A Ruddington family of four have decided to spread some cheer to our village – and hopefully way beyond – for everyone who’s feeling glum during the current COVID-19 Coronavirus lockdown.
It’s in the form of a video featuring their extended family, friends and neighbours – and utilizes a ‘home grown’ cover version the Take That song ‘New Day’ as its soundtrack, performed by Rielly Newbold.
The woman behind it, Connie Baker explains: “We were sitting in the kitchen on Monday morning feeling a bit down after not being able to see family on Mother’s Day. My sister is working for the NHS, whilst having an underlying health condition so, of course, we are worried for her and for all out extended relatives and friends who are also having to self isolate for this reason.
“To raise our spirits a little I decided to play some Take That, because it’s my mum’s favourite band – and nothing cheers us up like a good sing-song. ‘New Day’ came on and, listening to the song again in these conditions, made us see the lyrics in a new way. Obviously we all have extra time on our hands!” laughs Connie who, along with her mum, is unable to continue her usual job due to the pandemic. Her dad is still working from home (“in a caravan on the drive!”) whilst her foster sister Rachel, the fourth resident at their Wilford Road house, is no longer having to take her A-Levels.
“Rather than sit at home focusing on what we can’t do, we decided to take all this extra time we have and put it into something positive” says Connie. “I thought we could make a video to the song, to make people smile and maybe offer a bit of distraction. Rachel plans on studying Creative Producing at University, so we thought this would be a good chance for her to practice planning, shooting and editing a video before getting to Uni. Together she and I brainstormed some ideas on sticky notes and stuck them to the fridge. Soon enough we got Mum and Dad involved too!”
When the Baker family started filming, out in their garden, next door’s children Skye and Summer Fox were eager to get involved by showing off their trampoline skills – and can also be seen in the video giving the camera crew a wave from their window. “We asked the Sadler family, also from Ruddington, if they would like to appear in the video – which of course they agreed to. With Social Distancing in mind, we set up benches behind the fence so that when they arrived they could pop their heads over. They also sent us their own video from home, showing just how easy it is for Ruddington to get involved in #DistanceDancing without leaving their houses.”
YOU CAN WATCH THE FAMILY’S VIDEO BELOW…
Connie is Reilly’s cousin, and she provides the backing vocals on his version of the song. “Another aspect of the video asks us all to #GetTalking. We wanted to show that though we may not be allowed to see family and friends in person, it is still important to keep communication open – particularly to older relatives or those in social distancing alone” says Connie.
The video includes ‘Facetime’ images of Connie’s brother, sister and her partner, grandparents, auntie and cousins, and her uncle. Also included is Rachel’s sister’s brother and her grandparents who are isolating up in Durham. Not forgetting the important starring role of Airedale ‘Archie’ – with his elegant run down the stairs!
Connie says the family initially posted (the original version of) the video just on Facebook, hoping it would circulate around friends and family to brighten their day. However that proved such a massive hit – with positive responses from as far afield as Spain, Denmark, Portugal and even New Zealand – that this revised version, with a new soundtrack, was created for YouTube.
“It makes us so happy to see that people are enjoying our goofiness and that we have been able to offer a laugh here and there during these difficult and uncertain times. We are also beginning to see people get involved, making their own videos inspired by ours. The main aim of the video is to reiterate the need to #WashYourHands, #StayHome and #StaySafe” adds Connie.
“While the seriousness of COVID-19 cannot be underestimated, we wanted to promote this message in a positive way and urge people to keep active and engaged whilst having to isolate – just as you see my grandparents keeping fit in the video. We also want people to look after their mental health at this time, and if this means acting a little crazy so be it!”
So, come on folks! Let’s get Ruddington moving with the hashtag #DistanceDancing and continue to spread the sense of community we are all so proud of!
