How quickly will we forget?

To say it's been an odd few months is no understatement. Before Christmas we were all concerned with  the trials and tribulations of Brexit (remember that?), Boris finally having got his way to "Get Brexit Done. Blimey, if that was all we had to worry about! Looking back now, we can see how the Government loves a soundbite/message and was perhaps a foretaste of what was to come with "Stay At Home, Protect the NHS and Save Lives", shortly followed by "Stay Alert (I still don't know what that means"), Control the Virus (I still don't know what that means either), Save Lives".

Anyway, fast forward to the start of the year and we all watched from afar as the coronavirus spread westwards at a rate of knots, blissfully going about our business as usual, before it was too late, and we were suddenly in lockdown (or a lighter version of it, because let's face it we were never in real lockdown).

During the last couple of months, we've (mostly) seen people being nicer to each other, helping neighbours and friends out who are isolating or shielding, clapping the NHS and other key workers. We've left notes and sometimes gifts for our postmen/women, refuse collectors. We've seen business models change to adapt to lockdown. We've learnt to work from home, obey social distancing rules and live without things that previously we might have seen as "essential". We've done all those jobs we've been putting off for weeks, months, or even years. we've de-cluttered, we've learnt to cook. We've possibly exercised more, perhaps not because we wanted to exercise per se, but because it was an excuse to get out of the house, but hey, let's not decry the fact that we are at least exercising! Many of us have discovered more about our local area than we ever knew before, and probably would never have known if it weren't for this pandemic.

Sure, we've missed (and continue to miss) many things. Popping round to a friends house, or the pub, or going to a restaurant, theatre or on holiday, but we've survived.

At some point though, things will start getting back to some sort of normality. In some places in the UK (England I'm looking at you), this has started sooner than for the rest of us. Having said that, despite Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland continuing their stricter lockdown approach, we do have coffee shops, garden centres, fast food outlets, DIY stores, car washes, etc open, and we do have people using them, almost certainly on non-essential visits. We also have people getting in their cars and driving to places for exercise, or just because they want to.

Let's not kid ourselves here. Whilst in Wales, at least locally, we're not seeing the mass migration to beaches and parks that are happening in some parts of England played out across news and social media, we're not holier than thou. When a picture of a packed Southend beach from last weekend was posted on Twitter alongside an photo of an apparently empty Whitmore Bay at Barry Island as a comparison, along with the predictable comments, what you might have missed were other comments and reports on other social media timelines saying that actually, Barry Island was busy that day (not ridiculously so, but it wasn't empty either. Apparently Cardiff Bay was also packed. Anyway, I digress.

So, the question I have is this. When we do see lockdown lifted, and restrictions eased, how much of everything that we've done and adapted to in the last two to three months will remain, and how much will we quickly forget as we rush back to our cars and self centred lives? Will we continue to talk to our neighbours over the fence, or check in on that little old lady at the end of the road? Will we not moan about queues, or take public transport instead of jumping into our cars, or God forbid even carry on walking? Will we stop appreciating the NHS, and all other key workers we've been so resolutely thanking and applauding these last few weeks? I'm not suggesting we continue clapping every Thursday - that needs to end sometime.

Will we all flock back to Wetherspoon's for our cheap beer after decrying them so vehemently for not paying their workers early on in the crisis and saying we'd never visit s 'Spoons again? News reports of massive queues at recently opened McDonalds for example (or let's face it, anything that opens - Starbucks, recycling centres, garden centres - God knows what will happen when the high street shops open), suggest that however much we say one thing, as soon as the opportunity arises, we instinctively resort to our previous behaviours, and will do anything for a soggy burger and fries, or cup of coffee. In a nutshell, how easily we forget.

I'd like to think we won't, but I'm not holding my breath.

Until tomorrow....

#isolationlife
#stayhomesavelives

VE Day and lockdown extension

Today marks 75 years since the end of the Second World War in Europe - VE Day. Inevitably there are fewer and fewer people who can  remember this in person and understand the enormity of what cessation of hostilities meant after six years of war. Remarkably and rather scarily, I entered the world stage only 14 years later. Thankfully I have never had to face such terrible times, although the Falklands and first and second Gulf wars were sobering enough, even viewed from a distance.

Although many have tried, it's impossible to compare what we're going through now to the war. Of course there are similarities. People are dying, albeit from a virus rather than bombs and bullets. But we're not being bombed. We haven't got to endure food rationing. We haven't got to send our kids in cities to the country for safety.  And we've only been in lockdown (however relative that is for some) for seven weeks.

Society has changed massively over those 75 years. Not least, communication is instant and in your face There's no waiting for the news on the radio, or going to the cinema to watch the Pathé news. There's no lag time, and that brings a culture of immediacy. Everyone wants things to happen straight away or to "know now". And social media allows us to respond either directly or to the wider world about our thoughts on any particular subject. And generally I think people's tolerance has reduced. Whilst we see glimpses of the "British bulldog spirit" or the "Blitz spirit" of everyone pulling together, it's hard when we live in a devolved democracy, and people's sense of what we should be doing is so visible and arguably being driven by the mass media.  What initially seemed like a novel idea to have to stay at home (for most) is now wearing incredibly thin for many. There are clearly more cars on the road than a few weeks ago. The mere mention of a KFC opening up sends hoards into their cars creating massive queues for a bit of fried chicken and some fries. Mention a DIY store opening, and suddenly everyone who'd been putting off their decorating for years needs to go and buy paint. Some people don't need an excuse. They just get in their cars and drive off somewhere. According to media reports, some are just going for a drive because of lockdown fatigue whilst some seem to be driving to all parts of the country to go to the coast, to pick up a car, to fetch a boat, climb a mountain....the list goes on.

Desperate for fried chicken: KFC queue in Swansea: Photo: Wales Online 

With this weekend seemingly bringing the first sense of what coming out of lockdown means, there are a number of things to understand.

Firstly, the devolved nature of our government means people in different regions will likely be getting  different messages despite protestations that we are on a four country approach. We already know for instance that in Wales schools will not be reopening on 1st June. Scotland has announced that the lockdown will be extended and has advised people to wear masks in shops and on public transport. There is no such guidance from Westminster, or as yet, Senedd Cymru. Wales First Minister announced earlier that lockdown has been extended for a further three weeks with some minor amendments. You can go out to exercise more than once a day providing you stay local (but no definition of what local is). Some gardens centres and recycling centres (tips) may open - cue more massive queues of cars. Recycling centres I can understand, but garden centres hardly seem essential yet - although I accept they may be good for mental health of some perhaps (but so are many things) - and don't get me wrong, I love a garden centre, but can I justify going to my local one just for a browse or to buy some compost? I don't know but I suspect some will see this a just an argument for getting out of the house.

Until tomorrow....

#isolationlife
#stayhomesavelives