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Liz has posted 67 annotations/comments since 19 February 2020.

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Second Reading

About Tuesday 1 January 1666/67

Liz  •  Link

“Finisterre is dead. Long live Fitzroy. Read our guide to the best websites on the shipping forecast and the legacy of Admiral Fitzroy
Simon Jeffery
Mon 4 Feb 2002 16.50 GMT
1. Gibraltar beware. After negotiations with the Spanish, the met office has surrendered Finisterre from its BBC radio shipping forecast.

2. The area it once described, a zone in the Atlantic, off the coasts of north-west Spain and northern Portugal, was judged to be too easily confused with another part of the ocean the Spanish also called Finisterre.

3. In the interests of international coordination it will now be called Fitzroy after the met office's founder, Admiral Robert Fitzroy, and the Spanish will keep their Finisterre (which goes slightly further down the Portuguese coast) as it is.” https://www.theguardian.com/news/…

About Sunday 2 December 1666

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Interesting that godmothers are called gossips. “Old English godsibb godparent, from god + sib; the term came to be applied to familiar friends, esp a woman's female friends at the birth of a child, hence a person, esp a woman, fond of light talk” Collinsdictionary.com

About Wednesday 24 October 1666

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This puts me in mind of what is happening today. We, in the UK, are slowly coming out of another lockdown due to COVID-19. Trying to get hold of workmen is difficult as they are all so busy now. Those that will give you a quote have upped their prices. At least our local decorating store is getting restocked gradually. An assistant said today that deliveries are coming through now. Not the same as a devastating fire but the economy has suffered similarly.

About Wednesday 7 February 1665/66

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Lee Proud: We have no idea what they went through and can only have an inkling of what it was like. Sadly, we do now.

About Monday 28 August 1665

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“Up, and being ready I out to Mr. Colvill, the goldsmith’s, having not for some days been in the streets;” I know how Sam feels. Lockdown no.3. One hour local-only exercise outside, any shopping is delivered. Has been one year since I went shopping to our neighbouring town (we used to go every month). At least we can stay in our own house. Sam &co have/is moved/moving out.

About Friday 19 May 1665

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Tally sticks. ‘ In 1834, the Exchequer was faced with the problem of disposing two cart-loads of wooden tally sticks. These were remnants of an obsolete accounting system that had not been used since 1826.’ https://www.parliament.uk/about/l…
This interesting short article shows the disposal caused the Great Fire of 1834.

About Sunday 11 June 1665

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Still living with our own plague: COVID-19. Unlike in SP’s time, we now have vaccines. The older population and front line health/care staff are being inoculated first. Interesting to see self-isolation taking place in SP’s time. De Foe says it was imposed - as we are currently.

About Friday 21 April 1665

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“chicken just pulled apart” is a thing nowadays! On the subject of interest, at the moment you are very lucky to get 0.1 % on any savings.

About Monday 14 November 1664

Liz  •  Link

I continue to be amazed that people just turn up for dinner. I’d be in a right tizz if this happened to me. Also, I love the fact that BBC links are still live when so many elicit the dreaded 404 message!

About Sunday 13 November 1664

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“Without book”. I believe it is “off book” nowadays - when actors have learnt their lines.

About Monday 22 August 1664

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“Up and abroad, doing very many errands to my great content which lay as burdens upon my mind and memory”. So it is today - you feel so much better when onerous tasks are completed.

About Thursday 7 July 1664

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Clothing: thank goodness we can add/subtract layers at will. Many a time I’ve needed a light jacket in the morning which was discarded by lunchtime. SP et al seem to stay in whatever went on first thing. Afterthought: lack of zips and Velcro means help needed to dress/undress.

About Sunday 3 July 1664

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31st July 2020 temperature at Heathrow: 37.8 c. The third hottest day on record.

About Saturday 6 February 1663/64

Liz  •  Link

Currently another plague is happening worldwide: over 36 million cases and over 1 million deaths due to COVID-19.