Category Archives: Op-eds

I was actually thinking of The Party, as in the Liberal Democrats, rather than the many Houseparty calls that are happening. My older grandson introduced us to the latter and is busy organising slightly chaotic family get-togethers each day.

There are three main tasks that I do these days for my local party, and am still doing through the crisis. Firstly, I send out a weekly newsletter to our members, registered supporters and non-member volunteers, and this has been more important than ever during the last few weeks. We are encouraging people to volunteer through the local initiatives and also offering contacts for people who need help.

Secondly, I am the organiser for my ward. The main task I have done in the current crisis is to set up a minivan list on Connect so our councillors can phone elderly people and offer help – there is a coronavirus script available.  The original idea was to drop the #viralkindness postcards through doors, hence a list rather than a virtual phone bank, although other wards have now set up phone banks. The councillors have been really pleased to find that almost everyone is being supported by neighbours and friends, but they have been able to link up people to the volunteer networks when needed.

Thirdly, I co-ordinate the approval and selection of Council candidates. We elect every four years, with the next elections in 2022. For the last year we have been asking new members if they are interested in standing for Council, and I have been following up with a chat over coffee. Although face-to-face meetings are obviously on hold, I am still having a few conversations with potential candidates by phone. Indeed, as lockdown becomes the new normal I may well invite expressions of interest again through the weekly newsletters.

It goes without saying that our first priority now must be to help in our communities, but there are limits to what we can do if we are in self-isolation. The government has suggested we use our time at home to develop our hobbies and learn new skills. Political campaigning is our hobby, so let’s do both and do some online party training.

Incredibly tidy book shelves

The nation now has a new pastime – snooping on the homes of reporters, politicians, experts and celebrities as they speak to us on TV, not to mention those of colleagues on business calls. We have seen into living rooms, kitchens and bedrooms, even garden sheds, that were never designed for mass viewing.

In the past it was intriguing to check the backgrounds of staged interviews. These were usually carried out in front of book shelves, where the subject had carefully chosen which books would catch our attention. Sometimes these included a eclectic selection of fiction and non-fiction titles designed to project a well-read cosmopolitan image. Sometimes the interviewee used the opportunity to promote books that they had written.

Then there were the politicians drinking tea in their kitchens, or standing by their front gates (usually with a wronged partner in tow) pretending to be normal citizens.

Joe Wicks’ living room, with its carefully placed objects on shelves in the alcoves, has been subjected to detailed scrutiny by his millions of viewers.  Last Friday he played along with the game by asking what had been changed. (Spoiler alert – it was the guitar).

But most of the backgrounds we are seeing in these strange times are far less contrived, and all the more fascinating for it.

There is a meme going around Facebook – post your favourite photo of the beach. So here is mine. Just say aaah…

I took it some years ago in Jamaica and there is quite a story behind it. My cousin was British High Commissioner in Jamaica and we went to visit him a couple of times while he was there. Most of the time we were based in Kingston, so we got a different perspective on the island from most holiday makers. But one weekend we all rented a house on the north coast and enjoyed the amazing white sand and warm turquoise sea.

As it happens that year I was Mayor of Kingston upon Thames, so I arranged a courtesy visit to the Mayor of Kingston, Jamaica, who welcomed me warmly and presented me with some Appleton Estate rum. That visit set off a chain of events which eventually led to something that happened last week.

Through the Mayor we arranged to visit some primary schools in some of the poorer areas of downtown Kingston. I was hugely impressed by what the teachers managed to achieve in very challenging circumstances. Educational funding only covered the most basic provision so all schools had to call on external support, usually from the parents. But in the most deprived areas parents simply could not afford to contribute. As a result schools were desperately short of text books and other resources.

Now you may not know, but for the last twenty years or so I have been making a living as an educational writer – mainly writing Computing text books for the 16 to 19 age range. I contacted my publisher Heinemann, who also have a Caribbean imprint, and asked if they had any ideas about how the need in Jamaican schools could be met. They told me that it was quite common for businesses and other bodies to sponsor books for schools – it gave them good publicity whilst doing good. What is more, the publisher offered an attractive deal for bulk purchases.

I don’t really bake. I love cooking meals but I haven’t made a cake or pastry for years. I have had a lifetime battle with my weight so I find it easier to avoid temptation by just not baking.

These days, like everyone else, I am trying to be very careful with the food in my cupboard, fridge and freezer, and I have time on my hands so I can try new recipes. Nothing is being wasted; oldish vegetables are being turned into soup rather than being thrown out. Sometimes my meals are like the invention challenge on MasterChef  – now what can I do with some pak choi, pineapple and parmesan cheese?

So when I found half a bag of flour, some muscovado sugar and half a jar of peanut butter in the cupboard I wondered what I could make with them that didn’t involve eggs (which I am keeping for omelettes). So I present to you peanut butter cookies. I sort of followed a recipe, adding in quite a lot of butter, and they actually taste good. I need to ration them out a bit so most of them have gone into the freezer for now.

Talking about food, I spotted this post on the BBC: Food wholesalers offer online orders to sell stock. Food wholesalers supply restaurants and pubs, but are now turning to home sales during the closures.

Ten days ago, when the world was a different place, I wrote about going for a walk on Box Hill. We were in voluntary self-isolation but without any symptoms, and it seemed safe to go for a drive and then a walk, well away from other people.

That was, in fact, the last time either of us left the house, apart from one hospital appointment. Days before lockdown was imposed on us all, we had decided to stay safe within our own boundaries.

Our son has been FaceTiming us each day, and yesterday he did so while he was out for his daily exercise with our two grandsons. They live in a village with some beautiful scenery within walking distance, and the two boys were keen to explore the woods with us in virtual tow. We loved it.

That was a simple way to share the countryside with people who are stuck at home, so do think about whether you can do the same for family or friends. Of course, it doesn’t have to be out in the country – anywhere other than inside a building would be a welcome change, even a walk around your garden if you have one. And if you can’t manage FaceTime or similar then take some photos and share them.

Virtual walks are mood boosting, but don’t do much for our fitness. I have never really enjoyed doing sports, or going to the gym, although I have tried. But I am concerned about keeping fit and active, so a couple of years ago I bought a Fitbit, simply to keep track of my step-rate. I have to admit that I don’t always reach the magical 10,000 and when I do the vibration on my wrist makes me jump. But at least it has kept me conscious of the fact that I needed to move and, crucially, encouraged me to go out for a walk every day.

Enjoying yesterday’s sunshine

To shop or not to shop?

Should we be buying non-essential items at the moment? On the one hand, continuing our shopping habits (but online of course) helps to save jobs and keep our economy floating. On the other hand, should we be asking people to work outside the home to create, pick and deliver goods to the nation? What is the ethical position on this?

The Government advice to consumers has not be clear, so I posed it as a question to my Facebook friends. And I learned that businesses have been told “Online retail is still open and encouraged.” But it took me quite a bit of searching to find the primary source of that quote, which is bizarrely in an article headed Further businesses and premises to close: guidance (23rd March).

In full it says:

Takeaway and delivery services may remain open and operational in line with guidance on Friday 20 March. Online retail is still open and encouraged and postal and delivery service will run as normal.

It’s a pity that hasn’t been conveyed clearly to us, the consumers.

City Hall, London

I am really enjoying writing this diary. It takes me back to the time when I was blogging every day as a councillor. I have been worried that it might be seen as self-indulgent, but friends have urged me to continue, so I will.

There are many benefits of writing about my life, especially during this time. It helps me to process what has been happening to me and to the world around me. I am determined to remain cheerful, and the very act of looking for good things to write about each day lifts my mood.

Keeping a diary would be just as beneficial even if it wasn’t being published and shared so widely. And although I naturally turn to writing as a way of expressing myself, I could just as well have kept a video diary or created a podcast.

So why not try it yourself? You can post on Facebook to share with friends, or you can email out your thoughts to friends and family on a regular basis, or you can set up a YouTube channel or share on Instagram. If you prefer, you can simply keep a private diary and not share it with anyone else. Some people recommend handwriting a diary as it slows things down and gives you time to think.

Just take time to reflect on and process each day.