Dear LPG, 

I think that each and every one of us, no matter how young or old, needs a daily routine and the young have it with their children and their work.  But, as you would expect, I am retired and after getting up and ready to face the world each morning, breakfast is the next part of my plan.   But these days, my breakfast includes one quite important extra ingredient, a phone call to a friend.

During the pandemic when so many pensioners’ routines were going downhill somewhat, I found an old address book and spent a little time phoning around some old friends.   Unsurprisingly, when it came to things that we were missing, having someone to talk to a bit more often was high on nearly everyone’s priority list.  The thing that we all had in common since I last spoke to them is that we all lived alone. Each one I chatted to either said that they regularly felt there was nothing to get up for, so they slept in all too often, or that they got up far too early and then had little to do in the mornings. It is funny how easily you get into that habit of just spending lots of time thinking and watching telly until the morning just disappears on you.  The other thing that I found out we all had in common, was that we had few computer skills between us.

I put my limited maths skills to work and came up with a bit of an idea.  With us video calling, and group calling was not really an option but with only one person that did not know the others I put them all in touch with each other and we formed our six–week, six-people, 10 o’clock stay in touch club 

Each of us decided that we would have a mid-morning cuppa while on the phone to another member of the club.   Our little rota ensured that we all had a reason to be up in the mornings and we also each had someone to talk to for a bit.  Multitasking isn’t a problem either.  We have all discovered that if you put the phone on the table with the loudspeaker on, it is just like having someone at the table with you. If a person was supposed to get a call and didn’t they would make a call, so it was also a way of making sure that we were all OK each morning.  Of course, the club member numbers and times can all vary, but if anyone is under the weather or misses their call, there is always someone to raise the alarm. 
The plan worked so well that, now we can get out again, we still do it, although the 10 o’clock aspect varies a bit now.  We have also all met up on a couple of occasions which was good fun.

The other group members suggested that it might be a good idea to share the plan in case anyone else finds it helpful, although it works just as well if there are less or even if there are only two of you. 

AH, Hither Green