3 years ago today……

At that point my only worry was getting a slot on Tesco! After being a faithful online customer for years I was now having to compete with randoms. Fortunately I had the initiative to email the CEO where a member of his executive quickly got back to me. So I had a named person to deal with. When I explained that I was disabled with no transport they asked me for my log in/customer number and quickly provided me with a premium slot to log in to. Ive never since had any difficulty in getting a slot for the day (if not always the exact time) I wanted.

Apart from this the lock down did not really affect me.

I wonder how the children will remember it.
Our granddaughter, who would have been ten, came into work with us quite often, because there was no one but family there, and it kept her busy, she says she looks back on the first lockdown with affection, but then it started getting boring,
I remember the weirdness of visiting our other daughter and family for the first time, we all had to stay in the garden, and the worst part, it was a very long drive, and there were no toilets open on the way!

My reaction was anything but calm which is not like me I usually cope at a difficult time. I was really scared for our DS and DD and their families. Our twins had started nursery and that abruptly came to an end. Our youngest GD was a babe in arms and we went to see her once a week. I was taking shopping to our DS and DD houses until the restrictions started.
The restrictions on travel tore me apart not seeing our family really upset me like life had come to a stand still it was unreal. I would put a brave face on when they WhatsApp us but inside I was shattered. I cannot imagine what people felt like with family who lived abroad it must have been a living hell.

Oh this has brought back so many memories. I’ve just been to dig out my 2020 diary. I’d forgotten how it was my sons 40th birthday and Mother’s Day on the same day. We exchanged gifts on the doorstep, and I’d bought him a huge pack of toilet rolls with happy 40th written in them !
I went into work the 23rd of March and was told I could go home if I thought it best. I still had my frail mum so decided for her sake it would be best. I went home and immediately started spring cleaning, did every kitchen cupboard thinking this won’t last for long I’ll be back at work next week. How wrong was I.

harrigran 🌸🌺
My husband was in treatment and died last year. One of my few consolations was to remind myself ‘at least we aren’t doing this in the pandemic’. Life changing period in our lives

It was a worrying time, DH was having treatment for cancer, I had just finished my treatment. My BIL was dying from cancer in another country and we were unable to be there to support my sister.
Our home in the Lakes was on the market and we couldn't travel to sort it out.
We managed reasonably well for shopping, became much more organised at using up ingredients and planning meals.
Three years on my life is completely different, I have lost five family members since the start of the pandemic and no longer take anything for granted.

I was/am clinically extremely vulnerable so facing the prospect of not seeing my grandchildren. It’s my birthday and wedding anniversary date. Our daughters appeared at the end of our garden with gifts we could plant. They’d written a song, they held up the words, and danced. No hugs but such a strange yet happy day.

I remember thinking that we would be fine as we are an island and the government will close the borders .... hmmm.
I remember thinking thank goodness my OH is not here ... he would have been frantic with worry.
I remember struggling to cope as OH had died a few weeks before ... I faced the prospect of lonely grieving separated from family and friends. It was hell.

Our 3 adult children were bringing our shopping to us and handing it over the back garden wall so we didn't need to go out ... except to walk the dog in our nearby park. As has already been said there was little traffic and it was so quiet. And the weather was beautiful. I can't believe how calm I was about it all and we really didn't know what was going to happen.
A very strange time indeed.

I queued for 2.5 hours at our pharmacy to collect our regular monthly prescription.

The queue stretched far down the drive and out into the road.

People seemed to be trying to get months worth of medication as there were all the rumours that nothing would soon be available.

The same at the local Tesco, people queuing all round the car park, arriving up to an hour before the place opened.

Seems surreal now, but of course, all before any vaccinations and no one knew what was round the corner.

Just as well really.

I arrived home from Australia the day before lockdown was announced. Id had to decide whether to stay or leave. Just as well I chose to leave when I did. It was very strange flying via Hong Kong to Heathrow seeing travellers attired in anything from full hazmat suits, plastic macs with hoods up, cowering under umbrellas (!) to those like me brazening it out with fingers crossed. DD met me and I was confined to the back seat with a mask. Once home I went into self imposed isolation for 2 weeks. It was lonely, so quiet but strangely beautiful to watch from my garden, spring slowly develop into early summer. Just observing the daily progress of plants which normally you’d take for granted, listening to the birdsong and the new born lambs in the fields. Out in the country I felt strangely divorced from what was happening in the big wide world and felt very much at peace but was happy when finally allowed to bubble with my local family.

Although it was a terrible time, lockdown did have some positives - the lack of traffic and the noise it creates; not having to rush in the morning and being able to stay in pyjamas until midmorning; doing housework only when it was really necessary as you knew there would be no visitors; having lots of time to sit in the sunshine and just enjoy the peace. Life really did slow down and it was nice (for a while) to just be.

I had to look it up on my iPad calendar.
Evidently I made some of Delia's Breakfast baps, that although they took ages to rise, were fine when baked.
I started to crochet a Tiger beanie hat for my GGS.
Then DH and I walked to our local shop to buy a few essentials.
That walk was only about .5 mile, but I can't do that today, more's the pity.

Nice to have the calendar to look back on.

A very surreal time but I do remember the peace and quiet and if I did drive anywhere how deserted the roads were.
The obtaining of a home delivery spot from the supermarket could be challenging.
Our town did pull together to help those in most need.
My daughter was trying to work from home with a lively two year old I used to walk her dog to help which involved her letting him out to me and waving through the window.

i was relieved that at last the govt seemed to be taking the situation more seriously, and had imposed the lockdown.

We had gone to our cottage by the sea a week before lockdown, so we stayed there. It was bliss with beautiful weather, blue, blue skies, nearly empty beaches and a relaxing, restful way of life. We stayed there for 10 weeks.
Our next door neighbour was so pleased we were there but our next door but one neighbours still don’t talk to us because they thought we should have stayed in Essex. We didn’t come and go, stayed home and just shopped when we needed. Kept ourselves to ourselves and looked after our neighbour and ouR elderly SIL.

I felt in control of my own life as I’d been expecting the pandemic and lockdown but had been terrified for members of my family that were still working. Lockdown was a relief because I could stop worrying about them apart from my DIL who works for the NHS. I loved how quiet everything was during lockdown: no traffic noise or planes flying over, and the air was so much cleaner. Hats off to those who continued to work to keep the food supply going and care for our health. I felt as if we were all working together to get through it and would think back to times of war. My hope was that it wasn’t in the best interest of a virus to wipe out the very creatures it needed to survive but had no idea how long it would take for it to become less dangerous. I just wish that a lot of people would remember what a killer the first virus was.

I had gone to the library. It was "out" that lockdown was imminent: the staff there let people take out loads of books.

But this bit is strange, some will understand: it was a sort of relief for me at the beginning. I had been terribly depressed and isolated, but suddenly overnight everyone was sort of in a similar position: not able to go out, not able to mix with people.

*It was quiet: no endless car noise: suddenly the street was full of families having careful walks and being very friendly at safe distance . Offers through the door to help out. It actually helped me: gardening, sitting in the sun etc.

People leaving out things out the front carefully washed and with notices" this has been in isolation for 72 hours*

I wished at the time the sense of community locally would remain, but it hasn't.

I was fortunate enough not to have the worries of elderly relatives and had not seen my family for some time anyway but contact actually increased as there was news to swap.

But reading news from others above really brings it home the awfulness like Shinamae's report. And my very disabled granddaughter subsequently came close to death, but being the family for the first time when we could - masks on indoors et al was an amazing experience

I had been retired for a year exactly. The plan was to have a year to chill and then start to plan all the things that we could do now that I didn't have to work - that plan was well and truly scuppered.

Also, having one daughter working in a care home (albeit as a Business Manager and not a carer) and the other working in Adult Social Care I was worried about what would happen in their areas of work - with good reason, as it turned out!

So sad that we couldn't see the GC as we had been having them twice a week post-school and on days when the younger one wasn't at nursery. As both their parents were key workers they continued at school and nursery so we couldn't help with their care until much later when the "bubbles" came in. (I think that's right, have I forgotten the details?)

I watched all the news reports to see if it had got to the country DD was living in and wished they were home.
We had been talking about Woohan at half term and wondering if it would get here and this was being proven.

It was an unseasonally hot day the Sunday before the lockdown two days later, and people had flocked (as the tabloids like to put it) to the seasides, packing the beaches like sardines under the grill.
When it was shown on the news, there was outrage and anger at the stupidity and this is what spurred the government to implement the Big Lockdown. As I recall it anyway.

A very odd time, our business continued to operate, but not open to the public, and we furloughed all our staff, so strange and a bit eerie, but also rather nice.
Our daughter and her children came home, and the home schooling was a nightmare with the six year old, we gave up in the end, then nursery closed making it even harder.
But if I’m honest, it wasn’t all bad, the weather was glorious, we used to walk to the next village where the playing field was still open, and stay there for hours, I can’t ever remember feeling anxious, when I look back now I’m amazed at how calmly we got on with it.
Strange times.

I keep a diary so I shall dig out my 2020 one and get back here with 28 March's entry.
WARNING: Don't hold your breathe as I doubt it will be very interesting

I remember watching the news and seeing all the people in Italy singing from their balconies during their lockdown. I remember thinking 'How awful' and being grateful it wasn't here. Silly me.

It was such an awful time. There were 200 deaths on this date. My daughter and Grandaughter moved in with us and daughter had to commute to
Manchester to work. My husband was putting pressure on her to stop working at the hospital this day three years ago because he was terrified she’d bring covid home. It made their relationship very tense for a while. She couldn’t give up her job. She did end up bringing covid home however in the November but thankfully we were fine.
I was heartbroken being parted from my autistic Grandson who couldn’t understand what was happening. It’s hard to even think about this day three years ago😢