Last weekend marked five years since the beginning of the first Covid lockdown, announced by gold wallpaper enthusiast Boris Johnson on the evening of 23rd March 2020. In a lot of ways, the days of the 'rule of six' when meeting outside, drones patrolling the Derbyshire countryside in search of walkers contravening the rules, and suitcases of booze being wheeled into Downing Street seem like a lifetime ago. As for the discussion about whether scotch eggs constitute a main meal and that Barnard Castle eye test, the pandemic frequently went from the sublime to the ridiculous.
I'd like to recommend a brilliant three part listen on BBC Sounds this week, entitled Lockdown's Legacy. Testimonials from medics, teachers, and children are really haunting at times, and as GP surgeries pulled the shutters down, and schools closed, "children had become invisible". The series is really sensitively handled, and I jotted down a few bits that really stood out to me as I listened.
Doctors saw 'Victorian levels' of abuse and neglect, they reported. Eating disorders, mental health problems, and childhood obesity all soared during lockdown. It wasn't all Joe Wicks workouts and banana bread, and a lot of children recalled never seeing friends again after being sent home just before Easter. Teachers said they found it difficult to see pupils' siblings running around in the background during online lessons, and hearing their parents shouting in frustration.
Built up areas like Bradford saw as many as a third of kids not going out of the house at all, whilst around 20% in deprived areas had no internet, making online learning all but impossible. Whilst many enjoyed the extra time with family, clearly others were trapped behind closed doors, and felt like they had no escape.
I know I often like to write about the lighter side of life in this column, but I'd really recommend giving this series 90 minutes of your time. It was very well done, and reminded me of the impact the Covid pandemic had on all our lives. I know it's not healthy to spend too much time looking back, but I hope we can learn some good lessons from a terrible time for all of us.
Community spirit came to the fore during those dark days, and whilst some who set the rules partied their way through the pandemic, a lot of us ordinary folk noticed a rise in neighbours looking out for each other and helping in small ways that really made a difference.
I had a rather different experience from many who stayed at home during lockdown, as I continued to drive into radio studios and broadcast live shows. I hope they provided a crumb of comfort during some dark days. I joined the team at Tameside Radio in September 2020, and had to carry around a letter explaining why I wasn't at home. I've never seen the roads as quiet, and petrol dropped below £1 a litre for the first time in living memory.
It was a strange time to join a new radio station, but receiving messages from regular listeners to say I'd made a bit of a difference to their lives meant a lot during those seriously strange times. I hope we never see them again in my lifetime.
Another interesting finding this week was a report in The Times that only works in the Philippines are more reluctant than Brits to return to the office full time. At the moment, we do an average of two days a week, but for many that is apparently too much. I'm not against hybrid working, but do think there's something to be said for the camaraderie of working alongside the rest of your team. I certainly have no desire to join those who mainly conduct meetings via Zoom, and always want appointments to be face-to-face with my GP. Each to their own, I guess.
Ending on a positive note, I now appreciate time with family and friends much more after being forced apart from them during lockdown. I love my trips to the cinema more than ever. Parks and green spaces are more valuable too, and should be cherished. And one of my memories of early lockdown is visiting Doncaster Market (where I worked on air at the time) and picking up boxes of fruit and veg. I've kept the habit of shopping local wherever I can, and we are blessed with many great local businesses in Tameside who I'd encourage you to support.
