‘I’m living as sustainably as I can’
Lorraine Bridges, 45, is a director of Bare PR and lives alone in Croydon.
Whether I was cycling or rock climbing, running my PR business or meeting up with friends, my life was always busy.
In November 2019, just back from a cycling trip around India, I first heard about COVID-19 and had no idea of its implications. Yet, a couple of months later, as the Prime Minister told the nation to stay indoors, my life ground to a halt, and despite being used to living on my own, I began to feel isolated. Video work chats and Zoom calls with friends just weren’t enough to keep me busy.
My saving grace was the good weather and I spent as much time as I could in my garden. And I started to feel a new appreciation for wildlife and nature. I began growing tomatoes, courgettes and a few herbs. Soon, I had a vegetable patch with beans, aubergines, rhubarb, berries – I was so absorbed in gardening, I’d forgotten my loneliness.
With the virus now spreading quickly across England, I was terrified of catching it on my weekly visits to the supermarket. But I realised that by being more self-sufficient, I could limit those visits. So, I started baking my own bread and pickling veg, baking from scratch and even making oat milk.
I thought about the damage we, as consumers, were doing to the planet - our endless demand for new things and plastic pollution. So, continuing on my environmentfriendly journey, I decided I wouldn’t buy anything ‘new’. I dusted off my sewing machine and started making my own clothes.
Over a year later, I am still living as sustainably as I can, and although it can be a challenge at times, I’m determined to make a difference. ✣ Visit @girllovesgreen on Instagram to follow Lorraine’s journey
‘DETERMINED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE’