Welcome!

Now that restrictions are easing around the country, it’s been so lovely to hear from friends and family as they slowly shift back to a more normal life. On the first Saturday team are still all working from home, but we catch up a few times a week over the internet. And in today’s get-together we talked about the things we missed most when we were in lockdown. Food was quite high on the agenda for Amber and Eunice. ‘I›love to cook,’ said Amber. ‘But there is nothing like sitting at a table and letting someone else do all the work!’ Julia, who loves to travel, said she’s most looking forward to planning a trip, knowing that it will, almost certainly, go ahead. The first thing Sarah wanted to do was sit down in one of our lovely parks and just enjoy the winter sunshine. For Rachel and Liz, whose families live more than an hour away, it was being able to visit them that was›most important. But it was Beth’s contribution that had us all saying ‘Awwww’ in unison. ‘I just want to rub my sister Jemimah’s tummy,’ Beth said. ‘She’s due to have her first baby in late July and I haven’t been able to›see her in person since she popped.’ In the end, it’s the simple things, like human touch, that matter most. Bumping elbows is simply no substitute for getting together with someone you know and wrapping them in a big old hug. Julia spoke for all of us when she said, ‘I can’t wait to be able to hug a hello or goodbye whenever I feel like it!’ Amen to that. I’d love to hear what missed most during the lockdown.