Positives

Not easy to feel positive in these times and less so to be positive in the written word but still worth a try:

Having been requested by mrs maytrees to replenish her Sainsbury's  raspberry jam I was intrigued by the display of Pimm's  "strawberry tangerine and mint preserve." The preserve is non-alcoholic so I decided to buy a jar.




I have not yet tried this 'preserve' but looking at  another supermarket's website it appears to have reviews ranging from 1 to 5 stars (out of a possible 5) which makes one little wiser. Nonetheless the price £2.50 is about the same as jars of jam from France so possibly a good  competitive offering by Pimms and supermarkets.

For some reason any positive actions taken by HM Government at this time, are usually announced on inside pages of newspapers and even then towards the bottom right hand corner of a page, For example,  the government actions taken  to encourage savers include their recently cancelling the previously proposed reductions in the interest rates offered to savers by its NS&I bank.   At the same time  the minister responsible has also decided that the Premium Bond  prizes run by that bank, should continue to be paid at the current rate, rather than being reduced from May, to mirror the recently announced savings'  interest rates reductions.

Because of the  lock down caused by Covid 19 there are rather more communications by face time and other means with members of the family who reside abroad. for example  with matrees max who lives and works in Jersey and with maytrees mi  who lives  and  works in New  Zealand, than there might have been had times been more  normal.

Then there is far less aircraft noise than there was until  recently. Indeed Heathrow is reducing its runway use to a single runway and hopefully this means that the Heathrow expansion plans which have been much criticised will not now take place. Air pollution has fallen substantially as has road traffic. 

One is able whilst taking the permitted walks, to enjoy sight and sound of far more wild life than was the case until recently.

Strangers walking by tend both to distance themselves on the one hand but to express greetings on the  other.

Good tends to emerge from all of life's circumstances though that is not to under state the burdens.