EARLY in 2020 I teamed up with football pals for a charity night in aid of the 'This is Luke' rehabilitation fund.

Amongst my own sporting memorabilia up for auction, was an autographed picture of the flat race jockey star Frankie Dettori in familiar triumphant dismount mode.

This, the seemingly ever jovial, ever bubbly ever colourful Frankie, whom I had met only a few months previous.

However, shortly after our charity night came the coronavirus lockdown. And, as there was no sport one Saturday afternoon, I listened to an interview piece with Frankie on the radio.

Sadly though it was a different Frankie altogether, as he lamented about the field near his home in Italy where they had played football as kids, that field having now suddenly been commissioned by the authorities in order to lay more than a hundred coffins. The stark grim reality of Covid coming right to the very front door.

Thankfully, we have not quite arrived at that regrettable stage, so Aireville Park might hopefully remain as a field of recreation. However, regarding the selfish, thoughtless, heartless attitudes of many people, it has not been for the want of trying.

I refer - as per previously - with the human baggage brigade.

Most of my shopping is at either Marks and Spencer or Morrisons. And, never once since my last letter on this subject last April have I ever been in either premises to see all the basket holders or trolley pushers singular.

It seems that most people have to turn up in twos and threes for just one shop.

Indeed, last Saturday in Morrisons I felt like an endangered species for I appeared to be just about the only person on site who could shop on my own. And, squashing through some of the family jollifications in some of the aisles resembled a football match crowd.

Thankfully though on the way out I did meet a pal who was managing to shop for his family of four, all by himself, and - with him- it had been ever thus all year.

I used to train his wife for athletics in her school days. And, blood and guts personified, those fighting qualities contributed immensely towards her winning a place, and giving her all for England. However, now working on the wards at a Lancashire infirmary, I would learn that herself and colleagues are presently working themselves to sheer exhaustion.

And, recalling the exhaustive levels to which my hitherto trainee pushed herself midst her athletics days, then it truly must be sheer exhaustion in many hospitals.

Those mightily tough challenges at the hospitals will not matter a jot to the baggage brigade. But , if- for what ever reason - there might be any shortages in the vaccination supplies, it would probably be a racing certainty regarding who will be trying to get to the front of the queue.

Roger Ingham

Skipton