Coronavirus diary, Tuesday 25 August

You are never too old to learn, they say, and for me Sunrise is the proof.

I have new interests and am learning new skills, making life in lockdown entertaining and enjoyable. 

Learning is easy when we are young, inquisitive about life, but as we get older that enthusiasm is often lost.

My excuse, lack of time through work and family responsibilities - in my case, unfortunately, concentration on my long, interesting career.

When I started as a 16 year old reporter I mastered Pitmans shorthand in a few weeks, thanks to home tuition by my sister's friend, a college teacher. 

I was not interested enough to learn how to type and have since turned out millions of words with two fingers. 

My language skills are equally poor, almost non existent.

Despite having friends in Germany for over 60 years and spending so much time there I can hardly muster one sentence.

My excuse; Ursula and Dieter, Werner and Sabine, have perfect English.

We met Werner, now retired after a distinguished career in Germany as a professor of English, when he was temporary teacher at Lewis School, Pengam, South Wales in the late 1950s.

Ursula, formerly an au pair in Newcastle, was interpreter for the Ludwigsburg choir on their first visit to Caerphilly, their twin town.

Much of my learning through work has proved useless. 

The Home Office seminar in Yorkshire, for example, on responding to a nuclear attack and the even more bizarre weekends in a secret underground bunker in Cardiff writing press releases to be broadcast from a van in a devastated Cardiff.

Now, in Sunrise, I have new interests and am finding latent talent. 

Bingo, for example. Not very demanding or skilful but I have an impressive record of 14 wins in a few months.

Much more encouraging is my first experience in art. 

I have always despaired of my lack of ability to draw or paint. My efforts to draw even simple things like a car or bus. My great-granddaughters Rosa and Claudia do better.

So I was surprised, after my first lesson in carer Nadia's class, to produce a colour crayon picture of mountains, lake and trees.

I am so pleased with it that I am giving it to Rosa and Claudia.

They might even be proud of me.

My new interest has prompted me to look at other subjects that Sunrise offers now that I have the time and inclination.

I don't think I will try flower arranging, though!