Time is really marching on this year and as we are still managing the effects of Covid 19, it has been quite hard to find things to write about. However, I decided to look at the positives and concentrate on the little things that have become more important over the last few months.

Celebrating A Milestone

At the end of July, it was my youngest daughters 21st Birthday. In the weeks leading up to it, the “lockdown” situation was altering on a weekly basis, so we had to adjust our plans accordingly. Luckily on the weekend of her birthday, the weather was fine and warm and we were able to have some family and friends over to celebrate her birthday.

The planning was very different to a normal party, with the shopping list including masks, antibacterial spray and wipes, as well as hand gel. We managed to stagger the guests so that there weren’t too many people at the house at one and as the weather was good we were able to keep people socially distanced in the garden.

I was so glad that we were able to do this and at times it was a little emotional, seeing people that we had not seen in person since March.

Walking In Burnsall And Trollers Gill

One of the things that I had missed whilst we were restricted with mixing with others, was going out for a walk with friends. Again at the end of July, whilst we still had a little more freedom, we went for a walk with friends.

We started at Burnsall which is a lovely area of the Yorkshire Dales. The walk takes you down by the river and it was lovely to see families out in the fresh air, playing on the fields and in the river. It was a dull day, but the weather forecast promised that the showers would stop by around 11am. Unfortunately, true to form, this was not quite right and for the first hour or so we had heavy showers and got absolutely drenched.

Our spirits weren’t dampened and we carried on walking. I think we were just relieved to be out in the fresh air and having a good laugh whilst we walked. eventually, the sun came out and we dried out and remained dry for the rest of the day.

After walking along the pretty river, you then come to more open land and then eventually walk up Trollers Gill, which is a limestone gorge. It is quite rocky and due to the rain, it was also quite slippery. Once at the top, you then follow the paths and farm tracks back into Burnsall.

We walked nine miles in all and then treated ourselves to coffee and cake at the café. This si one of my favourite walks, as the changes in scenery make it really interesting and there si so much to look at. It is also a good length and challenging enough, but not exhausting.

All in all it was a great day out, a beautiful walk and a chance to relax and enjoy being out in the open air, having a laugh with good friends.

Welcome Back Theatre..

Last week I travelled to London to go to the Regents Park Open Air Theatre with my eldest daughter. I can’t explain how excited we were to finally be able to go and see a live theatre performance after such a long time. I have never been to this theatre before and it was a really great experience. The seating was set up so that you were not sat near other people, vastly reducing the capacity. We also wore a mask throughout the performance, but once the show started, it was easy to forget.

The show was Jesus Christ Superstar, which was performed socially distanced. It was amazing to see how the production had been adapted to accommodate the measures, without affecting the emotions and the feel of the story. Before the show started it had been raining and the staff did a stellar job of sweeping the water off the stage to make it safe. The announcement “Welcome back to theatre”, elicited a big cheer from the audience.

There was also a break after the first three songs, as it was raining again and the stage needed to be cleared of water. Luckily, once it was up and running again, it stayed dry and warm and the performance was able to continue without another break.

The voices of the whole cast were outstanding. The movement and dance on the stage was amazing . As soon as the first notes were played I felt really emotional and it was clear that most of the people in the audience were really moved by being back at a live performance. It was one of the best productions I have seen.

I, like many other people have really missed live theatre and can’t wait for some measures to be put into place so that performances can begin again. The industry at the moment is devastated and the loss of jobs and income for so many people is really worrying.

If you’re not a fan of theatre, it might be hard to understand how important it is, but for me it is the one place that takes me away from everything else in life. Whether I come out wanting to sing and dance, or crying my eyes out, I always feel so much better. Over the years it has been so good for my mental wellbeing and has been something to look forward to after a hard week.

•