While people are being urged to stay at home during lockdown, one group is trying its best to keep Letchworth residents occupied virtually.
Letchworth Arts and Leisure Group (LALG), a not-for-profit organisation, is promoting activities in the garden city and the surrounding area.
Publicity officer Christina Butterworth said: "During the present lockdown we are providing weekly online talks and working in partnership with the Letchworth Settlement to deliver a series of concerts with local young artists through Making Music’s Philip and Dorothy Green Young Artists scheme."
Centrally Organised Virtual Events (COVE) are run on Zoom almost every week. These give LALG members a distraction from the gloom of social distancing and cold weather while so many of the group's other activities are on hold.
Among the forthcoming online talks are The Malting Industry in Hertfordshire by Helen Gibson, from the East Herts Archaeological Society, on Wednesday, February 3, and The Life and Music of Ella Fitzgerald, presented by Derek Blyth, the following Wednesday on February 10.
Kate Thompson, from the Social History Group, will be giving the virtual talk 'Ye the poor always with you' on Thursday, February 11, and on Wednesday, February 17 it's The Arts in Hard Times, a talk by Professor Tony Jackson, Emeritus Professor of Educational Theatre at the University of Manchester.
Philippa Parker and Janet Capstick from the Letchworth Local History Research Group will discus Letchworth – England’s first new industrial town? on Wednesday, March 3.
Christina added: "We have continued to offer support to members of the community who may be on their own or struggling with the restrictions placed upon them by the COVID-19 restrictions, and supported local musicians through our online concert series, in partnership with Letchworth Educational Settlement."
The monthly musical performances will next see internationally recognised accordionist Iñigo Mikeleiz Berrade perform online via Zoom on Friday, February 19.
LALG has also provided access to online meeting facilities for its groups to continue with their activities, including languages, meditation, ukulele, book groups, computer users, sewing, playing the recorder for fun, and malt whisky appreciation.
Membership of LALG entitles everyone in your household to attend as many groups and activities as they want, space permitting. Non-members can try some of the activities before they decide to join LALG.
Visit https://lalg.org.uk/ for more details.
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