I’d hoped to have been able to blog today but we’ve had a busy day out and about picking up supplies for Dee’s parents, which meant a trip out to Huddersfield and also into Sowerby Bridge. This gave us chance to observe ‘Super Saturday’ as some sections of the media are calling today due to the fact so much of lockdown has been rescinded, allowing pubs, restaurants and hairdressers (amongst others) to reopen.

Us? We’re steering well clear of licensed premises of any variety right now – and having seen some of the antics first hand, I believe it’s not a question of ‘if’ there’s going to be a second spike, more a question of just how bad it’s going to prove.

The Wetherspoons in Sowerby Bridge has reopened. Looking at it from the car as we passed it looked like God’s waiting room – in more ways than one…Huddersfield wasn’t too bad. We passed several pubs where a small number of drinkers were making the most of the new found freedom – but in a responsible fashion. Mind you, the weather here in West Yorkshire’s been pretty crap today with drizzle being the main feature. We did see one pub in Waterloo that looked like disaster waiting to happen with groups of blokes swilling lager outside with no concept of social distancing, whilst young families with kids running in and out of the pub sat next to them. Having seen TV footage of even worse scenes in London I really do wonder what the rest of the world thinks of us. Meanwhile, a half-cut Stanley Johnson (yes, the PM’s father) gives an interview to a TV crew in Greece, the country he’s buggered off to on holiday – yet again proving it’s one rule for them and another for everyone else. Is it any wonder ordinary people are ignoring the rules now?

OK, enough of my spleen-venting. Here’s the picture of the day.

In 2002 Lynn and I visited Brazil for business and pleasure. At the time Lynn was working for the international Charity ‘Actionaid’. On reflection, it was one of the happiest times of her life. We decided to tag a holiday onto the trip and I flew out with her as I one of the projects she would be visiting was the infamous favela (shanty town) known as the ‘City of God’ – which was later featured in a famous film. I was going to be helping with a photography project but in the end it was agreed that it would cause too many problems if I went into the favela with a camera as it would mean the local groups would have to compromise themselves with the drug barons who called the shots. I could write a whole blog about our experiences there as it was one of the most threatening places I’ve ever visited, even though we were escorted by favela residents.

After the work trip the two of us headed off up North and visited Recife, then flew to a very special place, the beautiful island of Fernando de Noronha

which is out in the South Atlantic. Brazilian colleagues had recommended it as a ‘must see’ and they weren’t wrong. The island is rich in wildlife, has some stunning beaches and a fascinating history.

This view shows Cachorro and Conceicao beaches which are dominated by Morro do Pico which is the tallest part of the island, standing 323 metres above sea level. If you want to see the full selection of pictures from our Brazilian adventure, you can find them here.

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