These are scary times we’re living through and a lot of us will end up spending a lot of time at home in the coming weeks, either suffering from corona virus, quarantined for it or because we’re minimising social contact and most events have been cancelled anyway. On the plus side, it’s a great chance to catch up on all those tedious domestic tasks we’ve been postponing, dig in to that pile of books we’ve been meaning to read or just to lounge around on the sofa in front of Netflix. On the minus side, you may be stuck at home, feeling hideous, for a while. Read on for some Cambridge based ideas and services …..

Deliveroo has announced that it’s introducing a no contact drop off service so you can request that your order is left on the doorstep. There are quite a few small indie restaurants you can order from through Deliveroo and they will really appreciate your support in these troubled times. A few random suggestions:

Tiffin Truck – Indian food

Polonia Club – Polish food

Nanna Mexico – Mexican street food

Bridges – salads, wraps, sandwiches and cakes

Signorelli’s Deli – Italian food

Cambridge Wine Merchants – wine, beer, cider, gin and mixers

http://www.deliveroo.co.uk

For fresh bread deliveries, Stir Cambridge offers a bread subscription service with bike powered delivery on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

http://www.stircambridge.co.uk/deliveries

Radmore Farm Shop delivers at least twice a week by van around the city so you can shop online for superb quality meat, baked goods including Vicky’s fabulous home made cakes, fruit, veg and salad, dairy and pantry items, drinks, snacks and more. They will also make small deliveries on foot or by bike for customers most in need at this time. Email them through the website to arrange.

http://www.radmorefarmshop.co.uk

Panther Taxis will collect your “click and collect” online shopping from Tesco Milton and Tesco Newmarket Road and drop it at your door, charging the standard metered rate. With news that the supermarkets’ own delivery services are being swamped, this seems like a good way to replenish the fridge.

http://www.panthertaxis.co.uk

It doesn’t take long for cabin fever to strike. If you can’t leave the house, you can take yourself out on a virtual tour. Check out Jim and Helen Ede’s house with its beautiful art works at Kettle’s Yard or take in King’s College, its Chapel and Library, which is not normally open to the public. And then visit these places IRL when this corona virus nightmare is over.

http://www.kettlesyard.co.uk

http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/visit/virtual-tour-of-the-college

If you’re able to leave the house, spend some time outside in the fresh air. Head to the Botanic Garden which has to be my favourite green space in the city. Or maybe take a punt tour, giving you stunning views of the Colleges from the river. I’ve noticed the punt stations down at Magdalene Bridge are looking very empty in the absence of tourists lately.

http://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk

http://www.scudamores.com

http://www.scholarspuntingcambridge.co.uk

Mindful activities like knitting and crochet help to while away the time and quiet a busy mind. Knitting Needle Lane, owned by Camilla Carter, is Cambridge’s independent yarn retailer and has an online shop offering yarns, crochet and knitting patterns plus Make Your Own packs. If you live in Cambridge, choose the ‘Home Delivery’ option and Camilla will deliver your yarn through your letterbox for free. If you live further away in the UK, she is offering 50% off postage.

http://www.knittingneedlelane.co.uk

And finally but perhaps most importantly, we need to look out for each other. Two of my neighbours have set up a simple scheme where you can volunteer to offer shopping support for people who are holed up at home because of illness or the need to self-isolate. This type of community support is easy to replicate and will make a big difference to our neighbourhoods in the coming weeks.

As I said at the start of this piece, these are weird and scary times. Here’s a picture of my puppy to make you smile. Me, I’m just hoping for the best and now I’m off to tidy that wardrobe I’ve been meaning to tackle for months! Wishing all readers, wherever you are in the world, good health x