As lockdown began and Covid swept through the country, I became temporarily unemployed. Before the pandemic, I was working as a cook, and I was lost without work and friends.
I started baking on a Thursday morning and distributing cakes and biscuits to my neighbours on Walmer Road, Lowestoft. It became something that everyone looked forward to. It helped not only my mental health but that of others too, and as lockdown eased and friendships were formed, we began to also discover a love of gardening.
“We started to share plants and gardening tips, meeting in small groups outside in the road to chat and socialise.”
I am on the committee of Lowestoft in Bloom, and we decided we needed to bring communities together after these hard times. Lowestoft in Bloom runs a local competition to do just that. Schools, care homes, pubs and clubs, allotment holders and local groups all take part and Walmer Road residents also got together to take part in a floral challenge. Letters were distributed to all residents in the road and so began what has now become an annual event.
“Neighbours help and support each other, some doing work in each other’s gardens if they are unable to manage themselves due to age, disabilities or lack of gardening knowledge.”
Verges are mown, edges are chiselled and shaped, and many hands make light work. Tea, coffee, wine and beer are drunk, and chat is free flowing. All with the intention of making our street, not only a great place to live, but to show that we are as one, with nature and community spirit, a group of neighbours proud of their accomplishments and confident that they are living in a safe and friendly road that they call home.
