Notice Board
1/4/2020 Membury Support Group Daily update
How to reach us 01404 819145 or memburysg@gmail.com
There’s a treat for you this evening – a short story from the Bard of Membury to inspire you for the stories we hope you are writing for the Mercury!
Food
HALFF is offering a home delivery service – fresh fruit and veg, ready meals, eggs and juice. Call 01297 631782 to order or enquire, or email info@halff.org.uk. There’ll be a small delivery charge to Membury. Payment will be by card over the phone, and they’ll take “Healthy Start” vouchers.
Rainbows for Nightingale
NHS Nightingale are looking for pictures and messages of Hope drawn by children to decorate the bare walls.
Firstly THANK YOU for your support in this. The more pictures we get the better. These will be put up on the walls in the Nightingale Hospital to brighten the place up. At this awful time let’s bring some colour and hope to both patients and staff.
Please ensure that pictures are A4 so they can be laminated. Feel free to draw as many as you like there are no restrictions on sharing the love! Also if you’d like to write a message of hope or get well wishes please feel free to!
Post your pictures in the letter box at Haccombe and I’ll laminate them before sending them off.
Finally on a health and safety point – please adhere to all government guidelines and safe self distancing measures. Always wash or gel hands after handling post etc.
Gangster Lace by Roger Clemens.
The small satin pillow shone bright in the light coming in through the two large windows. The pins were placed right and the fine flaxen thread held taught by bobbins hanging off the sides. My big hands looked wrong against the pretty lace.
Me and Joey had to whack a guy, we did it the long way and my fingers got it, they weren’t broken just swollen.
The design was ready to weave but I knew my hands weren’t up to it. So I walked across the room to the drinks cabinet and poured myself a stiff Bourbon, slugged it back and absent-mindedly put the glass down with a clink that echoed around the classy pad. Things were going well, I was running the Numbers Book for the East Side. I was a trusted enforcer for the five families and I was earning good dough. So I sat in the half light, had a smoke and took another swig.
A sharp Bronx light brought in a cold morning as I sat at my table making Lace. My hands moved slow at first, then confidence built as instinct kicked in and I began to weave. At times like this when my mind was fee I always thought of Corky and even thought I could smell that lily scent of hers.
Corky was a Lace maker. She wove the Lace quickly and expertly, never looking at the job but laughing quietly to herself as if someone had made a wisecrack. I asked her once why she did it, and she said, ‘I don’t know Marty, but it seems funny when it makes itself.’
I can’t remember when I first saw Corky but I knew she wasn’t my mom or a close relative. Whenever I asked her about it she would look at me sternly and say, ‘I’m Corky and that’s enough for you Marty.’ Sometimes she cried, quietly shaking and I would put my arms around her almost afraid to crush those bird like bones. And we would sit like that in silence for a long time. Corky taught me many things through those long nights, but it was mostly Lace that we did. She was the only one I’ve ever loved.
One afternoon long ago. I remember it was wet, rain coming straight in from the River, Corky called me in to the front room. I knew this was important as she had stretched herself up to her full height and there was a cake on the table.
‘Marty,’ She said, ‘I’ve got your design, your motif’. She walked quickly to the smart cupboard and picked up a folded piece of black tissue, and unwrapped it with great ceremony on the table. There, clear against the black, in Corky’s precious Lace, two Bluebirds soared high above billowing clouds. I took it, practiced it and practiced it, learnt it. and loved it.
A loud ring severed my thoughts, strands of an early life were cut away as I reached for the phone and listened. There was a sharp intake of breath as the caller took a drag and then a broken Bronx voice said, ‘Marty, you ready? Lets get going.’
‘Ok.’ I said as I swung my big astrakhan on. I slicked my hair back, took the elevator down to first floor and walked to the car. Micky was driving and was looking a million dollars in his new light suit. He smiled as I got in.
‘Like the suit’, I said.
‘Best you can get’, he replied,
‘Hey Marty, like the coat, what’s the collar? Beaver?’
‘Yep.’ I said.
‘Classy,’ he said. You ready for this? Its a big show..you know all the heads of the families’ll be there?’
‘Looking forward to it’, I said.
Yes this was a big deal, the Estonia had pulled out all the stops. Classy drapes hung down from the oval windows and glass bowls full of white Roses decorated the white tables. Already veils of blue smoke hung in the air partly masking the expensive lighting.
All the families were there as well as some out of town crews. I recognised some guys from Brooklyn and nodded to them as I moved toward a drinks waiter. Across the room, Lucky’s guys from Chicago gave me the hard stare.
‘Could get hot in here.’ I said to myself, as I took a drink.
That’s when I saw Frank. He stood tall, well above the goons around him and I could see by the way they kept looking up at him that he had their respect. Here’s trouble I thought.
Somehow Micky got to him first I saw him grab the arm of the big guy, then he pointed at me. The big guy moved like a cat coming fast towards me.I tensed up, but I was ready.
‘Marty, I’m Frank’, he said, offering his hand, I’ve been dying to meet you, I’ve heard you make Lace ‘.
As he said this his jacket pulled away and I could see his shooter stashed in his shoulder holster, but beside it was something that interested me more, there on the front panel of his shirt was the most exquisite embroidery.
I gasped, and heard myself say, ‘Gee Frank love the embroidery .’
Frank leaned back with pride crooking his little finger and said ‘Do you, I made it myself.’
We sat down together.
As I turned to speak, there was a sudden hush , and then a loud commotion at the back. Two guys were coming fast, one with a sawn-off and the other with a piece. They slowed down opposite us, struck a cool pose aiming their pieces, and then did a gentle pirouette so we could all appreciate the cut of their suits from from every angle.
‘Love the pleats,’ said one big red faced Mick.
‘Yeah, and the cuts to die for,’ said another hard faced goon.
‘Well, careful what you wish for,’ said a joker near me, his comment drew a response of general laughter.
I looked at Frank and he was laughing, he looked at me and I was laughing. We were happy.
31/3/2020 Membury Support Group Daily update
How to reach us 01404 819145 or memburysg@gmail.com
The wild garlic out past rock is beginning to flower. Have you tried nibbling it as you walk past? I particularly recommend the flower heads before they open, in a stir fry. The bluebells won’t be far behind!
Food
The Old Dairy Kitchen at Trill (near Musbury) has just started doing deliveries from their online farm shop which are free if you spend over £20. Follow this link if you are interested. online farm shop Orders must be placed by noon Wednesday and will be delivered on Friday
Mental and Emotional Health Advice
Richard Barrell found this on the internet, but we can’t attribute it to the original author. It’s long – but well written, good advice.
So… my goodness. A couple of days ago, I threw out an off-the-cuff post on aid worker tips for surviving lockdown and quarantine. Today I’ve woken up to find it’s been reshared thousands of times. I’m getting comments from strangers around the world, messages of thanks, even requests to translate it. If you’ll forgive the expression, it appears to have… gone viral. The overwhelming reason it seems to have a struck a chord is that it talked about how we’re all feeling a bit wobbly. It sounds like there are an awful lot of people having reactions they don’t really understand. So today I thought I’d write a short follow up with my mental health first aider/therapist hat on. Ladies and Gents, this is Pandemic Anxiety 101. (NB for those asked for more lockdown tales, I’ll get to those in coming days).
IN CRISES, WE START DOING WEIRD STUFF: Over the last week I have struggled to sleep, stayed up late into the night reading endless news articles, bought pasta I don’t even like very much, got angry with my mum for not staying home. My spelling is a disaster and I’m definitely drinking more. I’ve been a bit teary, and all I really want to eat is cake, cake and more cake. From what I got back from my post yesterday, I’m not alone.
If you’re having a wobble, you may also have noticed all sorts of weird stuff going on. Are you arguing more, talking faster, struggling to sleep, restless, desperate for information? Or are you teary and overwhelmed, perhaps feeling a bit sick? Struggling to make decisions? Just want to stay in bed? Tummy upsets? Having palpitations, butterflies, headaches? Ranting, picking fights or getting into arguments? Laughing unexpectedly or saying random, inappropriate things? Developing Very Strong Opinions on epidemiology overnight? Or have you just completely gone to ground?
If you are feeling any of these things: good news! You are not going mad. And you are 100% not alone. You are, in fact completely normal: a fully emotionally functional human being. Congratulations! Why? I’ll explain: take a seat and put the kettle on.
WE ARE LIVING IN TURBO-ANXIOUS TIMES. Well, no kidding. We’re in the middle of an unprecedented crisis that has showed up unexpectedly (they do that) and which presents a mortal threat to ourselves, our loved ones and our way of life. It’s terrifying and it’s getting worse and it makes us feel totally out of control. And this is on top of anything else we have going on.
HERE’S THE SCIENCE BIT. When we are exposed to threats and need to deal with them, our brain springs into action. Specifically a tiny, innocent-looking thing buried behind your ear called the amygdala (fun fact: it’s the size and shape of an almond). It’s the bit in charge when we are frightened and right now, it’s in full tin-hat klaxon mode. Unfortunately, it’s also very ancient bit of kit. It came into being when threats basically consisted of being eaten by large scary animals like bears. You know that thing about when you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail? Well, to the amygdala, everything looks like a bear. It’s also pretty basic, so it really only has two settings. They are no bear 🙂 and BEAR!!!.
SETTING: BEAR!!!. Because all threats look like a bear to the amygdala, it preps you accordingly. There are really only two reactions to a bear about to eat you: fight it, or run away really fast. So this is what the body gets you ready to do. It’s called the Fight or Flight response (there’s also freeze, meaning you just get paralysed). It does this by flooding your body with chemicals like cortisol, and adrenaline. Your heart rate goes up, you feel super alert, your breathing goes shallow, your muscles are ready for action. These chemicals are also largely responsible for the huge range of other cognitive/physical/emotional reactions in my intro. In group fear situation like a pandemic, this tends to happen whether you think you’re scared or not – anxiety is even more infectious than COVID. Your body reacts even if your conscious mind doesn’t.
BEAR V VIRUS: Obviously this is all great if you really are running away from a bear. But we’re now in a situation where we’re being asked to do the EXACT OPPOSITE of running away. We are being told to sit tight. Literally stay still. Process large amounts of information, make complicated and life changing decisions, and stay calm. All while a bit of your brain is running around yelling BEAR!!! BEAR!!! BEAR!!! This isn’t easy. The result is an awful lot of stress and anxiety. And if you’re anything like me, you end up feeling really overwhelmed and having all sorts of reactions.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS: Anxiety isn’t just mental – it’s also physical, cognitive and behavioural. You will notice all kinds of things: stomach upsets, headaches, insomnia, changes to eating, changes to the way you talk. It’s also cognitive: it’s very difficult to think straight when you’ve got the BEAR!!! BEAR!!! BEAR!!! thing going on – so we also become very bad at making decisions, absorbing information and generally thinking rationally. Which is EXACTLY what we need to do.
SO WHAT TO DO: well, the good news is it is possible to calm down. We can turn the amygdala from BEAR!!! to NO BEAR , and not just by distracting it with cake and tea. Her are some solid, scientifically proven things you can do.
BREATHE. It’s so basic, but breathing exercises are basically magic. They work in minutes and you can do them anywhere. They work because of all the physical reactions the amygdala triggers, rapid breathing is the only one over which we have conscious control. Control your breathing and you are basically telling your body: it’s OK. There is no bear. Your body will then start to dial down the adrenaline and cortisol and all the other reactions will slow to a halt. How to control your breathing? It’s easy – and if you want help just put “two minute breathe bubble” in into Youtube. The golden rules are these:
• In through the nose, out through the mouth. SLOWLY
• Make the outbreath longer than the inbreath – imagine there’s a candle in front of you and it mustn’t go out
• Breathe from the tummy not chest – really make your tummy go out when breathing in.
• Do it for two minutes – time yourself – and see how you feel
Seriously, try it – this technique is used by everyone from top athletes to the US military to help stay in control while under stress. There are all sorts of versions – from yogic breathing to box breathing to 4-7-8. Google them, mess around, figure out what works for you.
CALL A FRIEND: Don’t suffer alone. Call a mate – someone who’ll listen while you have a bit of a rant, or a cry, or a general wobble. Someone you can trust not to judge you and who’ll just sympathise. And if you get one of those calls, just be nice to them. You only need to be kind. You can’t fix what’s going on so just give them a bit of space to rant and tell them they’re normal and doing great. And if you’re OK, call your friends and check in on them. Especially if they’ve gone silent.
LAUGH: it doesn’t matter what is funny – laughter is a huge releaser of endorphins. Silly memes, silly jokes, stand-up, rolling around with your kids – videos on youtube. The sillier the better. Also v good for bonding with friends, which will also help you feel less alone.
DO SOMETHING WITH YOUR HANDS. Yes you can meditate if this is your bag, it’s amazing. But if it’s not, and personally I’m rubbish, then trying to start when you’re already anxious is really hard. So do something instead with your hands, that you have to focus on to get right. Cook. Tidy. Knit. Draw. Bake. Garden. Mend things. This is what nice middle class therapists like me call Mindfulness.
TREAT YOUR BODY: We hold stress in our bodies at least as much as our minds. Take a bath or a shower. Put on things that feel good on your skin. Use nice smelling body creams. Stretch. Skip. Do yoga. Dance. Eat healthy but delicious things – fresh if you can get it. All of these will help calm you down.
SUNSHINE. It’s SPRINGTIME amid this horror – enjoy it. If you can’t go outside, open the windows and feel it on your face and breath it in. If it’s safe for you to go outside (maybe you live in the country) do it, while of course observing social distance. Go for a walk. Being outdoors, connecting to nature, is hugely calming.
STEP AWAY FROM SOCIAL MEDIA/THE NEWS: All it will do will scare you more and make things worse. Turn off the telly and for gods sake avoid the psychopathic digital wild west that is Twitter. Stick to sensible sources like the BBC and the NHS, and limit yourself to short need-to-know bits a day. You’ll feel better immediately. Talk to friends instead – this is physical, not social distancing
STEP AWAY FROM TERRIBLE COPING MECHANISMS: They will all translate as BEAR!! to your poor brain. Especially don’t get drunk, especially if you’re alone (BEAR!!!), take drugs (BEAR!!!), stay up all night reading (BEAR!!!), get sucked into conspiracy theories (BEAR!!!), pay attention to ANYTHING Donald Trump says (BEAR!!!). See? Stress levels going up already. Breathe.
BE KIND: to yourself and others. Now is not the time to go on a diet. Nor is this the time to start on Proust or makeover your life. You’ll probably struggle to concentrate, fail and make yourself feel worse (hat tip Laura Gordon for this bit). Don’t make this more stressful than it already is. Think comfort books, comfort telly, comfort everything. Personally I re-read children’s books. Everyone is wobbly, everyone is going to have a meltdown at some point. Understand that if someone is angry or aggressive, then they are also just scared. And eat more cake. Cake makes everything better.
So, there we go. Hopefully a bit less BEAR!!. Now, that kettle should have boiled by now. Go make a nice cup of tea, sit by a window and drink it in this lovely morning sunshine. We are British after all. And save me some cake <3.
And finally …
There is a box packed full of jigsaws and books at the village hall. I plan to take another empty box down there tomorrow since this is proving so popular. Please help yourself, but make sure you follow all the rules with regard to washing your hands as soon as you get home if you’ve handled the box and contents.
30/3/2020 Membury Support Group Daily update
How to reach us 01404 819145 or memburysg@gmail.com
Even colder today, but you can warm up by doing some brisk digging in your garden – don’t plant anything too fragile though!
It seems that some of the emails from memburysg@gmail.com are disappearing into Spam folders. Can you please make sure that this address is whitelisted, or added to your safe senders, particularly if you are one of our volunteers.
Shopping
Only a bit of an update on the shopping front today – mostly courtesy of Chard U3A. Tesco in Chard had quite short queues and their petrol station is open – but they ask you to pay at pump by card. Lidl seemed well stocked, and their car park was only half full. B&Q in Chard is closed but they can deliver or they take your order over the phone and put it outside for you to collect. Their phone number is 01460 238600.
In conjunction with local suppliers The Kings Arms at Stockland are also doing veggie boxes at £11 and £22. Ring 01404 881686 and give 24 hours notice. They will leave it outside with your name on it for you to collect it.
Telephone Directory
I’m happy to compile a telephone directory for Membury residents. You don’t have to be in it, and it will only be distributed to people who have contributed. It’ll help us all keep in touch if we can’t actually meet face to face.
If you wish please provide your name, address and telephone number, and confirm that you are happy for this to be shared.
National Theatre At Home
The National Theatre is streaming some fantastic performances over the next few weeks free of charge; each show will be available for a week. More titles will be announced soon. Go to https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/nt-at-home for more details.
A Useful Summary to avoid contagion
I have been sent this summary which allegedly comes from Johns Hopkins University in Maryland. As far as I can tell the source and the content are both genuine – and it’s a clear, concise document.
* The virus is not a living organism, but a protein molecule (DNA) covered by a protective layer of lipids (fats) which, if absorbed by the cells of the ocular, nasal or mouth mucosa, changes their genetic code. (mutation) and converts them into multiplier and attacker cells.
* Since the virus is not a living organism but a protein molecule, it is not killed, but decays on its own. The disintegration time depends on the temperature, humidity and the type of material in which it is found.
* The virus is very fragile; the only thing that protects it is a thin outer layer of fat. That’s why any soap or detergent is the best remedy, because the foam BREAKS THE GREASE (that’s why you have to rub so much: for at least 20 seconds or more, and make a lot of foam). By dissolving the fat layer, the protein molecule disperses and breaks down on its own.
HEAT melts the fat; then use water above 25 degrees to wash your hands, clothes and everything else. In addition, hot water produces more foam which makes it even more useful.
* Alcohol or any mixture with alcohol greater than 65% DISSOLVES ANY FAT, especially the external lipid layer of the virus.
NO BACTERICIDES. The virus is not a living organism like bacteria; one cannot kill with antibiotics what is not alive, but rapidly disintegrate its structure with all that has been said.
* NEVER shake used or unused clothing, sheets or clothing. While it is glued on a porous surface, it is very inert and disintegrates only between 3 hours (fabric and porous), 4 hours (copper, because it is naturally antiseptic; and wood, because it removes all moisture and does not let it detach and disintegrates), 24 hours (cardboard), 42 hours (metal) and 72 hours (plastic). But if you shake it or use a duster, the virus molecules float in the air for up to 3 hours and can settle in your nose.
Viral molecules remain very stable in external or artificial cold like air conditioners in homes and cars. They also need moisture to remain stable and especially darkness. Therefore, dehumidified, dry, warm and bright environments will degrade it more quickly.
* UV LIGHT on any object that may contain it breaks the virus protein. For example, to disinfect and reuse a mask is perfect. Be careful, it also breaks down collagen (which is a protein) in the skin, eventually causing wrinkles and skin cancer.
* The virus CANNOT go through healthy skin.
* Vinegar is NOT useful because it does not break the protective layer of fat.
29/3/2020 Membury Support Group Daily update
How to reach us 01404 819145 or memburysg@gmail.com
Cold and windy today – just as British Summer Time begins, but lovely in the sun! It’s going to carry on like that over the next few days, and there’s very little chance of rain.
Shopping
If you want us to do some shopping for you, please bear in mind that this should be limited to essentials where possible – we don’t want our volunteers spending ages in the shops looking for outlandish items!
Barley Mow Farmshop Update
Please note that Barley Mow won’t deliver to Membury but you can do the following: Go to the Barley Mow web site, make a list of what you want to purchase then ring: 01460 62130. Introduce yourself and ask to place an order. Their stock is quite comprehensive. They will take details from you, go away and pack your order then call you back with the price. You pay by card and then arrange a collection time. When you arrive at Barley Mow you stay in the car and ring them (take your mobile phone) tell them where your car is and they will bring to the car and put in boot with no contact being made.
The Tuckers Arms, Dalwood
Are now offering a take-away service – see their Facebook page for details. Their weekly menu only costs £8 per portion.
Order in advance – ring 01404 881342
Home Schooling
Carey Swarbrick from Rock is a biology teacher, and is happy to help with GCSE Science and A level Biology – you can reach her via careyburton@hotmail.com
And Finally…
We have some residents who are taking this social distancing to extremes by maintaining a healthy 12000 mile distance between where they are in New Zealand and the rest of us in Membury!
28/3/2020 Membury Support Group Daily update
To reach us call 01404 819145 or memburysg@gmail.com
Milk
Milk will be delivered every Wednesday and you should receive the order form today or tomorrow. We are hoping to get volunteers to deliver to people in their immediate vicinity – one for Lewsley Lane, one for Tolcis, one for the central village, one for the northern part of the village and possibly others.
Home Schooling
As a village we want to support all our residents, young and not so young alike, throughout this difficult time. As such if you are a parent needing some help with home schooling please do get in touch and we will see how we can help through phone calls and online support. Equally if you can help with languages, science, maths or any other school work please get in touch to offer your knowledge and support.
Shopping
Please note that I haven’t visited or contacted any of the people listed here to verify details, but they have all been passed to me in good faith. If you are aware of any other places to mention – drop me an email.
Kings Arms at Stockland
Offering a take-away menu on Wednesday and Friday night and a brunch box on Saturday as well as a selection of roasts on Sunday. You can also order wine, beer, lager and cider as well. They also offer veg boxes (large and small) and ready-meals for your freezer. Check their website (kingsarms.pub) or call them (881686) for more details. Everything must be ordered in advance.
Archway Bookshop
Our wonderful local bookshop which of course has had to temporarily close is offering home delivery or a ‘drive by pick up’ of book orders. Details on the website archwaybookshop.co.uk or phone 01297 33744.
Cuttisfords Door Garden Centre, Chard
Currently operating a delivery service of plants and garden supplies. Ring them on 01460 63088 to find out what they have. You pay over the phone.
Jaspal’s Newsagents
Main Street, Axminster delivers newspapers and milk, bread and sundries around the area. 01297 598942: 07901502508: email qurjeb@hotmail.co.uk
Barleymow Farm Shop
Open as usual and is well stocked. You can pre-order, pay over the telephone and then collect in the car park; give the shop a phone call when you arrive and someone will bring your order out to you so you don’t need to get out of the car.
Miller’s Farm Shop
Open as usual and also very well stocked. Plenty of fresh food, and also selling compost! They have complained that a number of people are going more than one a week and would appreciate it if people could observe this rule.
500 words
Before the world ground to a halt we were planning a Summer Solstice Celebration, and part of this was to be an invitation for writers to read out Short Stories they had written.
Perhaps our readers in the Parish would like to write a Summer Solstice story. The best of these will be published in the Mercury. What kudos!
Think a Midsummer Story, a Greenman Story, Something Historical or a Nature Story. Each story should consist of a maximum of 500 words – that’s a bit less than the length of this message!
Get safe online
We all have enough to be concerned about from the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak. That’s why the online experts at Devon and Cornwall Police have put together some top tips about how to protect yourself, your loved ones, finances and devices from the scams that are currently circulating. As well as advice about keeping yourself and your organisation protected whilst working from home.
To see more about online safety during this uncertain time visit www.getsafeonline.org/coronavirus
And finally …
The Duchess is very happy to have received four books by Clive Cussler!
27/3/2020 Membury Support Group Daily update
How to reach us 01404 819145 or memburysg@gmail.com
Prescriptions
Today is the last day you can request prescriptions from Axminster Surgery for collection next Thursday, April 2nd. Please do this online if possible and let us know on memburysg@gmail.com so we can arrange collection. Anything ordered after today will be ready for us to collect on April 9th.
Newspapers
There is a disruption with the newspaper delivery system. The driver who usually delivers is off sick – and might be off a while longer. They have a driver able to deliver at the weekend, but after that the situation is unclear. Whilst we recognise that for some residents a newspaper is a lifeline, we feel that we cannot in good faith ask one of our existing volunteers to drive to Honiton daily, partly because subscribers pay for delivery and we feel The Paper Shop ought to solve the problem itself and partly because we are unsure as to whether the government would this class as “essential”.
We do not have a list of newspaper subscribers, but if anyone who usually gets a paper, and is not self-isolating would like to take on the role of delivery back-up, and contact the shop (01404 41222) each morning to find out if a driver was available that would be fine.
Please let the Membury Support Group know if you make an arrangement with the shop.
Milk
The logistics of getting over 70 litres of milk a week delivered, distributed and paid for are proving tricky. Please bear with us until we’ve managed to sort this out. It’s looking likely that there’ll be a single drop every Wednesday but the milk will have a shelf life of ten days so this won’t be a problem.
Puzzle / Book Exchange
There’s now a box outside the village hall where people can exchange books and jigsaw puzzles. Make sure you follow the hygiene rules – wear plastic or latex gloves if possible, and wash your hands before you go out, and as soon as you get home
Local Food Suppliers, Home Deliveries & Direct From The Farm:
Most of this section shamelessly stolen from the Yarcombe e-Voices bulletin – thank you very much to them
- Emma Tindall has a surplus of eggs for sale from Little Winsors – up above the late Fred Board’s bungalow. Contact her on emmatindall@hotmail.com for more information
- Complete Meats (owned by the Vining family who live in Yarcombe) have started a home delivery service – telephone 01297 33282.
- Christine Parris (eggs, cheese, cream) can be contacted on 01404 861207.
- Lorna Burdge (pork, sausages etc) can be contacted on 07966 583896.
- Ganesha, the health shop in Honiton and Axminster, has started a home delivery service and will deliver to Membury free if the order is over £40 or there’ll be a charge of £4.75 for smaller orders . Telephone 01404 43225.
- The Churchinford Community Shop – 01823 601026 – will take card payments over the telephone (they don’t hold card details which are taken and then destroyed after the transaction has gone through). Then you can just go to Churchinford and pick up your shopping.
26th March 2020 – Membury Covid-19 update
Not everyone in the parish is receiving the emails sent directly. If you are aware of anyone who doesn’t get these updates please invite them to join by emailing memburysg@gmail.com, although most updates are being posted on the village website.
Similarly, if your neighbours don’t use the internet or email at all, please ring them to pass on any important messages
Prescriptions
We now have a dedicated collector and distributor.
Where possible, ALL prescriptions should be requested online. If someone is unable to do it themselves they need to ask a family member or trusted friend to do it for them. If they need to register for online prescriptions they can ring the surgery and do it over the phone – they have waived the need for ID at this time. All prescriptions need to be requested by 6pm on Friday for collection the following Thursday. Anything requested after Friday will be collected the Thursday afterwards.
ALL prescriptions should be collected by us on Thursdays – please do not go and collect them yourselves. The surgery have requested one person to do it to reduce strain on the surgery and to limit the spread of the virus. Even people who are fit and healthy and not self-isolating should ideally let us collect their prescription for them.
If you need a prescription to be collected, please provide the following information:
- Full name
- First line of address
- Date of birth
- Whether you pay or not – over 60 years old is free and so someone’s date of birth is sufficient. You may have an exemption certificate but we’ll need a copy to show the surgery.
If someone needs to pay we would prefer them please to pay the surgery directly via cheque/BACS. Last resort is the collector pays and the receiver leaves cash on the doorstep. Meds will normally be delivered to the village hall, but if you are unable to get there they will be brought to your home.
If we need to collect drugs for you please contact us at memburysg@gmail.com or 01404 819145
We will email our collector and the surgery every Wednesday
MEMBURY MERCURY
Yes, you’ve only just had the Spring issue, but already we’re thinking of the Summer issue, to be delivered the first week of June. We’ve already had some interesting articles promised, but without any of the groups and organisations meeting, we’re likely be a bit short of reports. So – how to fill the pages? This is where you come in. How about using some of your isolated time to write something? Could be an anecdote, your own or someone else’s; a description of a pastime or hobby – photography, knitting, research – which has occupied you over the years, and perhaps you’ve become quite good at; or how about getting creative – an original poem or story – even a sketch or a photograph of a painting? Or perhaps you’ve read some good books you would like to recommend? Love to hear from you – just e-mail your piece to the address on the back of the Mercury. And if you possess a camera – how about some lovely Spring shots, while the weather lasts? Deadline is May 1st.
The Editorial team
Newspapers
The man who delivers the papers from Honiton was unavailable this morning, so other arrangements had to be made. We have a volunteer to collect them tomorrow (Friday) if he is still off, but after that there are no arrangements in place.
Book and Puzzle Exchange
We are hoping to put a box by the village hall for people to put books and jigsaws in to exchange with other people. If you use this make sure you wash your hands before leaving your home, and as soon as you get back, and if possible use plastic or latex gloves to open the box.
And on the subject of books, we have a bored gentleman in the village who would really appreciate it if anyone has any books by Clive Cussler he could borrow …
25th March 2020 Covid-19 Update
Milk – Urgent
We may be able to order milk and cream from Sutton Lucy Dairy in bulk for collection by a nominated representative of the village twice a week. Prices will be comparable with the shops. We need to have an idea of quantities by tomorrow (Thursday 26th) at the latest. Please ring 01404 819145 or email memburysg@gmail.com
Waste
Along with the recycling centres the green waste collections have been suspended. Please bear this in mind when doing your gardening, and report fly-tipping if you come across it.
Exercise
Many of you will be using the fact that we live in such a lovely part of the country to go for a walk as this is still allowed, in fact it is encouraged, but do remember this should be “alone or with members of your household.”
Contact with your neighbours
It could get lonely for those living on their own so it is more important than ever to keep in touch with those around you.
Playing Field
Unfortunately, the playing field is closed until further notice.
20th March 2020 Membury Support Group
This has been prepared for all of us who live here, by a group of volunteers with the help of the Parish Council, Membury Merrymakers and the Village Hall Trustees with one clear objective: To help us to support each other during the difficult weeks and months to come. Many of us will have to stay at home for an extended period. Some of us will probably be infected with coronavirus. We have arranged a telephone and email helpline as well as a network of residents in our village, to provide assistance and moral support if you are stuck at home and need help or advice. We will arrange for one of our volunteers to help you – probably someone you already know.
Please keep this leaflet handy and use the helpline, even if you have neighbours, friends and family who can help you, because it is possible that they may be also affected by the virus at some stage and have to isolate.
The type of help and support that we hope to provide includes but is not limited to:
- Shopping and running errands, such as collecting prescriptions.
- Posting and collecting mail.
- A friendly phone call.
- Helping care for animals.
- Virtual group activities….depending on demand but ideas such as a book club, chess club and knitting squares to make a charity blanket have already been suggested.
If and when you are stuck in your home and need such help, please call the helpline on:
01404 819145 or email memburysg@gmail.com
If you are willing and able to help, that will be much appreciated. Please email memburysg@gmail.com or call 01404 819145 and our volunteer co-ordinator will be in touch.
