Interviewed by Emma Kelly / photos by Kristina Kelly

Emma: How long have you lived in the area?
Christine: 20 years.

Emma: What’s a fond memory you have of living here?
Christine: I love it here. My husband is from here and I have fond memories of his family helping out with the kids.

Emma: Have you seen this community come back from hard times before?
Christine: There are many times the community has come back from hard times, especially with the loss of a member of the community. I find that because the community is so small everyone feels the effects and comes together to support one another in these hard times.

Emma: What are some things that have helped you through lockdown and what brings you joy?
Christine: I really enjoyed painting furniture throughout the lockdown and meeting people in outdoor settings to have a chat. I also enjoyed reading my crime fiction books.

Emma: What does community mean to you? What sort of things are you doing now to stay connected to your community and family?
Christine: Community to me means people coming together. To stay connected with my community I work in a local shop. You find that there’s a good atmosphere and I think that it’s a great way to learn about members of the community and to bring older people together.

Emma: What message do you want to share for yourself and this community in 10 years time?
Christine: I hope people young and old come together in order to help each member of the community to feel valued and to support each other in tough times and, in particular, to combat the problem of substance abuse in the community.

Pictured below is Emma’s creative response to her interview with Christine – a framed pen and ink sketch of a stand mixer. Also shown are images from Christine’s shoot with photographer Kristina Kelly.

Christine Lynch