I can hardly believe it’s now just over a year since I started this covid blog. It’s strange re-reading the stress and confusion of 12 months ago. However, not much has changed and we are still in lockdown!
After I last wrote in July, things seemed to be getting better over the summer. We all had to wear masks in shops or confined spaces, but restaurants opened up and the government introduced an ‘Eat Out To Help Out’ scheme so meals were much cheaper.
At the start of August the university library re-opened and I started going into the office a couple of days a week. We have to work apart and there’s only a few people in at any time, but it’s lovely to see people again.
We managed to get away to see Paul’s sister in Wales. Paul biked there and back and me, James and Joanna followed in the car. The weather was stunning and we had some great walks. Reuben had to work as David Lloyd was back open and he was working lots.
Later in the summer, we finally managed to celebrate James’s 21st with his fast car track day and a family meal.
Paul and I had a 3 day mini-break at a hotel in North Yorkshire for our anniversary. Although the weather wasn’t great, we had a lovely time walking and enjoying the lovely food. We then had a couple of days in London as we took James down to his new flat in Wood Green. Everything was starting to feel a lot more normal.
Church re-opened in mid August with socially distanced, masked services. No singing or refreshments after the service were allowed, it was all very strange.
Joanna was still delivering her packages to the old folk until the start of September and Minnie, our oldest church member made her a lovely blanket to say thank you. Joanna dyed her hair pink ready for university and also got the results of her Foundation Art Degree – she got a Distinction!
Unfortunately, people returning from abroad and then going straight back to school, work and university saw cases start to rise in September. Joanna started university in September and we drove her over to her new halls. Unfortunately, within a couple of weeks one of her flatmates tested positive and she had to isolate in her flat. It was really difficult getting shopping delivered to them. Soon after she could go out again, Sheffield went into ‘Tier 3’ restrictions which was pretty much a lockdown, although shops were still open. I had managed to get over for a visit and to take her walking boots to her as she’d joined the University walking club, unforutnately she only managed one group walk before the Tier 3 restrictions meant they couldn’t meet in big groups, or use public transport to travel to the peaks, but she has continued walking with one or two friends around Sheffield.
Cases in London seemed to be low and stable. James enjoyed being back in the dance studio and got his first set of professional headshots. Reuben went down for a weekend too.
Warrington was only in Tier 2, but cases were rising rapidly and we moved to Tier 3 at the end of October. Soon after that though the whole country was put into another lockdown which meant Reuben had his 18th birthday plans severely curtailed. We arranged some balloons to be delivered and we got friends and family to record video messages, but it wasn’t the night out at the pub that he’d wanted.
I had an eye appointment during the lockdown and it was very strange to be in Golden Square in peak Christmas shopping period and it to be empty. My Glitterarti online orders were through the roof though!
After the November lockdown the government promised that Christmas would see a bit of a relaxation of rules so families could spend a few days together. We joined a gym and started enjoying working out and relaxing there. However, even as cases went down across the country in the lockdown there had been a noticeable increase in cases in Kent that quickly spread into London and up the country. Restrictions in London were ramped up and James work in Nando’s dropped off so he came home on the Thursday before Christmas. By Sunday, London has been plunged into a full lockdown and the Christmas relaxations had been scaled back across the country.
On the day James came home I’d started with a sore throat. I double checked it wasn’t a known covid symptom, and we’d been putting up decorations at my mum’s house so I thought I’d got dust down my throat when I got things out of the loft. Late at night I noticed my temperature had gone up a bit, although far from a fever, so I booked a test as a precaution. We were supposed to be running an outdoor carol service on the Sunday so we prayed the result would be negative, but it came back positive. This meant we had to isolate for 10 days, which would include Christmas Day. Mum had to isolate too as part of our bubble and because I’d seen her in the week.
It was a grim Christmas, all stuck inside and desperately trying to book online food order slots. All the presents that were ready to be posted went unposted. Fortunately we had great friends who brought us food and helped taking food to my mum. I wasn’t too unwell, but very tired and listless. My weird symptom was excessive burping. I didn’t really cough at all, but did have headaches and a runny nose.
Paul cooked on Christmas Day – our pre-booked Turkey that a good friend collected and delivered for us. However, by Boxing Day he and Joanna had symptoms and got tests. Strangely Joanna was positive, but Paul was negative. So New Year was difficult too!
As the January started it was clear the new covid variant was spreading very fast. Schools were told to go back, but one day later the whole country was put into another full lockdown. Reuben still had to go in for his Btec exams, even when all other A-Levels were cancelled. The lockdown isn’t quite as severe as the first one. Shops can do click and collect orders and medical courses can still teach at universities, so I have still been going into work, but just once a week now. Schools stayed open for Key Worker children, but the definition was widened so a lot more children were in.
Neither James nor Joanna could return to university so we were back to dance classes and university lectures over zoom. When James had gone back to London in September we’d turned his room into an office for me, so now we were fighting over space too! James worked in the kitchen. He’s had a tough time trying to plan his dissertion from home. Their performance of Guys and Dolls planned for January has also been moved to May. It’s also very unclear how they will showcase themselves to agents, assuming theatres are allowed to re-open at some point.
We had another some more lockdown birthdays, Joanna turned 20 and we had another milestone birthday as Paul turned 50. We managed a family zoom call a walk and a lovely meal at home.
This lockdown has been quite different, mainly as it’s been dark and cold and the weather has been quite bad – we’ve even had quite a bit of snow. In January there were floods in the local area. We’ve managed a few walks, but it’s been harder to be motivated to get out and about. We have focussed on inside jobs, redecorating our bedroom and buying a new bed and mattress. We’ve also started doing yoga every morning. It’s been so hard to keep fit and we’re all a bit heavier than when this first started.
Church has been closed since Christmas, but we are doing online services now. For the 2nd year Mother’s Day has been in lockdown, but at least we can have my mum round as part of our bubble this year.
Schools have re-opened from the 8th March and university courses with practical elements can restart so James is back at university. Joanna has also gone back, even though all her lectures are still online. We’ve also welcomed a new great-niece, although as she lives in Wales who knows when we will be able to see her? There is a roadmap for opening up the country, but covid is continuing to ravage the world.
Do you remember the lemon tree we bought from IKEA just before the first lockdown, Joanna claimed it as hers and called it ‘Pancake’ in the hope it would provide lemons for pancake day. And this year, it did! We had homegrown lemon juice on our pancakes.
As I said at the start the one good thing is the vaccine which should help to protect people from the worst of the disease and ease pressure on the NHS. The first vaccines were administered in early December. Mum had her first dose in January and is booked in for her 2nd dose soon. Today, as I got my jab, they have announced that half the adult population has had their first dose. Here’s hoping for a brighter future!
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