Lighter side under coronavirus lockdown: From Daleks telling humans to self-isolate to virtual choirs
Britons are slowly getting use to the coronavirus lockdown, and are coming up with increasingly innovative ways to stay entertained and uplifted during these unprecedented times.
From a virtual coronavirus choir, to Daleks ordering all humans to stay indoors and a heartwarming exchange between neighbours.
Here are some of the stories bringing some joy to life under lockdown:
Coronavirus choir
Staff at Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust have virtually recorded a song to help motivate colleagues and encourage the public to stay at home.
Set to the music of This Is Me from The Greatest Showman but with alternative lyrics, the NHS team somehow manage to harmonise beautifully, even though the song has been recorded in different homes and pulled together as one piece.
The ‘Stay At Home’ song has been viewed thousands of times online and includes advice about self distancing during the coronavirus outbreak.
A line in the song says: “Look out when Covid comes, cause it travels through the air and on your thumbs. So if you want me to help you when you’ve got the flu, help me too. Stay at home!”
The choir is made up of nurses, healthcare assistants, support service colleagues and other NHS staff.
Dalek orders all humans to self-isolate
A Dalek has been let loose on the streets of a small, quiet village in Yorkshire, ordering “all humans to self-isolate by order of the Daleks.”
With the rolling hills of the North York Moors in the background, the Dalek roams the streets of Robin Hood's Bay near Whitby, telling residents to stay indoors.
Social media users have reacted with delight at the unlikely appearance of the Doctor Who villain.
One social media user wrote: "Wildlife is finally returning to Britain's streets. Nature is healing."
While another wrote: “SELF-ISOLATE!! SELF-ISOLATE!!! SELF-ISOLATE!!!”
Heartwarming exchange between neighbours
These lockdown letters should instil some warmth in your heart – five-year-old Kirah decided to send a letter to his elderly neighbour who is self-isolating.
Kirah wrote “I just want to check if you’re ok” and to “remind you that you are not alone”, asking his neighbour to “write back if you can”.
To which 93-year-old Ron did – writing he was “so pleased” to receive Kirah’s message and that he was “keeping well so far”.
“Like you I am in isolation, so it was so nice to hear of your concern for me,” Ron wrote.
He said he was the first person to move into the street in 1955 and he has been there ever since.
Ron added in the letter: “The situation with the coronavirus is very bad, and we must all do our very best to overcome it and hopefully come out it in good health again.”
He said he had placed Kirah’s drawing of a rainbow in his window for people to see and hoped Kirah would be out of isolation soon.
Whitty bust
A sculptor was so bored during the lockdown she decided to make a bust of Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty.
The resemblance is uncanny.
The actor writing bespoke stories for children in lockdown
A disabled actor and writer is writing bespoke stories for children every day of the lockdown.
Steph Lacey, from Manchester, was appearing in the theatre in Oliver Twist, but when it closed due to the pandemic she wondered how she could use her skills to help struggling parents.
She has written 20 stories so far, and among them are The New Guitar written for Lennon, his cousin Laila in Bolton and his Auntie Julie, who's still searching for her Prince Charming.
Scoring a goal in lockdown
Former Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna has shown you can still score epic wonder goals from the safety of self-isolation.
Sagna, who played for Arsenal between 2007 and 2014, posted a video of his alternative football skills on Instagram.
He gave fans tips on how they can #StayHome and still enjoy playing football without smashing windows or plates!
Special delivery
The firearms team at British Transport Police asked staff at St Thomas’ Hospital – where Boris Johnson has been moved to intensive care – what they could get them as thank you for working on the coronavirus frontline.
The reply – decent coffee.
So the BTP quickly rallied round and delivered the hospital two coffee machines and 8kg of good coffee.
Nice work all round.