2020 started off as a normal year - dry January (not that I got past day 2), post-Christmas diet (same result as no alcohol!!) and New Years resolutions to get fit. This time last year who could have predicted what was to come!!!
By the end of February, we were watching the situation unfold in China and Covid-19 was slowly spreading across the globe. Life was still carrying on as normal as we watched the news updates. I recall having a coffee with a friend chatting about it with no idea that in a few weeks we would be living in lockdown.
The Cheltenham Festival went ahead as normal, by 3rd March there were 51 cases in the UK and Boris said we may have to restrict and close some places and events.
Then all hell let loose!!!!! Cases began creeping up, hand sanitiser became like gold dust, you had to fight for toilet roll and pasta was rationed amongst other items.
If you dared cough in public then everyone dived for cover. It may sound like I am being flippant but back then we had no idea of the impact this would have on our lives and livelihoods.
On Friday 13th March Sports fixtures began to be cancelled, local elections in May were postponed and other countries had entered lockdown. Then came the announcement on the 16th - please stay at home if you can, don't go to the pub and the daily press conferences started.
Who remembers sitting waiting for the announcement on March 23rd?
We were now officially to stay at home,
only go out of it was essential and stay
away from others.
The country started walking more than they ever have done to take advantage of the once-daily exercise allowance and going to the supermarket became a mission that you never dreamed it could be. Shop alone, only so many items allowed, long snaking queues to get in, sanitise everything when you got home, wear a mask.
The Queen gave her first-ever Easter message, there was a mass shortage of PPE, Boris Johnson was hospitalised with Covid-19, Captain Tom Moore rallied the nation and we had the Thursday night clap.
By June we were allowed to meet 6 people outdoors, non-essential shops reopened people returned to work and in July pubs and hairdressers reopened.
However, by November we were back in full lockdown again for a month, Christmas was cancelled for many and come January 2021 we were thrown back into full lockdown.
The past year will most certainly go down in history, be taught to children and feature in future textbooks. Those children that missed all that time at school will be teaching others what happened, how they felt and what their memories of that time are. We are living in a different time from when the last pandemic - 1918 Spanish Flu - raced across the world and there will be so many more resources to show what it was like for different people including Social Media posts etc.
How has your life changed during this time?
The last year has given me the opportunity to revaluate and change my career path which I hope will be successful - so far it is so fingers crossed.
I am really hoping that this will be the last long lockdown and with the amazing vaccination programme we are rolling out life can get back to normal.
Who else can't wait to book a sunshine holiday, lie by a pool with a Pina Colada and go out for dinner?