Gairloch journalist in Spain toasts gran's wise words over coronavirus lockdown
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A GAIRLOCH journalist who lives in Spain has said Skype calls with his family are keeping his spirits up during the coronavirus lockdown.
Jake Threadgould, who works in Madrid for Spain's news agency EFE, said that he is missing Scotland, but advice from his granny in Gairloch is seeing him through the pandemic.
Mr Threadgould who grew up on the Black Isle has lived in the Spanish city for five years.
Mr Threadgould said: "I am keeping in touch with my family through Skype. We had to teach my grandma how to use it, but we are now using it to keep in touch.
"When the lockdown in Spain was announced my mum told me to come back to Scotland, but she says that when there is any mild inconvenience anyway.
"But I can work from home and that gives me job security, so I can continue my work as a journalist."
Mr Threadgould said that there was a very strange atmosphere in Madrid when everything was locked down. He said: "It made me think much more about being home and going for a walk on the Black Isle or in Gairloch."
But his grandma had good advice for him, he said: "Well my grandma had just finished watching the news and it was talking about panic buying in the UK. She said she had ordered some shopping from Aldi but they had run out of her favourite red.
"So her main piece of advice for me was to make sure I stayed stocked up on wine! So, I did just that in the next shopping trip."
Grandpa, Allen Hodges, said he was seeing his grandson's picture much more regularly now that his wife, Pauline had managed to work out the computer. He said: "It is brilliant now that the wife has got it working.
"And we have been reading his writing on line.
"The wife is on the computer to him two or three times a week and it is good to see his picture."
Turning to the isloation, Mr Hodges said: "We just have to get on with it."
The couple, who celebrated 60 years of marriage this year say they are adapting well to the situation, and are enjoying seeing their grandson regularly.
Mr Threadgould also publishes a blog, jakethreadgould.wordpress.com.
