Our feature series, Your Village in Lockdown, continues today with the focus on Fitzhead - a small village of around 260 people where the lockdown has seen neighbours rallying to help others.

There has also been a flourishing of the arts, with dog portraits livening up the now frequent newsletter, and the creation of a joint village poem and a writing competition.

Mandy Bool, who set up a newsletter with fellow villager Jo Webb several years ago, is now churning them out regularly, providing information and help on everything from collecting prescriptions to reminding villagers to grow their sunflowers for the annual competition, or collect free jigsaws.

“We gave out information on what local shops were doing deliveries, and it grew to putting out a newsletter every three to four days, with news, reminders, recipes and more,” Mandy said.

The aim is to provide reassurance and help, and the newsletter is emailed to 122 addresses, with Mandy also delivering hard copies to nine homes, so that everyone can keep in touch.

The village has also been getting creative, with a joint poem, ‘Our Village’, written as a group effort. People from age seven to adult, sent in a line or two to organiser Sue Mitchinson, who collated them into a whole.

Luckily, there are plenty of good walks around Fitzhead, and villagers are taking full advantage to enjoy plenty of exercise on the paths and roads that are even emptier than normal.

Read what else is going on in Fitzhead, in today’s Free Press.