LUCY PHILLIPS

Nottingham Trent University

Hello,

Funnily enough much of my lockdown has been about writing letters to people I don’t know, and now here is another one! Getting post, real post through the letter box, has been a highlight in these socially distanced times. Since the start of lockdown, I have received all sorts of treats. An anonymous friend sent a chocolate bar in an unsigned note; another posted a packet of sage seeds, which are now planted and sprouting; another sourced the most amazing 3D pop-up card; and my sister-in-law sends prizes every time I win the family bingo on a Sunday night (three times, since you ask). Knowing that friends and family are thinking about me has provided real solace. And whilst I too have been writing the occasional postcard or sending random gifs to friends, I have also been writing to people I have never met before. I opted to take part in the Nottingham Playhouse Pen Pals project. Tis means writing a letter to someone you don’t know and may never know. Writing such a letter presents a series of quandaries. Why would a stranger want to hear from me? How do I write a letter that is interesting and engaging when I only have a name and two words of description? Does it seem a bit bigheaded to just ramble on about myself? But then what else

is there to say? I can ask a question or two, but there’s no guarantee I’m going to get an answer. Does that matter? Maybe I was overthinking it! I decided to keep my letters short and to stuf them with as much goodwill and good humour as possible. In the end, it felt good to reach out and I really hope that the two women I wrote to feel a connection and recognise that their letters were written especially for them. I have also been writing to a friend’s daughter. I don’t know her, I just know we are similar ages (in our early 50s) and she is in lockdown in a city 50 miles from here, with only her carers for company. She is unable to see her partner or visit her day centre, and is understandably frustrated with social isolation. Jigsaws are proving to be a great distraction, but as she has limited dexterity she prefers ones with no more than 100 pieces, and the pieces must be a good size to handle, not too small and fddly. Local people, through Facebook and our neighbourhood WhatsApp group, have donated jigsaws and every week I send her one or two through the post with a note. Last week a friend who lives on the south coast sent three brand-new jigsaws for me to post on to her. Her dad tells me how delighted she is and I’m ultra-excited to be able to connect with her and hopefully I will get to meet her one day. So, my letter of solidarity is about connection. Connecting with friends and with strangers, and the beneft that brings us all. It’s simple. It’s ofen the small things that matter.

I hope that whoever reads this has stayed safe and well, and has been able to stay in touch with loved ones throughout. Best wishes and take care

Lucy