This page contains a wide selection of information, support and entertainment links, which I hope you find useful during these strange times. If there’s anything else you think I should add, do let me know.
Also be sure to check out:
- My Favourites Posts – Regular updates on what’s been keeping me occupied and entertained, including more frequent posts from the first lockdown.
- My Lockdown Video Playlists – Themed collections of videos to dig through.
Contents
Information & Support
Entertainment & Connections
Important Information
UK – Government
- Coronavirus:
- Testing:
- Getting Tested
- Test And Trace – How It Works (see NHS section below for the app)
- Vulnerable People:
- Childcare & Education:
UK – NHS
- Information:
- NHS Test & Trace App:
- Other Medical Help:
- 111 Medical Help
- NHS Services App
- See other sections below for more NHS advice links.
I also strongly recommend downloading the COVID Symptom Tracker App. It’s not an NHS app – it’s run by King’s College and other partners – but it’s a very important research tool for tracking the nation’s health. Simply open it each day, answer a couple of questions about your current wellbeing, and that’s it.
UK – BBC
- News Articles (also on Youtube)
- Explainers
- Reality Check (clarifying stories, debunking conspiracies, etc)
- BBC Click – Tech News (also on Youtube)
UK – Citizens Advice
Global
- Organisations & General Information:
- Case Figures:
Educational Videos
- Coronavirus Information:
- Social Distancing Explained:
- News & Expert Analysis:
- See my playlist of information videos for more on the subject.
Visually Impaired & Disabled People
Here you’ll find a variety of links giving help and support to disabled people. Accessible online entertainment is included in the relevant sections further down the page.
Organisations & Resources
- Essential Resources:
- London Vision – London Organisations (Word document)
- London Vision – COVID-19 Resources
- QTVI Sarah – Education resources for VI children
- Research Institute for Disabled Consumers – Useful Links
- RNIB – Essential supermarket information and updates
- Sight Advice FAQ – COVID-19 FAQs
- Sign Health – Coronavirus information in BSL
- Thomas Pocklington Trust – COVID-19 Support
- VICTA – Support resources for VI children and young adults
- Technology Support:
- Campaigns:
- Other General Resources:
Personal Experiences
- BBC News – The people who are still shielding at home
- Chloe Tear – Managing pain during lockdown
- Chloe Tear – As a disabled person, I’m not ready for lockdown to end
- Euan’s Guide – Voices Of Covid series
- Fashioneyesta – Staying positive during self-isolation
- Fashioneyesta – Staying productive in self-isolation
- Fashioneyesta – How nature is helping my mental health
- Fashioneyesta – Dealing with a pandemic as a legally blind person
- Fashioneyesta – Social Distancing as a visually impaired person (also video)
- Life Of A Blind Girl – How I’m getting through lockdown
- Lifestyle And Living – Shielding, and why it’s not my responsibility
- Shona Cobb – Wheelchair Travel on Buses and Trains During a Pandemic
Other Articles, Blog Posts & Videos
- Tips & Advice:
- Companion Stairlifts – Tips for staying in touch with relatives
- Euan’s Guide – 7 ideas of things to do if you’re stuck indoors
- Henshaws – Top tips for social distancing if you are visually impaired
- Henshaws – Top tips for shopping for a visually impaired person
- VICTA – 20 ways to spend time at home and stay in touch
- VocalEyes Culture Surveys:
- Other:
Other Advice & Support
Mental Health
- Organisations:
- Age UK – Feeling anxious or low about coronavirus
- Covid Symptom Study – Be Kind: Five tips for coping with COVID-related anxiety
- Cruse Bereavement Care – Dealing with bereavement and grief
- Mind – Coronavirus and your wellbeing
- NHS – Mindfulness
- The Princes Trust – Coronavirus Support Hub
- Samaritans – If you’re worried about your mental health
- Articles:
- BBC Videos:
Physical Health
- NHS:
- Other Organisations:
- Visually Impaired & Disabled People:
- Elderly People:
- Dance:
- Yoga:
- Haircuts:
- Other Resources:
Domestic Violence & Abuse
Shopping
- Aldi:
- ASDA:
- Co-op:
- Marks & Spencer:
- Morrisons:
- Sainsbury’s:
- Tesco:
- Waitrose:
Volunteering & Community Support
- BBC – Make A Difference
- COVID-19 Mutual Aid UK – Local Group Resources
- Goodsam – NHS Volunteer Responders
- Reddit – London Help Requsts & Offers
Fundraisers
- NHS:
- Captain Sir Tom Moore:
- The Captain Tom Foundation
- NHS Fundraiser – 100 laps for 100th Birthday
- Charity Single – You’ll Never Walk Alone & Music Video
- News – World Records, 100th Birthday, Knighthood & All BBC News Stories
- Social Media – Twitter, Youtube, Instagram & TikTok
- Other Charities:
Scams
- Organisations:
- Action Fraud – COVID-19 Related Scams – News & Resources
- Citizens Advice – Check if something might be a scam
- Google – Helping you avoid COVID-19 online scams
- In the UK, you can report suspicious activity to Action Fraud. You should also forward scam emails to report@phishing.gov.uk, where it will be analysed and dealt with by the National Cyber Security Centre (in GCHQ).
- BBC News:
- UK crime levels drop but criminals criminals ‘exploiting virus’
- How hackers are preying on fears of Covid-19
- Scammers use ‘hook’ of pandemic to target victims
- Victims lose thousands to fake puppy and kitten sales
- Public urged to watch out for fake products after ‘surge’ in report
- Scam warning over NHS test and trace
- You can find more information and links about scams in general on my Scam Warnings & Advice page.
Conspiracies & Misinformation
Fear and uncertainty about the virus, lockdowns, restrictions and vaccines, and the subsequent desire to learn more, is perfectly natural, given that this is such an unprecedented and scary event. And it’s also fair to say that governments have really struggled to get a grip on it, so there are trust issues there as well.
However, this has led to a lot of people misinterpreting information and believing conspiracy theories and false rumours they’ve found online, a lot of which have been posted maliciously to cause harm in the first place. They then go on to share their ‘findings’ with others, via social media, WhatsApp, etc, thus spreading the lies and anxiety even further. And this in turn results in dangerous behaviour, with people ignoring the rules, refusing vaccines, etc.
So please be extremely careful about what you read and share, and check out the links below for lots more information. The only people who can fully understand the situation, and who we should therefore rely on, are those who have gained extensive experience and knowledge of epidemiology, viruses, pandemics and vaccines, through a bare minimum of degree-level education in those very specific subjects, and a long career in such a dedicated role. Experience in other areas of science isn’t enough in itself – no scientist can fully understand areas in which they don’t personally specialise.
Conspiracy theorists and malicious spreaders of false information are often easy to spot, because they have very common traits. If you see a post on social media that causes alarm, for instance, have a look through other posts they’ve been writing and sharing, and you’ll soon see what ‘expertise’ they have. And ing eneral, such people will often::
- Hide behind an anonymous or randomly generated username.
- Claim that they have relevant qualifications, or that they know other people who do, or will share posts by other people who claim to be qualified, but are unwilling or unable to prove their credentials.
- Make claims, post screenshots and share memes (images with text added), without linking to any official sources, or only linking to conspiracy sites.
- Respond to requests for evidence by telling you to “do your own research”, being abusive or blocking you.
- Claim that the mainstream media are biased, while sharing content from conspiracy sites, non-mainstream news sites and social media accounts that are clearly biased to their own views and don’t fairly discuss all sides.
- Use terms like “sheep”, “sheeple”, “shills”, “bedwetters” and “bots” and other forms of abuse, and words like “muzzles” or “face diapers” for masks, in reference to those of us who are following the rules, as they feel we’re blindly believing what we’re told and are copying everyone else. Whereas conspiracy theorists will just believe and copy what they’re told by other conspiracy theorists, which is completely different apparently.
The following links will help to dispel a lot of the conspiracies, myths and false information out there.
- UK Government:
- Vaccine Articles:
- Health Myths – BBC News Videos:
- The conspiracy theories spreading fake news
- Health myths you should ignore
- More myths to ignore
- More health myths to ignore
- Debunking Africa’s top coronavirus myths
- Health claims debunked
- Who starts viral misinformation?
- Disinformation and the Coronavirus
- How can you be sure what you see online is real?
- How to talk about conspiracy theories
- Health Myths – BBC News Articles (see also their Reality Check page):
- The casualties of 2020’s viral conspiracy theories
- The fake health advice you should ignore
- How bad information goes viral
- The fake Bill Gates post and other claims to ignore
- Trump’s disinfectant and sunlight claims
- The seven types of people who start and spread viral misinformation
- Contact-tracing rumours debunked
- Face mask exemption cards and other US claims
- Coronavirus tests: Swabs don’t damage the brain and other claims
- Deadly masks claims debunked
- False and misleading claims about vaccines
- The bogus meme targeting Dr Fauci, and other fake claims
- There’s no law to ‘harvest’ DNA from Covid-19 tests
- The truth behind videos of ’empty’ hospitals
- 5G Conspiracy Videos:
- 5G Conspiracy Articles:
- BBC – Does 5G pose health risks?
- BBC – Scientists brand 5G claims ‘complete rubbish’
- The Express – Why the new £20 note has the coronavirus symbol and 5G beacon
- Full Fact – Here’s where those 5G and coronavirus conspiracy theories came from
- i News – Why 5G isn’t causing the coronavirus pandemic
- Ofcom – Clearing up the myths around 5G and the coronavirus
- Reuters – False claim: Video shows 5G telecoms equipment stamped with ‘COV-19’ ready to be installed into a mast
- Other Videos & Articles:
- Advice & Fact-Checking Sites:
Arts & Culture
Theatre Shows & Concerts – Online Streams
Some shows are only available for a limited period. Please read the descriptions of videos carefully to ensure you don’t miss out.
- Accessible Content:
- Official London Theatre – Get Your Theatre Fix – Weekly list of online performances, including those with audio description, captioning & BSL.
- VocalEyes – The Interval – Weekly list of online audio described performances and other items of interest.
- Deafinitely Theatre – Plays in BSL and spoken English.
- Graeae – Crips Without Constraints – Weekly monologues by deaf and disabled performers, with captions and audio description.
- National Theatre – Including occasional audio described productions.
- The Old Vic – In Camera – All streamed shows have audio description.
- Other Free Shows & Performances:
- The Shows Must Go On – Free musicals posted for 48 hours every Friday.
- Official London Theatre
- What’s On Stage
- BBC – Culture In Quarantine
- BBC – Performance Live
- Broadway Cares – Equity Fights AIDS
- Broadway World – Living Room Concerts
- Cirque du Soleil
- Curve Theatre
- English National Ballet
- Gigglemug Comedy – Timpson: The Musical
- Guild Hall
- London Sinfonietta
- London Symphony Orchestra
- The Old Vic
- Opera Vision
- Royal Albert Hall – Royal Albert Home
- Shakespeare’s Globe
- The Show Must Go Online – Shakespeare Readings
- V For Victory – The Musical
- Rentals & Purchases:
- UK Subscription Services:
- USA Subscription Services:
- Other Lists:
- Culture Stream
- Filmed On Stage
- Also check out my playlist of favourite musical theatre videos.
Museums, Galleries & Attractions – Virtual Tours
United Kingdom
- London:
- 10 Downing Street:
- British Library:
- British Museum
- Buckingham Palace
- Churchill War Rooms
- Courtauld Institute Of Art
- Eltham Palace
- Greenwich Painted Hall
- Hampton Court Palace
- Houses Of Parliament
- Illuminated River In 360
- Jack The Ripper – Murder Mystery Virtual Tour & Games
- Kenwood House
- London Transport Museum:
- National Gallery
- Natural History Museum:
- NOW Gallery:
- Old Royal Naval College
- RAF Museum
- Royal Academy:
- Royal Albert Hall
- Saatchi Gallery:
- Science Museum
- Tate Britain:
- Tate Modern:
- Tower Of London
- Twickenham Stadium
- Visit London – City Landmarks
- Westminster Abbey
- England:
- Scotland:
Europe
- Austria:
- France:
- Germany:
- Greece:
- Ireland:
- Italy:
- Netherlands:
- Norway:
- Russia:
- Spain:
- Switzerland:
- Vatican City:
America – United States
- California:
- Los Angeles – J. Paul Getty Museum:
- San Francisco – de Young Museum
- San Francisco – Museum Of Modern Art
- Florida:
- Michigan:
- New York:
- Frick Collection
- Guggenheim Museum
- Metropolitan Museum Of Art:
- Museum Of Modern Art
- Texas:
- Washington DC:
America – Other Countries
- Brazil:
- Canada:
- Mexico:
Other Countries
- Asia:
- South Africa:
- Australia:
- Various Countries:
Entertainment
Comedy
- Sketches:
- Series:
- Stand Up Comedians:
- Stand Up Comedy:
- Archive Shows:
Music
Playlists:
Staying Interactive & Connected
Learn New Skills
- Arts & Crafts:
- Food:
- Gardening:
- Languages:
- Music:
- Study Courses:
- Writing:
Virtual Parties & Gatherings
- Facebook Watch Parties – Watch videos together with your friends
- Netflix Party – Google Chrome extension to watch Netflix titles with others
- Speed Dater & Original Dating – Virtual speed dating.
- The Staying Inn – Dr Amy Kavanagh’s virtual pub, with quizzes, interviews, classes, film clubs and more.
Quizzes
- Quiz Videos Playlist
- Dan’s Pub Quiz
- Goose’s Quizzes
- Jason Manford – Lockdown Quizzes
- Jay’s Virtual Pub Quiz
- Jimmy Carr – Little Tiny Quiz Of The Lockdown
- Nystagmus Network – Weekly Quiz
- Sporcle Quizzes
- Evening Standard – Virtual pub quizzes list
Games
- Evening Standard – The best games to play with your friends via video call
- Computer Games:
- Monopoly App (Apple)
- Scrabble App (Android)
- Uno App (Android)
- Spoonbill Software – Games for visually impaired and blind people
- Interactive Videos:
Live Streams
- All The Stations – Also follow on Twitter
- BBC Click – Spencer Kelly – Also follow on Twitter
Reading
- Audible:
- RNIB Bookshare:
Even More Ideas & Links
- Chatterpack – A list of free, online, boredom-busting resources!
- Evening Standard – Things to do at home to keep entertained
- Simply Emma – Fun things to do during self-isolation
- Youtube Spotlight UK
- My favourite Entertainment & London blogs and videos
