True horror of Covid-19 has now become a dreadful reality | Cheryl Gibbs

I’ve been writing this column for about 13 years and people often ask me whether I struggle to find things to write about.Surprisingly, or perhaps unsurprisingly to some of you, I don’t struggle that often.
ANOTHER LOSS: Ronald Powell with daughter Jennie and son Chris.ANOTHER LOSS: Ronald Powell with daughter Jennie and son Chris.
ANOTHER LOSS: Ronald Powell with daughter Jennie and son Chris.

Sometimes on a slow news week I have to stretch my imagination farther than usual.

But in the past year or so, since the world changed because of Covid, I sometimes wish I could write my column daily because everything changes so quickly that by the time I submit my column and it gets printed, sometimes it’s redundant already because everything’s changed again,

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Don’t worry I won’t be writing a daily column, once a week of ‘Gobby Gibbs’ is enough, I’m sure.

But the world we now live in, a coronavirus world, has changed everything hasn’t it?

If you cast your mind back to this time last year there wouldn’t be many of us who could have predicted the way in which it would go (except my dad, who warned us all that he thought this virus would spread the way it has and that we all should prepare ourselves – I will listen better next time dad, although let’s pray there isn’t a next time).

Until recently Covid has only really affected us by restricting our daily lives. But last week we had the very sad news that one of our friend’s dad had passed away from the virus.

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Ronald Powell would have been 70 on St Valentine’s Day but died on January 7 after contracting the disease on January 3.

I never had the pleasure of meeting Ronald, but my husband Matt worked with him at Thomas Sanderson blinds at Waterlooville. He said Ron was ‘one of the good ones’, a genuinely lovely family man who leaves a son, Chris, and daughter Jennie, twin granddaughters and a grandson on the way, whom he’ll never meet.

My heart goes out to his family. Seventy is no age at all and when we heard the news it really hit home. I may not have known Ron, but I know Jennie and she didn’t deserve to lose her dad so early and in this way. Covid-19 is real. Stay indoors, please.

I thought I was watching a film when rioters hit Capitol

I don’t know what to say about the situation America is in at the moment, thanks to their president, the worst in the history of the US.

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When rioters stormed Capitol Hill last week I genuinely thought I was watching a movie. I have never seen anything like it – and all spurred on by one of the most powerful men on the planet. It was terrifying.

I’m all for peaceful protest; it’s our right, and those who went to stick up for what they believed in did nothing wrong.

But those who used force, causing unspeakable damage – and deaths – should be ashamed, none more than the president. I just hope by the time you read this, he’s been stripped of his power early.

Great to see large lady on mag cover, but is she healthy?

If you’re an early riser like me (thank you Harley) you may tune in to Good Morning Britain with ‘Shouty and Pouty’ Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid.

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I think they provide a wonderful service delivering the news, calling out people and whether you like Piers or not, he knows his stuff.

But I was torn this week about whether he was right in a debate about Cosmopolitan magazine. It has put a large lady on the front of the latest issue with the headline ‘This Is Healthy’. Piers argued it clearly wasn’t as the woman in question is obviously overweight which isn’t healthy. I applaud the magazine for being body positive and encouraging women to embrace their curves, but is Piers right?

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