Prenez Soin de Vous

Hi everybody, I hope you are all well and staying safe. It's extraordinary to think that this coming weekend would've seen the closing of the ski lifts in Méribel for the winter of 2019/20...... until the Coronavirus took hold. It seems longer than nearly 6 weeks ago, late one Saturday evening (14th March), when it was announced that France was closing all non-essential areas. Then a couple of days later their lockdown ("le confinement") began. Yet here we are, four weeks into the UK's lockdown. I spoke to my mate Slippers Jackson (based near Morzine) on the phone a couple of days ago, and he said that they have hardly had any fresh snow since the French lockdown took place. I must admit to not looking at the weather in the Alps over the last few weeks, preferring to focus instead on adjusting to life back in Leamington Spa.

And I have to say (as I'm sure you all know) that it's been absolutely beautiful weather in the UK recently. Since this is the first time in twenty-two years that I've been back this early in the spring, hence missing out on this part of the season, I feel particularly fortunate. On the days that I haven't been cycling in the Warwickshire countryside, I've used my one allocated period of daily exercise to make the most of walking around and appreciating this time of year.

The combination of quiet roads, low noise pollution and beautiful weather is a unique experience for the moment. As for Coronavirus..... well, I don't know what to say really. Perhaps I shouldn't write too much about it, because I don't know about you....but sometimes it's nice to have a break from pondering on a global pandemic. About 95% of the time I'm ok with it. The other 5%, I have a right old wobble that can appear at the most unexpected moment, just like catching an edge on skis!

As the weeks progress, many of us will start to hear more personal examples of how this pandemic touches lives around us. One of the members of the Warwick Lanterne Rouge Cycling Club (a group I joined nearly two years ago) is a medic and had been working on the NHS frontline. He contracted - and thankfully eventually recovered from - Covid-19, and described this experience on our club private Facebook page. He is younger and much fitter than me, and to hear about his illness really brought it home.

Then a few days afterwards I received a text that really knocked me for six. Somebody that I have skied with and enjoyed many family lunches with in Méribel, had sadly passed away just before the Easter weekend due to Covid-19. He was a lovely guy, a wonderful father and husband, and I have no words to say how shocked I was to hear this news. What an awful thing to happen to him and his poor family and friends. Life stood very still that day.

When I was talking to Slippers Jackson the other day we were talking how important it is for us to accept that we are on a journey. How far is the journey? We don't know yet, we just have to 'ride it out'. So with that in mind, whatever you do, please stay safe - or as the French say 'Prenez soin de vous' (take care of yourself). Martin.