- The Tallong Community Focus Group has cancelled the Anzac Day Service at the War Memorial on April 25. Community groups are welcome to lay wreaths or bunches of flowers on the War Memorial, but make sure social distancing protocols are observed.

- The Tallong Community Resilience Celebration, which was to follow the Anzac Day service, incorporating centenary celebrations for the War Memorial Hall, and acknowledgement of the enormous efforts of Rural Fire Service men and women over summer, has been postponed.

- The Tallong War Memorial Hall and Park have been closed by the NSW Department of Lands until further notice. All activities that use the hall and children's playground are therefore cancelled. Goulburn Mulwaree Council has closed the park's public toilets.

- Tallong RFS has discontinued training and meetings, with the AGM postponed to a date to be fixed. The first response team will still attend emergencies. Any emergencies, please dial 000.

- Saint Stephen's Anglican Church, Tallong will not hold services until further notice; and Divergent Church, Tallong gatherings have been cancelled until further notice. However, leaders (Magnus and Bel Agren) offer online connection through its Facebook page.

- The Midge, Tallong will maintain normal hours with the store open but serving takeaway food only (no eat-in). However, Friday night pizza will be temporarily discontinued (daytime menu only). The Midge's famous jams, condiments, biscuits and other goodies, as well as an expanded range of frozen meals, will still be available.

- Apple Day, May 3, was cancelled in January because of organisational problems arising from the bushfires.

Bearing in mind the need at the moment to restrict travel where possible, it is worth a smile to remember the difficulties overcome in times gone by.

In August 1918, Mary Sparks was the first bride to wed in Tallong's Methodist Church when she married John Hamilton of Cowra.

Mary's home was only six miles (10 kilometres) away as the crow flies, but - unfortunately - on the other side of the Shoalhaven Gorge.

This was no problem for the bride, who rode across, although there were concerns that, if it rained, the Shoalhaven River would flood, making it impassable.

These concerns were well-founded as a few years later her brother drowned when his horse was swept away as he returned home.

The bride's mother, described as being "not in robust health," could not attempt the short-cut.

The only alternative was a buggy ride to Nowra via Nerriga of 60 miles (about 100 kilometres), where she caught the train to Sydney, a distance of about 90 miles (about 150 kilometres).

She then caught the train from Sydney to Tallong (about another 180 kilometres, or 112 miles), with "a return journey as a treat in store when the wedding was over," as the Scrutineer and Berrima District Press reported.

No better way to overcome social distancing measures during coronavirus COVID-19 restrictions than with a letter to the editor: