Lockdown 2020 – Part Deux
I think I speak for us all when I say that we are heartily sick of the Covid pandemic and the restrictions it has placed upon our lives. Of course, for those of us who have lost loved ones or suffered this debilitating illness, it has been life-changing and traumatising. But has anything positive come out of this ‘bolt from the blue’? I suppose most of us would hope that we sustain the small improvements to our environment – increased birdsong, less aircraft noise, clearer skies. But perhaps one of the most uplifting results of it all is the way in which our community in Knutsford has risen to the challenge.
As one of the so-called ‘vulnerable’ groups – how did that happen! –my husband and I wondered how we were going to get our shopping and prescriptions at the beginning of the first lockdown. We couldn’t get a supermarket delivery slot and at that early stage were concerned about going out shopping. Our fears were overcome when a flyer entitled We Are Knutsford, with a telephone number, dropped onto our doormat. Through this scheme, a wonderful neighbour, herself a hard-working NHS nurse, offered to get shopping for us and so with additional help from family, we were at least for the time being, taken care of. Additionally, our local pharmacy delivered our prescriptions with smiles and cheery hellos through our window.
Knutsford’s businesses have made life so much easier for us by their Herculean efforts in delivering milk, bread, vegetables, wine and even, bedding plants.
Our church, St Cross, has been truly amazing through the two lockdowns with two, sometimes more, audio and visual services weekly which has been so good for its congregation especially older people. Paul and his ministry team have developed a network of Zoom coffee mornings and telephone calls to those isolated and at home. I am sure that other Knutsford churches have done the same,
As time passed and lockdown eased during the summer, we became more confident about new ways of doing things and had grown used to wearing masks, sanitising our hands and social distancing. This really continued into the second lockdown when the very obvious efforts local shops had made to make visits safe enabled us at last, to choose our own food! What a delight it was to revisit Booths, Waitrose and the Co-op. Knutsford Market Hall is a treasury with home delivery available.
We decided in view of our vulnerability not to eat out, even during the Eat Out to Help Out scheme but had several tasty takeaways from the many wonderful restaurants in Knutsford. Worth a particular mention is Pastiche who worked tirelessly to have their pre-ordered food ready upon arrival and even brought our order to the car.
With Christmas approaching, the Knutsford Voucher scheme seems a good idea and is spend-able at Pulse of Perfumery, I am glad to say, so family take note!!
