Author: Jenny’s Brave New World!

Last year I wrote about the dance class I attended in our little cul de sac. A good friend and neighbour, an ex dance and PE teacher, kindly offered her services. These classes have continued, albeit sporadically, over the last year.

Weather permitting we are now meeting outside three times a week. The camaraderie is great and it gives us a chance to catch up on local news. Another important benefit is social interaction which is crucial to allay those ‘down’ days many of us have experienced throughout this debilitating pandemic.

The world is slowly getting back to a new kind of normal. Vaccination rollout has been phenomenally successful and restrictions will be lifted next Monday. I have mixed emotions. On the one hand the worry of the new variant, which is causing rising daily cases and hospital admissions, is frightening. On the other, we cannot remain locked down forever.

Our government has decided to make us all responsible for our own actions. Let’s see what effect this is going to have on the spread of the virus and the need, if any, to reinstate restrictions. I’m sure cases will go up due to extra social mixing, but am hopeful that the greater British public will behave with restraint! We must never forget that the virus is still out there! It continues to make a lot of people very ill and some are still dying!

So, slowly getting back to normal, we’re having our kitchen upgraded with a new worktop, sink, tap and hob. Yesterday the kitchen company removed the old work surface and appliances and have left us without water. I came home from my final yoga class of the season looking forward to a cup of tea.

What a palaver to get the kettle filled! The guest toilet has a small basin so I went outside to use the garden tap. The workmen had packed the old work surfaces against the back wall and covered it! I went upstairs to the bathroom and filled the kettle but couldn’t get it out of the basin. The lid had jammed! I turned the kettle at an angle and flooded the bathroom floor! There was no other option but to uncover the garden tap. I felt as if I needed something stronger by the time I sat down with that hard earned cup of tea!

I really struggle with chaos! Looking around the kitchen I saw the pile of dirty lunch dishes packed into a large brown bowl. I boiled the kettle again and washed them up outside on the patio floor. The water supply had to be turned off in the kitchen so that included the dish washer! It reminded me of those dreaded caravan holidays as a child. Even then I preferred my home comforts to weeks away ‘roughing it’!

Wimbledon tennis and the Euro 2020 football games are over. Even our television programmes are getting back to normal. The next big event is the Olympic Games in Tokyo, this time with no spectators crowding the stands, unlike Wimbledon and Wembley!

The weather forecast promised sunshine today! Currently there is a strong wind and dark clouds gathering ominously outside my office window! It’s not raining so I’ll go for a walk before the heavens open! I’ve decided to visit our local pub for a meal tonight. I can’t face washing up a huge load of dirty dishes, pots and pans crouched on the patio floor! Tomorrow the kitchen company will return and my home life revert back to normal! 👠

I have written about a number of mental health issues in the past. My mother suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease. Bipolar Disorder and Depression have featured, as has Narcissism. There is unfortunately another disorder I feel strongly about where help is available but not always sought.

I’m sure most of us have come into contact with someone who has an addiction. Alcohol and drug abuse are well documented. But there is a lesser known but equally destructive ‘sex addiction’.

A few years ago a well known film star shared his ordeal with the press but thankfully gave little detail. I’m sure there were many sceptical sniggers and ribald comments! I read the article and must confess that I gave it little thought and moved on.

That was until this awful addiction affected someone close to me. The sordid details were shared, or as much as I was able to bear! As with all addicts, close family and friends are forced to travel this destructive road with them! There is still a lot of controversy surrounding sex addiction. Symptoms are varied and, because it’s not fully recognised as a mental health disorder, is not given the attention it deserves. However, psychologists do acknowledge it as an addiction and therefore it forms part of their overall studies.

As with all addicts, getting a ‘fix’ is the driver. This usually results in multiple partners placing extreme pressure on already difficult and unhappy relationships. Their covert behaviour hides their dark guilty secret, sometimes for many years. Safety becomes a huge concern and quality of life deteriorates as their ‘fixes’ become harder to satisfy and control. It can eventually lead to loss of livelihoods and alcohol and drug dependency as a self help coping mechanism.

This has not been easy to write. Emotions are still raw. Addicts drag their ‘loved’ ones with them as they sink lower and lower, causing untold suffering and despair. I simply cannot understand how they fail to see the effect their addiction is having on those around them!

I’m not a specialist in the field of mental health so am not qualified to pass judgment! In this instance, however, include a hefty dose of narcissism and a mental health qualification and staying objective and impartial is impossible! Supporting the victim and seeing first hand the serious damage inflicted, is heartbreaking. There are so many question I want to ask. I’m carrying a huge burden of anger and revulsion! Could I have done more? Should I have been more alert and asked questions earlier? This was difficult because I didn’t want to interfere yet I feel as if I have failed in my duty of care!

Unfortunately I’ll never get all the answers. Suicide is often the outcome for this and other addictions especially if help is never sought. What has absolutely infuriated me is the treatment of the partner left behind! The true victim of the abuse becomes the perpetrator! Their character is scrutinised and all blame laid at their door!

But there has got to come a time to leave all this misery and unhappiness behind and look to the future. It’s happened and going back to revisit the sordid details over and over again will serve no useful purpose. I can see fun and laughter returning! I’m taking huge pleasure in rebuilding a precious relationship! There is definitely a ray of hope at the end of the tunnel.

My roses are blooming. Their sweet smell fills the air and their beauty brings my garden to life. They herald the start of summer and a new and exciting chapter for us all! 👠

I’m sitting in the gazebo at the bottom of our garden. I have a glass of cold wine to hand and am feeling calm and relaxed. We’ve had warm, sunny weather over the last couple of days and my mood has lifted significantly. I’ve also had a few good night sleeps! I feel as if I’ve been on holiday!

So how can I replicate this every day? A while ago I saw a ‘happiness’ formula created by scientists. Not being in the least ‘scientific’ it meant nothing to me. Translated into laymen’s terms apparently the key to happiness is being an optimist and not raising your expectations too high! Well, my expectations have been set extremely low and have been for a number of years! And I know my limitations! But my glass, alas, is always half empty!

Being such a pessimist or, as I would prefer, a realistic, maybe it’s time to step out of my carefully constructed box. It has been perfected over many years and become an integral part of who I am. Perhaps I need to give this theory a fair crack of the whip. If I can change my way of thinking to be more positive and still limit my expectations, perhaps this would help? Maybe the secret to happiness is as the scientists have described and their formula correct?

Surely no one can stay happy all the time? I often quote my mother’s mantra ‘nothing lasts forever, not the good or the bad’! She used to often add, ‘so enjoy those good times because they won’t last’! My mother was the eternal optimist so I’m not going to read any negatives into her statement! If life was throwing up curve balls she would say that even the hard times will pass so covered all options!

I need to go inside and start the evening meal. I’ll finish my wine, enjoying the last few mouthfuls, look out across the garden and revel in the beauty of nature at its best! I’ll hold this thought! Unfortunately tomorrow low pressure is back in charge and so is the rain! To optimistically set my expectations I’ll have to think of something else to give me a happy buzz!

Well, for once that is easy! I’m seeing my daughter this weekend! Her partner is bringing his lovely daughter! The weather forecast is good! I’ll have company in the gazebo. There is going to be lots of laughter and much frivolity. Everyone will get on really well and the weather will remain good. I’m not sure how to lower my expectations but remain optimistic! They seem to be interlinked. Perhaps that’s the challenge! But, if your expectations are lower it is easier to be optimistic! I’ll minimise the laughter and just remain hopeful that the weather will hold! I’ll give it a try! I have nothing to lose! 👠

When we post anything on line it should be with great caution and a lot of thought about the consequences! Have we checked the source and and can we verify and confirm the content? It is so easy to forward posts without paying too much attention to their authenticity. This was brought home to me last week and has made me realise how quickly fake news can go viral!

I belong to a WhatsApp group of school friends in South Africa. We should have had a big reunion last year if COVID hadn’t reared its ugly head! It has been good to catch up on their news, some remaining in South Africa and others, like me, dotted around the world. In the main we have all grown into responsible, caring adults. However, there is one member who is a rabid anti-vaxxer! This became apparent last year when the Astra Zeneca vaccine was heralded as one of the forerunners in the fight against COVID!.

An audio recording was posted by this person, a seemingly sensible and intelligent woman! No warning came attached so I opened the file. I was shocked when I listened to the content. Scientists were going to implant foreign DNA into our arms together with magnetic chips to control our every move! We were going to become robots! There were a lot more ludicrous conspiracy theories focused on causing the greatest amount of fear and distrust in the Oxford team of scientists!

It was so far-fletched that I thought it was a joke. I posted a reply to that effect. I was horrified when I received her response! She was adamant that it was true and insisted that no one was ever going to inject anything into her or one of her family member’s arms! Ever! They would all run the risk of contracting Covid and take their chances! I was stunned but moved on, hoping that the post had not inflicted any long term damage and that it would be treated with the contempt it deserved.

Months passed and my husband, daughter and most of our friends all received the Astra Zeneca jab. We were relieved and very grateful! We were doing our bit to protect others and ourselves against what had become a global pandemic of epic proportions! Our scientists were to be applauded, as were all those around the world working day and night waging war on a virus devastating countries and claiming millions of lives!

Last week another video appeared on our WhatsApp group. It began with an American woman claiming that MRNA vaccines were going to kill at least 50 million Americans within the next three years! All those under 30 were going to take a bit longer to die, maybe up to five years! It went on to show interviews of people suffering from Bell’s palsy, neurological diseases, spasms, convulsions, tremors and other horrific skin complaints and disfigurements. These were all as a direct result of receiving a COVID vaccination! Thousands had already perished and the majority of those needing oxygen in India had all recently been vaccinated!

‘Doctors’ from all parts of the globe warned people that they would get awful, debilitating side effects starting immediately or within a few months after receiving their second injection. They would be in excruciating pain and prefer death to their current situation! This was a video posted on line by a women with absolutely no medical or scientific background! The majority of those in our group hadn’t yet received any vaccinations! I was furious! My response was not guarded or carefully worded to avoid causing the least offence! In no uncertain terms I voiced my extreme concern! She was being irresponsible and could cause significant loss of life if this video was believed by vulnerable, gullible people! There are a lot of them and the internet has made easy access to this type of scaremongering and blatant disinformation!

A few agreed with me and thankfully many others said that they had either had their first jab or were waiting for their call ups. Not everyone replied but I am hopeful that common sense will prevail! This same woman is emigrating to the United Kingdom next month. She will be offered a vaccination and it will probably be Astra Zeneca. I’m sure she will decline. She will find that so much free movement and travel will depend on her being fully vaccinated! I also fervently hope that she doesn’t continue trying to influence those frail, aged and suffering co-morbidities from making rational decisions that are right for them. It’s not a legal requirement but one of selflessness, to protect yourself, your family and friends and for the greater good of mankind.

Everyone is allowed an opinion. The United Kingdom holds great store by the importance of freedom of speech. However, where it affects the lives and livelihoods of others and their health and well-being, unsubstantiated, unscientific and unconfirmed opinions must not be bandied around as facts! This is totally irresponsible and unforgivable! It is also scandalous and selfish!

I rest my case! 👠

My husband and I were playing scrabble the other day. It is the only game I play competitively because it’s the only game I stand any chance of winning. I mentioned this as I took the lead and noticed my husband’s demeanour begin to change.

‘I can never understand why you are such a bad loser’ I gloated. It’s only a game’! I added, patronisingly. I waited for his usual muttered response but on this occasion was taken aback by his sudden volatile outburst! He is competitive in every game he plays, whether it’s badminton, football or just a ‘harmless’ game of scrabble.

‘Every game you play you need to try and win or else what’s the point in taking part?’

‘I know my limitations!’ I nonchalantly replied. ‘I enjoy playing scrabble and it’s a rare treat when I beat you! It’s not something I lose any sleep over and certainly don’t get bitter and twisted if I don’t! I’m magnanimous in defeat!’

I was soon to discover that this was not an enviable trait but one to be actively discouraged! Knowing my limitations came with a huge caveat! Did I push myself enough or was I just being apathetic? Did I give up too soon and not make any effort when the going got tough? Didn’t I like to feel a sense of achievement when the battle had paid off? Why did I bother playing games if I had such a defeatist attitude? I am being governed by my limitations and constraining myself within these self inflicted boundaries! Wow! I certainly hadn’t expected that!

So, this is the effect lockdown has had on a couple who have been happily married for thirty five years! We have never quarrelled over occasional games of scrabble. But fourteen long tedious months of lockdown and many wet, miserable days cooped up inside had brought about this altercation and some apparent ‘home truths’!

My response was ‘Everyone is different and it’s not a bad thing!’ I am not a sportsman and have never fared very well in any games, even something as innocuous as ten pin bowling! If I played a good round I got excited, but the killer instinct just isn’t there. I did, however, come first in a bun eating race when I was about six, much to the embarrassment of my parents! Obviously not the race I should have won!

But there is another side to this ‘knowing your limitations’ debate! Whereas I don’t dwell over losing, my husband has been known to beat himself up trying to find reasons why he had lost! It’s often not put to bed until every aspect of every move had been examined! In scrabble, his restrictive hands (too many vowels or not enough) are added to the equation.

I’m of the opinion that setting too high standards can be as debilitating as setting little or none at all! Continually pushing yourself and not quite achieving can have a detrimental effect on your self esteem and confidence. My husband did not agree, so we have agreed to differ! He is adamant that everyone should go that extra mile to try and win! You could always do better and the sense of achievement is worth all the pain! Mediocrity, he insisted, should never be accepted or encouraged!

Luckily this was just a civilised debate and didn’t escalate into a full blown row! We are and have always been two very different people! This has never been an issue! We’re also far too old to change! Our spots are indelible and won’t be going anywhere soon!👠

I finished my zoom yoga class and rushed upstairs to get changed. My husband and I had half an hour to find the COVID vaccination centre about fifteen miles away. It had moved from a large gazebo in a supermarket car park to a pharmacy building.

Luckily half an hour later two young lads welcomed us at the door. They asked the basic COVID questions, checked our masks and told us to sanitise our hands before going to the desk for registration. Within fifteen minutes we’d had our second jabs and were on our way home. Three weeks later we’ll be fully protected, or as best as possible! Just in time for the next lifting of some restrictions.

But restrictions haven’t been lifted yet! I decided to treat my daughter to an early birthday present. We went to a local boutique last week. Non essential shops are now open so we donned our masks and sanitised our hands before climbing the stairs into the shop. It’s small with not much circulating air so I felt a bit uncomfortable. That was before I saw the owner and a friend, maskless and drinking tea!

We were met with a warm welcome and a suggestion that we remove our masks and join them in a cup! This resulted in an immediate shocked response from both of us as we hastily declined both offers! I wanted to turn around and leave! However, we didn’t stay long but left with an armful of clothing to try on at home. Over the last few years I have been a regular and good customer so could be trusted!

A fashion show followed later as my daughter modelled the dresses and tops. Oh to be young and suit any style! She decided she’d only take one blouse so the rest would have to go back. But we’d had fun and have a good idea of this summer’s fashions and colours.

I headed back to the boutique silently hoping that only the owner would be there. I was going to mention our discomfort of the previous day. Unfortunately not! She had a customer and both weren’t wearing masks. And they certainly weren’t social distancing as they wandered around the racks of clothes, chatting and laughing. Don’t they know that we are struggling through a pandemic?

I couldn’t contain myself. I told them that I felt very uncomfortable as masks were mandatory in all enclosed areas. The customer spun around, eyes blazing! ‘I’ve had my mask on for the last couple of hours! It made me so hot and my hair curl!’ She glared at me in self righteous indignation! ‘And I’ve had my second jab!’

I was furious! How selfish! The boutique has lost a valued customer because I am not going back there anytime soon! I’m sure that I am not alone in expecting people to abide by the law and cover their mouths and noses even if they have been vaccinated! It doesn’t stop them from being carriers and passing on the virus!

There is a new Indian variant circulating around the country. We have been warned that further lifting of restrictions could be jeopardised. People do need to take responsibility and abide by the law otherwise I could be writing about lockdown the same time next year! They also need to get vaccinated. Not only one dose! They need two! This is to protect others and not just to look after themselves! Like wearing a mask! Sanitising their hands! Keeping two metres apart! No man is an island! 👠

The beginning of an exciting week! Monday couldn’t have come any sooner! The starting blocks back to normality have been laid. After months trying to maintain my short, broken finger nails and avoiding looking down at my feet, I am the proud owner of a neat and tidy bright orange set! All thanks to a young lady who is an excellent listener and takes great pride in her work. One step closer to facing the outside world!

The pedicure was by far the best experience. I leaned back and closed my eyes. The weather had begun to improve. It’s spring so to be expected but, this is England and our weather has a mind of its own! Just seeing blue skies and shedding a layer of clothing was enough to trigger a more positive response. An hour and a half later I left the salon considerably more relaxed and glamorous than when I had arrived! And the sun was still shining!

A few days later it was my hair’s turn! Out with the unsightly ‘salt and pepper highlights’ on with the golden tint! My tresses soon looked uniform and presentable! Another therapy session and another step closer to normality! Two visits down but one still to go!

I had Botox. After a few years seeing a GP at a private clinic, she had decided to continue working for the NHS. I had to do research and find someone else! A daunting prospect! My new clinician is also a GP and closer to home. A bonus! The only bonus! I felt every prick of the needle as it punctured my skin! And there were a lot of punctures! My previous GP had been more gentle and I had hardly felt a thing! Oh well, beauty comes at a premium, especially at my age!

So I’ve got decent nails, my hair looks okay and my forehead is relatively wrinkle free. I was going to meet my chic friend and her husband at a pub for a meal so I could hold my own! We had a wonderful evening sitting beneath a heater in a gazebo and plenty of fresh air. I felt like Monsieur Bibendum with all my layers but I was warm and so enjoying finally being able to see our special friends again.

I’m a lot more positive about the future. Slopping around the house in my ‘glad rags’ over the last year has taken its toll. I began to feel as unkempt as I looked and was finding it harder to shake off feelings of despondency.

My second vaccine is due this week! I’ll have turned the corner and I can’t wait to invite family and friends over for meals inside the house! It still gets very cold in the evenings! I am also relishing the idea of booking weekends away. Britain is a beautiful country and I am more than happy to spend time exploring it! Travel abroad still has to wait! One step at a time! 👠

Sitting in my favourite chair in the conservatory looking out at a grey, lifeless sky, nothing is moving. I feel as if I could be the lone survivor of an apocalypse! A bit dramatic but that’s the effect months of lockdown has had on me! Not even a bird is at the recently filled feeder. No breeze ruffles the rose bushes new leaves. The strains of Dvorak’s Serenade for Strings is having a soothing effect and is the only sound I can hear!

It’s begun to rain, but more a wet snow or sleet than the fine spring drizzle which had been forecast. This time last year we were basking in sunshine with the promise of more to come. Strange thing this weather, one year it’s glorious in April, the next its leaving a lot to be desired!

I arrived in England from a boiling hot South African summer on the 1st January 1991. My children and I landed at Heathrow in the early hours of the morning and had to find the connecting flight to Leeds to meet my husband. The airport was bitterly cold. My two children were chatting away animatedly, excited to be in England and seemingly impervious to the weather. After waiting outside in the wrong queue for at least an hour we caught the correct bus and just made the connection in time!

When we arrived in Leeds I can honestly say that, to date, I have never felt so cold. My parents in law lived in a large Victorian stone house with limited heating. I was frozen to the bone and could hardly move. Only a hot bath and an electric blanket warming the bed brought my circulation back to some kind of normality.

Throughout all my years living in my adopted country I have become very aware of weather. In South Africa there were a large number of ‘ex pats‘. I was forever questioning their obsession with the weather! It hardly changed and yet, at the start of every conversation, they passed a comment about it! During the summer it was hot and dry. In winter it was cold at night with occasional rain but usually bright sunshine during the day. The weather seldom caused any concerns other than occasional spectacular storms, periodic droughts or floods. These were the exception rather than the rule! Weather did not dominate our lives and certainly was not worthy of animated, lengthy discussions!

But, living in England, I too have become obsessed with the weather! It affects so many aspects of my life! In a flash it can change the course of my day! I can wake up in the morning to brilliant sunshine. With a spring in my step I can plan a long walk and even, in those far off halcyon pre COVID days, a picnic with friends. By the time I had showered and dressed the clouds had bubbled up and rain set in! I sometimes bravely soldiered on and prepared the picnic because, just as the rain so swiftly appeared, so could it vanish! Weather forecasts are a waste of time. They predict retrospectively! I have three apps and they will all be different and none of them correct!

Since starting this blog the weather has come full circle. I have seen all the seasons! I sat down to spring which soon morphed back into winter. Autumn arrived some time later and now it’s a lovely summer’s day. Birds are at the feeder. A playful breeze is tickling the new leaves on the rose bushes and the sun is shining through the skylight above my chair. It’s snug and warm inside. Outside, according to two out of the three weather apps, it’s 2C.

Never a dull moment and well worth the start of every conversation! ‘Strange weather we’re having for this time of year…….. Must be global warming or climate change!’ Or maybe its just the good old British weather! Never boring! Always a challenge!👠

Trying to get through this third lockdown has been really difficult. There are some grey mornings when I lie in bed and try to motivate myself to start a new day with a positive attitude.

This sounds churlish and ungrateful but it’s where I have sometimes found myself over the last few weeks. January and February are my least favourite months. Historically I’ve booked a holiday somewhere sunny and warm. Something to look forward to! On the 23rd March 2020 the country went into its first lockdown. We have been living under restrictions ever since! No foreign holidays abroad and probably not for many more months! For over a year our lives have been very different and very isolated!

But, if all goes well and most of the adults are vaccinated, life should return to some kind of normality. I can finally meet family and friends and visit pubs and restaurants again! Such a common occurrence and so taken for granted! I’m not even going to imagine boarding a plane and visiting my son and his family in the States! That’s a pipe dream and won’t become a reality any time soon!

I must think of positive ways to keep motivated ! I have to start appreciating the beauty around me and banish this despondency that keeps rearing it’s ugly head! I must count my blessings and be grateful! I am not alone in longing for the freedom of a past almost forgotten era!

When outside I must become more aware of my surroundings! Daffodils are bobbing gently in the breeze. Delicate white blackthorn flowers have already started to bring colour to brown, lifeless hedgerows. Primroses and cowslips are shooting up in gardens and along roadsides. I am lucky to live in a beautiful part of the country. Snowdrops will soon make way for glorious carpets of vibrant bluebells. The dawn chorus is getting louder and more melodic! Winter is definitely making way for warmer, sunnier weather. The grey shroud that blanketed the country for so many months has begun to dissipate.

We’ve had a warm spell which has been wonderful! Spring has finally arrived and there is no excuse to wallow in the self pity of a locked down winter! I have had two dance classes outside in the sunshine and been able to legally spend time with neighbours again! Last night we sat outside with friends and had a drink and a good laugh.

There is no longer any justification for feeling melancholic! Britain is in a unique position. More than half of all adults have already had their first COVID vaccination. Freedom will return! I just need a bit more patience and a positive attitude, neither of which are my strongest attributes! I do feel that the country has turned a corner! I am sure that the future will be bright and filled with the joy of families and friends reunions! I am going to hold that thought!

Today has been good! Tomorrow will be better …….. 👠

My husband needed to renew his mobile phone contract. He decided that he’d just get a new SIM card. He went to the local store only to discover that it was closed so had to purchase one on line.

Ideally he would speak to a human being and discuss options. He spent a couple of days trawling the internet and finally decided on a ‘really good deal’. He painstakingly completed the online form and entered his bank account details. He received a message telling him that the account name didn’t agree with the address.

After trying again he clicked onto their help desk icon. Someone with a local accent answered his call. The relief was noticeable! He explained the problem and was asked to re-input his bank account details. He received the same error message and advised to contact his bank. My husband was beginning to get agitated.

After insisting that there was nothing wrong with his bank account, the very apologetic voice at the end of the phone suggested he try another account. Perhaps his credit card would be a better option? He produced his card and updated the online document. The same error message rejected his card.

It was at this point that I saw an email arrive from the company welcoming him and offering further special offers. I felt some relief as I was beginning to feel uncomfortable. I looked up at my husband’s thunderous face as he replied to the suggestion to contact his credit card company as well! I glanced down at my screen and the email had vanished! I definitely hadn’t imagined seeing it arrive!

I found it in the recycle bin, marvelling as to how it could possibly have got there! I checked the helpline number on the screen. By this time my husband had hung up. The two numbers were different. That’s when the alarm bells began to ring. He checked his bank account and three £1 debits had appeared. Each time he had entered his account details. How could the helpline numbers have changed? Or maybe the number got diverted? Is this a scam linked to the bank account details? We’d probably never know!

£1 had debited his credit card as well. This is what scammers do to check the validity of accounts! My husband rang the number on the email. The number was not recognised. Looking visibly distressed he went into his office to contact his bank and credit card providers. Another challenge awaited him! Call centres are rarely a pleasant experience!

I started preparing the evening meal. I was furious! My husband is not gullible and yet he had been conned into giving both his bank account and credit card details! The website had looked authentic. There was nothing to suggest that there was a problem! If he hadn’t tried his credit card we would not have given it a second thought! My husband’s bank account would have been been emptied! He doesn’t check it every day!

I can now understand how so many people get hoodwinked into handing over vast amounts of money. These fraudsters are very plausible. Stores aren’t open to get personal assistance. It is the perfect environment for scammers to con frustrated, lockdown exhausted people just trying to get on with their daily lives! Truly despicable!

We were lucky. So many aren’t! Let’s hope that the adage ‘as ye sew so shall ye reap’ will come back to haunt each and every one of them! Ideally they get scammed themselves! Sweet justice! Probably naive of me because the devil looks after his own! 👠