One thing I've noticed in the two months I've been back working as a local journalist again is the amount of online 'public consultations' there are.

I know, I can hear you sigh already, dear readers. Every time I write and post a story about a new online survey from an official body 'seeking your views' there are those who get straight on and take part – which is my aim – and those who leave comments to declare their belief that there's no point as they won't be listened to or heard in any case.

Speaking as someone who, to be frank, suffers frequent frustration at the lack of answers to some emailed questions or sometimes feel myself tense at the occasional very one-sided press release, I get it. It seems to me that we have long been heading down a path where the beauty of real-life speaking and listening is abandoned all too often to the keyboard and screen. Yet, especially now with the impact of coronavirus, the chance to respond to something online to make your voice heard could be the only one you'll have.

There was one story I covered for Maldon Nub News this week where the importance of this struck me. Essex County Council announced that it is conducting an online consultation exercise to find out what people's service priorities are following the pandemic. Now, being county-wide, I could straight away see how this could seem yet another step removed from the residents of our beautiful town. Of course, the truth is, it isn't. The services provided by county affect every one of us in an everyday fashion, from street lighting to highways, from schools to libraries, from social care to flood protection and so much more in between.

Then there was the context – an estimated £90million extra costs swallowed up in this year alone by Covid-19. So this is no ordinary survey. It is a budget consultation with the public because "big decisions" will have to be made about what services get priority going forward.

With my hand on my heart, I urge every reader to respond because this will impact our whole community. You can find the story, full details and a link to the survey on Maldon Nub News here.

On a note no less serious but a lot more uplifting, a highlight of my week came when I was sent a link to the video made by local lad Sam Chaplin, which has been featured on Maldon Nub News today. You can access the story and the video by using the link here. Sam's video, 'Beneath the Headphones', tells the story of his – and the town's – journey through the pandemic since March and features interviews with some familiar faces, as well as visiting on a deeper note, often set to music and with amazing footage of the town and its surroundings, the effects of this once unthinkable change to our world.

Yet again this week, I have been privileged to get to speak to some amazing people and discover places in the town where I live that were not known to me before. On this damp Sunday morning, you can lift the spirits by reading about the two hard-working, ambitious young men from High Street salon Profound. If you haven't already read it, Harry and Rhys Green tell their story to Maldon Nub News here.

And if you are looking for a day out in this current rainy season, or just want to find out more about an incredible local visitor attraction, take a look at what I found at Maldon's Combined Military Services Museum here.