These are ghastly times for many around the world and the circumstances are quite unprecedented within living memory.
I started drafting a post a few days ago. Its all out of date. Things have moved so quickly. The gist of it was that I know how disappointed so many of our guests are that they can’t make their trips to London but in light of current events this has paled into insignificance.
I hope that you all are safe, healthy and that as the future plays out as insulated from the challenges and difficulties that we will all face as much as possible.
It strikes me that so often with my guests I have evangelised the spirit of London and Londoners to rise from the ashes of its struggles and challenges. The nature of Covid-19 makes how one responds rather perplexing. There are no guns to fire, fighter planes to fly, ruins to clear, buildings to rebuild or hydrants to pump to douse the flames. We are under siege from an enemy that is invisible and without reason.
The greatest toll I believe, secondary to that of public health which is being so gallantly attended to by our health service professionals, is one of emotional distress for those who are diligently and in many cases pre-emptively withdrawing to the bastion of self-isolation.
The London Storyteller has always been an extension of myself and an expression of vocation. I have asked myself, how can I best serve others during this period of self-isolated worry and indeed nerve corroding tedium that we must now collectively navigate in the coming weeks?
In my own small way, I hope to help by doing what I have always done. I am going to tell some stories. In this instance, here from my apartment in Crouch End I will be sharing them across the web which I hope will offer some small distraction from these challenging times. These will be available on The London Storyteller’s Facebook Page and here too.
Special requests are welcome for consideration, please email me at tom.barclaymatchett@thelondonstoryteller.com or via my Facebook page.
In the meantime, I want to wish everyone the very best of health in these difficult times. The days and weeks ahead are going to be a great challenge. In the future, some will perhaps say, the greatest challenge of our age. I don’t doubt it but never before has the general population ever been so well armed with the ability to communicate globally to share the collective spirit of human resilience and compassion.
While our brave nurses, doctors and specialists are attending to the crisis on the front line and our governments strive to govern with renewed focus upon the rapidly changing needs of their citizens; I hope that there will be some constructive part that can be played by those of us who are not charged with those greater responsibilities to make some small contribution.
My very best wishes to all those reading this. Let us go forward together!
Tom Barclay Matchett
The London Storyteller