Lockdown

Granny23 can I ask where your patio heater was from please. I have just had a patio laid and a catio and am sure my moggies would appreciate a little warmth when the temps are so low. As for lockdown, I'm furloughed again, have pets for company and loads to do on my house so using the time wisely. One click and collect foid shop a month (same since March) & only thing I miss is coffee out with friends and a holiday but not missed anything else.

Notinthemanual Ordered mine from www.mlaccessories.co.uk. Arrived within 3 days, to my surprise.

Jaxjacky

Downing Street news conference at 5, what now?

I think that this may be due to the fact that people don't seem to be paying much attention to this lockdown.

It seems to be very much carry on as you were. My neighbour works for a major utility company. He was furloughed for 3 months in Spring. Now management tell him it's Business as Usual

Two family members are primary school teachers. They are seeing at least 50% more children in class than in March. This is because their parents aren't being furloughed. So now we have different careers being deemed as front line.

This Lockdown, judging by comments from govrnment and Nicola Sturgeon is extremely important. The latter actually going as far to say that this is by far the most worrying time in this pandemic.

The public haven't seemed to grasp the seriousness of it yet so maybe Boris, ( or someone else hopefully) will be on hand to impress on people that this is serious.

Also some are saying that the vaccine is round the corner so they're assuming all is nearly well. Carry on as you were!

But it's quite obvious looking at new laws due to be brought in that this is going to be quite a tough one.

That's what I think anyway.

I don't think that the present lockdown will be very different from tier four. We lived quietly in a smallish village, have a village shop and post office, are able to get some Tesco deliveries or 'click and collects' and can walk outside without meeting others. Those we meet we can avoid going near. We don't have school age children to worry about and can meet the DD outside for a distanced walk.

Without an exciting social life or many friends we can read, walk, sort out the house and garden and keep ourselves occupied. We realise we are very fortunate compared tomany.

The first lockdown made me finally get to grips with and embrace technology. I could do limited things but I am so glad we have all the things we have. The first time round spent as much time in the garden as had only moved into my bungalow August 2019. It needed a lot doing. Didn't go out last year unless I needed to anyway. It made it all the more enjoyable when I did. Like others have said this lockdown was inevitable after Christmas. Also it's so cold it's nice to be cosy indoors.

I am lucky to be in a bubble with my daughter and family. Only live 10 mins away. See eachother once a week but in daily contact. Texting and emailing never thought I would enjoy but I do. Used to love writing long letters but my hands have a mind of their own after a sentence or two it's just scribble. So much easier to control one finger.

Having gransnet is a bonus. So many different topics and people here. Love hearing peoples stories and life experiences. Like to help if I can. But I have found great help here and friends.

Life is for living and live the best life you can. That's what my late husband made me promise. 2020 was a tough year and don't expect things to get much better until Easter. But the rules aren't hard to follow. Once we can get vaccinated it doesn't mean we can throw caution to the wind. We will still have to take precautions. As all diseases they mutant as already seen. Also some people through medical reasons won't be able to be vaccinated. And so course there will be those who refuse it because they are idiots. The same idiots who go on marches against the restrictions, ones who say there is no such thing as Covid.

My cousin's youngest daughter was diagnosed with Covid on Christmas day. She works in a nursery 3 children tested positive and the parents still sent them. How many have been infected through their irresponsible behaviour. She and her 6 year live with my cousin . Luckily they are both fine and she is making a slow recovery.

We all have to play our part. I have used this before on other threads we are at war . It's an enemy we can't see. If we had bombs dropping on us people would behaviour themselves and follow the rules. As usual it's the minority who make things harder for the majority.

We will get through this but sadly many families will have lost loved ones and many people will be suffering the effects from Covid for a long time.

Stay safe and take care.

Granny23 thank you for the patio heater tip. Googled, found and... delivery wouldn't be until end of January. Where did you buy yours?

We were already in tier 4 so the lockdown hasn't changed anything for me personally. I'm normally a glass half full person but I've now drunk the half a glass! One thing I have become very good at is procrastinating

It’s only easier if people abide by the rules.

Madwoman11 thank you for your kind words. In a very sad way it helps knowing we are not alone in this position.

Worse this time. Dark by 4pm, cold, wet and gloomy most days - nothing like the glorious sunshine we had almost throughout the first lock-down to keep our spirits up. I am so angry that this country seems to have the worst lock-down in the world and almost the worst Covid scenario. Could this be due to long term historic underfunding of public services I wonder, and not that we have hatched some super Uk only variant of Covid. Staff working in the NHS are amazing, but the system and management has been dysfunctional for decades, and its absolutely predictable that we would end up in this situation should a crisis strike (I used to work in a large teaching hospital). Sorry to say our NHS is not incredible and amazing, its a mess and it cant cope. All we seem to hear about is protecting the NHS when what we need to hear about is protecting patients. Indeed instead of protecting the NHS we need to reform it totally.

My man is in sheltered housing, no visits from family allowed as has been in tier 3/4 , DS does shopping and that has to be left downstairs and they then speak on phone while mam looks out of window, she has been out about 3 times since march , unless she has a package of care she does not see a member of staff except when she has her lunch delivered from the chef, her mental health is suffering as she feels like she is in prison!!! Due her vaccine soon.

Willow73 I sympathise with you. I have a friend in much the same position. Her daughter is a nurse, and my friend and her husband in mid to late 60s have had their very young grandchildren since March.
I wish I could offer more useful help. All the best to you and your family.

This one is harder for me. My son is a construction worker, so not furloughed this time. My daughter in law his wife, is NHS nurse trained but has just started a full time one year degree in NHS Health Working. They have 2 nursery aged children that need looking after when Keyworkers schooling finishes every day. Do my husband and I look after the children daily for them, what choice do we have. It seems like a risky social bubble.

Harder without doubt!

Worse. The Government continues to act too late. Our area has been out of severe restrictions for two weeks since March 2020. I wonder if we will live to see any resemblance of normality. Depressing is an understatement.

I feel this lockdown is harder as the previous one was during the lighter nights and a period of mostly good weather. I am lucky in having a rescue dog so have her to walk and entertain me so much better placed than so many but last time I had the enjoyment of getting out in our small garden. I know why we need it and I wish it had come in sooner but I will grit my teeth and get on with it for the common good.x

Growing old disgracefully I cried too. I just feel in total despair. Like many I have not seen my daughter for over a year now and my grandson, born in July will not know me. I’ve seen him a few times but feel so cut off. Because my relationship with h is not good i used interests outside the home as my escape route. That’s not possible now. Most days I walk for 2 hours in all weathers but depression and hopelessness are creeping in as I can’t see any end to it.

Finding that the weather being so vile isn't helping. However when it's not too bad I try to go out every day. Because I couldn't get delivery slots at the beginning I have been doing my food shopping in the local supermarket and butcher they both feel safe with sanitiser on offer and I am masked. Seeing people outside seems to help. I'm lucky that I have DH, although he is fairly vulnerable, he rarely goes into shops. When the weather us better we will go to our allotment which kept us sane in the spring. I have taken down all the decorations and am going to make myself sort out more cupboards and drawers!

No, I'm not finding this easier. I have plenty of hobbies, but these were things I do/did anyway and do not replace the things we are now denied. The first lockdown was made more bearable as the weather was good and we could get outside. I am an outdoors person, and most of my non-hobby activities are outdoors based. I have been trying to go for walks, but painful joints don't help, nor pounding grey depressing streets. We have had carrot after carrot dangled in front of us in the form of being told it would all be better, and each time it had not been so and I have lost hope that it ever will be. The vaccine won't destroy the virus, it will just alleviate how ill people will become, and won't prevent re-infection. Nor can the 'science' tell us that the effect will be long lasting. And we will STILL have to wear masks. I'm sorry but I cried at yesterday's announcement and am having a very dark day today.

ALANaV
I completely agree with you.

I go for a walk with the dog every day, unless it's actually raining. Keeps me sane. I've started a new book and watching a box set of Downton abbey. I also think that it's a good thing to ration the news, otherwise we will drive ourselves insane!

Definitely harder this time. The first lockdown was a bit of a novelty and the weather was glorious which really helped. I'm missing my kids/grandkids but there's nothing we can do atm. I'm making a list of all the things I'll do when we're free. DH keeps on saying it will be a long time, but I'm thinking by the summer things should be much different.

The main difference to me in this lockdown is that I now have an amazing support bubble in the shape of DD and her husband. I suffered terrible depression in the first one for the first time in my life, and didn't know which way to turn. I was so lonely and isolated, and everything was very black. I often saw no-one for days, was too scared of the virus to venture out, and all my normal social activities were cut off. It was my GP who suggested the support bubble and having the support and company of family really lifted me out of a black hole. I am so grateful to them for their understanding and practical help. I now visit and stay with them nearly every weekend, and it is so good to feel normal, have someone to talk to and share a meal with - all the things that used to be part of a normal life. The benefits I am experiencing cannot be under-estimated.

Thank you hetty 58. It seems everyone thinks if you live with someone you are fortunate. Not always the case.

That’s the same for all of us though hollysteers isn’t it, I wouldn’t think there are many people on here whose normal lives haven’t collapsed?
Of course we all deal with the situation differently, I’m definitely not a homebody (I wish I was, I think they are the most contented amongst us at the moment) but I can’t sit about regretting what I’d normally be doing, I have to fill the time productively because I feel better about things if I do, sorry if you think that’s inappropriate.