As concerns over coronavirus grip the county, one couple both aged above 70 with underlying health conditions have decided to self-isolate indefinitely.

Here, 81-year-old Mark Gardner, from Faversham, tells us in his own words how they spent a milestone wedding anniversary secluded...

It wasn’t the most gregarious of celebrations for our 55th wedding anniversary - just the two of us, self-isolated at home.

We went into voluntary “purdah” three weeks ago - early days in the viral epidemic - mainly because of underlying health conditions that put us in the high-risk group.

Our contact with the outside world beyond our entrance gate has been minimal.

Our quiet, “kettled” Emerald Day was quite a contrast to our golden wedding lunch five years ago when we were joined by family, friends and colleagues from far and wide.

Couples had journeyed from Lincolnshire, Staffordshire, Hampshire and west Kent for the occasion.

Covid-19 is impacting on everyone’s lives, and the Gardners are fortunate to be able, for the most part, to keep out of harm’s way in the hope of not adding to the toils of the hard-pressed NHS.

However, we are forced to let down the drawbridge in order to re-stock essential supplies and to collect prescription medications.

Our strategy has been to make dawn dashes (actually crawls!) to the supermarket for milk, bread, butter, tea and other necessities.

Going to the pharmacy remains a difficulty and has us thinking of signing up for the prescription delivery service.

Meanwhile, in our chosen solitude, there are things to do around the home, and for entertainment we are breaking out the DVD box sets - the longer the better, like Family At War.

"We try to ration our news viewing and listening. Hearing terrifying numbers of viral sufferers and deaths in Italy is not very helpful or hopeful"

There is reading to catch up with - the crime novels of Richard Stark, doorstop political biographies of Churchill, Atlee and Alan Brooke.

If the house becomes claustrophobic and the day is kind, we can enjoy a lovely garden, thanks to the unstinting efforts of Mrs G.

It has never looked better than this spring, ablaze with daffodils, hyacinths and primroses.

We try to ration our news viewing and listening. Hearing terrifying numbers of viral sufferers and deaths in Italy is not very helpful or hopeful.

Various routine blood and screening tests at Kent and Canterbury Hospital and our surgery have been deferred for the time being.

Since the advice is to avoid public transport, such as four round trip bus journeys to Canterbury for an annual scan which can be put off for a couple of months, we are doing so.

Of course we miss meeting up with friends - most of whom are in the same boat - for chats when out and about.

Neither of us has local relatives - we keep in touch by phone - and we aren’t online, so we await the introduction of supermarket hotlines for food ordering and delivery. Soon, please.

Self-isolating isn’t the ideal way to live, but it is bearable and infinitely preferable to catching a life-threatening bug. The self-preservation instinct is stronger than the loss of social freedom.

Is it too much to hope that this unwelcome epidemic will reduce the addictive thirst for foreign jaunts at every half and full-term break?

Leisure travel has spread coronavirus around the globe in rapid fashion.

An excess of air flights not only damages the planet’s sustainability, but, as this example underlines, the health and survival of the human race.

For the latest coronavirus news and advice, click here.

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