Reports from our County Councillors #125
COUNCILLOR JEFF WATSON
Councillor Jeff Watson
The Covid crisis has dominated everything that the County Council has been doing for many months and it doesn’t look as though it is going to end soon.
I have done what I could to help and am pleased to say that I arranged a grant of £500 to the Amble Food Bank to help those children over half term who were on free school meals as well as other families in difficulties. Central government have stepped in to help during future school holidays to ensure that no child goes hungry while schools are closed.
I was also pleased to help Amble Youth Project who are struggling to keep up the good work they have been doing because of social distancing issues in the restrictive space that they operate from. At times like these you realise the amount of work that volunteers in Amble do to contribute to the community at large and how valuable that work is.
I am looking at replacing the existing interactive speed sign on Acklington Road with a new one and hopefully a one that works! Unfortunately, I can’t go ahead just yet. I have to be sure that the existing site will still be in the best place when the road alterations connected with the new developments are finalised, but I am keen to get this sign in place to help slow down drivers as they approach the play areas on the welfare grounds.
I am aware that some residents are unhappy about parking on Edwin Street and am working with County Highways department to see if anything can be done to help.
Remembrance Day this year was another victim of Covid restrictions, but it was good to see the people who went to the war memorial properly social distancing and paying their respects to those who lost their lives in service to their country. I would like to say a special thank you to those volunteers who raised money for the Poppy Appeal in Morrisons as well as the staff who enabled the generous residents of Amble to contribute to the charity.
I hope you can have a merry Christmas despite Covid.
Jeffrey.Watson@northumberland.gov.uk 0780 238 5367
Councillor Terry Clark
COUNCILLOR TERRY CLARK
Covid kills, it causes serious long term illness to some while it hardly affects others. It can overwhelm intensive care units and devastates elderly care homes.
My experience started in the middle of April, when I tested positive, despite feeling completely fine. Three days later I started to get terribly achy, tired and listless, and not wanting to do much more than sleep on and off.
All I could think about was all the people whose breathing was seriously affected and ending up in hospital on ventilators, a constant worry at this point.
Lying on the sofa I felt like I had been hit by a bus, feeling very tired all the time and constantly parched, with hardly any appetite.
By night I was completely soaked in sweat with a fever that was unrelenting, hot one minute and chills the next. My body was so achy it was painful to gather the energy to go to the bathroom.
I didn’t have much of an appetite during this time just eating toast and drinking flat lemonade.
During all this time my wife Mary who is a care worker was going through the same experience.
After three days of what I would class as mild symptoms, I improved dramatically, finally getting back in the garden and finish cutting the grass. After a week, all my symptoms had completely gone away and my appetite was slowly returning.
I would not wish Covid -19 upon anyone. This is not the common cold or regular flu, this virus is serious. You do not know how it may affect you.
As this goes out, NHS staff will probably be under a huge strain.
We can all help reduce that pressure by doing the right thing and keep taking small measures; washing our hands frequently, keeping our distance from others outside our households, and wearing face coverings in indoor settings.
We need everybody to do their part and follow guidelines to flatten the curve and prevent the growing spread. If we all do our bit, hopefully we can all enjoy Christmas with our family and loved ones. Eventually this virus will end and we will resume what our lives used to be.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR.
Terry.Clark@northumberland.gov.uk
