Necessity is the mother of invention:-  Select here to see a video of how to get around the social distancing rules by inventing a hug glove.  Ingenious!  Thanks to Bruce Chalmers for sharing.

Thanks to Steve Crossley-Smith for sharing this picture of a lady wearing a face covering in Thailand.  A multi-buy pack from Tesco?

 The ultimate in social distancing

 As reported by Anne Hodgson.  Photo taken at Sugar Hill toilets just off the main road  through  Addingham.

This is how some of us feel!

Thanks to Jean Smith and Pam Harris for posting these images on the members only forum.

      

Others add their own lyrics to the tune of “It might as well rain until September”, Thanks to our most regular contributor Bill Jones for sharing this.  With apologies if this is your special song.  It will never be the same again.  Click here to watch the video.

An update on virtual choir practice.

David Howarth has sent a further update on the local rock choir based at St. Margaret's Church.  One of their members, David Hoyle, continues to run their virtual choir practice.  Select here to see the session of a few weeks ago (David is in the middle with glasses) and select here to see the latest offering.  The complexity of organisation, the skill of compilation and the end product are amazing.

Spotted in the letter pages of The Times

Toilet roll dominoes

If we had a category of making bad use of spare time, this video fits the bill.  At least we now know who purchased all the toilet rolls!  A judgement call on whether to add this video but 10 out of 10 for inventiveness.

A short film of Ilkley in lockdown

Enjoy some quite beautiful drone footage of Ilkley in lockdown by selecting the above link.

Steve Crossley-Smith has provided this delightful film, reminding us all we are living through a truly historic period.  Future generations will learn that 2020 was the year when a virus overtook our planet and the outcome will depend on how we all respond in the next x number of months and years. Click on the picture to see the film.

Two examples of how local organisations are leading the way to ensure that social distancing doesn’t mean we can’t still be sociable:

David Howarth writes:  We are in the local rock choir based at St Margaret’s Church and have sister choirs in Keighley, Wakefield and Leeds. One of our members, David Hoyle, came up with the idea of a virtual choir practice.  It was great fun.  Select or click here to see the end result.   I am in the middle with glasses, my wife is to the right of me, being the last face to disappear from the screen.

David is a wiz with technical equipment. He sent us a backing track and we all sent our individual efforts in, sounding a Capella as we had head/earphones in/on.  Dave then worked his magic merging all the videos and playing the backing track himself.

Robin Leleux writes:  All churches are closed so services are being held ‘virtually’ over the internet.  St Peters at Addingham is playing its part and is bringing the week to a close on Saturday evening with a Service of Light which is anticipating the light brought to the world by the Resurrection of Jesus.

The picture shows me recording one of the Bible readings for that virtual service, easily done on my laptop with Windows 10.

Someone will then be compiling the lot into one service available via an internet link later in the week.

Click on the picture to hear Robin’s Bible reading for the Easter Service of Light at St. Peters Addingham.

How are you relaxing these days?

 

Jeanette Wallace recommends this version of Beethoven’s 5^th Symphony.  Quite mesmerising. 

Click on the picture.

More musings from Bill Jones

•        I need to practice social-distancing from the refrigerator.
•      Still haven't decided where to go for Easter ----- The Living Room or The Bedroom.
•      I don't think anyone expected that when we changed the clocks we'd go from Standard Time to the Twilight Zone.
•      I'm so excited --- it's time to take out the garbage. What should I wear?
  
  

Coronavirus has made us all northern

Select or click here for an interesting observation from an exile of Leeds now living and working in London. 

Thanks to Marten Koopmans for sharing this.

Have you been watching the daily media briefings by UK Government?

One of the charts regularly used shows the reduction in travel by railway.  This is made up from many different sources, including the footfall at key stations on the network.  You may find this chart relating to Leeds Station to be of interest.

And this chart on air quality shows how the levels of nitrogen dioxide has declined in London since lockdown

 

If you over indulged with Easter Eggs, Snoopy knows how you feel.

With thanks to Deirdre Clowes for this contribution (via Jean Smith)