Category Archives: Op-eds

The cupboards that I have been clearing out have been a rich source of memories. I found a large biscuit tin full of marbles.  Some of the contents go back to my childhood and my sons added to them when they were small.

Children don’t play with marbles these days. However, I don’t do “Things were better in my days”.

Things were different, but largely worse for children when I grew up. Children were abused, legally, by the very people who should have been protecting them.

School was horrible. From the age of six we sat all day at our desks in silence. The first school I attended was in a Victorian red brick building. I just remember the Infants section as dark. Outside was a tiny playground, which was an uneven stretch of tarmac devoid of any play apparatus. The toilets were across the yard, and we called one of the cubicles the ‘fever toilet’ because it was filthy with broken pipes.

The building was completely inadequate. One day we arrived at school to be told we were moving to a new Infants school. We walked in a crocodile to the new site. Unfortunately our parents (schools didn’t work with parents at all in those days) had not been informed so apparently turned up at the old school to pick us up at the end of the day.

Simple everyday procedures can get a bit complicated when in self isolation, but we are discovering some new ways of doing things.

Like most people of my age I do take some medication; there is nothing serious to worry about but they do make my life more comfortable.  Our local medical centre houses two GP surgeries and a pharmacy, so every two months I email the pharmacy and ask them to request my repeat prescription. They then email back when it is ready for collection.

Fortunately, the pharmacy already offers a delivery service, so it was easy enough to ask them to deliver it this time. I do know that I could also call on the local Covid-19 volunteers to help if needed.

The surgery also holds a number of drop in clinics, including one for people who have hearing aids, as I do.  Every couple of months I turn up, and the technician replaces the silicone earpieces and gives me some more batteries. It is so much more convenient to do that locally instead of attending the hearing clinic at the hospital.

When I realised that I was almost out of batteries, I wondered how I would get replacements. I could, of course, have phoned the GP or the hospital audiology department and asked what I should do. But I really didn’t want to bother them, so just bought some online. I paid £15.99 for a pack of 60 which will keep me going for over a year.

The ring of Brodgar is a huge stone circle set in a most dramatic setting on Mainland Orkney. It lies on a narrow strip of land between two lakes – on one side is the saltwater Loch of Stenness that opens to the sea and on the other side is the freshwater Loch of Harray. They all sit in a vast bowl surrounded by green hills. No trees to be seen.

Nearby is one of the most astonishing archeological sites in the British Isles, known as the Ness of Brodgar. It was discovered very close to a farmhouse in 2002.

The first structure to be uncovered was the remains of a large rectangular building, similar to ones nearby at the Barnhouse Neolithic Village. As more buildings and artifacts were found it became clear that this was not a domestic site but a vast ceremonial centre that was first built around 3200BC, 200 years before Stonehenge. Many of the buildings had been given complex decorations and paving. In fact, over 800 pieces of stone incised with patterns and other markings have been found. Some stones had been painted with a reddish pigment, probably derived from local iron ores.

One of the structures is 25 by 20 metres and its external wall is 5 metres thick. It is thought to be a burial place. The site has also revealed a surrounding 4 metre thick stone wall – an extraordinary structure.

When we first visited the Neolithic village of Skara Brae, only a few miles from the Ness of Brodgar, we learnt that the buildings probably had roofs constructed from whalebone or driftwood, then covered with animal skins and turf. Nothing had survived of the roofing materials. But at the Ness, which was built around the same time, they discovered rectangular roof tiles.

I had a nightmare last night. I won’t go into details because people will start doing deep analyses of my psyche, but I can reveal that it left me with a strong sense of injustice. (It had nothing to do with James Corden, though). I don’t often have bad dreams and it is a long time since I have had an anxiety dream like this one.

I have been very fortunate in not having experienced any serious mental illness in my life. I did develop post-natal depression, and I reacted with stress when I found myself in a job I hated, so I have an inkling about how it must feel. However I have observed people I am close to with more severe bouts, and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.

But we cannot deny that many of us have heightened levels of fear and anxiety during lockdown, and we all need to monitor our own mental health and that of the people we live with. We need to develop coping strategies, to deal with the dark moments.

A recent analysis of diaries being kept by people in lockdown showed that a third felt they were not coping well. It seems older people, who may actually be more vulnerable, are cushioned financially and emotionally to a certain extent, whereas half of all the younger people reported a rise in anxiety and fear.

This photo has nothing whatever to do with this post. Anyone know what it is?

I left the house yesterday for the first time in nearly six weeks because my husband had to attend a hospital appointment.

It was a whole new world out there. Far less traffic than usual, although the speed cops were in evidence to deter those who were tempted to use the clear roads as race tracks. A new shop had popped up in the parade just 5 minutes walk from my home – how could I have not known that?

When we arrived at the hospital I was not allowed to go inside, so I stayed in the car and passed the time playing games on my phone. Parking charges have been suspended.

I felt very safe in my car, just as I do at home, but I realised that my whole attitude to the world outside my home had changed. I was quite fearful about getting out of the car and saw everything and everyone as potentially dangerous. This will be difficult to shake off once we do emerge from isolation.

I get stupidly excited these days about getting food deliveries. I suppose that is because placing each order has been a bit of a challenge.

When we first went into self-isolation I managed to book a supermarket delivery before everyone was in lockdown. But when I tried to place the next order the first available slot was three weeks away, so we managed with what was in the freezer and store cupboard plus top ups of essentials via our lovely neighbours. I haven’t been successful in getting a slot since.

Whilst waiting for the big delivery I looked around for alternative sources and realised that food wholesalers, who had lost their normal customer base, were now delivering to homes. The one I chose had, I later discovered, been featured on a BBC news item, so was overwhelmed by the demand initially and my order arrived three days late (although they did throw in three packs of mozzarella by way of apology). But since then they have ironed out the problems and they now deliver on the day promised.

The wholesaler normally sells to cafes and delis, so has an interesting range of products. Their fruit and veg box is excellent value and I am now ordering that every week or so, along with milk and eggs. Cheese comes in 2Kg blocks, including Wigmore which is a favourite of ours, but I did find some 1Kg packs of basic sliced Cheddar which I was able to divide into smaller packs and freeze. (Yes, you can freeze hard cheeses and mozzarella – just don’t try it with Brie).