Life Goes On At Warwick

Life Goes On At Warrick.
3^rd September.

Jimboomba teenager, Rochelle Aitkenhead will celebrate her 18^th birthday at the Morgan Park lockdown on the 16^th September. Horse Deals caught up with the soon to be birthday girl to find out how the 100 or so Morgan Park residents were settling down to their six week sentence. If Rochelle is any indication the Warwick inmates have a positive outlook and are taking advantage of the unforeseen opportunity to learn.

“I’ve got two horses here and one got the flu last Monday and one last Wednesday and they are both getting over it now. Everyone was pretty depressed last week, as the horses were sick, but they are getting better now and everyone is feeling better about it and we are all getting along well.

“ It looks as if we will be here at least until the end of September. Everyone is doing as much as they can to make us comfortable. There are about eight showers and some people have showers in their trucks. All the showers have mats in them now and shampoo. They have brought in toilets, washing machines and put up clothes lines.

“They have brought a classroom in for about 15 kids here. Some of the riders are teachers and they teach school for about three hours a day. Some of the kids are here looking after their horses, as their parents had to go back to work and it was not though a good idea for the kids to go to school in Warwick in case they infect the locals, even though they have to scrub out. But there is a lot of work looking after the horses, as they have to be walked three times a day, fed three to four times, mucked out and generally nursed. It all takes time.

“The hospital has been feeding us, but I’m told caterers will be taking over. The locals have been great and they have set up a fund for us and bring us food and magazines. I don’t go into Warwick much, only when my parents visit, as looking after the horses takes a lot of time.

“The vets have been great and I have learnt a lot, obviously about EI and also about what medications the vets give them for the various symptoms. I have learnt to look for the signs of illness and I help with the paperwork when the vets do their rounds. I left school last year and have been working in a racing stable, so I am interested in the care of the horses. I have thought about going to University, next year, but I have not made up my mind.

“There are a lot of sports activities for us to do and they will organise a football game or something like that every day. Mostly we read or listen to music to amuse ourselves”.

It really sounds as if Rochelle and everyone in the lockdown at Morgan Park are making the best of the situation. Certainly spirits are on the rise now that the worst of the flu is over, for them at least.