Q&A with Aimee, Holistic Therapist & owner of a Vintage Pop Up Shop
What have you been up to during lockdown?
Since lockdown started I am fortunate and grateful to have not been ill or lost anyone to the virus. I have not worked as a therapist but I’ve been pretty busy. I’ve cleared an overgrown garden and had some fantastic bonfires. I’ve knocked a shed down with my axe, filled a skip and delivered food to people in need on my bike. Then I had my own tasks; promoting my therapy, studying an online social media marketing course and DIY. I created a terrace garden, built a deck from recycled planks and other tasks around the house incorporating power tools, as well as enjoying sleeping in.
Initially when lockdown kicked in I began to help my sister Kay who runs the Larder Café in Preston. Kay has a background in food poverty, so with her experience combined with the kitchen facility in the cafe, all her contacts that donated food and the amazing volunteers that support The Larder she was able to create Cooking for Our Community. The lockdown highlighted the amount of elderly and vulnerable people that really need community support and providing them with healthy nutritious meals has been life changing for them. I’m very proud to be a small cog in a very progressive wheel of community support that the Larder Café provides.
Meanwhile as a therapist I created a seven day challenge ‘The Daily Energy Routine’, an exercise that I did daily and posted it on my holistic therapies Facebook page. I wanted to offer people suffering with stress, depression and anxiety some self help to cope. It incorporates breathing, grounding, connecting brain function and balancing energies. I decided to do it wearing fancy dress! Yes it was a challenge, I started with a dalek, seriously how do you top that?! Filming solo was a challenge and then editing. I totally winged it, but it turned out well and helped people, I got a lot of positive responses from it.
What are your plans for life After lockdown?
After Lockdown is lifted, I will still be the general dogsbody in The Larder Café, but I have more social media skills now. I’d like to offer special deals on treatments for people in the cafe and I will be resuming appointments in my therapy room in Broadgate.
I’ve already booked a couple of trips, the fares were super cheap. I don’t have any money, so I banged it on my credit card. I am going to New York again and hopefully to work with the food poverty projects they have over there. Then to New Zealand where I’m a joint citizen to see good friends and share the Eden Energy techniques that I have learnt.
The ‘Life After Lockdown’ Photographic Project
The Life After Lockdown photographic project was started in June 2020, following the British government’s move towards easing the lockdown measures put in place to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Lisa Brown, a photographer and writer who lives and works in Preston, wanted to find out how local people have spent their time during lockdown and what plans they had for ‘Life After Lockdown’.
About the Photographer
Lisa Brown is a photographer born and raised in Preston. She left Preston to study Fashion Journalism at the London College of Fashion and subsequently worked at a number of magazines where she developed a strong visual sense and passion for the printed image.
Her first photographic exhibition, ‘Welcome to Preston’, took place at The Larder, Preston in November 2019.
The selection of images Lisa has shared with The Living City project were all taken during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.
You can see more of Lisa Brown’s work and buy prints from www.lisabrownphotography.org
You can also connect with her on social media through Instagram and Facebook.
