Time Changes

Lots of people are struggling to find time to work from home, keep children amused and educated and care for elderly relatives at a distance. I’m in my mid-sixties and no longer have a job, children at home or elderly relatives. My time is usually dominated by looking after grandchildren and various local activities. None of that is now happening. Which leaves me with perhaps too much time to think!

I'm currently sat at home, about to enter into week 3 of lockdown. I'm in my 40's (which is not middle-aged for those who think it is). I'm in the "vulnerable" category due to my chronic asthma, which means I have not left the house properly since shortly before lockdown. I am an eternal singleton (not through lack of trying but Mr Darcy just hasn't knocked on my door yet) and am locked up on my own.

I'm the primary, family, carer for my mother. She's 91 with COPD and mild dementia but still manages to live independently about 20 miles away in Farnborough. This is only possible with the excellent support we get from Hampshire Social Services ( both direct and indirectly via third-party providers) and a heap of technology including 2 voice assistants (Echo), 1 video assistant (Echo Show), multiple cameras (Blink), heating control, entry system, automatic drug dispenser and a 24-hour emergency call service (Argento).

Having more time to think about things has some interesting results. On Friday 3rd April someone started a thread on the MVP Facebook page with

What are your most significant childhood memories of Mortimer?
For me they were:

Local resident Lucy Jones has been baking cakes and delivering them to those in isolation to help cheer them up and give them that lift that only a lemon drizzle or chocolate brownie can give!

Chosen by committee (or desperation?) to begin logging the daily goings on of regular Mortonians during global death pandemic, the regular people decided not to do it so I was asked instead.

I’m a new recipient of a transplanted organ, I’m immunosuppressed and I’m in my early 40s. Female. Black or blonde hair, depending on how long I’m going to be incarcerated. Full time employed, working from home easily, by the power of the electric interweb, living with my (first) husband and my pussy cats. No kids, never liked them.

There are many ways to meet people in a village. Owning a dog and taking it for local walks is one of the oldest and best. We are lucky in Mortimer to have so many woodland and open areas that we can take a dog for a long walk. Since the lock-down, however, there has been a distinct change to the way dog walkers behave whilst out with their dogs.

Just before all of this kicked off, Lynn and I started a Wednesday evening Yoga class at St. John's School.

Like so many local stores and services the Loon Tin has had to shut due to the coronavirus restrictions. But not before giving free of charge 31 portions of fish & chip to members of MVP Lunch Club and other vulnerable people in Mortimer.

The members of Mortimer Local History Group are keeping diaries during this unusual time so as to capture the reality of what is happening for future social history research.