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A New Way Of Life – Day 9

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There are dark and brooding clouds suspended above us – pressing down on the planet, trying to squeeze the life out of all humankind; not even the strongest of winds seem able to move them on. They obscure what we once referred to as normal. But, peel back the outer layers of these blackened doomsayers, and we may just see it’s perfectly tailored lining. And if we are fortunate enough, the colour of that sumptuous inner layer may be a bright and blinding silver…. Close your eyes. Do you remember those scented Spring days when children would play in the … Continue reading A New Way Of Life – Day 9

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A New Way Of Life – Day 8

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Some things will continue…. Much of what we describe as normal life has ground to a halt, or at least slowed to a walking pace. One thing in my life that hasn’t halted is my studies; in fact, in the not too distant future they may actually accelerate due to having more time on my hands. I still have exercises and projects to work on, and the deadlines, like an unwanted visit from scary Great Aunt Bertha, are still there to be met. There are books to be read, both text and fiction, notes to be made and assignments to … Continue reading A New Way Of Life – Day 8

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A New Way Of Life – Day 7

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Dear Dad…..(a message from afar). I wish you were here, I always wish you were still with us as I miss you so much. But having said that, I am glad you are not here to experience what this world is currently having to deal with. I think you are probably better off away from all of this mayhem and madness. The photograph below, is of Dad looking out into the Atlantic Ocean from Sennen Cove, Cornwall in the UK. This was a holiday we shared in November 2016; Dad’s last holiday and around seven months before cancer took him … Continue reading A New Way Of Life – Day 7

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A New Way Of Life – Day 6

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Being mindful of supplies. With ‘long-life’ milk, deliveries from a local community farm of fresh fruit, veg and meat, and ingredients to make our own hand sanitiser, we feel as equipped as we can be to deal with the weeks and months ahead. There are however, one or two challenges we will need to deal with along the way. Not all the pieces of the jigsaw are going to automatically fall into place. Some patience is going to be required and some adapting to this new way of life is going to be needed. To set the scene, it is … Continue reading A New Way Of Life – Day 6

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A New Way Of Life – Day 5

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Social-distancing for all. As we stay, distanced from others, cocooned in our first floor flat, looking down on life outside – or the lack of it, we have nicknamed ourselves, the ‘Social-distance Police’. Situated, as we are, in a corner flat, on the the junction of two residential roads, we are able to see up and down each of them. The occasional, and now normally empty buses are still trundling beneath our living-room window, although they are becoming fewer by the day. When there are passengers on board, it is encouraging to see that they appear to have kept themselves … Continue reading A New Way Of Life – Day 5

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A New Way Of Life – Day 4

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You were warned. I warned you. I warned you repeatedly. In fact, I have been warning you for decades but would you listen? No – of course you wouldn’t. You always thought you knew better, so you didn’t listen. While I tried to make you see sense, I saw you with your hands planted firmly against your ears, singing at the top of your voice, ‘la la la la, I can’t hear you.’ You repeated this over and over. You went on your own merry way, never wanting to open your ears to reason, to common-sense, or even the starkest … Continue reading A New Way Of Life – Day 4

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A New Way Of Life – Day 3

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We are all in this together! When thinking about how to cover the vast topic that is COVID-19, it all becomes somewhat overwhelming. Where to start? The world? Asia? Europe? My country? My town or my home? Every aspect of life, be it our country, our work, our friends and family, our health and well-being, is affected by this dark, brooding shadow that hangs above planet earth. One thing is for sure though – we are in this together. The world is united in a way it didn’t want to be – in it’s fight against this sinister and microscopic … Continue reading A New Way Of Life – Day 3

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A New Way Of Life – Day 2

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It’s nearly the end of Tuesday and although I have been working today, I have not left home. I have not left home yet I am drained of energy – I just want to sleep. Sleeping sometimes provides an escape from all things virusy (is that a word? It is now). I am struggling to even concentrate on reading even though I know that this would provide another form of escape. Of course, the other way of emptying your mind of the COVID-19 stuff is to shake your head and allow the words to fall onto a notebook and see … Continue reading A New Way Of Life – Day 2

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A New Way Of Life – Day 1

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Since I started my creative writing degree course with the Open College of the Arts (OCA) last June, my daily journal writing has been in a good old fashioned notebook. Today I have felt the need to bring that daily writing to bristol2brighton.com. I can’t really put my finger on why I have this need to record my thoughts in a blog rather than on paper but as the title suggests, it is something to do with the rapidly changing world we are living in and perhaps with a small readership, my thoughts may be shared with others. The posts … Continue reading A New Way Of Life – Day 1