Monthly Archives: April 2020


300420 Boy laugh

The Lighter Side of Lockdown

It’s time for a bit of Thursday fun as we look at some of the lighter moments we’ve experienced during the lockdown. A two minute-read.

For most of us, lockdown is getting a little boring. But we all must keep following the Government’s guidelines around social distancing and staying safe.

We’ve spent the past couple of days scouring the internet (we’re bored too) and have found some of the lighter-hearted stuff doing the rounds.

Psychologist Professor Richard Wiseman, from the University of Hertfordshire, told … Continue Reading…


270420 SALES Work from Home

Four ways homebuyers’ needs might change post lockdown

Lockdowns are gradually being relaxed across many parts of Europe and the World.

These green shoots of life returning to normal give us all a little hope and optimism for the future.

And talking of the future, we’ve dusted off our crystal ball to look at how the property market in Northamptonshire might change once this is all over.

It’s worth pointing out that no one knows for sure what will happen post lockdown.

But based on what we’re reading, the conversations we’re having … Continue Reading…


FTB2

Reasons to be Feeling Positive this Friday

Welcome to the fifth Feelgood Friday update from Richard James.

And here are four fantastic pieces of news we’ve picked out from plenty of others which made us smile this week.

Humanity’s Best Friend – We all know dogs are great companions at times like this but check this out. According to a report from The Telegraph’s website, dogs are being trained to detect coronavirus in passengers arriving at UK airports.

It’s thought that a 0.5-second sniff could detect the virus in … Continue Reading…


230420 haircut

Lockdown – A Hair-Raising Experience

When Denmark entered from lockdown this week where did hordes of the dashing Danes head to?

The pubs? – maybe. The coffee shops? – perhaps. The barbers or hair salons? Definitely.

Danish barbers and hairdressers reported record numbers of people flocking to get their post lockdown locks sorted out.

And people across social media in Northamptonshire have been reporting similar tails (see what we did there?) of overgrown mops weighing them down.

Some brave ‘have a go’ heroes have even attempted a bit of … Continue Reading…


204020 Time for a Change

Will your life change when lockdown ends?

The country has been under lockdown since the Government’s announcement on March 23 of the steps needed to combat COVID-19.

A lot has happened since then. One of the big things this whole experience has done it seems, is to give people a chance to reassess how they are living their lives.

And that looks set to remain the case as lockdown is extended a further three weeks.

A Sky News report on Friday (April 17) featured a survey which suggested just 9% … Continue Reading…


170420 Make people feel loved

Reasons to be Feeling Good this Friday

Welcome to the fourth Feelgood Friday update from us at Richard James.

Here are four pieces of news which made us smile this week.

1. Salute the Captain.

How could we not start with Captain Tom Moore? The 99-year-old war veteran has walked 100 laps of his garden to raise more than £25 million for the NHS. But he surged past his target after hundreds of thousands of people donated to his fundraising page. As he finished the challenge, which has made him front-page news … Continue Reading…


160420 Detox Bowl

Seven Steps to a Digital Detox

Let’s face it most of have probably spent too much time online over the past month or so.

We’re seeking distraction, information and reassurance and as useful as our smartphones and tablets can be, they can also be a problem if we use them too much.

Back in 2016, Ofcom, the communications regulator, discovered that more than half of all internet users in the UK felt addicted to life online.

So, there were a lot of people addicted to their devices before the … Continue Reading…


140420 Eggtimer

Ten ideas to make the most of your spare time during lockdown.

One of the positives people seem to be drawing from life under lockdown is the realisation that most of us have had more of our most valuable asset made available.

Time. Spare time.

But time is like any resource we have. We can use it wisely or unwisely.

Below are ten ideas you can try to make the most of the time we have right now.

Organise your wardrobe once and for all. How many odd socks can one person own?
Add some new life … Continue Reading…


130420 easter1

Celebrating Easter Weekend across the World

For most of us, this Easter weekend has been very different.

It’s comforting to see people and families in Northamptonshire taking on board the Government’s isolation advice yet still maintaining some Easter Holiday traditions.

Egg hunts taking place from the safety and comfort of our gardens, church services broadcast online and families staying in touch via technology.

This year’s different kind of Easter got us thinking about how it’s celebrated across the World.

So, we leapt on the internet to discover these Easter experiences with … Continue Reading…


100420 Friday

Feelgood Friday – A Good Friday Special

Welcome to the third Feelgood Friday update from us at Richard James.

And it’s a Good Friday Easter special as we look at four reasons to be cheerful and optimistic that will overcome this challenging period.

In Leeds, a father has donated more than 2000 Easter eggs to Leeds hospitals as a thank you to the NHS staff who saved his baby daughter’s life. This eggcellent (sorry, we had to) idea has been replicated across the UK with people and businesses donating … Continue Reading…