Vaccination Day Adventure

Vaccination day adventure

Today has been little short of unpleasant weather wise. Wet and windy and a damp chill with uniform dirty grey skies sapping the colour from everything and lying like a soggy blanket clinging to the earth. Last night, as on the previous night, I went to sleep to the sound of the wind rampaging around the house, beating a tattoo on the windows, and rattling the bare tree branches. 

This morning, however, was greeted with a certain expectation, for today was ‘vaccination’ day for Himself. Up with the lark, well not exactly the lark but rather earlier than usual, rather like a child that is slightly over excited. Dressed in a short sleeve shirt so that it will be easier for the vaccinators and me equipped with a couple of two finger Kit Kats in case I was sitting in the car for some while. Of we set, far too early, but rather too early than too late. As predicted we reached the Airport car park with plenty of time to spare – actually about 30 minutes to spare! As I had driven along the Romney Road towards Lydd I had been followed by a stream of cars and fondly thought they were all occupied by the over 80s all heading for vaccination. When I turned off onto the Airport road this proved to be entirely wrong – only one of the seven or eight cars followed me.  Those who said the Airport road was long were not wrong. Twisting and turning, past a rather tumble down farm yard, across a bridge over a ditch full of murky water and still wending our way across the fields into the the great ‘beyond’ or the middle of nowhere as some might think of it. Past a hanger and a high chain link fence that displayed a sign announcing that this was the home of the Search and Rescue Helicopter, then past a covey of light aircraft all lined up neatly on the tarmac. Spread in front of me an expanse of Tarmac that was clearly the car park and at the far side of it a longish, low, white, flat roof building probably put up in the 1950s. Like some private air field as seen in a second rate espionage movie the Departures sat squat and scruffy looking facing the elements of wind and driving rain that roared across the wide open space from the sea shore across the fields. God forsaken, exposed, uninviting and bleak were all descriptions that came to mind. A lone man walked his dog across the ragged grass. At first glance the car park appeared to be fairly full and if that was an indication of how many people were in the building for the vaccination it struck me that we might be waiting some long time. Because of the inclement weather I was determined to park as close to the building as I could. Ignoring many spaces I drove to the very front of the building and there found several parking bays. Into one right opposite the doors and then to sit for a fair while before Himself walked the short distance to the entrance. Elderly people came and went and about ten minutes before his appointed time Himself set forth to his latest ‘adventure’. Sometimes he takes a stick with him but today that had been rejected out of hand and with firm stride he strode in through the double doors. I sat waiting, irritated with myself because I hadn’t brought a book to read and resigned to a long wait with only people watching to occupy my time as I waited. Every now and then a person that I surmised might be a volunteer or a member of the work force came out of the doors and stood in the lea of the building to smoke or wandered to the parked cars and disappeared. A steady flow of those who had been vaccinated wandered, staggered, shuffled or were pushed in wheel chairs back to waiting cars. Rather unexpectedly and rather suddenly a 4×4 police vehicle swept across the car park, drove through the ‘drop off’ area directly in front of the Departures doors, hesitated for a moment and then continued to the front edge of the car park and parked up. Had they arrived in the expectation of being needed to break up a pensioner riot, brawl or rave? Did they think it all might turn nasty and that wheel chairs, walking frames and sticks might be used as weapons to access the front of the queue? That elderly ladies, who had shuffled slowly into the building would reveal themselves to be as agile as a teenager and attack others with knitting needles secreted in their capacious bags? Bored with waiting and having nothing to do all of these scenarios fleetingly crossed my mind. Apparently none of these possibilities had brought them to the Airport because they never got out of the nice warm car and after a while silently disappeared.

After about fifteen minutes Himself re emerged. He had nothing but praise for the whole process and the army of volunteers who were considerate, kindly and unfailingly courteous in their solicitous help and reassurance. So quick and easy was the actual vaccination that he hadn’t realised it had been administered until he was told to put his jacket back on. As a “treat” we came back home the ‘long’ way round. Feeling slightly naughty because we were legitimately out but perhaps in the spirit of lockdown we should take the short way home we still kicked over the traces and went to Lydd and Dungeness. Down the long road to the Ness, driving between the gravel pits full of water rippling with never ending waves, eventually out on to the coast road. Today it was bleak and wind swept but nevertheless the land and seascape had a unique and special atmosphere that draws one in. As we drove we discussed the merits of living so close to the beach and the sea. I felt that on a stormy winter night I might find it somewhat threatening but could certainly see the attraction of this wide open space. A lone boat was drawn up on the beach and I couldn’t resist the chance to take a quick picture. I remembered that many years ago when I had come along this road – it was much less built up then in the 1960s or 70s – there had been one particular house that I had always really liked and admired. Unlike all the others it was brick built, tall and very traditional with an old fashioned air. Then there it was. Still as handsome as ever, but rather out of place in some ways among the bungalows and modern houses. Like a grand vestige of a bygone age. It probably isn’t as I envisage it inside and maybe it is better to live with the fantasy than know the reality, who knows? Then on home to a cup of frothy coffee and the question of what to have for lunch. The adventure was over! I was left with the, perhaps, foolish dream of what it would be like if I could afford to buy a small house right by the shore.