Anchor Cottage a year in lockdown – what have we learnt?

Anchor Cottage a year in lockdown. So this week we have paused to take time to reflect on the past year. And what a year. I’m not going to go into great depth about the virus and it’s abhorrent death toll and the impact on families. That’s being done all over the globe by writers with much greater knowledge and skill than I possess. I have always loved our NHS and never more so than at this moment, the nation salutes you and hopefully your salary will reflect that soon. But thanks to them and the brilliant vaccine I see a light at the end of this bleak tunnel.

So we purchased Anchor Cottage on March 6th 2020 and I had four weeks to get everything ready for my first guests. A lovely family who were keen sailors and were looking forward to staying in Noss Mayo for the first time.

And then Lockdown 1.

I tried to get to grips with what was happening. Surely it can’t last long, I said to Rich whilst we checked the daily statistics of cases. Easter came and went and the kids stayed home. I rang guests to let them know that their holiday couldn’t go ahead and refunded their payments. And we home-schooled.

We couldn’t have asked for more glorious weather, the sun shone and shone. And Noss Mayo looks amazing in the sunshine, the water is crystal clear and from a paddle board you can head right down the Yealm to the sea.

July 4th

Our first guests and our first 5 star review. Finally we could share this amazing oasis with those who had been stuck in cities, home-schooling their kids whilst holding down jobs using this new-fangled zoom technology. Yes we were all au fait with a couple of skype calls a week to colleagues in Scotland or a phone conference or two but 8 hours a day of zoom calls only interrupted by having to create a hobbit home of papier mache or some bizarre number line question. People needed a break.

12 guests later – all 5 star or 10/10 reviews – Yay!!

I take up Wild Swimming, committing to at least two cold water swims a month throughout winter.

Lockdown 2

It’s OK I’ll use the time to shoot the Christmas photographs. And it worked, bookings for Christmas.

And then Christmas was cancelled.

Lockdown 3

Wild Swimming and gardening.

What have I learnt through this year of lockdowns?

Our NHS are amazing.

Keyworkers actually make this nation of ours tick.

There are some brilliant brains in this land that create vaccines to beat this vicious virus.

Teachers will now get so much more respect from parents who have now home-schooled!

That there are so many extraordinary volunteers making sure vital supplies get to those that need them most.

That businesses have donated their expertise and time to help their local communities and have earned their respect.

That our neighbourhoods have rallied around making this nation kind again.

And on a more personal note, that I can swim in the sea, at its coldest point in the year, in a cozzie!

Got to focus on the positives!!!

Can’t wait to – fingers crossed – open Anchor Cottage again on the 12th April.

Kaz x