While the lockdown continues, many shops are shut, and fewer people seem to be about, As editor of Rye News I have noticed that a secret army is at work putting up some of the Christmas lights around Rye – and that sight alone seems to have helped cheer people up.
The first ones I saw (in daylight) were on Strand Quay and I imagine the lockdown may be causing a lot of practical difficulties – with premises locked down and access and distancing difficult. Also there’s not an army, and it is probably less than a platoon.
However, at this point in time, nobody, including the prime minister probably, will be clear on what may happen over Christmas in terms of lockdowns, government restrictions, and anything else that can possibly go wrong. But, as the Christmas lights going up shows, some are determined to have a bit of Christmas as we know it.
And the videos in Rye News this week and two weeks ago show that people, in this case the Royal British Legion, can find new ways of carrying out traditional ceremonies, like Remembrance Sunday.
So perhaps the churches together, and the choirs and singers we have in Rye and its surroundings, can put together a virtual “Christmas carol service” for us to celebrate even if we are locked down and distanced.
Image Credits: Heidi Foster .