Digital Issue 102

From the Editor

The first digital issue of this magazine attracted very many encouraging complimentary comments – my sincere thanks to all those who emailed me, and others who stopped me in the street to tell me!

We have certainly been living in extraordinary times. Lockdown gave us a strangely eerie experience, initially turning St Andrews into a virtual ghost town. At first, the total absence of traffic was a delight, as in one sunny day after another we could hear the birds and smell the flowers. Meeting friends unexpectedly on walks led to surreal conversations shouted across the streets to avoid contact. The overall peace reminded me of how Sundays used to be here in the 1950s, while the prolonged summer weather was a huge unexpected bonus.

Yet in the blink of an eye we are almost back to what life was like before lockdown, as businesses strive to remain viable, and people are determined to enjoy life – it has been heartwarming to see the beaches full of happy people latterly, whenever the sun has obliged.

Of course, much is being written and debated about the pandemic’s long-term effects. For St Andrews, I really believe it’s imperative to have imaginative forward planning, because the status quo ante is surely no longer an option. Let’s take time to reflect, however, before tinkering here and there with bits and pieces in the town, let’s look around far and wide to discover best practice, and only then consider together what might suit us best here.

Flora Selwyn

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