Safety First! We're not touching letter boxes and for good reason...
Nearly all the shops are closed, so getting the magazine out safely has proved a logistical challenge. Emmanuel Goldstein explains how much care needs to be taken in what used to be a run of the mill exercise.
There is a reason why the Hampstead Village Voice is not putting the new spring edition directly into letter boxes but, instead, only dropping them in front of covered doorways.
Firstly, the coronavirus can be transmitted via hard surfaces like metal, so touching hundreds of letter boxes would be foolish. Especially as I've noticed the new Evening Standard distributors have been stuffing doors with their sordid little rag and, frankly, I don't know where they've been. Even if they are wearing gloves, the virus might accumulate after they've touched all those letter boxes and I'll leave the rest to your imaginations.
Secondly, Britain is famed for this rather annoying stuff called rain, so we can't very well throw the mag on the door mat unless it's properly covered.
So I've made it my policy to thoroughly wash my hands before going out, only do a very small delivery at a time and not to touch anything other than the mags to ensure they arrive COVID-free at your door. I also wash frequently with 99.9% anti-bacterial hand wash en-route.
The only time I do wear the surgical gloves is when I pick up the mags, which involves opening two doors in Well Walk. As soon as I am out, I immediately dispense with the gloves in a bin, whack on the anti-bacterial hand wash and off I go — clean as a whistle!
A bit extreme? Possibly. But I ain't taking chances. This is the Hampstead Village Voice and we do stuff properly!
If you haven't got a covered front door mat but would like to read the mag, it is now viewable free online at: https://www.hampsteadvillagevoice.com/online.html
And, if you can donate £2 or even more to help keep the Hampstead Village Voice going, that'd be grand! Just email: info@hampsteadvillagevoice.com for details.
Or you could brave Mag One in Rosslyn Hill or 3 shops in South End Green (M&M, Heath News, London) and 1 in Belsize Village (Late Late Store).
Stay safe everyone and remember... #2mMatters!
Now go and wash your hands!
Lots of love,
Emmanuel 'Mustafa' Goldstein
Ed.
