BOOKISH THINGS IN STRANGE TIMES by Victoria Cornwall

Although the lock down restrictions are being eased across the country, there will be many people whose lock down is far from over so I thought I would share the few bookish things that made my time in lock down a little more bearable.

The first was Cider with Rosie, a memoir  of Laurie Lee's idyllic childhood in the English countryside.

I read it first as a teenager in English class... not by choice. At the time I found it boring simply because I didn't find a book that mirrored my own father's childhood experiences interesting. Like most teenagers it was my own childhood that was important to me not someone else's... unless it involved a fast paced plot, an unsolved mystery or the capture of a criminal. So when my book club gave out Cider with Rosie as a our next read just before lock down, I was intrigued to find out the plot as I could remember nothing about it... indisputable evidence that I must have spent the entire reading lesson staring out of the window, daydreaming. As it turned out, it was the perfect read - gentle escapism from the stark repeated warnings on the radio and television to stay home, protect the NHS and save lives, not to mention the daily rising death count.

Cider with Rosie has no plot (and don't wait for Rosie to appear as her moment of stardom is fleeting). This book is just a gentle journey through Lauri Lee's childhood, with exquisite, vivid, descriptions of each phase of his life, pre-school, school, childhood friends, teenage life, eccentric country characters and his relationship with his siblings and mother. Strangely, it reminded me of my own childhood in many ways despite being approximately four decades apart. Children in themselves do not change and I suspect the teenage Laurie Lee, with his zest for life and adventure, would have also spent his English lesson daydreaming by the window if he had been forced to read it as a developing teenager. As an adult trying to escape a stressful day, well in my opinion Cider with Rosie was perfect.

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Those people who are lucky enough to have a garden or outside space, found themselves doing a lot more gardening than they had done previously. Whether your an expert or a novice, gardeners are learning all the time. My garden certainly had a lot more attention, and I wonder if my plants were quaking in their soil when they first saw me coming. They had no need to fear, because I was armed with the Royal Horticultural Society Gardening Through The Year book.

Precise, clear and simple, this book gives a step by step guide on what needs doing every month. I felt an expert by just reading it!

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The second book I used rather a lot during lock down was Mary Berry's Baking Bible.

Once again, precise, clear and simple, this book provides a variety of things to bake which are divided into sections such as celebrations cakes, loaf cakes, tray bake cakes, children's bakes, with ingredients that can be found in a well stocked cupboard. I made quite a few and, unfortunately, gained several pounds in the process. In the end even my husband, concerned about all the extra calories we were scoffing, asked me to reduce my baking. There is no finer testament to a cook book than a man realising he has no resistance to a Mary Berry cake and in order to avoid temptation he has to resort to gently asking his baking obsessed wife (who is dangerously armed with an electric whisk) not to bake quite so many.

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The third thing I found helpful is not a book at all, but a sort of virtual book corner. I consider myself a slow plodder regarding adapting to technology. Lock down made me delve a little deeper into the world of podcasts. There are so many to choose from, but the one I am about to recommend is a wonderful bite-size escape. It is precise, clear and simple (there seems to be a trend here!), but also comforting and relaxing. Sandi Toksvig, a TV presenter and comedienne, has a voice that is easy to listen to as she invites us to join her in her 'room of books'. We Will Get Past This are 10 minute musings which provide a safe space of time where you can relax, find yourself smiling at her wit and anecdotes, and learn about 'some forgotten (and unforgotten) characters in history; some heroic, others comedic and a few who are just downright idiotic'.

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The Gutenberg Project was introduced to me via Sandi Toksvig's podcast. The Gutenberg Project is a library of over 60,000 eBooks... all free to download or read online. The eBooks are mainly older literary works published prior to 1924 and where the U.S. copyright has expired. Books are added to the Project Gutenberg archive only after it has received a copyright clearance, and records of these clearances are saved for future reference. 

The Gutenberg Project is, therefore, different to illegal free download sites, where the copyright still belongs to the author and if the author or publisher have not given their permission for the free download, the act of downloading the free eBook is equivalent to the reader/online site stealing the book. Yes, it might be hard to admit this but free downloads are, under normal circumstances, stealing. The Project Gutenberg, as I understand it, is not like this so I am happy to mention it here.

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My final recommendation is another podcast. The Worried Writer is a free monthly podcast packed with advice and conversation especially for those writers with self doubt, which is basically every writer who has ever lived. If you like to write, read or just listen to someone chatting while you put your feet up or go about your daily tasks, I suspect you might enjoy the window this podcast provides into a writer's mind... and you never know you might just find it educational and helpful too.

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I hope you have found my recommendations useful. If your own personal lock down has eased quite significantly to the point you are working again and rushing around after the family, it is still important to take time out and escape. Stay well, stay safe and stay sane with the help of all things bookish. 

Victoria Cornwall

Books by Victoria Cornwall