Coronavirus: Farmers herd flock of sheep to spell out tribute to NHS workers
Innovative show of support for health workers takes family three attempts to perfect
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
A farming family have herded a flock of 150 sheep to make a tribute to NHS workers who are treating coronavirus patients which could be seen on a hillside for miles around.
The effort, which was timed to coincide with the fourth “Clap For Our Carers” on Thursday, took an entire family three attempts to herd the flock to spell “NHS” on the hillside in Luss in Argyll & Bute, Scotland.
Sixty-six-year-old Bobby Lennox drove a quad bike to produce the shape of the three letters, while his granddaughter Katie Nicholson followed behind with buckets of sheep feed which the animals stopped to eat.
“We feed the sheep every morning and they come and follow behind the quad bike,” Kay Wilson, Mr Lennox’s daughter, said.
“We tried different angles and were third time lucky.”
Ms Wilson said that yesterday was the last chance they had to complete the tribute because the sheep would soon be off the hill and back in sheds for lambing.
She added: “We’re out every Thursday clapping for the NHS and nobody can hear us so we wanted people to do something people in the area could see.”
The tribute was one example of efforts across the UK to raise spirits during the Covid-19 pandemic this week by showing gratitude to key workers in the NHS.
On Thursday, NHS staff thanked the public for their support in a video broadcast on ITV after the fourth week of applause for employees in health and social care.
“We are working tirelessly to fight off an invisible enemy, but we are not alone. We hear you. The clapping echoes through every hospital,” the medics said.
“Your support every week reminds us that we are all in this together, so thank you. And from the bottom of our hearts, thank you for staying home."
Additional reporting by agencies
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments