Corona Virus is doing its best to spoil plans for Mayflower 400, and the Pilgrims Gallery and Gainsborough Old Hall have both been shut in line with government guidance – not to mention that our Pilgrim Churches have been prohibited from holding their usual services. There is a lot to worry about, but in cheerier news, there are ways to keep active and involved while following social distancing guidelines.
At the bottom of this article there is a PDF which can be printed or saved, with these ideas in brief. These could be reminders, or a list of options for something to do each day while we cannot go about our daily business. We’ve explored the ideas below, in case they might help people to feel connected at this time.
Get Social:
- Follow us on twitter and Facebook, and keep an eye on this website where we will be sharing information to try and keep our followers up-to-date and amused.
- Share any content you enjoy with your friends, who may also be looking for distraction at this time.
- Post pictures of heritage places you’ve visited or the signs of spring bursting forth that you can spot from your window.
Get Outdoors:
- Take a walk around one of the sites or stretches of the Pilgrim Trail (the map can be downloaded to devices and printed.
- If you have the space and can get hold of some seeds, take part in our Three Sisters Planting Competition.
Get Creative:
- Think about writing a blog about a visit you’ve made to a heritage place – we’d love to read them, especially stories of any of the amazing places linked to our pilgrims.
- Make a May flower and be part of something big! Here’s how. (This can be done with things you might just have around the house, and could keep little people entertained if they can’t go to school!)
- The Pilgrims wrote the Mayflower Compact deciding how they would govern themselves in the new world – you could write your own Compact with anyone you are quarantined with to determine how you will get along during this strange time.
Get Knowledge:
- If you cannot get out and about, you could listen to our short podcasts about the sites on the Pilgrim Trail:
- Explore our website and learn about what happened in the past, and what we are planning for the future.
- Download our Spring newsletter and read the latest about the Pilgrim Roots project.
Get Involved:
- Take part in our game of fates on Pilgrim Roots’ Facebook page. We will be posing questions and conundrums from the Mayflower Pilgrims’ story, and progressing the story along the path chosen by the majority – your vote counts!
- If you think you’ll be glad to get out and doing when all this is over, you could think about volunteering with us. We’d love to have you on board! Email: info@pilgrimroots.org.
Get Mindful:
- Be grateful for what is still good in the world – maybe try to find three good things in every day. You could plan a Thanksgiving celebration with friends for when the threat of the virus has passed.
- Doing something for someone else is often a mood-booster. It could be a little but precious thing, like a wave to a neighbour or a call to an old friend. If you are able and local, it could be a bigger thing: BCVS are organising low-risk volunteers to support people through this time. Sign up here.
- Remember, the Pilgrims spent 66 days tossed about on a tiny boat… provisions were low and unappetising… and… there was no such thing as loo roll!
Hopefully, something on this list has sparked your imagination and might help you get by in these strange times. If you’d like most of this information on a printable page (you could post it to a neighbour who is effected by the restrictions) then there is a copy here.
Stay safe, and we look forward to welcoming you in person when we are able.