Photo 1

“Homeschooling with a twist. Student son showing his farmer father how to use Zoom just minutes before an important growers' meeting is due to start. He made it, just in time and without the aid of any bailer twine which is what usually gets a farmer out of any tight spot.”

Photo 2

“Photograph of my partner's dog, Archie. At the time it seemed like a tting comment on the Covid Lockdown. A very British dog blocking a road with no entry written on it.”

Photo 3

“Nine year old Lily Tancock is allowed out once a day for exercise. She is walking a mile a day for 15 days to raise money for a Dorset charity - Weldmar Hospice Care.

The 15 miles represents the distance from her house to the in patient unit at Dorchester
A lovely moment in time and she has been well supported by the village community.”

Photo 4

“April Saturdays in Bucky Doo. They are traditionally cold and wet yet The Wessex Military Band will set up in the square for its first outdoor concert of the year. April 25th 2020 - one of our trombone players, Steve, looks out the window and is amazed that the sun is shining. Then it dawns on him that he won't be getting his day in the bustling centre of town; meeting his friends and playing music to the happy crowd as they sip tea and eat the delicious cake sold by the shop nearby. Nor will he smell the bacon sandwiches that waft across the band making them all hungry nor watch the charity stallholders cheerfully sell their wares. Instead he sits alone in his garden with only the instruments for company playing 'Mr Blue Sky' and dreaming of the day he can once again go out and play some new music, any music that's better than this old tune. 'The Greatest Showman' perhaps?”

Photo 5

“This man is called Andy and works for Amsafe Bridport. I mistakenly thought he worked at the supermarket as he cleaned a trolley with disinfectant spray and rolled it to the lady infront of me, then did the same for me, but it turned out he was actually heading in to do his own shopping and was simply being kind. He seemed bemused by my request to take his photograph but I felt that his thoughtful gesture deserved some recognition.”

Photo 6

“Bin day is now a new weekly highlight for this little vehicle enthusiast. Is it just us or are any weekly markers of time, no matter how mundane seeming increasingly interesting under lockdown? With the lack of our usual routine, groups and outings, anything slightly out of the ordinary is a nice departure.

Earlier this week, we were super excited that some roadworks were happening outside our house. We sat and watched for almost half an hour as they worked and then did some vehicle and digger role play of our own.

It’s the little things that keep us going!”

Photo 7

“This little pilot is Caspar aged ‘two and three quarters’ celebrating the 75th VE Day during Covid 19 lockdown on May 8 2020.

I kept this cardboard box in the shed that contained his big (half) brother’s 18th birthday present (guitar), since April 4th. That’s when it slowly sank in that I was going to have to provide a lot more entertainment over the coming weeks and months being thrown into full-time mum mode.

Caspar is used to spending 2 days a week at Sunny Days Nursery, another day with Grandma Broom and another day with Aunty Nikki and Grandma Deverell and Aunt Yvee. So it’s been a lot for him to take on a sudden change in routine like that and not to mention missing everyone.

But he’s adapted well and is the one keeping us all going especially when he says things like ‘when the coughs gone we can go to the beach again’ and ‘we’ll be okay at home mummy’, it spurs me on to try and make this time at home as much fun as possible.

Don’t get me wrong, I spend mornings with my laptop out trying to work whilst he’s in front of the tv box. It doesn’t do anyone any good, but needs must. And when we do make things and get crafty, he’s wonderful at taking my mind off of it all.

And now in these times, which are hard, but nothing compared to the sacrifice that Caspar’s great grandparents had to make during WWII, I felt we had to make something to remember that. And when he sees this picture in years to come I hope that I can tell him the story of how his great grandfather fell in love with the Dutch daughter of a kind man that let him and his comrades shelter in his barn in Nijmegen whilst on a mission. And that after the war had ended his great grandmother, Johanna, left Holland and got on a boat with her Singer sewing machine and a small suitcase and made her way to Crewkerne (which I hear came as quite a shock – they should have moved to Bridport ;) to marry his great grandfather Sydney. Without that love he or I wouldn’t be here today.

So I hope this pandemic makes love grow in more ways and dimensions than ever before and makes some really great things happen.

One day Caspar will get to give everyone a big hug again, especially his big bother and sister and celebrate the 18th birthday properly instead of over bloody FaceTime.

Staying at home making things isn’t very hard, although some of the tantrums are testing. Happy VE Day and thank you to everyone then and everyone now, forever and always.”

Photo 8

“So I said 'Can I just say that your hat has made my day?' then as an afterthought 'Could I take your photograph?' ...

Mother and daughter nodded, then Mother spent quite a long time waving whilst saying "I'm eighty nine you know" ..

The hat was sequinned ...”

Photo 9

“This is Sal Robinson my partner who is Chideock Parish Clerk and treasurer to the Allington Hillbillies. She is sewing scrubs for the West Dorset Scrubbers using my grandmother's Singer sewing machine . My grandmother Kathleen Lush lived all her 100 years in Sherborne . The machine was made on The Clyde in 1929.”

Photo 10

“This is Reuben. I had the pleasure of photographing him earlier this week as part of the @bridportlockdown project that I recently set up to record community life in my local area. The true picture of any community life is rarely seen in the images that so many of us share on social media. They are the gloss which cover the real stories which are uncovered when you start to dig deeper. As my friend Sophy Roberts recently wrote about these times: "It helps to write things down. To take pictures. To record the rainbows, but also the rainclouds, the light, the dark, the optimism, the fear.” This is at the heart of our project. And, as that digging progresses, the rainbows become brighter, the rainclouds heavier, and the real truth of our community life begins to fill that widening gap between.

Below, and continued in the comments, are the brutally honest and open words from Reuben’s brother Manni which he sent when he asked me to photograph Reuben and include him in the project.

"Depressed, Downs and in Dorset - the story of a young man, floored by depression, who finds himself in a care home in Bridport. An enormous mural of a lion looks after him as he peers out of the window hoping to catch a glimpse of his parents as they drive past, tooting their horn and waving their love.

Reuben Coe, a young man with Down Syndrome is sitting out the lockdown in a care home in Bridport, Dorset. Just two years ago, he was living on an olive farm in Andalucía with his brother Manni and Manni ́s partner, Andrew. Reuben was happy, healthy and filled his days with music, films and smiles. So, what happened? Here is a tale of a battle with the human psyche, all the more tender and vulnerable in someone who has Down Syndrome. This is a story of strength, not of weakness and I hope that as you read it, it makes you feel stronger. We can all take courage.

When I look back and ask myself, "What happened?" I must cast my mind way back to when Reuben was happy. He felt safe at our house in Spain. Friends and neighbours popped in and out. Volunteers lived next door, who helped us on the farm, so Reuben had a choice for lunch. With us or with the workaways? He had a semblance of autonomy and we encouraged him to live out his best life with a new appreciation of nature, fresh air and the serenity of the countryside. When Andrew and I were at home, everything was perfect. But then our jobs took us away, a lot. Little by little Reuben had fewer interactions and he began to retreat into his room, his imagination, his own sense of peace. Some volunteers left him to his own devices, and he began to feel lonely. They had been irresponsible or selfish or both. They had agreed to take care of Reuben before their arrival. Maybe it was my fault for not specifying Reuben ́s needs enough. Was their lack of care an act of cruelty? Quite possibly, but they were not responsible for him. They were volunteers and not professionals. I had taken my eye off Reuben ́s ball for too long and despite the weekends of brotherly hugs, dinners and watching films by the fire, when I left for another trip, Reuben remained alone. We had robbed him of "choices", taken his autonomy away from him and he began to slip into a depression. Unfortunately (and I kick myself every single day) we didn ́t spot it until it was too late. Reuben stared it in the face with bravery and courage, willing himself through every day until finally one last straw broke the camel ́s back. It was an extremely hot day and we had taken a walk in the sun. He overheated; his heart started to beat faster than normal. There had been a storm. He had felt fear. He felt alone. It was coming and he could no longer fend it off. He looked at me and said, "Brother, I don ́t want to die" and then physically collapsed in a heap. We held him as he wept. We kissed away his tears, but the damage was done. He was broken.

To be floored by depression is to be caught in a sticky cobweb with so many layers of despair. Understanding how you got there is intrinsic to recovery. Logic plays a huge role, as does discipline, routine, love, patience and will power. Reuben has an incredibly deep emotional intelligence, but it is instinctive rather than academic. He lives in a magical place, mid-way between reality and fantasy and his day to day is filled with imaginings of magical realism. Showing him a way out of the web has proved to be one of the most difficult processes any of us have ever come across. Months of tender love seemed to have no effect. We tried the tough love approach but that didn ́t work either. It was taking Reuben two whole hours to get from his bed to the breakfast table. He returned to Mum and Dad ́s house. “Surely, they have more time on their hands and can help him get better?” we thought. But he got worse. He regressed in his speech and his movement. At one point he was using a wheelchair, unable or unwilling to walk, hiding from the world behind a large brimmed cap and a thick scarf. He is such a character that friends who hadn ́t seen him for a while. assumed he was play acting the role of a grandfather. But no, he wasn ́t acting. This was very real.

Private care bore the brunt of his daily needs, but the quality of the care was embarrassingly poor and astronomically expensive. (There is a real gap in the market for excellent, affordable care) We became increasingly anxious about Reuben ́s welfare which is when we decided to knock on the doors of Social Services. Norfolk didn ́t even pick up the phone. London was oversubscribed. We have a house in Dorset, so we called Dorset Council and to our huge relief, someone answered. We were passed through a myriad of administrative corridors but eventually Bridport Adult Learning came to visit Reuben and see how they could help. Weeks later, a place became available in a home in Bridport. The previous occupant had died unexpectedly. Dorset Council advised us to snap it up.

“These places don ́t come up that often,” explained his lovely social worker as we enjoyed a cup of tea together.
Our panics subsided as we realized there was a way out of the spider ́s web but explaining the process to Reuben seemed an impossible task

“But why do I have to go to a home brother? I don ́t want to go. I want to stay with you,” he would whisper. “Or with Mummy and Daddy.”
There was no easy road. Andrew and I went to visit the home and the welcome was warm and cheery. We were bolstered by the hope and happiness of the staff. Despite their best efforts to deep clean the room, it still reeked of the life that has been sucked out of it just days before. I was having a difficult
job imagining Reuben there. I wanted him to be happy. I wanted him to feel safe and peaceful, so I decided to organize a total re-decoration. Knowing that he loved Narnia and that Aslan accompanies him in his daily meanderings, I ordered a lion mural from Poland, a lamppost from London, “Welcome to Narnia” stencils from Derby and paint from Bridport. 2 weeks later a decorator transformed the downstairs bedroom into a magical, warm and cozy space. A magnificent Aslan covered an entire wall, ready to guard the Reuben, day and night. When Reuben saw it, his face lit up with that rare smile.

We moved Mum and Dad down to Bridport to help Reuben with the transition and settle him into the local town, his activities and support networks. He could pop in for a hug, enjoy a dinner with them and meet them in town for a drink. It was all going so well. He had the familiar love he needed on tap. And then lockdown happened. Dad is on the high-risk list and both my parents are now on a strict 3-month lockdown. They can no longer visit Reuben. At best they can drive by and park for a few seconds, tooting their horn, waving their love as Reuben looks out from his bedroom window, trying to get a glimpse of his Mummy and Daddy. As the car pulls away, they can see the enormous eyes of Aslan, promising to keep their fourth son safe until they are allowed to hug him again. Until we can all hold him again, drawing him close and assuring him that everything is going to be alright.”

Photo 11

“The new armour...

Members of the Royal Welsh Regiment had set up a temporary Covid-19 testing station in the West Bay Road Car Park over the first weekend of May 2020.

Local residents requiring testing would arrive by car at pre-booked time slots. Test kits were handed to them on a pole through their car window by Royal Welsh fusiliers. The person requiring testing would self-administer the test in another section of the car park before driving to the final area of the car park where they returned the completed test to another fusilier.

Sgt Lewis Bradbury, Charlie Company 1, Royal Welsh said:
"It’s been a pleasure working in Bridport and with the local people, there has been a lot of support from members of the public (with deliveries of tea, coffee, cakes and snacks) which the men are very grateful for.

The Royal Welsh are here supporting and helping the country/Bridport. This is our country and protecting it is the calling we answer everyday, today we were doing this by facilitating mobile testing, together we stand by our civilian colleagues, offering special skills in the fight against Coronavirus."

In this photo is Fusilier Edwards (left) and Fusilier O’Brien (right)

Photo 12

“I don't think I would know what day of the week it was if I didn't have medication to take daily...

This morning I had my 3 month psychiatric review via telephone. I used to have weekly consultations with a psychiatric nurse too but these have gone fortnightly since I find phone calls quite difficult and due to obvious reasons, I can't see my support staff in person.

Lockdown hasn't all been sunshine and rainbows and I think it's really important to be honest about that. I think it's even more important to validate my emotions by saying things like "yes we are all in the same boat but I don't have to feel happy and content all the time".

I think a lot of us are feeling some form of pressure, perhaps stemming from an expectation we have of ourselves to be productive? There's a lot of media about what people are up too, how they're spending their time during lockdown - suggesting to people what new hobbies they could try to pick up or saying that this is the perfect time to have a household clear up or redecorate, but actually is this the perfect time? We are all stressed, we are all a bit fed up of being separated from loved ones. We are balancing working from home with homeschooling our children, whilst trying to maintain some form of a "routine". I for one think it's totally acceptable to have spent a lot of time just resting, just sitting with emotions and tolerating them... Yes okay I've done bits and bobs each day, but I don't get up thinking "I've got to make today count" because put simply, every day counts. It doesn't matter what you did or didn't do today, what matters is that you are existing as you are meant too, taking each minute as it comes and doing what feels right at the time.

I will quite happily put my hands up and say I am struggling with my emotions. I miss the things I used to do that kept my mental health in check... I've had to search for new coping mechanisms which is never a quick or easy task. Just because I understand the need for this lockdown doesn't mean I can't struggle because of it, yes it is out of my control but no I do not have to be okay with it.

I hope that these honest words can help reassure anyone who may be struggling with some extreme emotions to see that they are not alone, that there are people that understand the implications this is having on our mental health.

Our feelings are real and they are VALID, they deserve to be heard.”

Photo 13

“In this photo is Bernard Waterman and Jayne Edwards(activity co-ordinator)Today is V Day and normally we would have a party where all our family would come together and we would celebrate but today is different and the world is different. We have made it a special day with residents and staff coming together and safely waving to family members at on the street. We will always remember. We can't wait for the day we will all be reunited again.”

Photo 14

“We are providing free meals to the vulnerable and self isolated. We run on a donation basis. We provide roughly 60-80 meals per day. We have volunteer drivers that safely doorstep deliver all meals ready to reheat. I'm proud to have my name being used for such good and bringing love and happiness to people. It does tire me out as I have an admin job I continue to do and a partner who is working and 4 children but it's so worth it xxx”

Photo 15

“Adam and Joe work for the waste services provide by Dorset Council. They collect Garden and Trade Waste.

Just like their colleagues who work on Domestic and Trade rounds they have continued to work through lock down.

'Bin Men' usually get a bad rap from the public, they are too late collecting bins or block roads whilst collecting our rubbish.

We are all at times a little short tempered with bin men... Sometimes we forget that they are just people like the rest of us...

Some Loaders will walk 20 miles during a round (yes, really we've tracked it!)

Drivers drive huge 32 tonne lorries through the tiny winding rural and coastal roads, this is an expertise usually ignored.

Their services have changed to meet the needs of our communities in this time and

Adam reports that our attitudes towards them have changed, teams have been touched by the kind gestures, pictures and clapping they have received whilst they work.

When we eventually get back to normal and once again get stuck behind a bin lorry and its team whilst we dash to work, school or the shops. Maybe we can remember just how hard these guys worked to keep the country moving in these challenging times and we'll cut them some slack and let them work in peace.