The COVID-19 Pandemic

A COVID-19 slogan

The spring of 2020, after an extremely wet winter, had started very well with a good walk in the Peak District National Park and trips to Charnwood Forest and Clowne, with Paul May, to prepare for the Sheffield U3A Geology Group field trips for March and April.

An illustrated talk

In the last week of March, I had an illustrated talk at St. Peter’s church in Edensor and a guided tour of St. Helen’s church in Treeton to look forward to and, although not until September, Sheffield Libraries had asked me to give another talk on the theme of Exploration – after seeing some of my photos of gargoyles on Twitter.

Places visited in 2019

Having managed to organise more than 50 days out in 2020, travelling to places no further than 55 km from Treeton as the crow flies, using buses and trains, I had become accustomed to undertaking journeys that would entail at least 2 changes in transport – each way.

A list of places to visit in 2020

Continuing with my investigation of the mediaeval churches that are accessible by public transport from Treeton, I drew up a list of nearly 50 new places to explore; however, sometimes the best laid plans go astray and - as on many previous occasions - I consider that the mismanagement of the COVID-19 Pandemic by the Conservative Government in the UK is to blame.