UK: Unfamiliar Distance | anniebungeroth

Hair cutting is not something I would normally attempt, but as lockdown stretches interminably ahead I didn't want my husband resembling an ageing hippy!

He and others with dementia are finding lockdown particularly hard, with no day care to break the monotony. I fear the prolonged loss of stimulation will result in an unnecessarily rapid mental decline.

However, at least our dog is happy to have us both at home!

Jo, Don and Sophie

The timing of the lockdown has dramatically altered the course of my life. I was due to start a sabbatical from my job as a firefighter on 1st of April, to enable me to concentrate on my counseling work. I now find myself still in the Fire Service and unsure as to what the future holds. I hope my counseling/ therapy skills may be used to help others cope and recover from whatever the lockdown brings for them. At present this work is being done via phone calls – an interesting shift.

I really hope we can learn from the enforced slowing down. I don’t want to rush back ‘to normal’…there is no such thing. Why rush back to a system that was failing and disadvantaging so many lives ? While the lockdown has highlighted the scale of inequality, poverty and hidden suffering in our society, it hasn’t caused it. My wish is that this pause can be used to collectively reflect on what we want to return to and what would be better changed. After all, the one thing the lockdown has shown us is that things can change, and fast, when we decide to change them.

Adam

Here I am sitting at my piano, as I do for at least a short time, most days. My post as organist at Zennor Church is obviously on hold due to the virus, as is any other entertainment gig that may normally come my way. So I am using the lockdown time to bring some new repertoire up to scratch.

I also compose music, but when new material may come is completely unpredictable - lockdown or no lockdown - though much of it tends to come as I awake in the morning, whereupon I run it through repeatedly in my head as I "work it up" to something coherent. Then I have to rise immediately and either write it down in a manuscript book or upload it onto my computer - or both - before I forget it!

A largely completed piece which I am trying to finish is my Symphony For Zennor in four movements, but this is being delayed by work on a book I am also trying to complete, about classical music composers who were - and are - female and/or black.

My artwork is in abeyance at the moment, as I tend to work only to commission nowadays. In short, apart from the social side, coronavirus has not made a huge difference to my day-to-day routine.

Brian

Lockdown for me has been surprisingly good, personally I like the break from my usually busy schedule. Most days I do a zoom call with my friends and because of the lockdown I took up running, I used to not be able to run 100m with out getting out of breath but I’ve run two 5ks since the beginning!

Another thing that has changed is my piano lessons before I used to have them in school and now I have them over zoom.

I’ve also learnt a lot of practical skills while staying at home such as fitting a window in a shed, laying a carpet, installing lights and building boxes. One thing that I especially missed was being in a band so I organised my own band at home which was really fun. And finally I’m doing catering as a gcse and so I carried that on by cooking supper every Wednesday.

Byron

What sort of species are we

With this innate ability

To wreck our ecology

Now the tables are turned

By a virus unconcerned

With our mortality

But only its infectivity

Francis

When the corona virus lockdown started I was just about to exchange contracts on the house but the buyers decided not to until things were back to normal. So I’ve had not only the being in a state of limbo everyone has, but also having expected to move and now not going anywhere, my life is really on hold.

I have my cat Miss Tibbs, aged 10 who was born in St Hilary, and since the lockdown began my ‘gentleman friend’ Francis has been temporarily part of the household as we both decided this was the only way to deal with this situation. Well we could have been totally alone in our separate homes for an indefinite period, but this is how we chose it.

Meanwhile I am suddenly doing things in the garden; not having thought I would be here I had not planned to grow any veg instead to leave things for the new owners to decide on. And garden centres are closed, so am having to do what I can. A minimal season!

Heather

Lockdown has not affected me much regarding going out, because I don’t do much of that anyway.

Shopping for food was a problem for a short while, but now I’m able to arrange food delivery quite readily.

Psychologically, being told I should stay at home does make me feel restricted, so I do not like it.

But as they say, every cloud has a silver lining and, in my case, it is having my wife back so that we can talk to one another. She is such an active person, spending much time at clubs and generally inter-acting with others. As our diaries are virtually empty, we have all the time in the world with no timetable to get in the way. It’s like being on honeymoon again.

But I still look forward to getting back to normal.

Derek

We are re-cladding the shed....

all corners of the house have been cleaned.....

the curtains have been washed....

many spiders have been disturbed......

the pond is full of newts and tadpoles and we now have time to watch them.....

the dogs, unlike their owners, have lost weight because their walks are much longer....

we play table games every night after dinner....

we seem to be eating a lot....

Kate, Anya & Duncan

It just so happened that we had embarked upon a major garden redesign just before lockdown started. Sharing this labour of love has kept us working together (mostly in harmony), kept us physically active and allowed us to take full advantage of the lovely weather. As it’s been difficult to get materials and plants, we’ve also had to be creative about re-purposing what we’ve got, redesigning an old shed, dividing and replanting, moving slabs and rocks and sieving soil. Jack, my partner, has always been very committed to repairing and recycling and he has been brilliant.

Jack and I both have sons and grandchildren who live quite a way away (one of mine in Switzerland). It has been hard not to see them, especially the young grandchildren who change so quickly. Ironically, because of lockdown, the distance we are apart has been irrelevant. We have used WhatsApp to keep in touch and that has worked quite well. I have also been able to keep up with my yoga via Zoom and even attended a pub sing song!

We love the quiet, appreciating the birds at their busy time. We’ve also valued conversations with people we meet on walks and at local stalls and are pleased to be living a less car dependant life.

We already knew we were very lucky to live where we do and how we do. Although this pandemic has brought some challenges (emotional rather than physical), it has underlined our immense good fortune, which in turn highlights the inequalities in our society and globally.

When we were talking about how to describe the effect of the pandemic on us so far, Jack said that it had made him feel humble and uncertain. For me that feels like it might be a good thing.

Belinda & Jack

Lockdown with 5 children has been challenging, but we are so blessed to live where we do and to have our animals to keep us sane!!!.

The world has slowed down having a positive impact on our environment and we hope this has shifted the conciousness of the people enough to make some changes for the good....imagine clear water ways, more insects coming back and less airport pollution being our new future. We live in hope!!.

We have really done well with our polytunnel and have really enjoyed the stillness of life... our hearts go out to all the people stuggling in these times.... One love

Emily, Seb, Kitty, Kaya, Seagame, Amana, Zion, Paddy & Pirate

I like the lockdown because I don’t have to go to school and I get to spend a bit more time with my family but I do miss my friends, wider family and sport.

Harry & Jo

The lockdown for us has held very mixed emotions,

fear of what is happening in the world, thinking of

loved ones living with the virus or those who are lost

Sadness that we’re unable to hug family & friends,

Disbelief that this is a new reality

And Happiness for the time spent with our children when normally we’d be working.

Appreciation of a slower pace of life, less speeding on the road outside our house.

Joy of cycling around the village or gardening in the sunshine & watching the wildlife

Learning new skills, teaching, baking, hairdressing

Gratefulness to our wonderful community & hardworking keyworkers & amazing NHS 🌈

Vick, Nick and their girls

Unfamiliar Distance

Life in lockdowns 1,2,3

no more than a mile from home

Goldsithney . St Hilary . Rosudgeon

It has definitely been different for me during lockdown 2 but with the same feelings of uncertainty.

I gave birth to a baby girl in August, luckily having my husband by my side during the birth but covid restrictions stopped him from visiting before and after. I found it tough recovering from labour and attending to my new baby’s needs on my own. I couldn’t wait to get home.

With my two older children very excitedly attending school again, I found myself thinking a lot more about what the future may hold for us all. Especially by a comment which was made by one of my health visitors during her visit, which really stuck in my head, ‘It is scary what we are bringing our children into.’ But I have faith we will all come together again, where I am able to let my daughter experience baby play groups to socialise and be able to pass the baby to someone else, rather than the people in my bubble.

We can find the good in every dark place.

Louise & Hali

Tom - How I loved it when we were all at home more! Now it’s colder, rainier and less fun. I get to go to work with Mummy sometimes which does at least mean some different walks while we are out and about. I’m looking forward to Summer again now- maybe even another full lockdown!

Chris - The second lockdown hasn’t really been a lockdown at all for me as I have been back full time teaching in schools. It is different with masks, distancing and various other ‘rules’ supposedly in place but young people bring a lot of joy especially as they can talk about things other than Covid-19! I’m happy to be with colleagues too. Making music face to face with everyone again is wonderful and with a bit of imagination lots more has been possible than I first thought - even plenty of singing. Music feels more important than ever now and I certainly won’t take it for granted anymore.

Joni Mitchell's words from 'Big Yellow Taxi' come to me -

"Don't it always seem to go ... that you don't know what you got 'til it's gone...."

I never enjoyed shopping until Covid-19 turned it into a potentially hazardous necessity, but this pandemic seems to have brought out both the best and worst in us whilst undertaking everyday tasks. I miss physical contact with family and friends 350 miles away under Tier 3, not that it was a regular occurrence, but the opportunity being denied by current circumstances is both saddening, frustrating and yet a necessity.

Gazing at my ageing face whilst shaving every morning, ever more conscious of the lottery of life, I can look back and feel immensely grateful that the disruption wrought worldwide by Covid-19 triggered a series of minor events and big decisions that lead to me happily living here with someone dear from my past in this little corner of Cornwall.

It is with enormous thanks that it is not only the courage, care and support given by my partner Colleen, but her friends, neighbours and family that have made this stranger welcome. I had always thought I would be enjoying my later life in Anglesey, off North Wales, but this western country reminds me so strongly of the similar landscapes, the wild cliffs and seas, the weatherbeaten land - the people also, strong, forthright, kindly and proud.

Covid-19 has changed my future, our future, luckily for the better, unlike many, so I am happy to count my blessings James

It almost shames me to say, but for this dreadful virus I would not be in this happy and joyous situation that I now find myself in – with James who, after 54 years, is back in my life. We look after ourselves, care for each other and hopefully, when this disease is eradicated, we can enjoy our beautiful countryside, grow old(er) together and once more spend time with family and good friends.

Colleen

Colleen, James & Pip

I'm bored with it now

Martin

Fundraising for the Flicka Donkey Sanctuary during the 1st Lockdown just had to continue. The Sanctuary had to remain closed to the public and their little gift shop and Tea Room which brought in vital funds had to close too. The Sanctuary depended on donations. There was no help from the Government.

To give up was not an option. Coffee mornings and Boot sales were out of the question

so selling plants outside my house in the summer was very successful.

However 2nd Lockdown was not so easy so I had to come up with another idea. I decided to make face masks to sell and sold them locally online. Often working into the night. This gave me something to focus on and also raised much needed funds to care for the 100 Donkeys at the Sanctuary.

Nell

For me lockdownV2 has been a tad more difficult than the first one,mainly, I think, because of the shorter days and of course the wet weather.

Doug’s work has continued without disruption but my work in the studio has been really affected because of the light and so it has been a case of a couple of hours here and a couple of hours there.

Happily though my second love is cooking and so it has given me the opportunity to spend more time in the kitchen.

We are looking forward to having friends and family around and with a vaccine on the horizon, hopefully by next Christmas we’ll all be able to celebrate properly.

Until then it’s going to be a case of doing the right thing and keeping everyone safe

Mary

The second lockdown was nothing like the first for me. I still went to school and most of the school clubs were still running. I missed the sports like tennis and swimming that keep me fit. I played a lot more guitar at home especially with my brother. I felt more relaxed because life was a bit less hectic with less things to do.

Harry

Like so many others we at Goldsithney Post Office have worked throughout the pandemic crisis. How we now work day to day and deal with the ever changing restrictions has kept us on our toes. Sometimes exhausting, sometimes frustrating but always challenging. Whatever the future may hold hopefully Mary and I will continue to provide Post Office services with our usual sense of humour

Shann, Goldsithney Post Office

Once we got used to the eerie silence of lockdown(s) inside a normally vibrant public house, we set about keeping ourselves busy with a huge list of minor renovation jobs inside and out. For example we sanded down almost every wooden surface and then rebuilt with several layers of varnish. The two bars in the pub were installed in 1976, and by the looks of the surface wear and tear we assume they haven't been restored since then. Hopefully the work we have done will keep the pub feeling welcoming for many years to come.

We did worry for some of our single customers for whom the pub is a social lifeline, but we were happy in July when we were allowed to (safely) interact again, and look forward to the end of the current (second) lockdown. We find it strange to say this, but on a personal level (finances-aside) we enjoyed the lockdown(s); a real break from the normal busy lifestyle inside a public house.

Damien & Teresa, The Trevelyan Arms Goldsithney

Elaine, the veg stall

In the first lockdown, churches were closed completely, but this time the clergy have been permitted to enter the buildings and pray privately. It has been a great comfort but also a very solitary experience. I have tried to pray for as many people as I can by name, but have also remembered all those in our local communities who are lonely, isolated, anxious or frightened. My prayers have often been focused on those suffering with coronavirus and those who have lost loved ones to it, especially if I have been taking the funeral of someone who has died from COVID-19. All funerals are emotionally challenging, but I have found taking those of people who have died from the virus especially powerful and moving.

The prospect of a vaccine becoming available fills me with hope and encourages me to look forward to a time when we can all be reunited face-to-face as members of our community. I am determined that we will have a wonderful thanksgiving service in church once our lives return to some kind of normality - followed by the most enormous feast!

Father Jeff, Rural Dean of Penwith,

Team Vicar in the Mount’s Bay United Benefice

Physically working on the dolls cottage has been a complete change from all the Virtual meetings I have had during lock down. It’s been good to get away from an IT screen between those meetings and to plan and physically put the project together from scratch.

Sue

Quite a feeling of déjà vu.

We have closed again as a member of staff has tested Covid positive. In line with government guidelines because we have had contact with someone who has tested positive we must self-isolate for 10 days. I know some people have gone and got a test and then carried on as normal if theirs was negative but that's not how it should work

I know I could do with a couple of days off, but shutting the shop wasn't what I had in mind and we can't go anywhere

Not that I've been anywhere lately anyway. As I treat I have done the cash and carry run on an odd occasion but other than that I've hardly left the premises since last March.

Looking out the window on the outside world as I watch people walking by it's as if it's just a normal day.

How we all long to be able to meet up with friends and not have to plan a trip to the shops in regimental style

Stay safe, keep looking out for those silver linings and I look forward to seeing you all on the other side

Joanne, Godsithney Store

Lockdown 3 has brought more time spent on a computer than ever before. Teaching online has been a steep learning curve for everyone involved but it has been wonderful to have the chance to see each other every day, share our news and continue learning together when our classroom has otherwise been empty. Pets have joined us each morning including guinea pigs, cats, dogs, stick insects, peacocks and even a sour dough starter! We all say each day how much we are looking forward to getting back to school as normal.

Anya

I’ve been lucky to be working in schools some days each week but when I couldn’t it was musical zooming again. I’ve tried all sorts of things to make it possible for everyone to participate either at home or at school, with or without instruments, so that included kitchen samba. You really can make music with anything! Tom has continued to be part of everything. He’s a great teaching assistant.

Chris

After 7 hours and 90 jabs I blessed the God of Tea and the lady who brought homemade brownies. More jabs next week and onwards into the summer. I quite like the freedom of scrubs but the face covering steams up my specs.

Jane

Lockdown 3 was probably the hardest really. By now we are well and truly fed up of wearing masks for 10 hours a day ( we still are ) and working weekends to keep up with all the extra deliveries we had to do for vulnerable and isolating patients. After almost a taste of normality it was hard to be back into lock down again.

We are now looking forward to relative normality and working closely as a team again.

Tara

Overnight my business disappeared – I’m a wedding and festival caterer so from one day to the next COVID wiped out over a year of booked events. I felt almost weightless, suspended in mid-air, floating and then there was a rush of falling back to earth with a bang as it dawned on me that there was absolutely no money coming in. Added to this was the stress of having a partner locked down in Peru and two children to home school.

Then we were saved in the short term by being asked to supply food to NHS staff at Redruth and Falmouth hospitals. We then went into a weird time of tranquillity; the children excelled themselves and were very supportive, making smoothies and baking and then we got Annie home and things started to sort themselves out.

By the end of May we decided to try taking the trailer to local venues and offer a takeaway service. It’s been great. The first night had a long (socially distanced) queue with many people breathing a sigh of relief at the thought of having a night off from the cooking. We’ve built up a local following and we have kept going week in, week out through both the beautiful and the hideous weather. It has literally kept the wolf from the door as well as enabling us to meet so many more locals with whom it’s great to catch up with on a weekly basis

This summer we have added campsites to our venues as well as starting to cater the odd wedding. Weddings are smaller now – but gradually things are opening up for us in the hospitality trade.

Lindsay

Here I am between piano on the left and computer on the right, composing

and orchestrating a movement of my Zennor Symphony. It is a highly concentrated activity requiring me to run orchestral and choral sounds through my head, having played them on my computer via the Sibelius Programme, experimenting with different combinations of instruments, or different “tunes”, and notes, often tried out on the piano, hence my piggy-in-the-middle position.

When you consider that I am having to handle, or even juggle, anything up totwo dozen simultaneous staves of music at any one time, it will strike you that one can lose oneself in this situation for hours at a time. Small wonder, then, that Covid and lockdown have had little effect on this, except perhaps in affording even more peaceful (therefore more helpful) surroundings, and making the idea of burying oneself at home between computer and piano for hours on end, slightly more normal than would otherwise be the case!

Another major activity shackling me to the computer is work on my bookabout female and black classical music composers, which I am desperately trying to complete, so again the Covid situation has had little effect. All this may give the impression that I am a computer nerd: not so! My computer is simply an excellent tool for music composition, a convenient means of creative writing and a receptor for emails. Outside these areas I am happily

far from it, preferring handwriting, playing the piano, drawing, painting and

physical activities – things I consider more “normal”!

Brian

Adam

Counting the birds on my feeders for the RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch Sunday 31st January 2021. My favourite family of long tailed tits came- taking no notice of social distancing and simply flying off together after their free lunch. Lucky things!

Kate

I miss James so much, I miss the life that we should be sharing now and growing older together. I miss his smile, his wit and intelligence, his conversation and knowledge, his kindness and gentleness, but most of all his love.

He was diagnosed with an aggressive and inoperable brain tumour at the beginning of February this year and passed away a month later – only eight months after we had begun our new and joyous life.

We met 55 years ago in the sixth form, dated for a while and then went our separate ways. At the beginning of the first lockdown in 2020 we reconnected via social media, there then followed many emails exchanging memories of people and places from our past, bread recipes, photography tips, favourite reads and films, anecdotes – all manner of topics. Lockdown became bearable as daily I looked forward to a new tale from the north. James visited for a couple of days in July… and never went back! I don’t think we could believe our luck, finding each other again and falling in love at 70. It only happens in fairy tales, or so I thought.

I can now only feel so very grateful for the wonderful, albeit too short, time we spent together. Tears fall freely and frequently, interspersed with smiles as I remember the most amazing man that is James.

I still love you James, let your soul and spirit fly into the mystic

(Into the Mystic Van Morrison)

Colleen

Counting down the days to the unknown; we’ve all got our personal agendas on what we’d like to do or go, eagerly awaiting the day we get our time to spend it how we wish.

We often say, “ We’ve done that, we’ve done this, we’ve been there!” Abiding by the government’s restrictions.

This lockdown has been by far the toughest, with homeschooling, a baby to look after and the daily household keeping. At times we have all snapped at each other but we do reflect and think about others who are worse off than us.

What keeps us going is the planning ahead, the thoughts of Spring and the light at the end of the tunnel.

Louise, Nick, Jessica, Cohen & Hali

I became increasingly aware that as I threw on my clothes in the morning I’d begun to gravitate towards an old, previously neglected BFI ‘Days of Fear and Wonder’ t-shirt. Summed it all up!

I’d gone from lockdown in Peru to quarantine in the garden shed with a long bizarre journey in between. Rescued by my nephew from a deserted airport and put on a near empty train to Cornwall – everything was strange!

In Peru I’d watched the pandemic play out on screen with my lockdown family between binge watching Netflix box sets, family yoga sessions and creating Ottolenghi feasts. Now I was home with uncharacteristically good weather watching daughters on the trampoline, sitting at an unfamiliar distance from family, eating supper with Lindsay at opposite ends of the garden table, helping with homework and taking daily bike rides around the neighbourhood.

Moments of panic kicked in as we realised the precariousness of our existence - how were we going to keep our family afloat? We were not unaware of our good fortune living where we do. I knew I needed a creative outlet and I soon found it in ‘Unfamiliar Distance’. Working on the project during the pandemic has kept me sane.

Photo credit: Chris Judge

Unfamiliar Distance

Life in lockdown

within a mile of home

Goldsithney . St Hilary . Rosudgeon

Unfamiliar Distance

an exhibition of rural community life in lockdown

Unfamiliar Distance is a photographic portrait project undertaken during lockdown in the rural communities of St Hilary, Goldsithney and Rosudgeon, West Cornwall. The portraits were all taken within a mile from the photographer, Annie Bungeroth’s home whilst adhering to strict COVID protocol. With words from participants of their lockdown experiences.

The project was exhibited in St Hilary Church in August 2023.

A publication of the project is available for sale