I and my family are lucky. We live in a house with a decent sized garden. It is easy for us to self-isolate in a pretty reasonable way. We can go out into the garden and sit there, perhaps reading a book in the sun (or not) and even sipping a coffee or drink. I can do that and now I hear the birds singing a lot.
By the way doesn’t birdsong seem louder than normal at the moment? It’s not though. There is just far less background noise such as from traffic to drown them out. Birdsong has not got louder; it’s just we can hear it now!
Only two teenagers are home with us now. They tend to occupy themselves pretty well. Naturally they ignore me. Both go on a daily walk actually maybe a run and they too can sunbathe (yes, it’s been that hot recently) in our garden should they wish to do so.
So, although I personally champ at the bit to be released from lockdown it does have its compensations. My lot is far easier though than some who live locally. We don’t have many high-rise flats except perhaps in Bromley Common. But we certainly have considerable numbers of apartment blocks, for instance, along Albemarle Road. A lot of apartments have balconies so that’s good for fresh air and perhaps a bit of sun. Some do not though. And staying indoors with young kids bouncing off the walls must be incredibly difficult for parents. I feel for them. I repeat it is so much easier for me and I feel guilty for it. But at least people with children at home they have one another and so loneliness is staved off - perhaps.
On the other hand, many local people live on their own. In the early 20th century one per cent of Britons lived by themselves. By 2011, thirty-one per cent, or about eight million people lived on their own. According to the 2011 census there were 87,011 folk living in the six Bromley wards of Bromley Common & Keston, Copers Cope, Hayes & Coney Hall, Kelsey & Eden Park, Shortlands and West Wickham (the Beckenham Constituency). Assuming that the national figure of 31 per cent is applied to Bromley that means there are roughly 27,000 people living locally on their own right now.
Some people really like being solo but most, even if they like it for a while, do not. A recent report suggested that 9 million people in the UK say they feel lonely with many of them struggling to make lasting social connections with others. That’s 13 per cent of our population and put that percentage on the 27,000 people living solo locally it could mean we have 3,500 very lonely neighbours. This lockdown could be absolutely hell for them as, what little contact with others they previously had, may have gone.
Recently, the BBC Radio 4 programme, ‘All in the Mind’ working with the Wellcome Foundation found that young people were most likely to experience loneliness. About 40 per cent of people between 16 and 24 said they felt lonely a lot of the time compared with 29 per cent for people aged between 65 nd 74 years of age. That surprised me as I thought loneliness would be more likely in older people. But I accept that finding.
At the moment there are something like 4,000 vulnerable people being visited, checked and helped with things like shopping across Bromley. Luckily there are also about the same number of volunteers who are looking after them directed from the Bromley Emergency Care Centre in the Civic Centre. That is great and thank you so much all you volunteers.
But may I highlight that there may well be others – young, middle aged and old – living alone amongst us who need a little human contact. I may not show it, being a shouty, extrovert politician etc, but often I feel quite lonely too; despite living with a wife and family.
Most of my real time contact with constituents is by phone at the moment. So, when I speak to those who I know to be on their own I always ask whether they are OK and often follow that with were they lonely? Most, especially the fiercely independent ones, immediately declare they are absolutely fine but I always wonder? Still waters run deep.
Human beings are normally clubbable. We all know who are our neighbours – young, middle aged or old. Perhaps a phone call, a shout through the door or word across the fence (at 2 metres range!) to check on them might be a decent thing to do in these extraordinary times?