A dose of positivity to help us stay cheerful

23 May 2020

by Shabari

Let’s take a moment to celebrate some of the joyous, upbeat, and downright quirky stories that made us smile this week.

The knitting NanaA nimble-fingered Norfolk Nana is raising funds for the NHS. Margaret Seaman, 91, is knitting a woollen tribute to the Nightingale hospitals set up to provide care during the Covid-19 crisis.

Once complete, Knittingale Hospital will have an A&E department, X-ray room and four wards along with staff and patients. Margaret spends up to 12 hours a day working on the project, which has already raised £2,700.

Super scienceEncouraging news on the search for a Covid-19 vaccine. US company Moderna reports that early results from human trials of its vaccine have been positive. Meanwhile, scientists at Oxford University who are developing their own vaccine say that they are making good progress. There’s still a way to go before we have a vaccine, but these are two reasons to be optimistic.

Oh, what a Knight!Congratulations to Colonel Tom Moore who received a knighthood for his spectacular fundraising efforts. The 100-year-old war veteran won our hearts when he completed 100 laps of his Bedfordshire garden, a feat that raised £39 million for the NHS.

Since then Captain Tom has become Colonel Tom, recorded a hit song with Michael Ball and been named an honorary member of the England cricket team. Howzat!

AnimalsA Rottweiler in the US called Loki has been helping to lift spirits in his hometown of Baltimore. Loki is a “therapy dogtor” who usually visits sick patients in hospitals. When lockdown meant he could no longer make his usual rounds, he switched to delivering special care kits to nurses on the Covid-19 frontline. The packages contain goodies like moisturiser (to soothe skin irritated by wearing tight-fitting personal protective equipment), coffee and tea. So far Loki – wearing his special face mask of course – and owner Caroline have helped deliver 4,500 packages to four hospitals. That’s pawsome. (Sorry).

Property returnsOnline property portal Rightmove has reported a surge in traffic following the re-opening of the English property market. The number of enquiries to the website hit a whopping 5.2 million the day after restrictions on moving home were eased. Rightmove bosses say this shows “clear signs of returning momentum” in the market.

Thanks for reading. Stay safe, stay sensible and be kind to each other.