The overall Covid infection rate in UK was steadily increasing at the beginning of the month, although by the end of the month there were only around 450 Coronavirus patients in English hospitals.
Restrictions imposed on travelling abroad may have been a double-edged sword as, freed from previous lockdown restrictions, and desperate for a break, tourists have been flocking to the UK's beauty spots , for staycations, and the crowds in Falmouth were hard to believe after the emptiness of only a few months ago.
 |
| Falmouth centre early August (photo Greg Martin, Cornwall Live) |
 |
| A deserted town in April |
All major international conferences for this year are now either cancelled or postponed, or will be going online, including the MetSoc's Conference of Metallurgists (COM). I should have been arriving back in Falmouth from Toronto a couple of days ago, after presenting the Fathi Habashi Historical Lecture. Hopefully I will be in Halifax, Nova Scotia, next year to make the presentation at COM '21.
Jon should have been in Australia next week, representing MEI at the AusIMM's MillOps conference, now postponed until next June. And a few weeks ago the XXX IMPC in Cape Town was cancelled, the first time in the IMPC's long history that a congress has had to be cancelled.
The months are steadily ticking by and I find it hard to believe that it is 6 months now since I arrived back in Falmouth from the SME Meeting in Phoenix, with no inkling of being confined to Cornwall for possibly the rest of the year. Many thanks to all of you who have stayed in touch via email during these strange times.
.png)
.jpg)
Barry, I can understand your deeper feelings which I am sure most of us share with you; just"an unknown future in the frightening present"
ReplyDeleteTHE WAY WE ARE ALL EXPERIENCING AND FEELING SO HELPLESS; I AM SURE GOOD DAYS WILL COME AND A NEW WORLD WITH DIFFERENT VALUES WILL COME SOON.
RESPECT THE LAST MAN DOWN THE LADDER, GIVE HIM YOUR HAND TO MOVE UP AND ALSO TAKE CARE OF NATURE WITH ROBUST SYSTEMS--SO MANY WE LEARNT AND SURE TO PLAN OUR FUTURE MUCH BETTER.
WISH YOU ALL THE BEST AND BRIGHT.
Yes difficult times Barry but hopefully we look forwards to catching you both in Falmouth and also SA for next years MEI conferences
ReplyDeleteI sincerely hope so Steve. Can't wait to get back face to face meetings. Zoom meetings are a poor substitute, and as you know many ideas are sparked not only in conference sessions but over a few drinks in the pub or other social events
Delete