Tags

  • Published on

    Photographs of Hope - Family and Friends, Luke Martin-Jones!

    Picture

    Inspirational photographs at a time of crisis, creating positivity for the future!

    Picture

    This Thursday, like every Thursday, a small group of family and friends get together, to celebrate one another during this time of crisis. Our 'Non Touch Toast' is in its fourth week, and as families continue to find the separation of isolation and quarantine difficult, we can at least see each other via the wonders of social media. Keeping in contact, staying in touch and remembering the people that matter are so important right now; small glimpses capturing a moment in time that offer all of us hope for the future! Stay safe!

    Picture
    Picture
  • Published on

    Photographs of Hope - Mary Elizabeth Cummings!

    Picture

    Inspirational photographs at a time of crisis, creating positivity for the future!

    Picture

    This photo makes me feel positive,  keeps me strong and able to take on what's thrown at me. My nan, molly xx the strongest woman I know xxx the kindest most thoughtful woman,  Irish and strong xxx

    Mary Elizabeth Cummings

    Picture
  • Published on

    Raising Money For The NHS!

    Picture
    Picture
    Two of our wonderful colleagues from Tesco, Rachel and Zoey put on a wonderful performance of popular music on Friday, as all of us did our best to raise money for our NHS. Up and down the country everyone has been doing something to support our health care workers on the frontline, dealing with the spectre of COVID-19. Clapping at 8am on a Thursday for the NHS, Colonel Tom raising over thirty million pounds for health service charities and the Health Secretary hosting daily press briefings have all become part of our daily lives; so much has changed in such a short space of time!
    Most of the staff working on Friday wore brightly coloured clothes, matching perfectly with the rainbow drawings now adorning the windows at the front of the superstore. Local children have been painting pictures, making collages and colouring in rainbows, the new symbol of hope in this Coronavirus pandemic. The weather on Friday was decidedly changeable, bright sunny spells, with intermittent heavy rain, producing the odd rainbow or two; quite apt, while we collected money and rattled buckets trying to attract customers attention as they entered and left the store!
    Rachel and Zoey were truly fantastic this Friday. These two girls have come to Tesco to help us during this crisis, both of whom have come from other careers, furloughed during this time. The entertainment industries loss is our gain and I for one am delighted they are with us for the duration.  We have many new employees from all walks of life, all wanting to work and all bringing something special to Tesco. I have been impressed by the way they have settled in and become part of the family.
    On Friday, my spirit was lifted in a way it hasn't been for a few months now. The truth is I haven't even listened to music myself, because I just can't bring myself to 'feel happy!' For some reason I thought it is wrong to feel upbeat and positive at the moment, so I have sunk deeper and deeper into a kind of anxiety loop. When you suffer with anxiety, it is hard to break that feeling of hopelessness, especially at the moment.

    I'm a person who suffers with health anxiety, living in the middle of a pandemic; in my eyes, what could be worse? It wasn't that long ago that I was at the Doctors surgery on a weekly basis for some ailment or another, so being told you can not attend is rather like having your life line cut off. With all NHS resources rightly directed towards fighting Coronavirus, other health concerns have to take a back seat.

    Zoe and Rachel gave me a few hours of uplift and inspiration, showing me there is life during COVID, and we can enjoy ourselves a little, without feeling guilty. The music and their voices were an echo of the precious things we have lost currently, but they are also a reminder that we will get those things back and life will return to normal when this is all over.
    Tesco once again did a terrific job raising money for good causes and I felt proud to be a part of that. Living in the COVID era, many of us have been encouraged to do things we wouldn't have contemplated in the past and it has given many a new outlook on life. For the most part I have been feeling low, uninterested and trapped, but there have been moments when I have felt fervent and motivated more than usual. If Friday has taught me anything, it is that we are all literally in this together, as we are frequently reminded, and I am luckier than most to be able to leave my home and work with some of the most incredible people I have ever met. Life is of course very hard for all of us now, but we should never forget that are people far worse off than us.

    This is definitely the time to do all the things you wish you had done in the past, getting creative  and discovering life away from the hustle and bustle that we were once all a part of. Like Zoey and Rachel, I want to be able to look back at this period and feel content with the role I played, no matter how small it may be.

    Stay safe everyone!
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
  • Published on

    Photographs of Hope - Stephen C Hick!

    Picture

    Inspirational photographs at a time of crisis, creating positivity for the future!

    Picture

    Here's one for you it's a picture of our lovely Trenance Gardens bathed in sunshine, but with a feeling there are dark clouds over the minds of so many of us.
    Well - there's a saying told to me by a WW2 pilot many years ago after I'd been chatting to him at a 'do'.
    "The sun always shines above the clouds".
    To me it means no matter the problem nor how dark the day the sun is shining as brightly as ever it did, you just have to wait the clouds to pass or if you can, climb above them.
    The quote has been claimed in recent years by wellness gurus, but I heard it 30 years ago from someone who really lived it.
    Better times will come, we will meet again.


    Stephen C Hick

    Picture
  • Published on

    CORONAVIRUS - Face Covering!

    Picture
    Picture
    Image description
    I received a packet of bandanas this morning, that I had ordered to make some facemasks to be worn in public spaces, during this awful Pandemic. It does seem that the British Government will soon ask us all to wear face coverings in public, as they try to stop the spread of this deadly Coronavirus. I have personally always been in two minds about wearing such a mask, because I have not been entirely convinced by their usefulness, but clearly we have reached a point where we will have no option, as the death figure in the UK passes twenty-six thousand. If we are to get back to any sense of normality, we have to do all we can to restart our lives, before the economy collapses.

    Personally I don't agree with the public wearing medical grade masks, which should be prioritised for use within the NHS, but I do think if all of us wore some form of covering, we could begin to reduce the spread of COVID-19 drastically. Scotland along with many other nations are already advising people wear protection, so I am sure we will follow soon enough. As a result I have been looking across the internet, trying to find the best way to make a mask and used what I think is the simplest method. Of course this isn't as effective as an NHS equivalent, but it can help stop the spread of this disease dramatically, especially if we all wear one.

    I will don my mask in public spaces, although haven't thought about whether to wear it during a nine-hour shift at work and because of my limited contact with the public, being behind a perspex screen, I am not sure it will help me in any case. Whilst walking through the shop or in other enclosed spaces, I will of course put one on.

    In the end all of us will have to do what we feel is right at this time. I see many people sporting protective face coverings while I am at work, they are mainly young and not necessarily the people you would expect to see using them. I also see many older and disabled people out and about, who I would have never expected to and should instead be shielded at home, but not everyone has the luxury of having friends, family and neighbours to help them. As we pass the peak of this pandemic, we should all take the opportunity to sit and think about others and encourage everyone to look after themselves and their loved ones. Everyone should take precautions, follow social distancing rules, keep two meters apart and continue to practice good hygiene, so we can eventually get back to a sense or normality and enjoy the lives we once had!
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
  • Published on

    Photographs of Hope - Cathy McGuinness!

    Picture

    Inspirational photographs at a time of crisis, creating positivity for the future!

    Picture

    Such an inspiration to everyone, love him!

    Cathy McGuinness

    Picture