Kelly Stuart 15/07/2020 Member StoriesNews

19th June

The new bed has arrived at last!

That part was a good thing obviously, but on the other hand we’ve been having a few issues with someone we know. I’m not sure whether I’d even describe what’s been happening as mate crime.

It’s the second time we’ve had to report what’s happening. The person keeps calling at our house and asking to borrow food treats, tobacco, dog food. Most stuff really.

It’s really hard to deal with because we obviously don’t want see anyone in need go without if we can help, but the truth is, Anne and I struggle ourselves most of the time to make ends meet so that we have the basic things we need to live, and a few extra treats sometimes.

The person asks for stuff a lot, and it’s always one sided. There’s never any favour returned if we’re in need. We never have anything returned. There’s never an offer to cover the cost of things either. Not event once.

In our minds, that’s not borrowing or doing a good turn for someone in a time of need, it feels more like someone trying to take advantage of us.

If someone’s genuinely stuck, we always want to help, but this doesn’t feel right. Sometimes they knock our door up to twenty times in one day, asking for stuff.

It makes us feel very uncomfortable saying no, but we simply can’t afford to feed another adult with the money we have. We always have to work out our money carefully, so it lasts until the next money comes in.

We’re hoping it will stop.

We hope the First Minister for Wales will announce that more shops can open soon. I’m looking forward to being able to have more choice about shopping.

The five-mile rule isn’t very easy to understand though. Because we use public transport, a bus route will be more miles than a direct car journey.

25th June

It’s great now the shops are open. We went in to town on Monday. It was absolutely packed though. I couldn’t take my walker because it’s broken. We can’t get a new one because the mobility shop hasn’t opened since the lockdown. I had to make do with my walking stick, which isn’t great.

There were loads of queues everywhere. Neil queued for a bit and we managed to get in to three shops.

Because all of the street benches were full though, I couldn’t have a rest. We had to get a taxi home because my back got so bad. We didn’t get everything we needed before heading home.

It’s strange experience shopping in these times. There’s strict social distancing outside with queueing, but as soon as you get inside the shops, people are not careful about distancing. We’re not keen to go again until things get quieter.