20 minute read
Life in Lockdown Surviving the Pandemic
Life in Lockdown by Holly Hunt
After Boris announced the lockdown, the world became a crazy, chaotic and complicated journey into the unknown. A journey in which we sold out of toilet roll. It was insane. However, after the initial excitement of schools shutting, it became clear how drastic this change would be.
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Many young people, including myself, believed that the nationwide lockdown would end up being a few months where we could work on ourselves and our education before returning back to a safe reality under the umbrella of a working vaccine. We did not expect to be kept inside for 5 months to ensure the safety of those around us, let alone be entering a second lockdown this late in the year.
Amongst all the confusion we felt, we decided to make the most of it. FaceTime and Zoom became our most used apps as we strived to keep in touch with our friends and more importantly the elder members of our family who had to shield. It was a big change which had more than a few teething problems, but it almost immediately became flawlessly integrated within our daily routines. It made everyone feel more involved in people's isolated lives - a welcome and happy distraction from the press conferences and news headlines which became increasingly more worrying every day.
This positive mindset did not last as long as I would have hoped. Sleeping, working and relaxing predominantly in my bedroom did have its negatives as well as its positives. Of course, rolling out of bed to throw on some clothes ten minutes before your first online lesson was extremely helpful, yet at the same time it became a very bad habit. Staying up late and waking up even later became a hurdle that many of the students had to tackle, but the hardest was motivating ourselves. I asked a few of my classmates general questions about their individual experiences and challenges in lockdown, and many replied saying how difficult it was to remain on track with studying and staying healthy.
In an interview with one of my classmates,
she mentioned that "without the structure of a timetabled day and being at school, it was much harder to remain focused with all the distractions in my room." This was a common feeling throughout many students, including myself. Following this answer, I asked her how she managed to keep herself motivated, if at all. She replied confidently with "I made my own timetable! I made sure I studied during the time I would have been at school and then exercised or tried something new around school hours. It worked for the most part!"
The good news is that we all managed to come out the other side of the lockdown with a smile on our faces and a headstrong determination to tackle our school and social life again. Even though school life is ten times the pressure for our A-Level year with ten times the amount of precautions to prevent the spread of this virus, we are too grateful to complain! It has come as a welcome break from partaking in online learning for five months and we could not be more relieved.
Whilst it is hard for us to see the positives of the situation as we enter another lockdown, we must look forward rather than backwards. We have so many family events to celebrate, loved ones to hug and places to visit. For many people, life has changed irrevocably and will never be the same again. Even for those of us who have been lucky enough to have not been adversely affected, the experience of lockdown is likely to be with us forever and undoubtedly colour who we are in our future lives. We must not underestimate that, whilst individually we may have gone nowhere, collectively we have travelled far.
Sandling Railway Station Heane Wood Hayne Barn Tennis Club
Willow Wood
Brockhill Country Park CAST L E R Chesterfield Wood SANDLING ROAD RECTORY LANE O AD Saltw (P GRANGE ROAD THE GREEN SALTWOOD ALDINGTON HYTHE ROAD A2 6 1 A L D I N G T O N R O A D ROAD LONDON ROAD A261 A261 S PANTON CRESENTTURNPIKE HILL OLD LONDON ROAD To M20, Junction 11 for London, Ashford, Dover, Canterbury, Lympne Castle, Port Lympne Animal Park and Folkestone Racecourse C A S T L E R O A D SCHOOL ROAD BARTHOLOMEW LANE BROCKHILL ROA D HILLCREST ROAD NORTH ROAD OAK BARRACK HILL Sainsburys Eato Land WALK S Cri Hythe Town Football Club The Roughs Firing Ranges FRA MPTON RD The Green Listening Mirror 1922 GREEN LANE FORT ROAD PORTLAND RD HILLSIDE STREET BARTHOLOMEW STMILITARY ROAD A259 DYMCHURCH ROAD A259 To the Shepway Cross ROYAL ROYAL MILITARY CANAL PARK ROAD STADE STREET Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway ST LEONARDS ROAD WEST PARADE Martello Tower (private)Martello C INQ UE PORTS AVE S T N I C H OLAS ALBERT RD ORMONDE RD VICTORIA RD PROSPECT Hythe Bowls Club H Cri C P T C LADIES WAL HIGH STAldiIceland Towers 34 | www.hythelife.org.uk Danger
Recipe Cinnamon poached pear, white chocolate mousse, salted granola & butterscotch sauce By Allister Barsby
Poached pears
u 4 pears u 500ml water u 1 cinnamon stick u 1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped u Juice of 1 lemon u 150g caster sugar
In a large saucepan bring to the boil all the ingredients except the pears. Peel the pears and using a melon baller remove the seeds from the bottom. Place them into the simmering syrup and turn the heat right down. Cover with a cartouche (a disc of baking parchment) and cook gently for about 10 minutes until tender. Leave them to cool in the syrup.
White chocolate mousse
u 150g crème patissiere u 300g melted white chocolate u 1 whole egg u 3 egg yolks u 40g caster sugar u 450ml double cream
In a stand mixer add the egg, yolks and sugar. Whisk on high speed until they have quadrupled in size and are light and fluffy. Warm the crème patissiere and whisk in the white chocolate until smooth. Whisk the double cream until medium peaks. Quickly fold the egg sabayon into the white chocolate followed by the whipped cream. Pour into container and set in the fridge for at least 5 hours.
Pears sorbet
u 500g peeled and diced pear u 75g sugar u 75g water u 1 lemon juice u 30g glucose syrup
Place all the ingredients into a pan with a lid. Put onto a medium heat and cook until the pear is completely soft. Blend until completely smooth and pass through a fine sieve. Allow to cool and churn in an ice cream machine until the desired consistency. Place in the freezer.
Salted granola
u 300g rolled oats u 60g pinenuts u 60g pumpkin seeds u 60g honey u 20g maple syrup u 60g dried cranberries
Mix all the dry ingredients except for the cranberries. Spread out on a baking tray and bake at 160C for 15 mins stirring every 5 mins to get a nice even golden colour. Add the honey and maple and bake for another 10 mins stirring occasionally. Take out the oven and add the cranberries. Mix well and leave to cool.
Butterscotch sauce
u 200g sugar u 100g glucose syrup u 500g cream u 50g water
Make a dark caramel with the sugar, glucose, and water. Take off the heat and gradually add the warm cream, whisking as you do. Be careful here as the cream will boil vigorously. Once all the cream is added, place back over a low heat and cook for 10 mins to dissolve all the caramel. Allow to cool and put into a squeezy bottle.
Once all of the components are made and ready to use you can plate the dish… Start by spooning some granola on the plate followed by dots of the butterscotch sauce. Using a warm spoon do a nice “quenelle” of the mousse and then squeeze some more butterscotch over the top in a zig-zag. Cut the pear into quarters and place onto the plate followed by another nice quenelle of the pear sorbet. Enjoy!
AA Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence
The small fine dining restaurant in the village of Saltwood, Hythe, opened in June 2019 as a welcome addition to the food scene in Kent. It has quickly attracted the attention and interest of food inspectors and critics; the AA Guide awarded 2 Rosettes for the new opening last year, followed shortly by more visits, impressed by the team talents and passion. Despite one of the most challenging years, 2020 has brought excellent news as well as bad, and Hide and Fox has been recognised has one of the best restaurants in the South East and is proud to hold the 3 AA rosettes accolade. Described by the guide Managing Director Simon Numphud as ‘a cosy intimate restaurant with a contemporary setting, where a strong local reputation has been quickly established. Precision cooking utilising the very best seasonal Kentish produce’.
The owners and their team are extremely proud of the fantastic achievement and look forward to welcome many more new guests!
The Green, Saltwood, CT21 4PS
COVID 19: our opening times and menus may vary. Please visit our website for any updates.
AA Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence
Expect modern British cuisine served in an intimate and relaxed restaurant, with a focus on carefully sourced seasonal ingredients and fine wines.
Allergy Information we will be happy to assist with your dietary requirements
A year in the life of our RSPCA Animal Welfare Officer
By Martin Whybrow
It was a big decision by the RSPCA Folkestone and District Branch trustees (of which I am one) to recruit a full-time staff member. However, we saw a clear role for a local animal welfare officer (AWO) who could complement the work of the national charity’s front-line staff (the branch is a separate charity). As soon as Hythe-based Lucy Smith took up the post in June 2019, it was clear that the decision was the right one.
It is likely you will have seen Lucy out and about in her striking van – another expense for the branch, along with all the training and equipment! She has made a huge difference in raising the profile of the local branch and the national charity. The RSPCA’s invaluable work is clear in its vision: “A world where all animals are respected and treated with compassion”.
Lucy’s work is extremely varied. To gain an idea of this, let’s look first at just one month from this year.
In July, Lucy received a total of 76 assistance requests. These included 69 requests for advice and information about rehoming, help with injured wildlife, transportation for reptiles, assisting National Society Inspectors, and dealing with stray cats. There were also seven reports of cruelty and neglect from local organisations and members of the public.
Gull season wasn’t over yet, and 22 calls involved gulls, both juvenile and injured adults. These included a gull trapped on a roof with a broken wing. With help from the resident, the gull was rescued and taken to a local vet for treatment.
Other gull rescues involved chicks that had left the nest a little too early and were cared for by the RSPCA until they were ready for release.
A kestrel was found in a Cheriton park and taken to Mallydams (the RSPCA’s wildlife rehabilitation centre near Hastings), where the team assessed him and felt he was too weak to fly, so he stayed there until recovered.
Lucy was called to a signet on Hythe canal. A member of the public had concerns for his right leg, after monitoring he was witnessed climbing onto the bank to join his swan family, so we were able to leave him with his family.
Lucy collected an injured pigeon within a few minutes of it being posted on Facebook. This was much appreciated by the person who found him and shows the positive impact of having our own local AWO.
Finally, a handsome fox was reported being out during the day and seemed disorientated. Lucy managed her first solo fox capture - not an
easy task - and delivered to Burnham House, one of our local partner vets, for on-going care.
Animal rescues can often bring considerable public interest. Back in January we experienced one of our biggest, in collaboration with other agencies, a stranded seal on the beach along Prince’s Parade. Then there was Paddy the pigeon (named by the security staff!), who broke into Debenhams in March, proved elusive but was finally caught by Lucy, and given some well deserved food and rest to get him fit enough for his release.
There is a lot of re-housing of pets across the year and it is always really satisfying to see an animal settled with a loving new owner. Helped by a generous donation, we also ran a month-long neutering programme for dogs in the Folkestone area back in February.
Here at Hythe Vet Centre we want to deliver the very best in professional veterinary care whilst maintaining a loving, caring and family ethos. After a long search for the right place for our passion, we believe that we have found it, here in Hythe.
THESE INCLUDE: • Dedicated parking. • Purpose built surgical theatre, imaging suite and kennels. • Spacious waiting area and large consulting rooms. • X-ray machine with digital processor allowing faster developing times. • An ultrasound scanner similar to those used in human hospitals. • Heated theatre table – to keep your loved ones cosy warm! • Air driven dental machine, not unlike what you would find at your own dentist! • The latest veterinary practice computer system – this will increase the efficiency of the mundane administration side of things. • An oxygen concentrator – this will provide the oxygen that we will use during anaesthetics. Its biggest bonus is that it means that we will not need regular oxygen bottle deliveries, reducing our environmental impact.
Combining 25 years of experience in small animal veterinary practice, Colin, Helen and their team aim to provide a first class service to both you and your beloved pets.
We have been awarded Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons General Practice recognition. This is a sought after accreditation that gives you peace of mind that our practice adheres to strict professional standards.
Call: 01303 260003 www.hythevetcentre.co.uk
Lucy also keeps in regular contact with our local homeless community, including providing food and blankets. Our branch offers welfare vouchers to those with pets to cover the cost of veterinary treatment if needed. These are for use at our RSPCA clinic at Havelock House in Dover Road.
Of course, Covid-19 has had an impact on Lucy’s work this year. We have worked with local animal charities and the Hythe and Romney Marsh Community Support Hubs to donate pet food and leads for the Hubs’ dedicated volunteer dog walkers.
There is an important communication role. This could be to highlight seasonal dangers, such as checking for hedgehogs before lighting a bonfire, advising on animals and fireworks, warning about the danger of leaving dogs in cars in hot weather, or national campaigns, such as Rabbit Awareness Week.
Until the disruption causes by Covid, Lucy had done a massive amount of work in our local schools. The last visits, pre-lockdown, were in March, to Brockhill Performing Arts College for a Sixth Form workshop, St Mary’s Primary Academy in Folkestone, and Little Oaks in Sandgate. Here’s what the latter posted afterwards: “Today we had a visit from the RSPCA. The lady spoke to the children about the importance of keeping animals safe and what we should do if animals need help. The children really enjoyed talking and interacting with Lucy, they also had the opportunity to look inside her van and see all the equipment they use.” The communications includes our facebook page, which has seen a huge surge in followers and likes thanks to Lucy’s efforts, such as “Mugshot Monday!”, which is particularly popular, cheering up everyone at the start of each week! There are a lot of posts trying to connect owners and lost pets (microchipping helps enormously).
There is a current campaign to warn people about the dangers of litter to animals, with striking posters now up on noticeboards across the district. Hazardous items include angling equipment and 2020’s new addition to the nation’s litter, disposable facemasks.
We are so grateful to all of our members and the many people who kindly donate to us. There have been particular causes in the year that people have really got behind, such as Ash, a lovely female black cat, who unfortunately had to have an operation to remove her eye.
Among this year’s donors was new Folkestone-based Not For Humans pet boutique, who chose us as their charity for their opening event, with a donation equal to 10% of profits from their first four days opening. Lucy cut the ribbon to open the store in September. And sometimes we make donations as well. In February, we donated £250 from our branch fund to assist with veterinary care during the awful wildfire crisis in Australia.
If you see Lucy out and about, give her a wave and a smile! And do contact us if you would be interested in volunteering, becoming a trustee or would like to donate. You can find us on facebook, phone 07936 911613 or email welfare@rspcafolkestonedisrtrict.co.uk
If your pet needs veterinary treatment through our clinic please call 01304 206989 for more information and advice (please do not turn up with your pets without first calling the surgery).
in Lockdown Living By Lorna & Maria Graham
My favourite author Mark Manson says: “You don’t build psychological resilience by feeling good all the time. You build psychological resilience by getting better at feeling bad”. And in lockdown I have personally realised the most powerful coping mechanism for dealing with stress and uncertainty is to embrace the days where I don’t feel my best.
Nothing’s quite as inevitable as the deterioration of your mental health during a Covid-19 nationwide lockdown. With a lack of social connection, mass unemployment, threat to everyone’s safety and security and general isolation with more time in the day to be constantly checking news feeds, Covid-19 is a big threat to everyone. With winter looming, and Christmas up in the air, the next month is going to be tough. So being in the right mindset is critical.
Lockdown 2.0 is particularly challenging as the winter kicks in. With shorter days and colder weather, the only bliss we found in the first lockdown of outside exercise becomes less appealing. However, the benefits of getting out despite the bitter cold are worth it. During a time where the social pressure to motivate yourself is limited, it’s hard not to snooze your alarm till noon. Personally, achieving anything without social pushes is a challenge. You’ve no pressure to get to work for 9am or make the most of your gym membership, so motivating yourself becomes a significant challenge for making the most out of your day.
In times like this, routine is key. Making your bed and getting out of your pyjamas even when you’ve nowhere to go will already have you starting the day with a sense of achievement. Get up and get out! Exercise in the morning when the weather is better and then you can enjoy your day with endorphins pumping through you. Even going for a walk will lead to a positive mood change.
Being mentally resilient is all about acknowledging your achievements no matter the size. Therefore during a time when there’s not much you can do, make sure you recognise the little things you accomplish. And enjoy the little things that brighten up your day. By using
mindfulness and altering your mindset, the smaller things in life can become the best parts.
The meditation technique of simply focusing your mind on your surroundings when going out for your daily exercise makes a walk you’ve done many times before a new experience. I’ve discovered focusing on the sounds and people around Hythe is both relaxing and enjoyable. This technique keeps your mind clear of anxiety. Your mind can only focus on one thing, so on a day when you may feel particularly anxious or stressed, focus on your outside surroundings. I encourage everyone to find something small, enjoyable with little stress added to it that gives you a sense of achievement.
Everyone has their own methods to reduce the madness. Sometimes cracking open the jigsaw puzzle your family has had on the top shelf, untouched for years, on a Saturday night rather than going to the pub might seem deflating. But it’s something to do. Perhaps going for a run or blasting your favourite songs in your bedroom gets you uplifted, do as much as you can to keep yourself stimulated.
Open-mindedness to a change in habit is hard. Take time for yourself, and say yes to all the boring suggestions people throw at you to reduce the boredom. With simple steps of mindfulness, embracing the lockdown life will lead to enjoyment in new ways.
Lockdown is challenging for all of us in different ways. In the run up to Christmas it’s important to note that for some Christmas is the loneliest time of year. Throw in a potential lockdown and it’s a difficult time, to say the least. A powerful tool of making yourself feel better is by being kind to others. You may not be able to drop in on loved ones or volunteer this year but smiling at others along the high street, or saying hello, for many goes a long way. Having a social distanced chat with a stranger will not only brighten your day but may make theirs. So, there’s no better time to adhere by the saying ‘it’s the small things in life’.
