Last summer we invited people of all ages to express their experience of lockdown through words, pictures or music. The adult winner of our ‘My Life in Lockdown’ competition was Suzie Yates, for her beautiful paintings inspired by walks around Crediton. But, as she explains here, she had only recently taken up painting to help cope with the anxiety of lockdown. Inspired by Grayson Perry’s TV series Art Club, she found the confidence to pursue her passion and she is now selling her work as prints and greeting cards in local shops.

‍If you live in Crediton, or are visiting the shops, you will have probably noticed a new look to the town square. Twelve picnic tables with parasols were installed in early July, to provide a safe space for people to take a break, meet friends and catch up. Share in the Square was a Town Team initiative, to help raise morale and bring vitality back to the town centre. But its impact has far exceeded expectations, as Town Team Chair Rosemary Stephenson explains.

The blogs on our website reflect local life in very special ways. We all know our lives have changed over the last few months and some of our blog writers tell the story of their own challenges and responses. Our picture editor, Nancy Murgatroyd, picks some highlights from our most recent postings.

In our recent MY LIFE IN LOCKDOWN competition, Kiki Shaw was the winner in the 13 - 18 years category. She wrote a story called "Sunny Days on the Island" Here's the story in full.

Our recent competition ‘My Life in Lockdown’ prompted an astonishing display of creative talent in our community. The judges were hugely impressed by the range of skills and the quality of the work submitted, mostly by amateur artists. We asked some of the competitors to tell us what inspires their creativity and what their art means to them. Jamie Sollis, whose satirical cartoon below was highly commended, started drawing in 2016 at a time of turmoil, after a break of 30 years. He says that art helps him to relax and to reconnect with his childhood.

Details of all competition winners, runners-up and commendations plus a video that gives a flavour of all competition entries and highlights winners.

Printmaker and Heart Project Trustee Nancy Murgatroyd has been captivated by the new words and concepts the pandemic has generated. She has been exploring the meaning of ‘isolation’ through her work and urges others to share their creative responses by entering our creative competition ‘My Life in Lockdown’.