A busy weekend with grassroots football back on, tennis lessons at David Lloyd’s and the annual invasion of snowman coming out for Christmas.

There was the now weekly family quiz Friday evening to kick the weekend off. These events are the only way to be sharing time with family members who would usually be visiting or being visited. We are eight months into this pandemic now and the remoteness of life is not great.

Saturday started with a return to grassroots football and training for the team. It was a good hour spent outside and the team seemed quite rusty. It was good though to have them back out them, being active. Next up was the Everton match on tv – disappointed not to get the win and equally disappointed that living in a tier 3 area, not within the Liverpool city area, I’ll not be in the ballot for tickets to watch them anytime soon. I can understand the reasons but nevertheless, can’t wait to be back.

Zoom was put into use again for the annual Christmas party. There were some quiz questions and a scavenger hunt. Usually we’d be in a village hall and enjoying watching the children mixing well. I think they have got to understand the situation now and are coping with it well.

After the party, the Christmas decorations were brought down from the loft and the house is now full of the snowmen. We did count them one year – over 100.

Sunday morning meant a trip back up the road for a league match. Dan played as a centre back and did well. It was the position I played for many years. Many children don’t like it but I hope he does. I always found the opportunity to attack and Dan should too. He has now played every position and is reasonably ok in all of them. It was a great game of football and good again, to be back.

Being a Sunday, the day involved a trip to David Lloyd to have a run and a tennis lesson. It is incredibly quiet at the moment, I guess because people can’t sit and have a drink or something to eat. The run was good but my tennis wasn’t its best.

A highlight of the weekend, out of the blue, was a past pupil making contact. A lad I taught in my first year of teaching (1997-1998) sent a request for advice on adult education. It is lovely to know a past pupil remembers someone from 23 years ago. Sad how we they write in the email, secondary school wasn’t for them. I’ll be speaking to him this week and hope I can help.

Two weeks of school to go until Christmas. I hope Covid relents and the vaccines prove successful. I’ve not heard from my dad since speaking to him a few days ago. I’ll keep trying but the restrictions of Covid stop what normally would have been a quick visit.