Balcony Blog # 1
Balcony Blog #1 - Sharon
In this blog series, we interview Hackney Wick residents about their lives under lockdown
Hi Sharon! What can you see from your balcony?
It’s quite nice today. I can see for miles from my balcony. Victoria Park and over to Canary Wharf in one direction and just blocks of flats over the other side of Wick Road. All this is the Big Local area.
“I worry about the old people - the ones who are staying in – doing as they are told - getting thin and forgetful... and I worry about the ones that go out on the buses like nothing’s happening.”
What does your day look like?
The days are different. We can’t run the clubs and bingo that we used to run in Gascoyne Hall. That took up lots of my time. We had craft club on Monday, the community lunch on Wednesday and Bingo on Thursdays- I might see nearly a hundred people a week.
In another way my day has not changed all because I help my family and do shopping for old people every other day.
What are your worries?
Just a few! I worry about my family. What it’s like for the kids to be out of school I don’t want them going back til it’s safe but they need school. My eldest grand-daughter is not getting the help she needs from school so I worry that she’ll be struggling when she gets back.
I worry about the pressure on my family. People fall out with each other when we’re all stuck at home. The kids fight.
I worry about the old people- the ones who are staying in – doing as they are told - getting thin and forgetful and for the ones that go out on the buses like nothing’s happening.
I worry about money. My son is on contracts and might not get back to the money he was on before. My daughter works at McDonalds – they are supposed to re-open but she won’t go back if the kids are not in school.
I worry that the Council won’t let us back into our community centre and people won’t have a focus.
The government is not making any sense. I honestly don’t think that this is anything like a lockdown. We are not getting a straight story. People don’t know what to do because we are not getting sensible advice.
What are you missing from the old days?
“I’m missing the clubs we run, the community meal in the community hall. I miss the social side of meeting friends. I miss giving people a hug!”
I’m missing the clubs we run, the community meal in the community hall. I miss the social side of meeting friends. I miss the routine and the banter. I miss giving people a hug. Yeah – I’m a hugger! Just being with people in an ordinary way. I miss the ordinary stuff.
How are people coping these days?
Some people are struggling. I visit old people at home and take round shopping and I can see that some of them are fading. They say that they are ok but they have been inside their flats for ten weeks- not seeing anyone. They are not ok.
People are scared by what they hear about Covid. I’m not sure whether it is worse to follow the news or blank it off.
And there are some people are acting like there’s a war going on, running around in their black masks buying up stuff they don’t need and others too scared to stop to say hello.
On the other hand, I think that people are being nicer to each other. Round here young people, and old people have stepped up to help each other. I’ve met new people through the mutual aid group – I hope they will stay involved.
What's changed?
My family is always the same. We haven’t changed!
It went really quiet for a while and it felt strange but we’ve adapted. Our craft club has gone on WhatsApp so we can see what everyone’s working on. People say nice things about the rug I’m making.
Instead of our weekly lunch, we are doing shopping for people who can’t get out and delivering hot meals every Thursday and Friday. I cook comfort food in St Mary of Eton Church Hall and we get it out to people who are isolating.
Meetings are on Zoom, they are much quieter and you don’t get the chat.
Good/bad - what are we going to lose when we go back?
It’s hard to tell from where we are now. The good thing would be for us to get through this whole without losing anyone.
It might be a shame to lose the spirit we have seen where neighbours are looking out for each other.
“I think that this will bring our community back together. People will have to think about what it’s like for young people in Hackney Wick. Things need to change for them. They need confidence and skills so they can get into decent jobs.”
What will community look like in Hackney Wick next summer?
I think we will value more what we have. You don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone. We will be grateful for the ordinary things like being together. Giving people a hug. Feeling free. Doing our normal stuff. You’d never know that normal stuff was so important.
I think that this will bring our community back together. People will have to think about what it’s like for young people in Hackney Wick. Things need to change for them. They need confidence and skills so they can get into decent jobs.
Our old people should not be left alone with all this. We need to look out for them, find time to talk and get them involved in things so they know they aren’t forgotten.
We have new volunteers and that’s a good thing. People join the mutual aid and want to help. The important thing is to help these new volunteers connected. I hope more people will help us to make the changes we want. We want more sharing.
And, of course, next summer I’ll be organising a massive party!
