Thursday, May 26, 2022

Wine-time Fridays

Friday 13 November 2020; a gathering in No 10 Downing Street on the departure of a special adviser. Photo above courtesy of Sue Gray.

Friday 4 December 2020; my father dies in the Heath Hospital

Friday 11 December; 2020; a 34 bottle wine fridge is delivered to Downing Street. Despite the harsh rules, Downing Street has scheduled 'wine-time Fridays' into the electronic calendars of 50 No 10 staff every week between 4pm and 7pm. 

Tuesday 22 December 2020; my father's funeral. Kevin, who was in infant, primary and secondary school with me has to stand, among others, outside St Joseph's in the rain to pay his respects. There is no wake. It would have been in the Old Illtydians' Club, where we could have sat with all Dad's oldest and dearest friends and talked, and wondered at the plaque that reminded us he was the rugby captain in in 1956. After the burial my son, a nephew of mine and a couple of nieces sit in the drizzle in the Bronwydd garden in a circle of plastic chairs each about nine feet apart talking.

Friday 25 December 2020; Merry Christmas, but no wine-time Friday for the likes of us. I will never forgive this shit as long as I live.

Read it and weep.

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