anyone’s guess, but I doubt very much than anyone would have been able to stop her having a good time.
If you like what I write, and you’re interested in my novels are available now on Amazon in paperback, on Kindle and via Kindle Unlimited. Check out my Amazon page here and my Goodreads page here. If you would like to help me keep writing, you can now buy me a virtual coffee by clicking on the little orange coffee cup at the bottom right.