Letter from the editor – May 2026

Welcome to the May edition of ‘The Caterham and District Independent’.

By now, I’m sure we are all fully feeling the effects of lockdown: of not being able to get together with loved ones, of staying away from our favourite places and cancelling much anticipated holidays.

It can be tough to stay positive but I am grateful for the amazing weather we have had throughout the past month. According to the Met Office it was the sunniest April on record, with 46% more hours of sunshine than average. I wonder if it was Mother Nature’s way of compensating us for what’s going on right now?

Last month ended with intense downpours, but gardens have desperately needed the rain. It’s lovely to see how rich all the plants now look and the warmer weather is due to come back to us soon.

Getting out in the sunshine is a great way to boost your mental health, and I’ve been taking my children for daily walks to ensure they reap the benefits of fresh air. They are coping well with lockdown in general, but I know how much they are missing their friends. On a recent walk my three year old asked if he could scooter to the gates of his school as he wanted to see it. Thankfully, they are keeping in touch with everybody via video chats, which are much more personal than a phone call. Being able to actually see friends and family on a regular basis, even if only via a screen, helps us feel much less alone.

Over the past month the shortage of PPE has been at the forefront of the news and our team have spoken to residents in the area who have provided an incredible service to help eleviate and reduce the shortage and help provide equipment where needed within the community.

Lucy Gillett is a registered nurse in the Emergency Department at East Surrey Hospital and she also has her own company called Gillett Training Services. She is a First Aid Trainer which offers training to parents, schools, businesses and a variety of training and consultancy to social care establishments within the local area. Seven weeks ago she contacted schools requesting science goggles for care providers. With the help of the schools and also Gordon Griffin (Godstone resident who produced a large amount of 3D visors in his workshop) she was able to supply over 3,000 visors and goggles to 50 care homes and various health and social care settings. The PPE she has collected has not only been delivered to local settings but also distributed to a total of sixteen hospitals across Surrey, Sussex and London.

The lockdown has been difficult for our community and it is something which most would never have predicted could happen, however the most common question I’ve heard recently is; when will we return to normal and what will be the ‘New Normal?’

In accordance with the guidelines businesses have closed and with the support and help from the government it is hopeful that many local businesses will survive the pandemic. At the time of going to press Grant payments within the Tandridge area totalled 12 million pounds had been paid out to over 900 businesses with 700 businesses not having applied for funding yet. The Government has introduced the Business Interruption Loan scheme and the Bounce Back Loan was which was made available earlier this month is 100% backed by the government.

While it is great to have these schemes in place it is important to note that due to the lockdown the UK level of debt is rising and in turn this isn’t great for the economy with the UK potentially going into its’ worst recession. The lockdown has indeed made the economy suffer. Lifting the lockdown too soon however could result in a second wave affecting us and until social distancing has been relaxed adhering to the guidelines may be difficult for certain businesses especially spas, gyms and salons and so it is imperative that the balance is right so as to not harm businesses.

This month I am posting a recipe for vegetable broth with soda bread. Both of these dishes can be made in less than an hour and freeze well. The bread doesn’t need strong flours or yeast and can be made by hand then baked immediately.

Soda Bread
250g plain white flour
250g wholemeal flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
450g buttermilk (or natural yoghurt)

Soup
150g white onions
500g peeled vegetables
(I use carrots, swede, celery, potatoes & parsnip)
1ltr liquid
(meat/veg stock or water with a tsp of marmite to make veg stock)
Chopped dry or fresh herbs to taste
Salt & pepper

Method:
Place the flours into a bowl with the salt and bicarbonate of soda. Mix together with a spoon. Add ¾ of the buttermilk/yoghurt and mix with the spoon gradually adding the remainder until a dough is formed. Place onto the table and knead lightly to form a ball. Place onto a lined baking sheet then press into a round flat shape about 25cm across. Dust with flour then cut into 4 pieces. Bake immediately at 200°c for approximately 30 minutes until the base sounds hollow when tapped. For the soup, cut all the vegetables into cubes and place into a large pot. Add the liquid then bring to the boil simmer for 30-40 minutes or until the vegetables are tender add salt and pepper to taste then add the herbs.
Serve with the bread and butter.

In the midst of everything that’s going on, I have been feeling very anxious, as I’m sure you have been. It has been upsetting to say the least to watch this vile disease travel across the globe, but just as upsetting is the xenophobia, racism and selfishness that has come with it. We mustn’t let this virus expose the worst of human nature, we are living with this now, and “what ifs” are irrelevant.  Please don’t let us become as bad as this disease.  As a lecturer and teacher, I’ve seen heartbroken students have final exams and performances cancelled. My immediate family’s jobs have been affected – but in this time of great difficulty, we have a unique opportunity to make some good come out of this horrible situation.  We, at this very moment, are living through history. This is an important event that people will look back on and study years into the future – and this has changed my perspective on things. When GCSE students answer the question “How did the Covid-19 pandemic impact British society?” let the bottom line not be “it tore it apart” but “it brought it together”  Just a few months ago, society was full of things that divided us; politics and Brexit debate fuelled the news, and disagreements seemed a part of daily life – now this has all faded into insignificance. Now, we must look to the ways that we can unite, even on the smallest of scales.  Everyone’s lives will be changed by this - but resilient, strong and kind is how I would like humanity to be described in dealing with this crisis, and I’d love your help in making it so! 

This period of isolation finds us all in a position where we need to maintain our physical & mental well-being.
What can we do to assist ourselves during these unsettling times? When fear, anxiety & stress levels are heightened.

Woldingham Brownies looking for new leaders

Brownies is a much loved activity for girls age 7-10. Girl Guiding is also an amazing organisation to be part of for all involved both adults and girls .

The current leaders ( known as Owls ) are due to step down this summer after 6 years of running a thriving group so we have been searching for new volunteers to step forward to take on our roles.

In this current climate of Corona Virus a real sense of community is developing in our neighbourhoods . GirlGuiding has always been about the traditional values of community , kindness and having lots of fun !

Its very rewarding to be a volunteer leader and to see how the girls love to join in with activities and make new friendships along the way. We can support you while you find your feet and training will be given.

As we all get used to being at home and thinking more of others in our neighbourhood please consider if there may be a Owl or two amongst you who would love to give some time to such a worthwhile group from this summer. We have worked as team which makes it more fun . Ask a friend ! I am writing as Barn Owl and we would love to hear from you and answer any questions you may have. Please email us at:
woldinghambrownies@gmail.com

However old you are, you have never lived through such strange economic times. We are having a recession because we need people to be able to stop operating their businesses. We want to put the economy in the deep freeze so it can restart when things start getting back to normal. That is why the government is right to bring in support for wages, so people can afford not to keep working. They are going to pay 80 per cent of an employee's salary - with a cap of £2,500 per month - in companies where those employees are unable to do their work and would be laid off.

In addition, a similar scheme for self-employed people; they can get 80 per cent of their salary, a grant capped at £2,500 per month, based on their income tax returns in previous years. That, however, is tricky - and will leave a lot of people in trouble.

What if you are self-employed, but only recently? In that case, Universal Credit and Statutory Sick Pay are your only options. I'm pretty worried about charities too, if I'm honest: lots need to keep their employees working, so these support measures do not apply to them and their incomes have taken a hit - either because their shops have closed, or donations have dried up. An important step we can all take against this disease is to make sure we keep helping local charity.

Chris is the former policy editor at BBC Newsnight. He is now an editor at Tortoise, a news organisation shaped by its members. You can become a member of Tortoise for a pound a week by going to tortoisemedia.com/friends and using the code CHRISCOOK50