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Recovery [ Back to Trauma and Recovery ]Respondents’ diaries are full of signs of recovery and renewal. But there is also evidence that their confidence is fragile. Early diaries from across the different groups showed collective dread when there were new FMD scares. Even happy occasions carry overtones of shared history: [after a christening] Every new beginning and every special occasion it seems to bring with it FMD baggage, so small is our community and so heavily affected were we, that there is no escape. But I expect that it is all part of the healing process. (Community, diary, 2002)
Farmers and vets reported over-reactions to ill-health among stock and we also found significant levels of hurt among those who felt that they had worked hard during FMD but who felt that their efforts had not been acknowledged: Had my job review done, not happy with it, hardly mentioned the FMD work last year. It is almost as if last year didn’t happen. (Front line worker diary, 2002)
I suppose it’s human nature we want some acknowledgement that we did something during that time and we haven’t had that, we haven’t received that […], its not just acknowledging what we’ve done, its acknowledging that there was a problem and a lot of people are still in sort of denial to it really I think. My number one priority really […] was the staff, cause I think because I know what it was like you know, having your head chewed off every ten minutes all day […] there were a lot of very angry people out there and there still are… (Community, interview , 2002)
However there is a wealth of evidence of the importance of family and community activities, sport and traditional events in the lives of the panel. The children can now play in the fields again. The first time they went in was when it snowed. They had great fun building snowmen, igloos and doing snow Angels. It’s hard to believe that it’s a year since they had to stop going in. We couldn’t have any village sports and any of the usual things that went on in the village because most of the people on the Village Hall committee are farmers and farmers’ wives. Now we are having meetings again and deciding what to do for the Queen’s Jubilee. (Community, diary, 2002)
The local village hall had a Jubilee fun night at the weekend. It is the first real ‘Do’ that we have had in the hall since the start of FMD. […] It is good to see the countryside pulling together, as the national government seems to have washed their hands on us. (Farm , diary, 2002) [ Back to Trauma and Recovery ]
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