Only last week I was sharing the worries and thoughts of many on how we should be sensible about food hoarding. Think of the elderly and those people who work long hours and end up shopping late at night.

I always try to encourage friends, family and especially my clients in need to try to stay positive. This is difficult in such trying times as we sail through unknown territory but we do have a choice to make use of our spare time or enforced spare time to help others or keep occupied. It’s always the people who are the busiest that do the most -but now is the time for everyone to shine…just a little bit.

I confess me the eternal optimist and positive person that I too felt slightly depressed last night as I went late night food shop with a friend and professional colleague (who also works some evenings). Yes many shelves and most of the freezers were empty – mainly due to our timing but it just makes one shop sensibly. I did manage to grab a few things and in the face of adversity treated myself to a large bar of chocolate and tub of ice cream. The meat and poultry counter were depleted but I managed to buy Aldi’s crispy duck and pancakes which I will enjoy later this week with a friend and neighbour who is the first to offer to help anybody.

So what are we learning from the Corona virus situation? To love and value our relationships, act with kindness and consideration to others is what’s important not how many toilet rolls we have in our house… that we will take for ever to use! I am not going to join in the panic as my wonderful mentor used to say ‘panic is a soul destroyer’. This was a woman that refused to go in the air raid shelter as the streets of London were bombed… but chose to sleep in her bed.

I will close my post by saying I salute Aldi in donating to one of the elderly support charities and hope a few more supermarkets follow suit. I also hope sensible rationing of essentials comes into force and people stop over stocking – it helps nobody.