The Rule of Six

It’s September 14th, the day the ‘Rule of Six’ comes out to play in England. Only six people can meet in an indoor or outdoor setting from today, the very day that we’d planned the first face-to-face get-together of the Shed Writers Group in six months. (We have worked on-line since March). This educational meeting was to take place in my garden and there are seven of us. Social distancing and Covid security was to be strict but even so, what to do? What is right? What is safe?

Happily, or perhaps unhappily, one of our members was self-quarantining having recently travelled home from a family visit to country deemed of higher risk, so we chose to carry on. We missed her but had a great session which she will catch up with virtually.

The rule of six seems somewhat random but I’m not planning to go political or medical or analytical about it. Instead I’m going to play a game or two, prompted by various twitter feeds that are around at the moment.

Choose six calling names you have been given in your life:-

Philippa – technically my second Christian name but used by everyone

Pippa – only used by people who are trying to be friendly but don’t really know me

Phiff – only used by my husband ( heaven knows where that came from)

Philly – used by my dear late father

Pippin – used by my first serious boyfriend when I was 16 ( he loved Lord of the Rings)

Pip – used by no-one (thank goodness)

Next game, name six people, dead or alive, you would like to come for a picnic in the garden:-

James Taylor – love his words and his voice

Michelle Obama – to widen my outlook

Darcy Bussell – just because

Roger Federer – to talk tennis

Stephen King – to exude writing brilliance

Beth Chatto – I’ll need some gardening advise.

Now that was a good way to spend a potentially awkward Monday. Feel free to send me your lists.