“Unique”
“Unprecedented”
“Strange”
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Since Dorset History Centre closed its doors to the public on the 20th March in the face of the looming global pandemic, the world has changed. How we live and work is now very different to how it was just two months ago.
In April, in conjunction with Lighthouse, Poole, we put out a call for people in Dorset to record their own thoughts and experiences as part of a Corona Diaries project. We were quickly overwhelmed by the number of responses we received, and greatly encouraged that the ideas of capturing memories, and recording history (so fundamental to what we do at Dorset History Centre) had resonated so strongly with the public across Dorset. A few of our diarists have since sent us snippets of their accounts which we would like to share in this blog.
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The first problem many have discovered is eloquently expressed by one diarist:
Thank goodness the radio alarm has the day marked on it, otherwise we would never know what day it is.
– Pauline
As new routines have been established, people have been finding more time to explore their hobbies more:
Played through a couple of Bach solo violin movements – only Bach seems right for our current situation…
– Annabelle
Others have embraced the technology:
Yesterday we had a virtual Dorchestra orchestra practice using Zoom. There were nearly 35 of us within the virtual practice room.
– Ann
Others have turned to art to express their thoughts, inspired by their gardens:
Or by the news around them:
Other people are doing a mixture of things:
[I] have been keeping my written/knitted/occasionally photographed journal regularly… It is an experimental mixture of prose, letters, poems, other bits ‘n pieces, accompanied by a contemporaneous knitted record of how it feels to be living through this time.
– Sue
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We shouldn’t lose sight of those who have not been able to work from home however. Some of our diarists are those key-workers who we are all so very appreciative of:
On arriving at work I was assigned to take care of 3 patients with a colleague, we were busy, I was approached by a sister who wanted me to do mask testing with staff working in the area where potential Covid patients would be, we have new masks and need to check the fit on key staff.
– Jayne
The Thursday night clap in appreciation of NHS workers is now part of our weekly lives:
I play my castanets and tap out ” NHS” in Morse Code: “-. …. …”
( I danced flamenco for twelve years)
– Mo
Finally, this period has demonstrated the values of local communities:
We have been very lucky where we as a community have made scrubs for the NHS, headbands visors made at the local school, hand cream to go into hospitals. [It’s a] Hive of industry, and the old pubs turned round into takeaways and food shop delivery.
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From both Dorset History Centre and Lighthouse, Poole, we wish everyone the best of health during this period.