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Original poster

Lockdown started two years ago - what did you all think was ahead when it was announced?

178 replies

goaskmum · 23/03/2022 19:39

So the very first lockdown started this day 2 years ago! I can’t believe that.

I remember hearing earlier that day that BJ was to do a big televised announcement in the evening and then being on edge not knowing what came next.

I also remember taking my dog out at half 7 that night for a walk because I wasn’t sure if it would be made illegal after he did his announcement!

What were you all doing and what did you make of it/think was going to happen?

OP posts:
SophieSoSo · 23/03/2022 19:42

I thought it was going to be for a couple of weeks.

How naïve!

Elderflower14 · 23/03/2022 19:43

I was preparing to go to work at the village shop. We were all given a letter to carry in case the police stopped us... The school where I worked was closed. We had queues of customers at the shop which snaked all the way up the street.. I did shopping for various neighbours too.. I went six months from Dec 2019 to June 2020 before I saw ds2.. A very kind friend drove me down for the day...

Original poster
goaskmum · 23/03/2022 19:43

@SophieSoSo

I thought it was going to be for a couple of weeks.

How naïve!

Yes! I remember DD asking me when we could go to the cinema again and I said to her I’m sure it’ll only be a few weeks! I was naive too!
OP posts:
Tonsiltrouble · 23/03/2022 19:43

My prediction was 2 years for normal life to resume but that restrictions would come and go in that time. After 2 years covid would be around but would be milder and would become the next ‘flu’ so fast mutating and a vaccination schedule would be needed. Pretty accurate so far.

Lockheart · 23/03/2022 19:46

I thought WFH was all very novel and it would be done with in say 6 weeks or so. The weather was good and I was quite happy not to commute.

Ah the naivety Grin I now hate WFH.

balalake · 23/03/2022 19:49

I thought it would be probably only for a few weeks at most. We had already started working from home.

Nicknacky · 23/03/2022 19:51

I had a holiday to Florida booked for the may and I was hopeful to make it and even commented that the parks would probably be quieter as people would have cancelled 🤦🏻‍♀️.

WTF475878237NC · 23/03/2022 19:52

I had seen the film Contagion, which a leading epidemiologist helped to script. In that film, it killed about 30% people infected and lasted until a vaccine was developed. There were field hospitals, quarantine, looting, anti vax...all pretty accurate it turns out. I remember thinking this is going to change the world in the weeks leady up to lockdown. Two years ago today I cried watching the announcement, wondering how many family members I might lose. Three died within weeks.

alwaysontheloo · 23/03/2022 19:55

I didn't really 'buy' the whole Covid thing when they were talking about it on the news etc, thought it would turn out to be a big fat nothing but I will never forget that Friday evening when lockdown started.
I had my first panic attack and with the whole dramatic announcement on the news and Johnson's speech I totally freaked out.
We had just buried my father the week before (Not Covid related) and my head just imploded. Looking back though I feel we were really lucky to be able to give my father a good send off.
Lots of people didn't get that chance with their loved ones after that.

maddiemookins16mum · 23/03/2022 19:56

I thought my work colleagues, who were all packed off home with laptops, would be back in 3 weeks. Never happened, some I haven’t seen in the flesh since.

Original poster
goaskmum · 23/03/2022 19:57

@WTF475878237NC

I had seen the film Contagion, which a leading epidemiologist helped to script. In that film, it killed about 30% people infected and lasted until a vaccine was developed. There were field hospitals, quarantine, looting, anti vax...all pretty accurate it turns out. I remember thinking this is going to change the world in the weeks leady up to lockdown. Two years ago today I cried watching the announcement, wondering how many family members I might lose. Three died within weeks.
Oh I’m so sorry for your losses Flowers
OP posts:
Original poster
goaskmum · 23/03/2022 19:58

@alwaysontheloo

I didn't really 'buy' the whole Covid thing when they were talking about it on the news etc, thought it would turn out to be a big fat nothing but I will never forget that Friday evening when lockdown started. I had my first panic attack and with the whole dramatic announcement on the news and Johnson's speech I totally freaked out. We had just buried my father the week before (Not Covid related) and my head just imploded. Looking back though I feel we were really lucky to be able to give my father a good send off. Lots of people didn't get that chance with their loved ones after that.
Sorry to hear that. Flowers
OP posts:
Soffit · 23/03/2022 20:00

They did say from the start to brace ourselves for two years of it - based on previous pandemics. I privately accepted this but many people would/could not do this.

Saltedeggplant · 23/03/2022 20:01

I remember feeling quite scared, I thought it would be far longer with various restrictions as I thought it would be years and years before we had a vaccine, modern medicine is amazing with how quick we had all the different vaccine options in the world.

ConfusedByDesign · 23/03/2022 20:02

I’m someone who reads the hell about things going on so like a pp, I figured it was going to take 2 yrs to get back to normal. I just remember thinking that I had to make sure my kids would be ok and that we’d probably be locked down for 6 weeks. I don’t remember feeling scared, just sad.

Lockheart · 23/03/2022 20:03

@Soffit

They did say from the start to brace ourselves for two years of it - based on previous pandemics. I privately accepted this but many people would/could not do this.
No "they" didn't. If the govt had told everyone they'd be locked down for two years there'd have been chaos.

It was a lockdown for X weeks, reviewed as we went along.

Some people said two years, sure, my mum was one of them, but that was never the official line.

Sidge · 23/03/2022 20:05

I’m in healthcare.

We were shitting ourselves. We didn’t know what we were dealing with.

Soffit · 23/03/2022 20:06

Despite practically living on planes during my adult life, I let my passport renewal lapse without a second thought. I will not even consider travelling abroad again until all of the nonsense measures are lifted. I have travelled loads already & I would have carried on doing this were it not for covid. I miss some people who live in the US as well as the US itself. I don't have a desperate longing to go anywhere else. I have been rehabilitated as a permanent member of British society which I never expected to happen until I was really old.

Soffit · 23/03/2022 20:08

@Lockheart - I never listened to those clowns lol. I was getting my advice from elsewhere and it was issued in a pretty low key way but with a lot of certainty and credibility. The government probably had the same advice but of course, it would have caused unrest if they had so much as hinted at this.

Hshuznw · 23/03/2022 20:08

We rushed around to buy toilet paper because we were genuinely short - hadn’t been able to buy any all week due to the panic buying. We paid a ridiculous amount for some crap quality from a local newsagent.

It was also when covid hit home. We were due to get married in two months time and the week before, ahead of any lockdown suggestions, DH suggested we postpone. I was dead set against it and it caused some arguments - it’s just a flu, I would say. We ended up postponing a few days before lockdown was announced, and that’s when I realised it may have actually been a good idea to do so.

Whatelsecouldibecalled · 23/03/2022 20:10

Holding my 37 week bump first baby feeling very scared.

NinaDefoe · 23/03/2022 20:12

@SophieSoSo

I thought it was going to be for a couple of weeks.

How naïve!

So did I ! It took me months to realise it was going to continue long term. Even the second lockdown came as a shock. Talk about burying my head in the sand.
hellcatspangle · 23/03/2022 20:14

I totally thought a few weeks would sort it. Daughter packed her bags and decamped to ours for company for "three weeks" and ended up staying 18 months!

Anythingbutsnow · 23/03/2022 20:15

I remember watching the announcement with my husband. We were in shock at the lockdown announcement because it was no novel. I told my husband I felt like I'd just been in a car crash and he said the same. I think that was adrenaline. I also remember thinking I just want it to all be over and it to be December looking forward to Christmas for some reason.

SexiestDogWalker · 23/03/2022 20:18

A long awaited surgery was cancelled with 48hrs to go, leaving my family member in pain for months. They cried bitter, gut wrenching sobs when lockdown was announced