Follow The Barge – 05.06.20

Our financial planning focus is to make sure that our clients can live life to the full and be happy with their lifestyles. We were therefore delighted to receive a client’s photograph and his agreement to share it with you.

This week has felt a little strange for many of us:

• The joy of spending time with extended family and friends again for the first time in almost three months, albeit with the required social distancing.
• Primary schools have extended their intake, yet most children are still being home educated.
• More businesses have begun to function again, yet the self-employed and business employment financial support schemes continue.

In this edition, we have updated our HUB information with an article on ‘Re-entry anxiety’, financial education for primary school children and the government financial support updates.

We continue our Distraction Ideas along with the HarperLees Desert Island Discs series for your entertainment.

Please click the links on all songs, films and activities throughout the Newsletter for your enjoyment.

HarperLees’ Wellbeing HUB

We have updated our HUB this week with the following items:

• An article from Happiful which discusses ‘Re-entry anxiety’ – the fear of returning to ‘normal’ as the lockdown conditions are eased, whilst our inherent way of life is being fundamentally altered. Read the full article here.
• After we highlighted the Personal Finance Society for Secondary School children a few weeks ago, we were advised of the Redstart offering, designed for 8-12 year olds.
• The Chancellor announced further details for the Covid-19 support extension for employers and the self-employed. A second grant will be available in August for the self-employed. For companies, the full details have been published for the continuation of the Furlough scheme. Please click here.

Follow The Barge

Peter Pangbourne is a long-standing client of HarperLees and a keen sailor and photographer.

I was virtually born in a boat and have been sailing all my life. Now sailing from Mersea Island, my present boat is a classic sloop which Alison and I have owned for the last 42 years.

The image ‘Follow The Barge’ highlights several smacks just after their start of the Colne barge match last year, pursuing the Thames barges which regularly meet for matches in around the Thames estuary.

When I retired, I joined the local photographic club and started entering photographic competitions. I moved on to Colchester Photographic Society, gained LRPS after my name and I’m working towards my associateship.

Photographing historic and classic vessels allows me to combine my two interests. It also gives me a lot of images for competitions. One of which is the annual national historic ships photo competition.

In partnership Classic Boat magazine and National Historic Ships UK’s 2020 Photography Competition is looking for photographs which celebrate ‘maritime heritage through the seasons’. There are prizes for the overall best image and best classic image.

Three pictures each week are selected in the People’s Choice category…the image which gets the most public ‘likes’ that week goes through to the final in September. My image ‘Follow that barge’ won its week.

I have never won any of the competitions but have been highly commended four times.

Thank you to Peter and Alison for sharing the photo and story.

When available, HarperLees will include the link in our Wellbeing Newsletter, enabling our readers to register ‘likes’ in support of Peter’s photo in the final.

Desert Island Discs From HarperLees

Continuing our series, Michele Webster shares her 8 songs, book and luxury item:

Proud Mary – Tina Turner. A song that makes me smile and gives me energy. I might need that stuck on an Island!

Back to Life – Soul II Soul. Classic feel good song.

Bitter Sweet Symphony – The Verve. Good driving song.

Mountain at My Gates – The Foals. A feel-good tune when exercising.

Breakeven – The Script. Seen in concert four times.

Bloodstream – Ed Sheeran and Rudimental. Another feel-good song.

Juice – Lizzo. Also helps me exercise.

Nevermind – Dennis Lloyd. A chilled song.

Book: Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis – I love books that provide an escape from reality, use imagination and fuel our curiosity.

Luxury Item: Rum! I first picked a tent to provide shelter from wind, sun and creepy crawlies. However, I most hate being cold and the chances of me keeping a fire alight are pretty slim. Rum can bring ‘internal warmth’.

Michele working at home, being watched by a gorilla!

Distraction Ideas

Our distraction suggestions are:

Reading

The Ickabog – A story from JK Rowling is available free to download, along with a competition to illustrate the book which will be published in November.

Viewing

Tennis – Usually around this time, the Pimms and strawberries are plentiful for Wimbledon. Although the tennis has been cancelled, the weather has been great and your home-made refreshments will cost lower than SW19’s £11! The final ingredient is this selection of games taken from each decade over the last 50 years.

Macbeth – Shakespeare’s Globe continues its series of free online viewing.

Coriolanus– Another Shakespeare play, presented by The National Theatre and starring Tom Hiddleston.

Charity Games and Events

NSPCC – This Saturday, the Big Climb encourages us to climb as high as we choose and raise vital funds. With, suggestions of Big Ben at 632 steps, the Empire State building at 1,860 or Mount Everest at 58,070, we would love to hear your step counts.

Macmillan Cancer Support – Virtual fun with friends and family with Macmillan providing everything you need to host a board games night online.

Contacts and Advice

We hope you find our newsletter informative and entertaining and welcome your ideas for future articles. Thank you to those that have shared the newsletter with friends and family.

We look forward to speaking soon.