A Time of Change

26th March, 2020

Last Saturday I was expecting to find Whitstable seafront deserted and the town empty when I ventured out for a walk. It was a surprise to see the large number of people around, with many shops and cafes open and people gathering to eat and drink outside. This was  widely reported in the media and overnight the message seemed to have got through in Whitstable as well as the rest of the country. On Sunday there was a totally different atmosphere, places were closing or closed and many still remain shut, apart from the shops and businesses with an exemption.

Everything has changed massively over the past few days, but the sun is shining-for now. Individuals and families are out walking at a social distance, many still saying hello and smiling. Rainbow posters like the one painted by a neighbour’s four-year-old son are dotted around town.

As Dr John Ashton, a leading international authority on public health says

‘Each of us must look after ourselves and each other – gathering our loved ones, family and friends close, spiritually and emotionally if not physically. We must look out for the vulnerable, the alone and the strangers who are lost’.

For now, calm and kindness appear to be the order of the day…