THERE has been a lot of talk this week about how to combat boredom if you are confined to your home during the coronavirus pandemic.

Bored? I have never had any time for people who say they suffer from boredom.

It used to be the mantra of teenagers in this country, but now it seems everyone is at risk of being bored if confined within their own four walls even though all manner of entertainment is available in our homes at the touch of a button.

When I was a teenager living in South Africa we didn’t have a television and not because we couldn’t afford it. The reason was there wasn’t a television network.

But no matter, you made your own entertainment and it wasn’t difficult. Admittedly the weather was considerably better than it tends to be in the UK but at weekends my mates and I used to pack sandwiches, hop on our bikes and cycle for miles, pit stopping now and again for a can of Coke and a chinwag while soaking up the sun.

Come evening time we would congregate at one of our friend’s parents’ houses and check out the latest vinyl releases, arguing furiously over the merits of the most recent T Rex or Elton John album before going for a late night swim.

Then it was a cycle ride back home and the chance to retire to bed with a good book. There was no slumming it on the sofa for hours on end.

The main entertainment at home was via the record player which was played, when your parents weren’t home, at extremely high volume.

When we went out, much like the surrounding environment, it was quite literally a breath of fresh air.

Hours were spent on bikes and skateboards rather than mooching aimlessly around shopping centres as tends to be the case with most teenagers these days as they text furiously while bumping into other shoppers constantly because they don’t bother to look where the hell they are going.

I admit I still hanker for the halcyon days before the advent of the mobile phone when you weren’t constantly distracted by the bloody thing either buzzing or ringing.

Life was simpler back in the day and you could often be incommunicado all day if you so chose, which I used to manage on a frequent basis.

Nowadays it is all about our electronic devices whether it be iPads, mobile phones, widescreen televisions or games consoles.

There are also endless music streaming services and the likes of Amazon Prime and Netflix as well as the terrestrial channels.

I barely watch television these days... I would rather settle down with a good book of an evening and enjoy a glass or two of decent wine.

As the weather improves I have also started taking a 30-minute stroll along the seafront although the health benefits are somewhat hindered by enjoying a cigarette along the way.

At present I live alone but again that is not an issue as boredom never sets in.

Sitting on your sofa staring into space is a waste of time.

Admittedly I have plenty to keep me occupied anyway as I recently moved from Portslade to Bexhill and there are still numerous boxes to unpack.

One of the big drawbacks is being a hoarder by nature. I mean who really needs 1,500 books and 2,000 vinyl records? Well me, apparently, because I have got them.

At least with the lockdown all the record and book shops are shut which will spare me being inexorably drawn into them.

I can easily spend two to three hours in a record shop, especially as many of them now sell coffee too and ditto applies to book shops.

But shopping is now limited to essential provisions so at least my bank balance will not be taking its customary battering.

It is clear we live in worrying times and the coronavirus has clearly had a major impact on our collective wellbeing.

People are scared and angry and that is never a good combination.

Times are increasingly tough and there is a very real prospect of thousands of employees losing their jobs and businesses going to the wall.

Equally many are struggling to cope with self-isolation.

But as with any crisis it is important to be united and with regard to coronavirus, follow Government guidelines.

There will be a tipping point... there always is and then slowly but surely things will get better and life will return to a semblance of normality.

In the interim just make sure you don’t succumb to boredom because there really is no excuse for it, is there?