Abbots Langley Transition Town Association (ALTTA) have released the results from their online survey asking people in the village about their experience of lockdown.
The answers to each of the questions have been summarised as pieces of word art created by ALTTA member, Rachel Johnson, which illustrate the difficulties and benefits that such a break from ‘normal life’ brought to different people locally.
The need for connection with others and appreciation of the peaceful skies were commented on by many respondents as they thought about their recent experiences and hopes for the future.
When asked what they missed the most during lockdown, people commented on the lack of human contact from family, friends, and people centred activities such as singing in choirs, going to the theatre or to the pub.
The responses to this question were shown as a word cloud in the shape of a teardrop and the word ‘hugs’ stands out.
When asked what people have appreciated during lockdown, there is an emphasis in the responses on the change to living a slower pace of life, and to the quieter environment, with peace, bird song and lack of pollution all getting repeat mentions.
The responses to this question were illustrated in the shape of a heart.
ALTTA was interested to know what people would want to hold onto from their lockdown experience, and these responses are shown as the green shoots of a young plant.
Finally, there was the picture of a ‘blue sky thinking’, to answer the question ‘what would you like the new normal to look like’?
Here again there are responses that show determination to engage locally with the environment and groups, cycling and walking, singing in choirs, socialising and enjoying life at a calmer pace than before lockdown.
Mary Chabrel, chair of ALTTA, said: “I think it is amazing that these answers show a deep sense of sustainability on so many levels, socially, environmentally and economically.
“Society responded to the threat of the coronavirus very swiftly; we know that we need to respond to the global threat of climate change too, and that will require individual and community action over longer timescales.”
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