Community Spirit: Harbury in Lockdown

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THE HEARTBEAT OF THE VILLAGE: A COLLECTION OF POEMS BY HOLLY WINTER-HUGHES COMMUNITY SPIRIT 103

BIBLIO’S The heartbeat of the village Is housed in Victorian brick A regal ceiling Splendid with sunlight Where the air is rich With earthy coffee scents And the grind and puff Of machinery Results in steaming cups Shared with friends Over chatter Stories From a room Packed with books Friendships are forged here The roof stays strong Supported by community The lifeblood of the village Pulses through The ritual of sharing coffee 104 COMMUNITY SPIRIT

GREEN SPACES I live in the city Where space is hard to find And restrictions mean Our people cannot breathe Your village is open with green Lush and clear Each of you grateful for Walks that take you out of the house Out of yourself Passersby friendlier of late Reassuring smiles You can breathe Hold on to these precious patches Of pause Housing developers see Potential Where you see Space to breathe COMMUNITY SPIRIT 105

HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW? In cityscapes Grey skies Broken by the insistent peak Of the highrise A staggering, desperate ECG reading No garden A balcony at best The nearest park 5 miles away Roads too busy to walk Safer indoors Your garden Wraps your house Like the family embrace You ache to miss Ripe with fruit and flavour Colour bursts Bright greetings Each morning something different You sow seeds With patience Hoping it will all be over Before they have chance To push through But the months roll on And your seedlings take root They raise their faces to the sun Optimism grows Stronger each day 106 COMMUNITY SPIRIT

BIRD SONG Spring came early Humanity scared stayed indoors Bright blooms brought joy On our daily walk And in gardens Where we found Safety in the sunshine The birds became fearless They filled the skies With their song and their spirit Wheeling together No need to distance They lifted their breasts to the sky Unfettered by traffic noise Their music spun the lanes And fields Pouring through our windows And lifting our spirits COMMUNITY SPIRIT 107

YOUTH Not all youth Are causing problems Gathering in the park No distance Not all youth walk with The swagger of the immortal Many are home with their families Delivering papers Working hard Walking the dogs Diligently studying Homeschooling Planting seeds Creating art Appreciating the space And beauty of the countryside Treasuring Friendships 108 COMMUNITY SPIRIT

YOUR COMMUNITY – For The Younger Generation You were born In a place Pulsing With community spirit where Everyone cares and The older generation are Full of stories Still ripe with ideas Your village history is rich and Deserves to be preserved The Heritage Centre Cries out for A new generation of volunteers Fresh ideas and Your grasp of technology History is not irrelevant It is merely yesterday It feeds tomorrow The community is in your hands Nurture this Listen to their stories As you build your own Breathe their stories deep For they unlock the future COMMUNITY SPIRIT 109

FOR RICHARD JAGO (After ‘With Leaden Foot Time Creeps Along’) With a heavy pace time crawls In your absence: By your side, nothing sounded mournful Seconds never dragged I yearn for the strength to turn this all around Stretch time Defy nature Until we can rest together again 110 COMMUNITY SPIRIT

MILK In the heart of the village One farm remains A history of struggling architecture “Hungry Harbury” Was known for poor soil quality And resulting poverty Long before JLR brought its affluence And house prices rocketed As the pandemic put strain on the Two local shops The Milk Shed Found a way to contribute No more waste So welcome Fresh milk Just like it used to be A taste of heritage A reminder to preserve the past Protect the present And savour the seconds COMMUNITY SPIRIT 111

LUCKY “We are so lucky to live here” You all tell me Smiles and kindness A welcome break from The grim face of pandemic in a city “We are not affected” Your bubble spans 2500 Mine holds five You count your blessings Protected through geography Your village is wrapped In safety Though still grieving The devastating single loss 112 COMMUNITY SPIRIT

COMMUNITY SPIRIT Heartfelt thanks to The volunteer network For their tireless efforts In keeping things afloat To everyone who fetched the paper Milk Prescriptions Took the post office into their own hands Deepest gratitude for Conversations with neighbours Safe smiles exchanged Shattering social isolation Decorated windows Thoughtful gestures in vibrant colour Print versions of the local news Pubs working together No room for competition Celebrating connectedness Community in Harbury is strong Hold on You’ll get through this Together COMMUNITY SPIRIT 113

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Live & Local: Livingroom is a new creative arts project being run in conjunction with communities across Warwickshire, and was set up as a response to the Covid-19 crisis. The project paired The Word Association CIC with Harbury Village Library and the book that you hold in your hands is the result of their work together. This anthology is a reflection on the people of Harbury’s experiences during the Covid-19 crisis of 2020. It contains poetry, prose and reports written by Harbury villagers during lockdown. It also features several transcribed conversations between villagers. The book concludes with a series of poems that Holly Winter-Hughes wrote in response to her time spent in Harbury and the unique experiences that the villagers shared with her. This project was supported by Coventry and Warwickshire Creative Health Alliance (Warwickshire County Council), with thanks to Live & Local and Warwick DC. 116 COMMUNITY SPIRIT