Things Will Never Be The Same Again – 09.04.20

Things Will Never Be the Same Again

This Easter weekend will certainly be different with the continuing social distancing measures. As the sad human cost of Covid-19 continues to increase, albeit thankfully at a slower pace in UK, the restrictions we face are undoubtedly for very good reasons.

Hopefully, many of us can benefit from a chance for relaxation in the garden with the good weather forecast.

It is easy to lose sight of the positive news around us to provide reassurance that there is an end, even if we do not yet know when. Some economic examples are included in our Markets section below.

However, the positive stories of human behaviour are perhaps the most uplifting. Naturally, the key workers in the NHS and other support services spring instantly to mind. We also see examples of neighbours helping out each other whether that be through shopping or just collectively thanking the key workers each Thursday.

Maybe as a society, we can hope to retain more examples of the caring for each other, when life begins to return to normal.

We received a prose from our client, Tricia Waterhouse, which eloquently summed up a perspective that we know is shared by many other clients:

All Change?

What a happy release. Throwing off the demanding fast pace of society…….

•  Time to enjoy the home we have created.
• Time to appreciate what we have got.
• Time to work out what REALLY matters and throw away those we thought mattered.
• Do we really need a new dress, handbag and shoes when we already have plenty in our cupboards.
• Time to be grateful for what we have and not to hanker after more.
• Time to mend and make do.
• Time to enjoy our gardens and nature.
• Time to appreciate and care for others.

 Many of us ‘Vulnerables’ have so much more than we did during and after the war.

Will the new high-tech generation take heed and veer away from the “I want and must have” syndrome and having to keep up with friends and neighbours minute by minute. 

Maybe this could be the birth of a new culture and way of living. 

A focus on what matters……. community spirit rather than self-interest. 

Being more a David Attenborough than a Donald Trump!

The choice is ours. May it be a wise one!

Ideas and Assistance

We came across an amazing free short book, designed to explain the Coronavirus to children. It is illustrated by Axel Scheffler, who the parents and grandparents amongst us will recognise from his work on Julia Donaldson’s children’s stories. The book can be found here

An idea to maintain contact with the grandchildren could be to read them a bedtime story via webcam, although perhaps with a ‘lighter’ book than Coronavirus!

Please continue to share your ideas and recommendations.

Markets

Since our last newsletter, stockmarkets have seen positive returns as illustrated below

Time will tell whether we have reached the bottom, although there are likely to be more ‘bumps along the road’ in the recovery from the market extremes.

Contacts and Advice

We remain available, and please contact us for any assistance whether advice-related or simply for a general catch up.

Please also feel free to pass on this update to friends or family. We are in the process of building a Coronavirus related advice section for our website and would be happy to provide guidance to those directly affected by the economic and lifestyle implication irrespective of whether they are currently clients.

Have a great Easter weekend, stay safe and we look forward to catching up soon.