In the middle of a global pandemic, the word ‘infectious’ has only one meaning for most of us. But enthusiasm, laughter and even a smile can be infectious too. This project, which started at the beginning of the third national lockdown and concluded when restrictions were relaxed in July, records responses from people in the Upper Calder Valley when asked what had lifted their spirits over the past year.
'I've been coming in to Hope Chapel a lot on my own over lockdown - helping to clean up after the flooding and restoration work. I either have my music on full blast or have quieter time - just watching the changing light in the chapel. I’ll keep pottering around until the doors are open again.’
Vikki
‘I like to live in hope - thinking about what I am going to do in the future and how good things are going to be, rather than dwelling on problems of today. If I need somewhere to stop and unwind, Nutclough Woods is just round the corner from my home. I sometimes take the dog and usually pause for a while, just listening to the water.’
Stephanie
‘The shop has become much more than a place to sell guitars. It attracts people who have a passion for making music and using their skills in ways that benefit people in and around the local community. It is a hub for sharing ideas and inspiration.’
Kevin
‘Withens Clough Reservoir is just up the hill from home and has been my go-to place during the lockdowns. From beachcombing in the dry heat of last summer to driving rain and snow, my inland beach has delivered ... in spades.’
‘I started open water swimming a month or so before the first lockdown and now I go every morning - sometimes with friends, but often alone. It is such a rush and so exhilarating that it is almost addictive.’ Jess
‘Working on the allotment at Redacre allows me to get my hands in the soil. So much of what happens in the world is individualised, but time here is a great reminder that, ultimately, we are all connected to the earth.’
Kath
‘I have been cycling around the gilded cage that is Calderdale during the third lockdown, with Stoodley Pike within view much of the time. It's a bit like 'Where's Wally?', but a reminder that I'm still local and so fortunate to be locked down amid such splendour.’
Rob
‘Without a garden and the countryside surrounding my home during lockdown I believe I may have gone slightly round the bend. Nature drained away all the negativity I was feeling and filled me to the brim with positive energy and the promise of hope on the horizon.’
Alison
‘In the last year, my yoga room has been my happy place. Teaching from this space, it’s been fascinating to watch a sense of community developing before my eyes. We’ve offered one another much-needed emotional support along the way. I feel incredibly grateful to have been a part of this.’ Claire
‘Creating art is about expressing something and I’ve been writing and painting all my life. In lockdown it has helped me a lot; looking out of the window at nature … at trees and hills. There were things I hadn’t really looked at before.’
Eileen
‘Being in touch with nature is massively important. Getting outside: in rough weather, as well as the smooth. A bit of hard graft is crucial ... for your health and your wellbeing and your immune system. I could go on forever about it, really.’ Nic
‘I don't really like being behind the wheel, but I love working on carsgetting to understand how they work. Over the past year, it has given me a great sense of satisfaction to help customers by fixing problems and keeping them on the road during this tricky period.’ Stephen
‘Doing my own freestyle croquet in the fantastic amphitheatre that is Centre Vale Park in Todmorden has been very calming for me, especially on a bright, frosty morning in Spring. I always 'ask' for permission when I step on the green. It feels like a sacred space.’
Portia
‘Being retired, we were able to minimise the risk of infection by avoiding crowded work places, shops and public transport. Living in Heptonstall, overlooking the Calder Valley with a good sized garden and the facility of walking locally, has provided valuable solace.' Derrick and Lyn
‘I've had many motorbikes over the years, but never owned one from new. I had the chance during lockdown to get hold of one of these bikes, which are much indemand. It took me on a camping tour to the wonderful Northumberland coast - and a taste of freedom.’ Terry
‘I set up my business in 2019, just a few months before the COVID crisis. I stopped trading throughout the first lockdown, but started up again mid 2020 and I've been back on various markets since then. I'm in Hebden Bridge every Sundayit's been great to be able to trade here during these difficult times.’
Tom
‘Apart from five weeks when I couldn't get bread, I've kept myself going through the last year by working .... looking after you guys!’
Katie
‘At the beginning there was shock, then lovely weather and a feeling of camaraderie. But as time went on, things became very difficult. Doing cross stitch tapestry is relaxing and therapeutic. If I sit on my bench to sew amid the lovely Cragg Vale scenery and listen to the birds - when there is a break in the traffic - it is possible to let hope creep back in.’ Ann
‘During lockdown I came to appreciate our slightly wild garden so much more. Devoting time to little things - like trimming the grass on the edges of our erratic paths - both restorative and relaxing. We are so lucky!’
David
‘The pandemic brought a sudden end to my volunteering activities. But a couple of carrier bags of stamps have kept me busy sorting them to raise money for the Leprosy Mission. It's more than a mechanical task; It gives me time to reflect and meditate.’
Gunhild
‘My secret to remaining positive was first to stop watching the BBC News. I read a report that found nearly every one of the victims was Vitamin D deficient. I take a daily supplement and get out into the sun as often as I can and am sure that this has helped in no small way. I have lived through the Asian flu of 1957 and the Hong Kong flu of 1969. We have to simply get on with our lives.’
Alan
‘I’m self-employed, so felt I should be working all the time I was off. If I take a holiday, I want to be in a place that guarantees sunshine. But there’s light at the end of the tunnel.’ Gavan
‘I completely embraced lockdown, loving the peace, the clean air and the bird song. With access to Hope Chapel, I can sit in the place alone with nothing more than gentle music from a CD player I bring along with me.’
Sudhiro
‘Our best mate Alfie is now 18 months old and has helped us, not just get out walking (a lot!), but has also dragged us through these very strange and testing times in the only way he knows.’
Keith
‘What has kept me going? Resistance; fighting against the government and media lies and misinformation about COVID! It has been essential for my social wellbeing to meet like-minded people - on Fridays at St George's Square, and Sundays in the park, where we are part of thousands making 'A Stand in the Park'.’
Ralph
‘Hebden Bridge is such a wonderful place to visit, now that restrictions are being lifted. But the best thing about lockdown was that we were able to spend more time together.’
Henry and Caroline
‘As a community Support Officer, my role is largely to give people reassurance. So, the last year has not seen much change; Just a bit busier. It's been good to see examples of community spirit - of people helping each other.’
Gareth
‘I lost a job after lockdown, which was very stressful, but I could spend more time relaxing on the boat and out in nature. I got my sense of self back, despite having no job. A new mooring gave me a place that is more rural and quiet. It is also on the towpath side and chatting to people who pass has been a lovely bonus as well.’
'It has certainly been a year of ups and downs. Our attempts at a home delivery service led us to some precarious lanes on the hills and selling seedlings has now left us with enough produce for a market stall. But we've really appreciated positive feedback and the support of local people.’
John and Julie
‘I found the first lockdown hard and then particularly the one over winter. The arrival of summer, as well other good things happening in my life, really lifted by spirits. The effect of the seasons is massive.’
Peter
‘Creative work brings me into the moment - helps me to be mindful of things around me. I make illustrated journals when I am travelling, which wasn't possible during lockdown. So, I made a point of drawing some ordinary everyday things when I could, including some of other people’s lockdown activities… and I joined in with an online oil painting class.’
Karen
‘The team we have are like family and I enjoy getting together with everyone for a catch up and, more importantly, to enjoy the game we all love. We follow government guidelines to ensure we sanitise between overs, but it's nice to get outside and meet up with the others and it’s a great positive for our mental well-being.’
Jawad
‘I’m so grateful to get back on stage after twenty long months. During lockdown I've been organising remote music projects and recording with people onlinesome of whom I’ve never met! The arts need all the support they can get right now, and I can’t wait for the sector to bloom back into life’
Danni
‘I've been a therapist for 24 years now. It's what I do and something I can share and, when I help someone, it lifts me. Over the last year, and with the help of photographers and musicians, we created a series of healing videos to give people the peace and strength they need right now.’
Ceinwyn
‘Switching from printing to making handbags was not just out of necessity, but an opportunity to try something new. I lost my mother during the pandemic and I was left her sewing machine, so it also seemed like a fitting tribute to her.’
Emma
'I’ve been working in and on the hills around Todmorden and throughout Calderdale for the past year – since we moved here from Manchester last February, just ahead of the first lockdown. My works take an approach to recording the environment, which I increasingly see to be more of a kind of data-collection activity than an attempt to render a locality, or even to produce abstract responses to the landscape.’
Martin
‘I couldn’t get work during lockdown and was loathe to go on benefits, so I decided to start a business. I’d always wanted to do stone carving so I thought I’d have a go at stone planters. I spent over a month carving fifty, all from reclaimed stone, then set up a stall at the bottom of Shaw Wood Road. Local people were very supportive and so, a year on, I’m still going.’
Andrew
‘My Mum has chest problems and has been shielding. I’ve found it really hard to have to talk with her from the garden. What’s helped me is going to church and getting out on my bike.’
Juna
‘As soon as I could come back here, I did. But I didn't want people to forget about the issue during lockdown, so I’ve been displaying statistics and pictures in my window at home – and I was told the other day it had even made an appearance on Twitter.’
Chris
‘I don’t want to be like anyone else - I want to be my own person. This bike has taken me all over the world. That stopped during the lockdowns, although I was going out every day to visit my sister, when she was ill. She died of COVID and cancer.’
Bob
The death of my father during the pandemic reminded me how short life is. So, I thought I'd be brave and take the opportunity of voluntary redundancy - without any idea what I'd do. Talking with friends, I joked that I was going to make ‘Hebden Bridge Gin'' ... and then thought maybe I could. Three and a half months later, here I am.’
Jill
‘Having to close the pub was really hard. The first lockdown came almost out of the blue and left us with a lot of stock. What made things difficult was being furloughed and no-one going in to check on the state of things. It was the support of our shareholders and customers that got us through it. We managed to crowdfund over £10,000 to cover and heat our extended beer garden which will be an absolute boon in the future.’
Drew
‘I love the uplifting experience of singing in a choir, but over lockdown it just wasn't the same online. Now there are fewer restrictions we've been able to meet outside in a carpark every week, which has been wonderful. For our last session of term we had such fun busking in the centre of Hebden Bridge and sharing our sense of celebration with our community.’
Chrissie
‘I began this project to give myself a creative outlet at the start of the third national lockdown. Initially I was just curious to find out how people in my local community were coping but then felt privileged and inspired as they shared personal stories about responding to this global catastrophe.’
Gerard
