There’s a lake three minutes away from my house – a Rorschach shape of water surrounded by trees and bushes. Ashes, oaks and lots of thorn bushes, all thriving. It’s a stopping off point for migrating geese – Canadas and Greylags mainly, as well as swans in the summer ( one day there were twelve swans ghosting up and down like galleons) and a fox’s lair burrowed into the bank at the north east end.
It’s a really important place for the people who live round here. The schoolchildren walk past it as they go to and from school; old men take their old dogs for a walk round it. It’s a good place to stop and chat and ask if anyone has seen the kingfisher yet.
When the first wave of the Cover pandemic hit, people wanted to express their thanks to the doctors, nurses, hospital workers for their bravery and kindness. For ten weeks we all came out of our houses on Thursday evening just …to clap…to give applause and thought to all those people who were helping us along.
And then there were the stones. Small rocks, bits of flat concrete, stones with ….possibilities – each one with a message or a picture. At first it was just ” Thank you NHS” but then other stones were placed – with drawings – messages. Look at this-
OR THIS
Notice the broken heart.
You see that there is real talent here. Over the summer more and more painted stones were added until the lake was encircled by a necklace of colour and hope.
A Terrible Fear of Cheese 