Reignite

It was a Saturday morning in May. In the middle of a conversation in rainy Trafalgar Square I raised my finger to try to politely indicate to the person I was talking to that I was going to join the Lord's Prayer that I just realised was starting through the loud speakers. My conversation partner paused for a moment, and I closed my eyes and joined in with the congregation in Westminster Abbey in an act of Christian prayer, "Our Father, who art in heaven..." It was the only time I felt some kind of connection to what was happening there at the coronation service a mile away, a nominally Christian service that I was protesting against, carrying a hand-written sign reading "Christians for a Republic." The whole thing was rather incongruent. I could half hear the music and cadences of an Anglican cathedral service, while in a crowd almost continuously chanting "Not my king! Not my king!" and (my personal favourite) "He's just a normal man! He...

Marking the third anniversary of the COVID lockdown, I'm using this blog to reflect on this time and to point towards the audio archive Doorstep Revolution, a project I was part of putting together as part of Gentle/Radical. The eleventh episode contains reflections on the pandemic experiences of work, redundancy, unemployment, furlough, working from home, adaptation, work, rest, and balance.  You can listen to Episode 11 of Doorstep Revolution  here  (Scroll down to "Episode 11") or look through a transcript here . 

Marking the third anniversary of the COVID lockdown, I'm using this blog to reflect on this time and to point towards the audio archive Doorstep Revolution, a project I was part of putting together as part of Gentle/Radical. The tenth episode contains reflections on hobbies, creativity, cooking, walking, and watching television - the things we did in lockdown to keep us going.  You can listen to Episode 10 of Doorstep Revolution  here  (Scroll down to "Episode 10") or look through a transcript here.

Marking the third anniversary of the COVID lockdown, I'm using this blog to reflect on this time and to point towards the audio archive Doorstep Revolution, a project I was part of putting together as part of Gentle/Radical. The ninth episode contains reflections on mental health and mental illness. The pandemic was a crisis of mental health as much as physical health, and I think we're all still feeling the effects of that. Grief, fear, and isolation were parts of our lives. But people also reflected on those things that gave them joy and a sense of wellbeing - connection, family, nature, love.  You can listen to Episode 9 of Doorstep Revolution  here  (Scroll down to "Episode 9") or look through a transcript here .

Marking the third anniversary of the COVID lockdown, I'm using this blog to reflect on this time and to point towards the audio archive Doorstep Revolution, a project I was part of putting together as part of Gentle/Radical. The eighth episode contains stories of death and grief. This to me is the most powerful episode, as residents talk about tender stories of losing loved ones. This was a time of loss and isolation, as well as gratitude and reflection on life, death, and change.  You can listen to Episode 8 of Doorstep Revolution  here  (Scroll down to "Episode 8") or look through a transcript here . 

Marking the third anniversary of the COVID lockdown, I'm using this blog to reflect on this time and to point towards the audio archive Doorstep Revolution, a project I was part of putting together as part of Gentle/Radical. The seventh episode contains stories of health, illness and healing. These are some of the stories of people who caught the virus, as well as reflections on masks, social distancing, and the NHS.  You can listen to Episode 7 of Doorstep Revolution  here  (Scroll down to "Episode 7") or look through a transcript here . 

  Marking the third anniversary of the COVID lockdown, I'm using this blog to reflect on this time and to point towards the audio archive Doorstep Revolution, a project I was part of putting together as part of Gentle/Radical. The sixth episode contains stories of homeschooling. This was one of my favourite episodes as it contains some really funny, touching, and interesting accounts of this time that was such a challenge for parents everywhere.  You can listen to Episode 6 of Doorstep Revolution  here  (Scroll down to "Episode ") or look through a transcript here . 

Marking the third anniversary of the COVID lockdown, I'm using this blog to reflect on this time and to point towards the audio archive Doorstep Revolution, a project I was part of putting together as part of Gentle/Radical. The fifth episode features stories of family life, parenting, and raising children in a time of pandemic. This was a tough time for children and families, and those caring for others. Children reacted in different ways and parenting and caring became of whole different ball game. Our participants reflect on these realities.  You can listen to Episode 5 of Doorstep Revolution  here  (Scroll down to "Episode 5") or look through a transcript here . 

Marking the third anniversary of the COVID lockdown, I'm using this blog to reflect on this time and to point towards the audio archive Doorstep Revolution, a project I was part of putting together as part of Gentle/Radical. The fourth episode features stories of pregnancy and birth. These are stories of two families, living round the corner from each other in Riverside, who reflect on what it was like going through these experiences at such a strange time. Here are two stories of isolation as well as hope.  You can listen to Episode 4 of Doorstep Revolution  here  (Scroll down to "Episode 4") or look through a transcript here .