Interviewed by Charlie Ward / photos by Malcolm McGettigan

Charlie: How long have you lived in the area?
Anne: 60 years.

Charlie: What’s a fond memory you have of living here?
Anne: The freedom that we had as children, especially being able to go walking and to the beach frequently.

Charlie: Have you seen this community come back from hard times before?
Anne: Yes. In the 1930s a group of sailors lost their lives at sea from a trip back from Scotland, and since then the community has grown back stronger.

Charlie: What are some things that have helped you through lockdown and what brings you joy?
Anne: An online community group to help others was set up, so people could collect shopping and medication for those in need. I started painting again, and I worked in my garden. The best thing was being able to see my family again when lockdown ended.

Charlie: What does community mean to you? What sort of things are you doing now to stay connected to your community and family?
Anne: I stayed connected to my family with video calls and visits.

Charlie: What message do you want to share for yourself and this community in 10 years time?
Anne: A message of hope.

Charlie’s experience with the project: “My experience doing the time machine was good because I got an insight into some of the challenges of lockdown for older people.”

Pictured below is Charlies’s creative response to his interview with Anne: a photo collage of the surrounding area. Also shown are images from Anne’s shoot with Malcolm McGettigan.

Anne Connolly