Lockdown Review

We passed the 100 day mark since Boris initially imposed the lockdown. I won’t lie. It’s been great. Sure, we were a bit unlucky to have had three foreign holidays booked. Obviously they didn’t happen. But we’ve emerged from lockdown in good health. We’ve never had so much time off in our adult lives. We’ve walked hundreds of miles. The weather has been mostly fantastic. We all stopped talking about Brexit for more than five minutes. Friends and close family seem to have emerged unscathed. 

I also rediscovered my photography mojo. I’ve taken thousands of photos, publishing hundreds on my blog and on Facebook. I’ve created a public photo album with a selection of my favourite shots. It starts in Minterne Gardens at the end of March as we took a short drive while such a thing was still allowed. The next day such activities were outlawed. The Sky was blue and the sun shone, but the tree branches were still bare, the ground damp and spring yet to really show its face. 

Bournemouths streets were eerily deserted. We took walks at odd times, once or twice at a little after 5am. We strolled the beaches endlessly and explored further afield. We enjoyed the luxury of coffees served at a bakery in Lilliput. We discovered that Parkstone Gold Club had opened up for walkers. But gradually places became busier. Restrictions  were eased. Shops have opened. On Saturday, restaurants and pubs open. Lockdown is over. Really, it has been for some time.

There are, however, dark clouds on the horizon. I said at the beginning that we had two goals. To stay healthy and to stay employed. We have managed the former, so far. Long may that continue. Many people will now have to confront the latter task, Mrs P and I included. There’s no such thing as a safe job in 2020. We can but keep our noses clean, cross our fingers and get on with it.