Over the past week or so, my Twitter feed has morphed from being a (hopefully) useful, informative method of sharing Bath-centric food and drink business-related news stories, gossip into something else entirely: it’s become a bulletin board for those very same businesses – now struggling to stay afloat in a very different climate altogether – to post their vital updates on, confident in the knowledge that those updates will be shared with Pig Guide followers… because, right now, this is the best I can do.
I mean it from the bottom of my heart when I say that watching so many Bath-based food and drink businesses that have spent so many years nurturing those businesses, and properly caring for and about the people they employ and the people who support them – sharing bulletins saying that their businesses are now closed for the foreseeable future affects me deeply; I can’t bear to see them close down, even temporarily. But will The Pig Guide close down? Most definitely not.
One of the bittersweet vagaries bought about by the current situation is that, now Twitter is the extent of any face-to-face contact we’re going to have for a while to come, The Pig Guide’s social media community has become closer and more relevant than ever before, sharing messages of support and offers of help as far and wide as we possibly can.
But there’s more – much more – that The Pig Guide can do. While I’m not exactly sure what that ‘more’ will be yet, I’m looking at ways to expand our contacts, and develop our services… and have a bit of fun (remember that?) too!
There must – and will – be other things we can do, together. If you have any ideas, get in touch and run them by me; I’d really love to hear from you.
But right here, right now, here’s how we all need to roll:
- Shop local – support as many local businesses as you can, as often as you can.
- STOP panic buying, and urge others to do the same.
- Follow the rules from official sources and keep yourself updated on all the relevant information.
- Look after yourself and others. Be kind. Hang on in there. We’re all in this together.
For more news, views and food-related chat, visit The Pig Guide at www.thepigguide.com and follow The Pig on Twitter @ThePigGuide.
