Toby's Postcard from Home

This past Easter holiday will be remembered by all as a very unusual one, and my experience of lockdown has certainly been one I will not forget in a hurry. It has reminded me how lucky I am to live in the New Forest as, during these strange times, the ability to escape the house and explore the surrounding countryside is particularly important for the maintenance of morale. This exploration has, in my case, been primarily by way of cycling, and has led to the discovery of cycle tracks, beauty spots and other locations that were previously unknown to me. Indeed, despite the grief and suffering that this situation has brought to many, I think it has also given us an opportunity to live life at a slower pace; one in which it is possible to become more attuned to life’s simple, everyday pleasures.

I particularly enjoy reading and I am working through a large pile of crime classics stockpiled from our local library, alongside an equally large pile of historical tomes from the school's Moberly Library.  I am able to have two books on the go at once - something I would not dare to attempt whilst at Winchester - with a novel my preference at night (currently Parker Pyne Investigates, an Agatha Christie) and some non-fiction during the day. I am currently re-reading Appeasing Hitler by Tim Bouverie.

Whilst more time for books and cycling is a very positive outcome of the lockdown, of course there are some things, even as small as the morning mist over Meads, that one misses in lockdown. However, having the technology available to connect with others is certainly something to be thankful for; the concept of a virtual postcard would not have been forthcoming a century ago.

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